Claims and Teachings

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LIBRARY

CLAIMS AND TEACHINGS

THE PROMISED MESSIAH AND MAHDI,

(FROM HIS OWN WRITINGS AND SAYINGS)

FOURTH EDITION.

COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY

ABDULLAH ALLAHDIN,

ALLADIN BUILDINGS,
OXFORD STREET,

SECUNDERABAD (India.)

PEINTBD BY

D. NABAYANEEDDT AND CO., AT THE UNIVBBSAL PRESS,

SECUNDERABAD.
1922.

t f ' ^ C (

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CONTENTS.

PAGE.

1. The need of the Holy Quran .... .... 1

2. Custom and Tradition .... .... 18

3. Certainty in Faith .... .... 23

4. The Jews', the Christians', the Hindoos' and

the Muslims' expectations concerning the
coming of the World Teacher. The Ad-
vent of the First Messiah .... ,... 27

5. The Second Advent of the Messiah .... 33
6 The Christian calculations as to the time of

the Second Advent of the Messiah .... 40

7- A Sermon published in the Times of India

and other Leading Papers .... .... 45

8. The Hindoo Belief regarding the coming of

the World Teacher ... ... 47

9. Time fixed by the Holy Quran as to the

Second Advent of the Messiah. The signs
mentioned in Quran and Traditions- The
Revelations of the Muslim Saints ... 50

10. The Holy Quran clearly speaks of the death of
Jesus, son of Mary (Isa Ibne Mariam) peace
be on him and refutes the false belief of his
Personal Second Advent ... ... 53

1 1 Did Jesus son of Mary peace be on him mount

up into Heaven bodily ? .... ... 58

12. The Resemblance between the Mosaic & the Mus-
lim pysterns and their two respective Messiahs 60

PAGE.

13. The Promised Messiah appeared exactly at the

appointed time with thousands of signs, proofs,

and testimonies .... ... ... 67

14. Hear! Ye Christians of Europe and America

and ye seekers after the truth ... .... 71

15. Why is the Promised Messiah sent from among

the Muslims? ... ... 72

16. One God, one Prophet and one Faith .. v 73

17. The Early Life and Mission of the Promised

Messiah .... ... 75

18. The Teachings of the Promised Messiah ... 82

19. The Teachings of Quran and Gospels compared.. 101

20. Some criteria of a Divine Revelation ... 109
2.1. Some of the Revelations of the Promised

Messiah ... .... 135

22. Are all Religions from God ? ... ... 141

23- A Lecture delivered hy the Promised Messiah
regarding the Teachings of Islam and their
contrast with other Rnligions and regarding
his claim to the Promised Messiahship, ... 150

24. The Bubonic Plague ... ... 209

25 The Plague Inoculation and the followers of the

Promised Messiah ... ... 211

26. Immediate precaution in the case of outbreak

of plague .... .... 219

27. Plague Remedies. suggested by various Religious

sects and the only true Remedy revealed by

the Almighty God .... .... 223

28. A standing miracle in support of the proof that
Islam is the only true and Living Religion on

earth .... .... 235

691530

AHMADIA MOVEMENT.

Founded by AHMAD of QAD1AN, the Promised World Messenger

of the Latter days whom God raised for the guidance of

Humanity in the present Age of Materialism.

Present Leader.

His Holiness HAZBAT MIBZA MAHMUD AHMAD,
Caliph II (Qadian, Punjab, India.)

Branches.

All over India, Burma, Ceylon, China, Mauritius, Mesopotamia,
Persia, Arahia, Egypt, England, United states of America, East
& West Africa, Australia.

MISSIONARIES.

England.

PROFESSOR lyiUBABAK ALI, B. A., B. T.
The Mosque, 63, Melrose Boad,
Southfields London, S. W. 18-

America.

DOCTOR MUFTI MAHOMMAD SADIQ,
B. Phil, A. S- P., F. P. C. Lond.F. C. Chrom. M. R. A. S.,

Editor Moslem Sun Bise,
27, La Belle Ave Highland Park, Mich U. S- A-

Ill

Africa*

Professor A. R. NAYYAB, Phil B,, F. P. C. Lond.) M. S. P ,
6'?, Bamgbose Street, Lagos Nigeria, West Africa-

Australia.

Mr. HASSAN MUS A KHAN'*

Mauritius,

HAFIZ GHULAM MOHAMMAD, B. A. & HAFIZ OBAIDULLAH.

Ceylon.

Mr. W- M. THAHA,
43, Main Street, Pettah, Colombo.

China.

Mr. GHULAM MUJTABA.

Mesopotamia.

SYED FATEH ALI SHAH.

Singapur.

HAKIM BAHMAT ALI.

Jeddah.

HAJI ABU BAKE YOOSUFF.

Egypt.

SIIAIK MAHMUD AHMAD,

19, Khairat Road, Cairo (Egypt.)

Ill

PAGE

29. Every Muslim must recognise I in am -e-Z am an

or the Spiritual Leader of the time who is
specially raised by the Almighty God at the
beginning of every century

30. Why are the Muslims called the best of all

people and their Holy Prophet Mahornrnad
peace and blessings of God be on him called the
seal of Prophets and the only Living Prophet ?

31. Jehad or Religious Wars

32. The Promised Messiah's exhortations to his

followers concerning the British Government...

33. An Extract from Punjab Census Report

34. An Extract from Bombay Census Report

35. An Interpretation of the titles of Isa Masih

and Mahornad Mahdi given to the Promised
Messiah

36. An Interpretation of the title of Avtar or In-

carnation of Shri Krishna given to the
Promised Messiah

37- An Interpretation of the Promised Messiah's
descent upon a Minaret

38. An Interpretation of the Promised Messiah's

descent with two yellow mantles on

39. An Interpretation of the rising of sun from the

West

40. The Promised Messiah is a Prophet of God

41. The Apostle of God in the clothes of all Prophets

42. Further Divine Revelations regarding the

Prophethood of the Promised Messiah

43. Fundamental Doctrines of Muslim Faith

44. Object of Muslim Prayers

247

249
251.

261
266
266

267

270

272

275

275
277
282

283
284
295

iv PAGE

45. Importance of Friday Prayers .... .... 307

46. Who is a true Martyr ? .... .... SOS

47. Preparation for the next world .... .... 309

48. They are. not Muslims who refuse to believe the

Promised Messiah although they may pray

and fast and follow other Islamic Injunctions. 310

49. A Reply to those who demand miracles or

worldly advantages. The best criterion to

recognise a true Prophet of God .... 313

50. Prophecies relating to the safety of the Promised.

Messiah and the two Martyrdoms ... 320

51- The Will of the Promised Messiah ... 334

2 A few words of advice and a Grand Prophecy

that the world should bear witness in every age 355

53. The Message of Peace ... .... 362

54. The object of the Promised Messiah's advent .... 394 .
55- Why a Prophet of God needed ab the present age? 396
56 The Promised Messiah as Moon of the Prophets

as well as Sun of the Prophets .... 400

57. One of the earliest prophecies of the Promised

Messiah and its wonderful fulfilment ... 401

58- A new year's call to Christendom. A call to the

truth .... .... ' .... 404

59. Ahmad's Teachings to his followers .... 407

60- The graud mystery underlying the unusual birth

of Jesus Christ ... ... 409

61. Jewish Massacers .... .... 413

62. A Message for the Sikhs ... 413
y63. What will be the outcome of this? .... 421
-64. Why is all this Tribulation ? ... 428

v PAGE.

65. One of the prophecies concerning the Promised

Messiah's Promised Son .... 433

66- Oar Leader's appeal to the Indian Mussalmans 434

67. Some revelations relating to the Future which

yet await fulfilment .... 448

68. Conditions of Baiat (Initiation into the Ahmadiy-

ya Movement) .... .... 450

69. The articles of faith of the Ah rnadiyy a .Com-

munity. .... .... 451

70- The duties of the Ahmadiyya Movement .... 453

71. The Management of the Ahmadiyya* Movement 454

72. Some; Instructions for the new Ahinadis. .... 456

73. Shall an Ahmadi say his prayers with a Non-

Ahmadi as Imam .... 461

74. Form for Initiation into the Ahmadiyya Move-

ment .... .... 457

75. Do. 459

Extracts from the Holy Quran
and other scriptures.

76; The Alrnigh.ty God declares that Islam is His

perfect and chosen Religion: ... 465

77. The Almighty God commands every one to

follow no other religion! but Islam .... 465

78 Mahornmad,, Peace and blessings of God be on
him is the Prophet of God for all the nations
of the World ... ... 465

79- What does Mahommad Peace and blessings of

God be on him say of himself. .... 465

80. What does Jesus son of Mary, Peace and bless-
ings of God be on him say of himself 466

vi PAGE..

81. Misconception concerning Jesus son of Mary

Peace be on him .... .... 466

82. Metaphorical Verses .... .... 468

83. The Holy Quran declares that Jesus son of Mary

Peace be on him is dead and refutes the false
belief concerning his personal second advent .... 468
84- The Almighty God promises to send His Mes-
sengers to the people from among themselves
(not from Heaven) ... .... 470

85. It is the hereditary custom of the people of

every age to disbelieve the Messengers of God
whenever they are raised from among them .... 471

86. Every one has to pass a trial of recognising the

Divine Messenger of the time ... 472

87. Veritable infidels are those who seek to make a

distinction between the Apostles of God .... 474

88. Hypocrites .... .... 475

89. Obey the Summoner of God. If he is a false
prophet he shall hear his sin and shall be

destroyed .... .... 477

90. Bible on false prophet .... .... 478

91- A Prayer from the Holy Quran .... .... 478

92. Carelessness towards the warnings . .... 479

98. Fate of those who disbelieve the Divine Mes-
sengers

94 Corrections .... .... 482

95. Advertisements .... .... 464

In the name of Allah, the

Gracious and the Merciful
We praise Him and pray for His

Choicest Blessings upon His noble Prophet.

THE NEED OF THE HOLY QURAN.

THE great object of Islam being to teach the doctrine of the
Unity of God, the question has often been asked what was
the need of the Holy Quarn when the doctrine of Unity had
already been revealed to the world in the Taurat (the book of the
Law of Moses). In answer to this question it should be borne
in rnind that Judaism no doubt orginally taught the doctrine of
Unity, but Judaism at the time of the revelation of the Quran
was itself corrupt both in practice and doctrine. The pure religion
of the Unity of God had been departed from by the Jews, and the
doctrine of Unity contained in their books had no practical effect
upon their lives. The grand aim for which man is created and
the Word of God revealed had been utterly lost sight of. The
recognition of the Divine Unity consists in a firm belief in the
existence of God and His oneness attended with an implicit
pbedience to him complete submission to His will and lasting
Bone's self in His love. The Jewish books taught Unity indeed
but the inner life of the Jews was not governed by the noble
principle of conduct which underlies the doctrine of the Unity of
God, and their hearts were totally devoid of the deep expression
of the grandeur and glory of God. Outwardly and formally they
recognized Unity but their hearts were turned away from purity
and under the control of Satan. Their lives were characterised
by every form of iniquity such as worldliness 'impure thoughts

and affections, deceit and falsehood. The honor and greatness
due to God was given to priests and hermits and disgraceful
deeds were done. Hypocrisy and deceit were predominant in
the hearts of those who effected to be the teachers and reformers
of the people.

Moreover a mere formal recognition of the Unity of God is
of no avail if the heart bows down in submission before a thou-
sand different idols, The person who assigns the glory and
greatness which is due solely to God, to the means, plans and
stratagems which he .employs for 1 the realization .of an object, or
trusts in aught but God, or gives a share of the majesty and
power of God to his own self or to any other creature, is also an
idol worshipper though he may outwardly confess the Unity of
God. Idols are not only images made of stone, brass, gold, silver
or any other substance, but every object of the reverence arid
passionate devotion which is due to God, is an idol in the. sight
of God. The Jewish sacred books however did not teach this
noble significance of the doctrine of Unity and the Quran was,
therefore, needed for its revelation to the world. The doctrine
of the absolute Unity of God precluding faith or trust in every-
thing else besides God was noc known to the world until the
Holy Quran revealed it. The adoration and reverence of sense-
less images is an act to which none but the most ignorant and

o o

superstitious would resort, but the most dangerous form of idola-
try is that which cannot be easily discovered and which effects
and vitiates the whole system l.ike an imperceptible, but obstinate
disease. This lamentable disease prevailed among the Jews and
the Bible did not prove an effectual remedy for it, for the Bible
did not teach the great truth underlying the Unity of God. The
general prevalence of this disease moreover required a perfect
living exemplar whose life being governed by this practical

principle of the absolute Unity of God should have been a gui-
dance and a direction to mankind and a powerful remedy for
destroying the disease. :

What is the true doctrine of the Unity of God which the
Holy Quran requires us to believe in and which is the only way
to salvation ? It is to believe in God as one and alone in His
person, and above every rival or partner whether it is an idol, or
human being, or a heavenly body or one's ownself or one's
resources, plans or means, 'not to regard any one as powerful
against Him, not to consider any one as the sustainer, the exalter
the abaser, the helper or the supporter as against the will of God,
to love Him alone, to worship Him alone, to submit to Him alone,
to fear Him alone and to centre all one's hopes in Him alone.
There are three requirements for a complete adherence to the
doctrine of Unity. Firstly, a man must believe in Unity in the
person of God, i. e. he must regard everything as vain and naught
before God. Secondly he must believe in Unity in the attributes
of God and consider Divinity and -Lordship as the attributes of
none besides God, looking upon all those who seem to have an
authority as having it from Him. Thirdly, there must be unity
in the love, sincerity and devotion which he bears to God; in
other words, nothing else must have a share of his love, and de-
votion towards God and of the other aspects of his adoration,
and he must be completely lost in Him. These three aspects of
the Divine Unity had not been taught by any book before the
'Quran, and that which had been taught by Moses* and the
Israelite prophets was not acted upon by the Jews and the
Christians. The iniquity and gross immorality in which these
people indulged at that time is a clear testimony to the truth of
the statement that they admitted the existence of God with their
lips, but their hearts were utter strangers to this exalting and noble

4 ' . - '

faith. It is for this reason that the Quran condemns both the
J Jews and the Christians and says that if these people had acted
upon the teachings of Moses and Jesus they would have been
granted sustenance both from heaven and from earth. The
heavenly sustenance indicates the spiritual blessings which are
granted to the righteous and faithful in heart such as heavenly
signs, acceptance of prayer, visions and inspiration. Here they
are also declared as having been deprived of earthly sustenance,
because they did not obtain it by just and righteous means but
by bending low upon earth and making use of vile means.

Israelite Law, no doubt, taught the Unity of God, but the
doctrine of Unity taught by it, fell for short of the sublime Unity
revealed by the Holy Quran. This defect of teaching in itself
called for a new revelation, while the necessity was further en-
henced by the spiritual death of those who professed to inculcate
this doctrine. The Jewish doctrine of unity, imperfect as it was,
was in their books and not in their hearts. They, therefore,
needed a heavenly teacher who should have breathed the soul of
Unity ic.to their hearts, and a warm devotion in place of dull and
vapid utterance of formal words. The Jews were dead and life
had departed from them on account of the hardness of their hearts
and their numerous transgressions. No spark ,of love for God
and not the slightest trace of inclination to spirituality was lefc
in them. Their books on account of their defective teachings
and the numerous alterations in their letter and spirit could not
inspire a new life into, and furnish a perfect guidance to, their
votaries or to the world at large. Therefore, Almighty God sent
down His living Word like fresh and timely rain and to this word
which gave life did He invite them, that they might find life and
salvation being purified through it of their former errors and ini-
quities. The Holy Quarn was, therefore, needed in the first place

.''' ' . 6 '

to teach a living Unity to tHe lifeless Jews; secondly, to inform
.them of their errors ; and thirdly, to throw full light upon all
matters relating to eschatology which had been but barely allud-
ed to in the Israelite law.

It is true that the seed of truth was sown with the revela-
tion of Moses while that of Jesus gave the glad tidings of a future
when that revelation was to be made perfect. As the seed that
grows in a healthly condition gives the glad tidings of good fruits'
and ears the Gospel of Jesus gave the glad tidings of the revela-
tion of a perfect law and unerring guide fulfilled in the Holy
Quran. The seed which Moses had sown, therefore, ripened with
the Quran. The Holy book brought with it the perfect blessings
which made a clear distinction between truth and falsehood and
perfected the religious truths and spiritual verities. This was
the purport of Moses' words in Deut. 32: 2, " The Lord came from
Hinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; He shined forth from
mount Paran." In fact the different phases of law were made
perfect only by the Quran. Its two great divisions, the one treat-
ing of the relation of man to God and the other of that of man to
man, found complete and full development only in the Quran.
The object of the Quran was to make the savage a man, to teach
the man the highest moral qualities and to make him godly last
of all. This function the Holy Book performed with such a suc-
cess that every other law is a total failure in comparison with it.

The Holy Quran was also needed to settle the differences
between the Jews and the Christians relating to Jesus. ' This it
has done in various places. A very important point of difference
is that in relation to which the following verse occurs in the
Holy Quran : })f ( ^/.^) ^ ^^ 3 ^J ) u-*l; 3 <*-&+ ^ ) o ^>* k
The Jews asserted as against the Christians that their prophet,
i. e., Jesus, had been crucified and that, therefore according to the

law of Moses he was accursed and his soul did not rise to heaven.
This argument they advanced as conclusive proof that Jesus was
a false prophet. The Christians admitted the curse but said
that he had been cursed for their sake, and that subsequently
the curse being removed, he rose to heaven where God seated
him on His right hand. The verse quoted above condemns both
views as serious errors. It states that Jesus did not suffer either a
^permanent or a temporary curse but that his soul rose to heaven,
the happy abode to which the souls of the righteous rise, immedi-
ately after his death which did not take place on the cross. The
/ Mosaic Law makes curse the consequence of a death upon the cross
and not of a mere suspension on it which does not result in death.
The Quran plainly negatives the death of Jesus upon the cross
and consequently his subjection to curse and asserts in clear
words that his soul like the souls of the righteous rose to heaven
after death. Therefore,, the Holy Quran refutes both the Jewish
and Christian doctrines and asserts that he was not accursed as
his enemies and erring friends would have him, but died a pure
death and was raised to heaven after his death like all other
prophets. Thus did the Holy Quran settle the much vexed
question of Jesus' death, but the Christians do not still admit)
the need of the Quran. The Quran brought the pure doctrine of
the absolute Unity of God, it produced harmony between reason
and religion, it carried the doctrine of Unity to its perfection ifc
furnished clear and conclusive arguments for the Unity and
attributes of the Divine Being, it gave reasons based on intellect
history and revelation, for the existence of God, it dressed religion
which had up to that time no more value than can be given to a
story, in scientific clothing, it clothed every doctrine with true
wisdom, it brought to perfection the cham of religious truths
which was hitherto imperfect, it took away the curse from Jesus,

and it gave evidence of his being a true prophet and of his soul
having risen to heaven to live with the righteous. In the face of
these facts, no sensible person would assert that the Quran was
not needed.

It should be borne in mind that the Quran has itself clearly
proved its need. Thus it says :

{i' j* <>J ^ 3) ) ^so dJJ ) ^ J ) jM

" Know it that the earth had been dead, and God is now
going to restore it to life again," History bears evidence to the
fact that immediately before the revelation of the Quran every
nation had depraved itself and all the people were sunk deep in
vice. Pfender notwithstanding his determined enernity to, and
blind prejudice against Islam, also bears testimony to the fact
that the Jews and the Christians at the advent of our Holy
Prophet were corrupt to the core and led grossly immoral Jives,
though he adds DO explain away the appearance of the Holy
Prophet that the coming of a false prophet at the time of a
general corruption was a warning to the Christians and Jews
who had gone astray to reform themselves. Any one
having an ordinary share of intelligence will clearly see that this
explanation is simply an absurdity and an impertinence. Put
in plain words it means that finding the people of the earth in
gross errors and turpitude, God intentionally led them into
greater errors and brought about cricumstances which led millions
of human beings farther away from the right path instead of
doing something to bring them back to the truth. Is it true
that when God sees the people gone astray, He intentionally
leads them to greater destruction, and sends them misleaders
and false prophets when they need true guides and reformers ?
Do the Divine laws as revealed in external nature lend support
this conclusion, and is it thus that God visits the people

when sufferings and adversities are unbearable ? This is 'the
most blasphemous charge against Divine justice and mercy.
To what extreme does the love of this world lead ! A weak
human being is first called God and then an accursed person I
The righteous prophet of God who delivered .the world when it
was plunged in evil and restored it to life when it was dead,
is denied !

What stronger evidence of the need of the Quran is needed ?
It came at a time when error raged in the world. It found the
world blind and gave it light, it found it in error and gave ifc
guidance, it found it dead and gave it life. The fact
that the doctrine of the Unity of God had already been revealed
does not in any way affect the need of the Quran, for as already
shown the doctrine of . Unity as taught in previous books,
was very imperfect and did not aim at the high standard re-
vealed by the Holy Quran. Moreover, even in that imperfect
condition, it was only upon the lips and not in the hearts of its
adherents, and the Holy Quran was, therefore needed to impress
it upon the hearts, and to make it a living principle for action
instead of a formula for repetition. The doctrine of Unity had
in fact being quite lost and the Quran, brought it afresh to the
memory of mankind. The reason why the Holy Quran has been
termed /^ or remembrance is that it brought back to the
memory that which had been forgotten.

The argument against the need of the Quran moreover,
applies, if there is the least weight in it, with equal force to the
Mosaic Law itself, because the doctrine of Unity was not un-
known before the revelation of the Law of Moses. Do not even
the Jews and the Christians admit that this doctrine had been
first revealed and taught to Adam then to Setb, Noah, Abraham
and the other prophets that went before Moses? The revelation

of Moses is, therefore, open to the same objection, viz., that it
was not needed when the doctrine of Unity was revealed and
known before it. The same eternal and unchangeable God who
revealed Himself to Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and Joseph, revealed Himself to Moses, and Moses taught the
same Unity which the earlier prophets had taught.

The truth is that the doctrine of the unity and existence of
God was not originally taught by the law of Moses but is of
ancient origin. We must therefore, seek the principle which
governs its repeated revelation in the world. A cursory glance
at the world's history will show that there have been periods in
it when the teaching of Unity has been in its wane and men
having left to act upon it, the principle has been held in con-
tempt and disregard. Almightly God has on such occasions raised
the prophets and vouchsafed fresh revelations to the world
in order to deliver people from the evil and shirk, into which
they have fallen and to bring them back to righteousness and
the Unity of God which they have lost. Thousands of times
has the doctrine grown rusty and as many times has it been
polished and restored to its original purity. With its rustinesa
its true worth is hidden from the human eye and accordingly for
a time it appears to be quite forgotten. A prophet of God,
therefore, again appears to manifest its beauty and light and to
dispel the darkness from its face. Thus have light and darkness
been gaining the supremacy alternately in the world. The most
unfailing test that can be applied to judge the claims 'of a pro-
phet is to see the time when he appears and the transformation
which he works. This is the safest method which a seeker after
truth should adopt. He should consider with an unprejudiced
mind the conditions, both as to principles and actions, of the
people araong\whorn a prophet appears, before his appearance

and after he has done his work. If he comes in time of need
and leaves them when that need is satisfied, this is an irrefutable
^argument of his truth. A prophet is needed to deliver those
who are involved in sin in the. same manner as a physician is
needed to cure the sick.

If any one were to apply this sound test to the claims of

. ' *

our Holy Prophet and compare the pre-Islamic Arabs with the
companions of the Holy Prophet, he would be convinced that
the Holy Prophet far excelled all other prophets in his sanctifying
power, in the wholesorneness of his influence, and in the abun-
dance of his blessings and that the need of the Quran and tbe
Holy Prophet was far more clear and easy of demonstration than
the need of any other prophet or book. What great need did
Jesus for instance satisfy and what is the proof that he actually
did satisfy any need ? Did he work any great transformation in
the faith, morals and customs of the Jews ? Or was he success-
ful in purifying the lives of his chosen apostles ? Both questions,
we are sorry to note, must be answered in the negative. All
that can be proved is that Jesus had gathered about him a num-
ber of avaricious men who were guilty of treachery and faith-
lessness to their master. Was this the. effect .of teachings which
are boasted as unequalled in their sublimity ?

.It should also be borne in mind that the Gospel teachings
have no superiority over the teachings of the earlier prophets.
The teachings contained in the Gospels have on the other hand
been all taken from earlier sources including the Talmud. The
Jews have always forcibly asserted that there is no origina-
lity in the Gospel-teachings but that they are only plagiarisms
from Jewish sacred books. One Jewish author has traced whole
passages .of the teachings o^f Jesus in the words of earlier
sages. Bufc the Christians while admitted this charge of

plagiarism would say that the object of Jesus' mission was not to
teach morality but to offer his blood as an atonement for the im-
moralities of the world and to be subjected to curse. This is
however a serious error into which they have fallen. They think
that the Law was consumated in th Mosaic Law and that there-
fore, the Law revealed in the Quran was not needed. The truth
is that since men are apt to forget and be remiss in acting upon
moral injunctions which are revealed to them through a prophet,
a new prophet is required after some time to re-establish the
Bailie principles and make men act upon them. Every new age
stands in need of new reformer and a new magnetiser. But the
Quran was nofc needed only to satisfy these two needs; it was
also needed to bring the teachings of the earlier books to comple-
tion and perfection. To take one instance only, the Mosaic Law
laid stress upon vengeance only in all cases, while Jesus taught
of unconditional forbearance and non-resistance. Both these
teachings were required by the special circumstances of the time
when they were taught but being onesided they could not furnish
rules for all ages. As the teaching of the extreme vengeance of
Mosaic Law was abrogated by the Gospel, the Gospel-teaching
of extreme forbearance itself required to be modified. Hence
the need of the Holy Quran which teaches the middle path iri
which the punishment of the offender or forbearance ought to
be resorted to as the occasion requires. Thus both the Mosaic
Law and the Gospels take the extreme course while the
Quran teaches the golden mean in all cases. The essence of the
teaching in all three books is the same, but the first two laid
stress only upon once side of the question owing to the peculiar
requirements of the time and the circumstances when and under
which they were revealed, and the third, meant as it was for the
whole future, led men into the mean path to which they could

for ever stick. The Mosaic Law takes one extreme and the
Gospel the opposite, the one requiring vengeance in all cases and
the other unconditional forbearances, but the Holy Quran reveals
the wise path of acting according to the occasion. The teach-
ings of the Mosaic Law and the Gospel are thus closed with true
wisdom in the Holy Quran. If the Holy Quran had not come,
the law revealed in the Mosaic Law and. the Gospel would have
been like the arrow .shot by a blind man which, if it hits the
mark once by chance, goes wide a thousand times. In short, the
Pentateuch cont?ained law in the form of stories and the Gospel
taught it in the form of parables while the Holy Quran
presented it to seekers after truth clothed in true wisdom.

The excellent teachings revealed in the Holy Quran are,
thus, far above those contained in the Bible. Nay the whole
of the Bible cannot stand against a single short chapter of the
Holy Quran entitled the Fatilia which contains .only seven
verses and which discloses such vast treasures of spiritual

* " -

wisdom, excellent religious truths and the highest and most
precious verities arranged in natural order and methodical suc-
cession of parts as are not to be met with in the books of Moses ;
and Jesus though one should waste his whole life in turning
over their pages. The word of God shows its Divine origin by
the Divine power which lies hidden in it just as His handiwork
shows His wonderful skill. It should be further remembered
that the Holy Quran contains all the directions which are
necessary for the perfection of man. The Bible is like an inn
which once afforded lodging and rest to wayfarers but after a
time heavy storms and violent earthquakes levelled it with the
ground. The great building which had once separate apartments
for different functions, lay in such waste and total disorganization
that the whole was nothing but a heap of bricks. The Lord of

this inn took pity on the travellers, and therefore, prepared a new
inn, more spacious than the first and providing every sort of accom-
modation and all necessaries for the comfort of the travellers.
In its preparation the Lord of the house while making use of
some of the hricks of the old building that lay in ruins, added a
great deal of fresh material, in order to provide for every require-
ment of the travellers. This second inn is the Holy Quran : let
every one who has eyes behold.

In connection with the perfection of the teachings revealed
in the Holy Quran and the imperfection of those revealed to
Moses and Jesus, it is necessary to remove an objection. The
incompleteness of the earlier teachings is due not to any defect
in the Divine revelation, but bo a defect in the capability and
capacity of those for whom these teachings were meant. The
Israelites to whom the mission of Moses was directed had passed
about four hundred years in the slavery of the Pharaohs of
Egypt, and under this long subjection to the cruelty and tyranny
of their masters, they had become as it were utter strangers to
principles of justice and equity. As a general rule, the principles
to which the masters of a country adhere, find their way into the
subject people. People who are in subjection to a tyrant, must
after a time grow tyrants in private, while those who are under
a just ruler, must grow just in private. The king is as it were a
teacher of his people. The Israelites had for many generations
been in the bondage of foreign tyrants and their constant subjec-
tion to the tyranny and cruelty of their masters fostered in them
a spirit which was quite inconsistent with principles of justice
and equality. It was, therefore, the first and primary duty of
Moses to indoctrinate them in the principles of justice and hence
his teachings laid great stress upon this point. The penfcateuch
of Moses is not wholly devoid of the teachings of forbearance

and mercy but the vein of justice runs through its pages, and its
object is also to put a restraint upon undue. cruelty and vindictive-
ness. Such is not the object of the Gospel. It lays stress upon
forgiveness and forbearance. .The reason of this is not far to
seek. The Jews had carried to excess the doctrine of retaliation
taught by the Mosaic Law, and instead of kindness and fellow-
feeling, rancor and spite had grown .up in their hearts. The
teaching of Jesus in the Gospels is evidently addressed to a,
people whom the speaker knows to be men of a rancorous and
vindictive nature and whom he wishes to instruct in the high
moral qualities of kindness ; patience, forbearance and forgiveness

fj to which they are utter strangers. Hence the propriety of the
teachings of Moses and Jesus is unquestionable though it cannot be

v denied that both doctrines were like special or local laws and from
their very nature unsuitable for permanent and universal adop-
tion. The true and universal law was revealed in the Holy
Quran which abrogated all previous laws. Any one who enters
into the spirit of the Holy book and goes to the depth of its true
significance, will clearly see that the Quran has neither laid

v/ -stress upon strict vengeance as the.. Mosaic Law did in its doct-
rine of retaliation and its battle, nor has it gone to the opposite
extreme by emphasising absolute and unqualified forgiveness of
all injuries, but adopts the middle path by enjoining that which
is right and forbidding that which is wrong. It required us to
do that which is right both according to reason and law, and to
refrain from doing what reason and law do not permit. The
laws and injunctions of the Quran do not therefore, relate to
particular, actions but lay down general rules for a right course
of conduct. It does not for instance tell us to take an eye for an
eye in every case or to forgive injury however evil its conse-
quences may be, but tells us to apply our reason and judgment

to the circumstances of every case and act in a manner which
is likely to produce the greatest good by enjoining the right and
forbidding the wrong, the Holy Quran has given us general laws
for our guidance and thus introduced scientific principles in
religious injunctions. Before proceeding to take any step, we
are "required to consider what will actually be the right way?
Whether it is right to forgive or punish or to give in charity
or not to give, is a question of circumstances in each case.
According to the Quranic teachings therefore, our primary consi-
deration in every case should be the propriety of the occasion. .
We have so far discussed every side of the question relating
to the need of the Quran. One point only remains to be consi-
dered. Did Islam wage war with the Jews and the Christians
to compel them to. accept its doctrines? This asserted compulsion
has no basis at all. Islam never took the initiative in the battles
which it had .to fight. It was compelled to take up the sword \ ;
against those who had either aggressed on it or assisted the aggre r I
ssors. The jealousy of God was, therefore, moved to punish the
offenders. But His rnercy still saved from the deserved punish-
ment such as accepted Islam or paid thej^z/a. This favour was

also in accordance with the Divine laws, for whenever there is

\ '

visitation of God such as a famine or a plague, the hearts of men
are naturally turned to humbleness, repentance, prayers and
charitable deeds to avert the Divine punishment. This shows
clearly that God Himself inspires into the hearts of men a remedy
for averting the evil. The ardent prayers of Moses , averted
many a time the punishment of the Israelites. In short the Isla-
mic fights were a punishment from God to the aggressors, in which
the way was still open for repentance and obtaining mercy of God.
It cannot be denied that the early Muslim wars were not
undertaken to compel the Jews and Christians to accept the

doctrine of Unity preached by Islam. Wars were resorted to at
the express command of the almighty as a punishment for the
offenders who either took up arms against the holy faith for its
extirpation or assisted the aggressors or laid obstructions in the
way of Islam intending to hinder its progress. These three causes
necessitated a severe chastisement, of the offenders and Almighty
God willed that io should be effected by means of the sword.
Another unjust and unwarrantable charge against Islam is that
it preached peace during the first thirteen years under the
most cruel tortures and persecutions of its enemies because it
lacked force at that time, but that as soon as it had sufficient
force to make its appearance in the field of the battle it declared
war. Such a charge would have had some foundation if the oppo-
nents of the Holy Prophet had not committed the heinous deeds
of cruelty and innocent bloodshed or plotted to take away his life
as they did at Mecca, and the prophet had left Mecca of his own
accord and not on account of their evil designs. The slightest
acquaintance with the circumstances of the Prophet's life at
Mecca, would convince every sensible person of the unreasonable-
ness of such a supposition. Even the enemies of Islam cannot
deny nay they have borne testimony to the fact that the Holy
Prophet met the objection and persecutions of his enemies with

great fortitude and strictly enjoined forbearance and non-resis-
tance of evil upon his companions. There was no end to the
severe persecutions of his enemies. They shed the blood of many
an innocent person and inflicted wounds and injuries upon whom-
soever they could lay their hands on. An attack upon the
Prophet himself was at last plotted to bring the whole movement
to an end. At this critical moment Almighty God led His
messenger out of all danger to Medina and gave him the glad
tidings that those who had taken up the sword against Islam

would perish by the sword. Do these circumstances lend the
least support to the cruel charge that the Prophet was from the
very commencement bent upon war and that this cherished idea
took a practical shape when he found himself at the head of an
army at Medina ? Is it not true that when the Meccans advanced
towards Medina, and were met by the Moslems at the famous
field of Badr, the ranks of the Muslims contained no more than
313 men of whom very few had any experience, of war and the
majority were young men who.had-never fought a L bat tie ..before ?
Nay, among these three hundred and thirteen were also boys who
had not yet grown to manhood. Could this small number of raw'
young men be relied upon as a sufficient force to meet the sturdy
warriors and Bedouin hordes of the whole idolatrous Arabia and
the thousands of Jews and Christians who were bent upon extir-
pating the new faith ? Could a General ever make his appear-
ance in the field with such scanty material to deal destruction to
innumerable foes ? Does it not clearly prove that the Prophet
was obliged to take the sword in obedience to the commandment
of God and not to fulfil any plan which he had concerted ? Had
it been his plan He would have first collected a force of thirty or
forty thousand strong and then made his appearance into the
field of battle ? (Yolume II Keview of Eeligions 1903.)

CUSTOM AND TRADITION

AND

THEIR RESPECTIVE VALUE IN MUSLIM LAW.

Next to the Holy Quran, the Muslims have been given
Sunnat [custom] for their guidance in religion. Sannat is the
custom of the Holy Prophet or the explanation and application
of the injunctions of the Holy Quran in the practical life of the
Holy Prophet. The Holy Quran enjoins the observance of
prayer, for instance, but it does not explicitly fix the number of
rale' ats for each different prayer. But custom fully explains this
and all other inductions of the Holy Quran which need to be done
practically for their due observance. To regard custom and
tradition as one thing is an error. Custom came into existence

along with^ every injunction that was revealed in the Holy

Quran, and-it.w.as.fully established by the Prophet himself in his
own life-time, whereas the savings of the Prophet remained in
the course of oral transmission fqrjmx)r.e,tban a century after the
Holy Prophet and were then collected and arranged. The Holy
Quran and the custom are simultaneous whereas tradition pro-
perly belongs to a later period. Almighty God and His Holy
Prophet had charge of two things only. Almighty God made
known His will to the world through His Word, while the Holy
Prophet's duty it was to explain the injunctions of the Quran in
a practical way. This he did by turning the injunctions into
practice and thus expounding the maxims of WOiw^ It is an
error to regard tradition as giving the necessary details. Before
tradition was collected and recorded, Islam had been fully esta-
blished upon earth and its ordinances were the guiding rules of

the lives of millions of human beings. Prayers were observed, j
alms given and pilgrimages performed in accordance with the(
requirements of the law, and all distinctions between things
allowed and prohibited, had been clearly marked out long before
the collection of tradition. All these things therefore, depend
upon the Holy Quran and custom not upon tradition.

Tradition no doubt occupies the third place in Muslim Law
and throws light ^Jpon" many~^rii'storica-l-- problems, adds to the
ethical code~~of~Islam and'" assists IrT'the application of the
general principles of the Holy Quran to particular circumstances-
It is like a ser^nUnJLts .relation to the Holy Quran and the
custom. The Ahl-i-hadis confound custom with tradition and
include both the sayings and the practice of the Holy Prophet
under the name of tradition. But facts do not lend any support
to this view. Custom was established under the direct care of
the Holy Prophet, and this part of the law without .which thei
injunctions of the Holy Quran would not have passed into the
domain of the practical was in his own immediate charge, while \
tradition was not collected and classified to serve as a guide on
doctrinal points until after the death of the Prophet and even/
his companions. Tradition, therefore, does not supersede or
govern the Holy Quran and the custom but serves as an auxiliary
to them. All important and essential principles and practices
have been established by the Holy Quran and the custom, while
tradition casts light upon secondary and minor points.

The value of these three sources of Muslim Law is/ there-)
fore, varying. The Holy Quran is the pure and unaltered Worc(
of God and its authority on all points is unquestionable. Custom\
is the practical course of life into which the Holy Prophet guid-\
ed his companions and which has since been followed by all true
Muslims. The authority of custom though second to the Holy/

Quran is, far superior to that of tradition, because it was esta-
blished by the Prophet himself and handed down, to us through
*a safe medium. But the same reliance cannot be accorded to
tradition, as to the Holy Quran and the custom. Its authority
is only admissible when it does not contradict the Holy Quran
and the Custom. Tradition is subsidiary to the Holy Quran and
the custom and possesses a vast treasure of religious doctrines
and therefore, its utter rejection is the cutting oft one of the
three branches of Muslim Law. There is no doubt that we
cannot place the same confidence in tradition as in the Holy
Quran and the custom and must dismiss as a pure fabrication
every narrative which contradicts the Holy Quran and the custom
or traditions which agree with them, but still it is a very serious
error to regard the whole mass of tradition as a pure fabrication.
Every tradition must be honored which is true when tested by
the touch-stone of the Holy Quran and the custom, for the ulti-
mate source to which it may be traced is Prophet himself. Do
not deny it until the Holy Quran and the custom give it the lie,
lest you should reject the word of the Holy prophet. Nay, you
should be so scrupulous about it that you should not do, or for-
bear from doing, an act unless you have a tradition in support
of it. If you find a tradition contradicting the words of the

Holy Quran, try to put upon its words a construction which
should reconcile it to the Holy Quran. But if such a reconci-
lation is not possible in any case, reject the tradition for it
cannot be from the Prophet. If a tradition is borne out by the
Holy Quran, its authority is unquestionable though its authen-
ticity may have been called into question by the collectors. In
like manner if you come across a tradition involving prophecy
which has been fulfilled in your own time or previous to it, know
it for certain that it is the word of the Prophet and condemn the

opinion of those who have questioned its authenticity and truth-
fulness. for by bringing it to fulfilment Almighty God has Him-
self sealed its truth. If you reject such a tradition because some
collector or compilers of tradition have pronounced it to be un-
worthy of credit, you are guilty of rejecting an argument for the
truth of Islam. In that case you are an enemy of Islam and
not its friend. Almighty God says in Holy Quran : ....................

.....

..God does not reveal His deep secrets except to
such of His chosen apostles as He is pleased with." Hence a
true prophecy cannot be attributed to any but a true prophet
of God. If a compiler has pronounced a tradition to be
unauthentic or fabricated which has afterwards" been shown to
be true by the fulfilment of the prophecy which it reveals, it is
easy to see that the error must be attributed to the judgment
of the compiler. What a folly to assert that Almighty God
committed a mistake in showing the truth of that which was
really false !

Along with this respect for traditions ifc is necessary to
warn the reader against their abuse. The gigantic mass of
tradition contains an immense amount of fictitious material.
Tradition opened up for every section dissenting from the true
faith a vast field for fabrication to support its own views. Each
sect thus came to have its own traditions and their variance at
last affected even the unity of custom in certain cases. Custom,
for instance, did not teach more than a single way of saying
prayers, yet tradition even in this case splitted the Muslims into
many sects. An erroneous view of the authority of traditions
has led astray many sections of Islam. In this lies the error of
the Shias too. The same error led astray the Jews who placed
too great a confidence in their traditions to the utter neglect of

the Word of God. They trusted in the traditions which plainly
said that Elijah would descend from heaven before the corning
of Jesus Christ and rejected the interpretation which Jesus
put on the Word of God that by the corning of Elijah was meant
the coming of one in his power and spirit, because their tradi-
tions told them a bodily and not a spiritual descent of Elijah.
Among the collections of Muslim tradition, the Bokharee is a,
sacred and trustworthy book. It is the book which like the
Quran plainly speaks of the death of Jesus Christ. In like
manner, the work of Muslim and other collections of traditions
are depositaries of important religious truths, and the traditions
narrated in them must be acted upon by all true Muslims subject
to the condition that they do not contradict the Holy Quran and
the custom. [Volume II Review of Religions 1903.]

CERTAINTY IN FAITH.

Seekers after truth! Open your ears and listen to the words
which I speak that there is no wealth in the world equal to certain-
ty in faith. It is certainty which breaks the shackles of sin.
It is certainty that gives you the power of doing deeds of virtue-
It is certainty and certainty alone which makes a man a true
and sincere lover of God. Can you keep from sin without cer-
tainty ? Have you the power to overcome the passions of flesh
without witnessing a manifestation of certainty ? Do you tliink
that your lives can be transformed to purity unaided by the light
of certainty ? Is it possible for you to attain to true happiness
without certainty ? Does there exist under heaven any redemp-
tion or atonement which can take away your sins ? Has the son
of Mary the power to release you from the bondage of sin with
his supposed blood? Speak not a lie at" which the earth might
cleave asunder for Jesus himself stood in need of certainty for
his own salvation. To whom it was granted and therefore he
was saved. Woe to the Christians who deceive the world by
saying that they have been purified of their sins by the blood of
Jesus; whereas they are soaked in sin from head to foot. They
do not know who their God is. They are drunk with wine but
the pure intoxication which descends from heaven is not known
to them. They do not lead their lives in the service of the
Master, and are, therefore, devoid of the spiritual blessings
granted to the pure in life. Remember that except by the light
of certainty you cannot come out of a life of darkness nor can
the holy spirit descend upon you. Blessed are they who have
found the wealth of certainty for they shall see God. Blessed
are they whose doubts are set at rest for they shall be delivered
from sin. Blessed are you when the wealth of certainty is given

to you for then you shall cease to. sin. Sin vanishes away where
certainty finds an entrance. Can you thrust your hand into a

hole in which you see a poisonous serpent or stand in a. place
where a volcano is raining stones, or where lightning is failing

or which is the haunt of a ferocious lion or where destructive
plague prevails ? If you have the same certainty about the
destructive nature of sin as about the destruction which volcanic
matter or a plague works, it is impossible that you should dis-
obey God's cammandments and go against His will or break off
the connection of sincerity and love with Him.

Ye people that have been invited to virtue and righteousness,
know it for certain that the Divine attraction cannot be generated
in you nor the impure stain of sin washed off from your faces
until your hearts flow with certainty. If you think that your
lifeless traditional belief gives you certainty, it is nothing but
a delusion. Had you the desired certainty, you would not have
been destitute of its consequences. You do not keep back from
sin, you do not eschew evil you do not take the forward step
that you ought to take and you do not fear God as you ought to
fear Him. Where is your certainty then ? Do you ever thrust
your hand into a hole when you are certain that it has a poisonous
snake ? Can you take a single morsel of a food which you cer-
tainly know to be poisoned ? Or can you go inadvertently and
unguarded into a jungle which you certainly know to be the
abode of maneaters? How is it the.n that your hands and your
feet, and your eyes, and your ears are bold in the commission of
sin, not withstanding your alleged certainty in relation to God
and the reward and punishment of good and evil deeds. Sin
cannot overcome certainty. How can you throw yourselves into
burning and consuming fire when you see it with your eyes?
The citadels of certainty rise high to heaven, and Satan cannot

ascend them. If any one has been purified, it is through cer-
tainty that he has found this blessing. Certainty gives the
power to meet every hardship, so much so chat it makes the
monarch throw away the royal sceptre and don the garments of a
darvesh. Certainty lightens the labour and smooths the path.
Certainty enables a man to see God. Every atonement is false
and every redemption vain, for to righteousness there is no other
way but certainty. It is certainty which releases a man from
the bondage of sin, carries him to God and makes him surpass
even the angels in his sincerity and perseverance. The religion
that has not the means to bring about a certainty, is- false". The
religion which cannot show the face of the living God with cer-
tainty, is false. The religion which has nothing but idle tales of
the marvels of the past, is false. The eternal and unchangeable
God is even now as He was in the past ages, and his wonderful
powers are the same as they were-, ere now, and He has the same
might to show His wonderful signs as He had at any previous
time. Why then trust in tales and not seek the living manifes-
tations of irhe power of God ? That religion is nothing but the
way to perdition whose miracles and prophecies are stories and
those people are ruined to whom God has not revealed Himself
and who have not been purified by the hand of God through
certainty. As a man is drawn to indulgence in his carnal
passions on account of the animal gratification which he feels
in them, similarly he is attracted to God with a mighty magne-
tism when he has once tasted the heavenly bliss. His., beauty
then so enchants him that all else besides Him is naught to
him. No man is evers freed from the slavery of sin unless he
has a certain knowledge of God and His power and of the reward
and punishment of good and evil deeds. The root from which
every insolence grows in the lack of certainty, and the person

who has any access to certain knowledge regarding the Divine
Being, dare not go against His will. If the owner of the house
knows that a heavy flood is sure to sweep away his house or that
it has caught fire and a very small space is. left, he cannot stay
in the house. How do you .then, not withstanding 'your preten-
tious to certainty as to the reward and punishment of good and
evil deeds, remain in the dangerous condition in which you are ?
Open your eyes and consider the Divine laws which you see
working, in the world. Be not the rats which go downwards but
be the pigeons which fly upwards and ascend into the height of
the heaven. Do not turn to sin after you have sworn repentance
and be not like the serpent which after stripping off its skin is
still the same old serpent. Remember death for it is coming
nearer you and you are unaware of its approach. Try to purify
v ; yourselves for no one who is not himself purified can see the
Holy One. But hovy can you find this blessing? Almighty God
Himself has shown you the way and said * ^ J jy-*) k )y**^ ) j
w' Seek the assistance of God with patience and with prayer."
Prayer must be addressed to God with true humbleness of heart
and must contain the praise and sanctification of God, istiglifar
and the invoking of Divine blessings on the Holy Prophet.
When you say your prayers do not like the ignorant deem it a
sin to utter words in your prayer in any but the sacred language.

^ Their istiglifar and prayers are only lifeless ceremonies. There-

fore, when you say your prayers, address your supplications to

v/ God with humility and subrnissiveness in your own language,

reciting the passages of the Holy Quran which is the Word of
God and the prayers taught by the Holy Prophet in the 'Arabic
language, for when you pray to God in your own language, your
words have greater efficacy arid your hearts, as they realize the
depth of the meaning of these words, bow down before God
with greater submission (Vol. H. E. R 1903).

'27

The Jews', the Christians', the Hindoos',

and the Muslims' Expectations Concern-

ing the coming- of the World Teacher.

THE ADVENT OF THE FIRST MESSIAH.

The prophecies on which the Jews based their Messianic
hopes were to be found in their -sacred books believed by them,
as also by the Christian, to be the Word of God. The most
important sign by which the true Messiah was to be distinguish-
ed from the false claimants, was the descent of Elijah the prophet
from heaven before him. The Jews believed on the authority of
their sacred books that Elijah had been taken up to heaven alive
and that he would descend from that celestial resting place before
the advent of the Messiah. They had, therefore not the least
fear that they would not be able to recognise the Messiah at his
advent. There was a sure sign in their hands by which he was
to be recognised and there was not the least possibility of their
missing the welcome opportunity. Such a supernatural event
as the descent of One of the most revered prophets from heaven
could not pass unnoticed. ID was by means of such a striking
miracle thab advent of the Messiah, who was to be their great
deliverer, was to be announced to them. Such was the prophecy but
mark its fulfilment. A child was born in the house of Zaeharias
and was named John. He was a righteous man and began
to preach after the fashion of the Hebrew prophets. Jesus
received baptism at his hands confessing his sins and declared
himself as the Messiah- The objection was naturally raised
that he could not be the true Messiah as his advent was not
heralded by the miraculous appearance of Elijah. In answer to

this Jesus pointed to John and told the Jews that "This is Elias
which was for to come." Bat how could the Jews believe it?
Any impostor, they argued, could say this. Almighty God had
promised to them that the prophet Elijah himself would be sent
back and this much they were sure that John could not be Elijah
as they knew him to have been born in the house of Zacharias
while Elijah was to come down from heaven. It was, no doubt,
the right time for the coming of the Messiah, but Jesus, they
thought, could not be the Promised one as he did not appear in
the manner described in their books. The prophecy clearly in-
dicated that Elijah himself would come* It did not say that
the like of Elijah would come. Even if they had believed Jesus,
they could have supposed John to be the like of Elijah but not
Elijah himself. Yet the like of Elijah had never been promised to
them. How could they change the Word of God and read for
"Elijah," "the like of Elijah," The very first condition which
could have pointed out the adveut of the Messiah 'was totally
wanting.

The Jews had other difficulties in recognising Jesus, as the
true Messiah. Whenever the deliverance of Israel was brought
about it was by means of striking miracles, so that the chosen
people might at once recognise their deliverer. They had seen
extraordinary manifestations of Divine power; they had heard
His voice amidst wind and storrn ; they had seen Him manifest-
ing Himself to Moses amidst .thunder and convulsions of nature
at the Sinai; and they had been told to expeot similar wonderful
signs at the advent of the Messiah. Apart from such prophecies
the idea was deeply rooted in their hearts that such a great
deliverer as the long-expected Messiah ought to have his advent
declared by some such startling revelation. But how were their
expectations fulfilled? They witnessed nothing extraordinary

until they heard the words from the lips of Jesus that he was the
Messiah. The effect of the former miracles which they had
witnessed at the advent of Moses and other great prophets was
so great upon them that they could not for a moment conceive
the idea that the Messiah could appear among them all of a
sudden without any previous extraordinary revelation, notwith-
standing plain prophetical statements promising such wonders.

That was not all. The prophecies clearly told them that
the Messiah was to.be of royal descent, a descendant of David that
is to say, and he was to re-establish the kingdom of his great
ancestor in Israel. He was to .deliver the Israelites from the
foreign yoke and bring about their independence by freeing them
from the bondage of tyrants. As for his birth, those who could
remember it, were highly suspicious of its legitimacy. Ab the
most they could take him for a son of Joseph, the carpenter, and
the royal descent was far form being established. Within a
short time after he set up his claim to Messiahship, they further
saw that'dt was vain to expect that he would restore the throne
of the prophet-king and deliver them from -the Roman yoke.
All their hopes in.relation to Jesus at once failed for no prophecy
that declared the manner and object of his advent was fulfilled
in his person. According to their calculations, the time had no
doubt come, but they could not believe in a person in whom none
of the prophecies was fulfilled. They were ready to hail the
advent of the Messiah, but not without the realization of the
promises which formed the central hope of the prophecy. .

Again a large number of prophecies unanimously stated that
the time of the Messiah was to be an era of universal peace,
harmony and brotherhood and Jerusalem was to be the centre of
tho world. Could Jesus be recognised as the Messiah by this
sign ? Nothing that had been predicted, had appeared. It was

impossible that a true 'Messiah could appear without the mani-
festation of a single one of the numerous signs that had been
fore'told. The words of the sacred books which had been reveal-
ed to the prophets were before their eyes. How could they
accept a Messiah by rejecting the very books which invited them
to such a belief. They sighed amid all their misfortunes for the
Messianic time of which such beautiful pictures had been drawn
to them ; they looked for the Messiah who was to sit on the
throne of David and deliver them from foreign .yoke ; they

v/ longed for the day when Jerusalem was to be the centre arouud
which all nations had to gather; and they prayed for the moment
when Isreal instead of being trampled under the feet of others

v ' was to rule all nations of the world. But in Jesus and his
advent, they could not see the manifestation of a single sign.

The question here naturally arises that the prophecies being
so clear whose fulfilment was not witnessed, in Jesus, were the
Jews in the right in rejecting the Messiah as an impostor ?
From Christians and Muhamadans we cannot expect an answer
in the affirmative. Yet what is to be done with the pro-
phecies ? They are found in books accepted by Jews and Chri-
stians as forming part of the Word of God. Their words are
plain. If the Jews had not required their fulfilment, they would
have been guilty of rejecting the Word of God. Moreover they
would not have in that case been able to distinguish between
J true and false claimants. The pseudo-Messiahs who before and
at the time of Jesus had appeared in abundance among the Jews
had rendered them distrustful of such claimants. From these
considerations it would appear that it was the duty of the Jews
to lay stress on the fulfilment of the prophecies before accepting
the claimant .to Messiahship. Were the Jews then really
excusable in rejecting Jesus? What are the arguments that, they

were not? And yet both Christians and Muhammadans hold them
to be guilty in rejecting Jesus. Nay, Jesus himself declared them,
to be guilty in the sight of God. for rejecting him. What was
their fault? If it was simply a difference of opinion with regard
to the interpretation of the prophecies which might be construed
both ways, the Jews, though in error, did not deserve to be con-
demned thus outright. Unless they manifestly took a wrong
course and insisted upon it, notwithstanding having reason tq
believe it to be erroneus, their fault would be very slight and
they would be excusable in the sight of God. Their grestest
objection against Jesus was that Elijah had not appeared. If
his own appearence was permissible according to the Divine
Laws, their objection was valid, because a promise of his return
had been given to them in clear words; but if his personal appea-
rance was not permissible, their insistence deserved to be
punished. Hence, people who condemn the Jews for rejecting
Jesus, whether Christians or Muslims, shall have to admit that
the personal second advent oi Elijah, and for that reason of any
person, whatever, was not allowed in the Divine Law though a
promise to that effect might be found in the Word of God. But
had the Jews reason to believe that such an advent could not
take place ? It cannot be denied that at the advent of Jesus, the
Jews were anxiously waiting for the appearance of the Messiah.
According to their best calculations the time had come when the
deliverer should have appeared. The time of advent being esta-
blished, it was their duty to refrain from demanding a literal
fulfilment of the words of prophecies. But their materialistic
spirit could not yield to the spiritual explanations given by
Jesus. They were bent low upon worldliness and hence they
expected everything to be fulfilled literally arid materially.
The coming of Elijah the .prophet could have been easily under-

stood to mean the advent of one in his spirit and pbweri for they
knew well that it was against the -Divine Lawj that a prophet
should come down from heaven, nor was there a single instence
of it in the history of the Jewish religion. Every prophet was
born of mortal parents. Even Moses, the Law-giver, was no
exception. These and similar other considerations could have
easily led them to the conclusion that the advent of Elijah .only
meant the advent of one in his spirit and power, and that;
therefore, Jesus was right in thus interpreting the prophecy

relating to his advent before the commencement of the Messianic
era. ;

It should however be borne in mind that in thus condemning
the Jews for the rejection of Jesus, we assume it as a Divine
Law that a personal and literal second advent of a person who
has left the world never takes place, and that such a promise is
to be construed spiritually. If the second advent of a person
were permissible in Divine Law, the Jews who rejected Jesus will
have to be declared free from the least blame. But the Jews are
not free, nor is such an advent possible. Any one who holds the
contrary in the latter proposition, must hold the same in the
former. If second advent was permissible, why were the Jews
condemned without any fault on their part. They found it
written in what had been given to them as the word- of God that
Elijah" the prophet would come a second time. They were not
told that the like of Elijah would come, . Nor did Jesus inform
them of any error in their belief respecting the second advent of
Elias. He did not deny that the prophecy plainly spoke of the
advent of Elijah himself, but he told them that his second
advent had taken place in the person of John who came in his
spirit and power. The second advent was, therefore, to be under-
stood only as the second advent of the spiritual part of the man

'33

<and not the second advent of his physical part or body. It is the
spirit that lives and not the body and, therefore, the spirit might
come back. We do not mean soul by the spirit, nor are we advo-
cating the theory of transmigration, but we take it exactly in the
same light in which Jesus took it. (Vol. II R. E. 1903-)

The Second advent of the Messiah.

Let us turn now to the discussion of the question of the
second advent of the Messiah, or of Jesus as the Christians
would have it. The prophecy as given in the Christian Scrip-
tures is exactly like the one we have just been considering.
Matthew says:-

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shiueth
even unto the west ; so shall also the corning of the .son of man

be Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall

the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken : and then shall appear the sign of the son of man
in heaven : and then shall al) the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven
with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with
a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.'*
(Matt. 24: 27-31,)

Compare this prophecy of the second advent of Jesus with
the prophecies relating to the advent of the first Messiah, as
uttered by the Israelite prophets and given to the Jews-

"Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the
way before me: and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come

to his temple For, behold, the day cometh, that shall

burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly,

shall be stubble: and the day that come th shall burn them up

and ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be

ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this

Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the

coming of the great and dreadful 'day of the Lord," (Malachi 3
and 4). Behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto

all the people round about In that day saith the Lord,

I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with

madness ;...Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against

.those nations, as when he faught in the day of battle. And his

feet shall stand in thab day upon the mount of Olives

and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof. toward
the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very
great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward

the north and half of it toward the south....

And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with
thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light

shall not be clear nor dark And it shall be in that

day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of
them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder

sea and the Lord shall be king over all the earth.. ;.

and the wealth of all the heathen roundabout shall be gathered
together, gold, and silver, and apparel, -in great abundance."
(Zech. 12 and 14). "In those days it shall come to pass that
ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even
shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will
go with you : for we have heard that God is with you," (Zech.
8: 23)

Similar other prophecies promising, wonders in the Messia-
nic age abound in the Jewish sacred books, and yet not a single
one of these wonders was manifested at the advent of Jesus, and

not a single expectation of the Jews was fulfilled. Yet between
these wonders and those promised for the second advent of Jesus,
.no line can be drawn. No sensible person would ascribe such
an inconsistency to Jesus as that while refusing to manifest to
the Jews those promised wonders and visible signs and telling
them to take all promises metaphorically, he promised to his dis-
ciples similar wonders and similar visible signs to be taken
literally, regarding the second advent of the Messiah. Nay, it
would not be an inconsistency, but an intentional deception
practised upon the people. When a consientious man explains
.certain wonders and signs as merely metaphorical descriptions
of spiritual phenomena, he must be understood to be talking
metaphorically when he himse.lf speaks of the occurance of
similar wonders and phenomena. If the Jews were culpable in
rejecting Jesus, the conclusion is unavoidable that the wonders
relating to the second advent must be construed metaphorically,
and if they were not, the claim of Jesus to Messiahship was
false. Why condemn the poor Jews if we ourselves must wait

for the fulfillment of similar signs and wonders literally and not
metaphorically, physically and not spiritually. The path of the
Jews was no dout obscure, but ours has been rendered clear by the
example of the Jews themselves. They were not in a position
to see so clearly the truth of the spiritual interpretation as we
are. They had no example to guide them in that great difficulty,
but we have an example. All those who believe Jesus to be the
Messiah- leaving out of consideration the question of his divinity
for the present and taking him as he was expected (as a man
and not as a God) and as he actually appeared to the people at
the time are constrained to believe chat his .second advent
must take place in the same manner as was the second advent of
Elijah, and the wonders relating to it must be taken spiritually

as were taken the wonders relating to the advent of the first
Messiah. By not sending Elijah as promised, God has made
His meaning clear when He speaks of the second advent of a
person. If a physical second advent were permissible in the
Divine Law, the Jews were entitled to have Elijah back among
them, and until that time were quite right in condemning every
claimant to Messiahship as an impostor. But the condemnation
of the Jews involves a condemnation of the belief that Jesus
himself will come back; and the wonders that are expected at his
advent must be taken to be spiritual phenomena, for they have
been proved as much by the appearance of Jesus himself. If the
first Messiah could come without the manifestation of a single
wonder, although a host of such wonders had been promised,
why cannot the second Messiah make his entrance into the
world in the ordinary way, and why should we :make ourselves
loo Is in the eyes of all sensible men by looking in vain to the
clouds, and thus ourselves remain in the clouds? Let us turn
our eyes in the right direction that we may walk in light and see
the true Messiah.

If it be said that the hearts of the Jews were turned to
wickedness and that there narrow ritualism did- not allow them
to understand heavenly things aright, the same objection is to
be met with in the present case. We could amply quote from
Christian writing, showing that the Church is at present marked
by the same narrow spirit of ritualism and involed in the same
evils as was the saynagogue at the advent of Jesus, but we will
content ourselves with a few quotations from the Bible only
"But know this, that in .the last days grievous times shall come
for men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty
railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without
natural .affection, implacable, slanderers, without seli'-control,

traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure more than
lovers of God." (2 Tim 3: 1-4). "When the son of man coraeth
shall :he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18: 8). "Holding a
form of godliness but having denied the power thereof." Does
not this reveal a worse condition than that of Jews? Are men
devoid of faith and bent low upon earth, capable of understanding
heavenly things and a right interpretation of the prophecies ?

.Did the Jews intentionally reject the blessing for which
they were so anxiously waiting? No sensible person would hold
this opinion. They were surrounded with difficulties at the time
and keenly felt the necessity of Divine help. They were ready
to hail their deliverer and were impatiently waiting for his
appearance. They were God's; chosen people. Innumerable
blessings had been promised to them upon the acceptance of the
Messiah. Nay, the very idea that a Messiah would appear
among them was a comfort to them amid all their troubles.
Jerusalem, that beloved city, to be made the centre of the world,
the Jews to be raised above every people, peace and security to
be restored for ever ; how pleasing the idea and how rapturous
the delight ! Could these men reject this blessing intentionally?
That is a cruel idea, to say the least of it. No; they remained
involved in a serious error as to the true significance of the
prophecies. Even assuming that they were excusable for having
fallen into such an error, not the slightest excuse is left for this
generation for falling into the same error again. The people to
whom every blessing had been promised, who were termed as
God's chosen people, were condemned for falling in to an error ;
let us take care that we are not making the same error over
again. We have seen the fulfilment of the signs with our eyes,
we know that this is the time ; let not then a literal interpreta-
tion of the word of prophecy be a hinderance in our way, for we

know too well that adherence to such a literal interpretation
brought a people to destruction before us. To await a physical
and personal advent of the same Jesus as the Jews waited for a
physical and personal advent of- the same Elijah, is to follow
the footsteps of a people condemned by Jesus himself for
adhering to such a literal significance of prophecies.

. Several other considerations lead to the same conclusion,
viz-, that the second Messiah, though spiritually one with the
first Messiah, is not physically the same person who lived and
died before In the Gospels Jesus likens his advent to that of a;
thief. This shows that there will be some obscurity attending it.
If the prophecies mentioned above are to be taken literally, the
existence of any such obscurity is impossible. A person descending
from heaven and met by an army of the elect in mid-heavens,
can hardly be said to be coming like a thief. The thief is
hidden from every eye except perhaps the eye of the watchman
who is awake when the whole world sleeps. The sleepers
cannot know or recognise the thief. Besides coming in the dark
the thief comes in disguise, So must Jesus come. Those who
trust to his glorious descent from the clouds are really. the sleepers
while the watchmen are the few who understand the true inter-
pretation of the prophecies. Moreover being spiritually the same
man (as John was spiritually Elijah) he comes in the person of a
different man, and for putting on this disguise his advent is
likened to that of a thief,

Another verse that deserves to be noticed in this connection
is Luke 17, 26. "And as it came to pass in the days of Noah
even so shall it be also in the days of the son of man." What
happened in the days of the Noah, was this that Noah announced
himself a messenger of God but was rejected, and preached to the
people but was not listened to and therefore God avenged Himself

upon the wickecTgeneration by bringing destruction upon them.
So must.it happen in the days of "the son of man, Mark that it
is not at his advent but in his days. He will come and will not
be recognised, he will preach and. will not be listened to but will
be persecuted instead, and ultimately Divine wrath overtake the
people for this wickedness. As the days of Noah do not mean
the hour of his advent> for the deluge did not destory the people
until Noah had preached to them for a long time, so the days of
the son of man do not mean the hour of his advent, but the time
during which he preaches to the people until they are destroyed
by the wrath of God. Thus it is further on stated : "They did eat,
they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until
the day .."and this was done notwithstanding Noah's preach-
ing. His word was not heeded. The same thing will happen when
the Messiah will preach during the last days. "In that night
there shall be two men in one bed ; the one shall be taken and
the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together
the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be
in the field ; the one shall be taken and the other left." All'
this refers to the vengeance of heaven brought down upon the
people in the form of plague for not heeding the word of the
Messiah. God does not punish a people until His word has been
preached to them through a messenger and until clear signs have
been shown to them. How can it be that the people will be
smitten with wrath from heaven without ever obtaining a chance
to mend themselves. Such has never been the Divine La.w since
the world began.

Matthew 17: 12 is another evidence. "But I say unto you,
that Elias is come already, and they knew him not but have done
unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the son of
man suffer of them." Here Jesus refers to the coming of Elias

and that is his second coming in the person of John we all know;
But though Elias had come a second time as predicted, yet the
Jews did not recognise him and therefore persecuted him.
Likewise must Jesus suffer. Here he plainly refers to his suffer-
ing in the second advent, because Elias to whom he likens his
, case, was then suffering in his second advent. As he was not
recognised though in the words of Jesus he had cornea second
time, in the same way was Jesus to suffer when coming a second
time like Elias, i.e. not in his own person but in the person of
some one else. Vol. II B. B. (1903).

The Christian calculations as to the time
of the second advent of the Messiah.

Three points arise in the solution of the question of the
second advent, viz., its time, manner and objecc. The element
of time, if it is rightly calculated, should be our most important
consideration. Moreover believing in God as the All-wise and
.Beneficient Master, the conclusion is inevitable that the Refor-
mer must come at a time when he is most needed. So the time
of the advent is determined not only by calculations based on
prophecies and the fulfilment of the signs foretold, but also by
the need which is felt at the time. Asa matter of fact> the three
nations, Jews, Christians and Muhammadans, to whom the
promise of the advent of the Messiah was given, agree in one
thing, if they agree at all, viz*, that the time is come. This
remarkable agreement of opinion as to the advent of the new
Messianic era, supported as it is by a general feeling prevailing
throughout the whole world that it is just the hour of the
appearance of the Promised Messiah and by the strong need
which is felt at the present moment by all religions, proves to
demonstration that in respect of lime we cannot go a step

further, and that if the Promised Messiah has not still appeared,
the promises of his appearance are all in vain.

The Jews notwithstanding their utter indifference to religion
which is the consequence of centuries of suffering, are showing
sings of activity in religion which are unmistakably significant.
There are national movements among the Jews in all parts of
the world, whose object is to bring back the scattered people
to their original home. Thousands have already settled at Jeru-
salem and hundreds of thousands are making preparations.
They have a strong belief that the Messiah is coming very soon
and hence they are sacrificing all their worldly interest,, not-
withstanding their proverbial love for money, for making prepa-
rations to receive the Messiah. Never were their hearts better
prepared to receive the Messiah than at the present moment,
and this is an unmistakable sign that he who is anxiously waited
for has come.

Christianity is even more prepared to receive the Messiah
at the present moment. From the time of the first Christian
generation, when the words of Jesus (Mat., 2.4 : 34) indicating
that he will not die upon the cross, were mistaken for a promise
of the second advent of the Messiah, to the present hour, such
a fervent hope was never entertained that the Messiah is coming.
Men's minds are everywhere uneasy and their hearts throb as
if the Messiah were knocking at the doors. Ah ! he is knocking
no doubt, but who will open ? There is a universal belief
throughout Christendom that the hour of the Messiah's advent
has come. The voice is heard from all places, near and remote.
It is very remarkable that not only are we declared to be on the
eve of the Messiah's coming, but the most accurate calculations
based on Biblical prophecies have shown that the hour is already
left behind. The fact is that all signs for the corning of the

Messiah have been fulfilled,- but since most Christians are in
error as to the manner of his coming, therefore they carry on
their expectations further, vainly hoping that Jesus will come
in the manner in which they wish it- Their calculations 'are
right, and they do not fail to see the fulfilment of the signs of
the advent, but it is the manner and object of the advent that
they fail to recognise.

Individual attempts to calculate the time of the advent of
the Messiah were made as early as the commencement of the
eighteenth century, but no general cry was raised at the time.
The erroneousness of these views was pointed out by later cal-
culations, and by a careful interpretation of the prophecies and the
enumeration of the signs fixed for the coming of the Messiah,
it was shown that the Messiah must come in 1868. These
views found a general acceptance and the fixed hour was anxious-,
ly waited for, hut it passed away without any change in the
clouds. It was a great shock not only to the advocates of this
opinion but also to the public generally, but the belief remained

-.''&

rooted with ,the .same firmness as before, and the failure was
ascribed to errors in calculating the actual date. The "Millennial,
Dawn" was published in 1889, and improving upon the earlier,
calculations, it showed that the sixth thousand, after Adam at
the end of which it was necessary that the Messiah should come;
ended in 1873. It further showed by calculations based on
Biblical. prophecies which we need not repeat here, that 1873
was the year of the coming of the Messiah, that from that time
up to 1914 he would gather his saints and that then his king-
dom would be firmly established so as to be seen by all men, but
that until that time he was not to be recognised but by the
chosen few. It also held that the mistake of the previous calcu-
lators did not lie so much in errors in calculations as in failing

to recoghisie the manner and object of the Messiah's advent.
Mr: Dimbleby brought 'out his famous book "The Appointed
Time," of which a second edition" was published soon afterwards
in 1896. He was well-known as a member of the British
Chronological and Astronomical Associations, and as the author
of several works such as "All Past time," and "Date Repeating
Cycles of Eclipses." By the application of the -principal of the
measurement of time by Eclipses or Solar Cycles he calculated
the year 1898 to be the ultimate date of the appearance of the
Messiah. In th'e preface to "this book, the learned author wrote :
"This book is written in order to place before Christian readers
the best and latest methods by which evidence is obtained of
the approaching fulfilment of the great prophecies, and in such

a way that readers may see and judge for themselves.....

Now that the" study of prophecy has become a science, we are'
reaping a great harvest of new facts, and accumulating a mass
of overwhelming evidence which places the subject beyond all
question.... .......... ..When the prophecies are thus tabulated, they

form a framework of completeness which cannot be altered
without rejecting the words of scripture, and wrecking the

universe ,...!" have, therefore, had to continue the same

cardinal dates, all of which focus their light on the end of the
Gentile times in 5896J (our 1898J), which every intelligent
mind must now admit is the beginning of a new era." To people
who were impatiently waiting the advent of the Promised
Messiah, this book came as a blessing, for it helped
them to keep on the hope which had brought disappointment so
many times. But even this book was characterized by the same
mistake, viz., no heed was paid to the manner of advent and
therefore, it brought only a fresh disappointment. The year
1898 passed away but nothing happened which the Christians,

involved as they were in fatal error as to the manner of advent*
could look upon as bringing about a fulfilment of their cherished
hopes. But the expectancy of Christianity became even more
intense on this bitter disappointment, and Colonel Roberts
brought out a book in which he showed by his calculations that
the coming of the Messiah could not go further than the year
1899. And now we see almost a legion of booklets showing the
fulfilment of the signs and stating that the hour of advent i
very very near, and that the Anti-Christ is to be found in the
present form of the Christian Church itself. "The Unveiling
of the Daughters of an aged Mother" published in 1900, dis-
covers the Anti-Christ in "the profession of the day."' It
makes "Popery in the Church of Rome" as "the Great Anti-
Christ," and looks upon almost all denominations of Christianity
as branches of the same, "daughters of:the whore" as is likes to
call some of them. ; ...

What do we learn from this? All these facts decidedly lead
to the conclusion that the coming of the Messiah is now or
never. In fact it appears clearly that the hour is left behind
and that the date has been carried on farther and farther only
on account of repeated disappointments, and" that according to
the best calculations th y e Messiah must already come. Too
much stress has been Had by the Christians on one side of the
question to the utter neglect of .the other sides. On every dis-
appointment it was thought that there was some error in
calculations, and therefore, not the least attention was bestowed
on the question of the manner of the promised Messiah's advent.
Every interpreter of prophecies assuming a particular manner
of advent, added a few years to the previously calculated date
to avoid a total disappointment;. But the hope being a real
hope has not been obliterated from the hearts of men notwith-

standing sad disappointments .every now and then. A similar
mistake caused the Jews to reject Jesus. At his birth they were
anxiously waiting for a Messiah, but the. idea never -occured to
them that though coming at the appointed time, yet he might
come in a manner different from that in which they thought
that he would appear. They never lost the hope that a Messiah
would come to them but they could not accept Jesus for he did
not come in the manner in which they expected his ; appearance
on the basis of their sacred books and traditions. The Christians
ought. to have profited by their example but they are repeating
the same error. Every sign that was foretold has been witnessed,
but they are looking for the Messiah in the wrong direction
though at the right time. Earthquakes, plague, famine, wars
and terrestrial as well as heavenly phenomena bear witness to
the one fact that there is to be no more waiting for the Messiah's
advent. (Vol. II B. R. 1903 )

A Sermon published in the Times of India and other
Leading Papers on the 16th March 1916.

NEW HALL SERMON.

Sunday, March 12. Subject Repentance and Faith.
.The speaker of the evening introduced his discourse
by briefly reviewing the signs which Jesus had given as
omens of his return to earth. Among; these were to be signs
in the sun and moon and stars. These signs were to pre-
cede the coming of the "Great and terrible day of the Lord."
Joel 2: 31. Another sign of equal import with the above men-
tioned signs is the sending of the prophet -"Elijah before the
Great and dreadful day of the Lord." Mai. 4; 5, 6. This pro-
phecy must not be understood to mean that Elijah will perso-
nally appear upon earth, but must be understood to be a message
given in the spirit and power of Elijah. This prophecy met a

v/ partial fulfilment in John The Baptist's message, not that John
was Elias, but he preached in the spirit and power of Elias.
Bead Matt. 11: 14, Matt. 17: 10-12 and Luke 1: 17. The first
advent of Christ was not the "great and dreadful day of the Lord,"-
as noted above, but the second coming of Christ, as betokened

f by the signs in the sun and moon is the "Great and terrible day

i( of the Lord," therefore, the prophecy predicts a message of
warning to precede that day. The prophecies of the second
coming of Christ are fulfilled on all sides, and in
every walk of life conditions exist as foretold by the
prophets as signs of the times, We have therefore

/ reached the time for the Herald of that day to bear a
message in the spirit and power of Elijah. The message is here,
in fulfilment of the prophecy, and is sounding forth, its note of
warning to the inhabitants of the earth. Like Elijah's message
and like John's message it is no respecter of persons, but comes

v addressed to religious teachers, to the church, to all nations and
religions, telling them in the language of John "Repent ye, for

v the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt. 3: 1-2. Before every
great crisis in earth's affairs, in which heaven has wrought, God
has always favoured Earth with a message of warning and repen-
tance. It was true in Noah's day and "As it was in the days of

J No'e so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man." Luke

j 17: 26- Crisis come and have come because of the condition of
the hearts of men, and the same condition of heart that brings

v the crisis causes men to reject the warning message of God that
is sent in love. This was true in Noah's day, was true in John's
day, and will be .true in this our time of coming crisis. Men
will pursue their bent of nature in opposition to God, will reject
His warning and know not until Gabriel's trumpet sounds their
note of doom The world sleeps on and repents not because the

Church is asleep and unrepentant. It was the church who slept
in Elijah's day, in John's day, and who thus was led to crucify
their Lord, The church of to-day should awake and examine
themselves before God and repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
at hand. ' Men should know how to repent, of what to repent,
and to whom they should repent.

THE HINDOO BBLIEF

A Lecture Delivered by PROFESSOR TELANQ.
Under the Presidency of Mrs. SAROJIM KAIDU.

Subject
THE COMING OF THE WORLD TEACHER

Published by Messrs. CAMERON & Co. in the
Hyderabad Bulletin on the 9th Nov. 1916.

The public of Secunderabad had the rare opportunity to hear
Professor Telang's scholarly lecture on the above subject, deli-
vered at the Jarnshed Hall on Sunday, the 5th instant under the
presidency of the national poetess of India, "the sweet singing
bird," Mrs. Sarojini Naidu. In spite of the inclement weather,
and in spite of the deserted condition of the town due to the
ravages of plague, the audience could safely be estimated to be
big, taking also into consideration the paucity of the audiences
of Secunderabad. The president in introducing Professor Telang
alluded to his father, the late Mr. Justice Telang, and told the
audience how the son had followed in the footsteps of his worthy
father in consecrating himself in the service of the motherland.

The learned Professor began by telling the audience that he
would only touch on some rational arguments barring others
which had induced him, and those that thought with him, to
believe in the probability, of the corning of a World Teacher.

He then surveyed, in a succint and masterly way, .the whole
field of the various momentous questions which were at present
engaging men's minds for solution all the world over, or in his
own words, " which the people are ' up against/ as the Americans
would say." And in doing so he classified, them under certain

heads, to wit, political, economical, social, religious, and moral.

# _ # * *

^ Then, indiscussing the religious questions, the learned Pro-
/ fessor began by saying that true religion was at a discount every-
\ where in the world, not even excepting India. However highly
religious, and spiritual, India had been in the past, he had concern
only with the present state of religion, the religion as it was
current among the people now. He did not believe that all Indians
were spiritual and all Westerner materialistic. There were as
many spiritual people in the West as there were in India. The
Professor could see no difference between an Indian who went
to the temple with the aim of attaining a material object and a
Westerner who went with tbe same object in view, to a factory
or any other institution. In the West there was individual
liberty and freedom, and so one could publicly dissociate oneself-
from, or show one's disapproval of, any religious ceremony or
dogma; while in India the individual had attained little freedom
and could not publicly show his disbelief, without bringing trouble
on himself or .his kith and kin. If he had gone through any
ceremony or shown his silent approval to any dogma he would
do so more as a concession to his relations and friends than one;
of his conscience. The spirit of spirituality was wanting. He
commended the spirit of the Christian missionary, who would
for the sake of Christ go anywhere into the world, even into the
unexplored parts of Africa. Though he condemned his methods
of proselytising, the Professor thought that some such spirit of

the missionary was necessary to make religion a living force in

the world.

* ^ * # # . *

In bringing his learned and interesting lecture to a conclu-
sion, the Professor drew back the attention of the audience to the
above enumerated great questions and problems ; and assured
that all had to be solved in the near future and that for their
successful solution, he and those of his school believed in the
probability of the coming of a World Teacher. The history of
the world clearly showed that, whenever any great pro-
blem confronted the people, a prophet, or a genius, or a
statesman, or a soldier was born to solve the problem,
and lead the people into the right path, The Professor
therefore emphasised that the present was a time that
required a Great Teacher, a Master Genius, who would
create a flutter in our hearts, who would make people
look-deep down into their hearts and who would lead
us safely to righteousness, amidst all the troubles that
surrounded us,

The President, in her closing remarks, told her hearers that
the coming World Teacher, if he came would not be a
Bud ha, or a Zoroaster or a Christ, or a Mohammed but
would combine in himself the compassion of Budha, and
the moral power of Zoroaster, and the self-sacrifice of
Christ, and the organizing power of Mohomed, In short
he would have in her opinion, the head of a man and the heart
of a woman. His policy and teachings would be nothing but love,,
love, and love. She closed her speech-^- was.it a song ? by quoting
from Bhagavad Gita the saying of Shri Krish-na " Whenever
righteousness declines and vice appears to, prevail, I tarn born
again, again and again."

Time fixed by the Holy Quran as to the second

advent of the Messiah,

The signs mentioned in Quran and Traditions.
The Revelations of the Muslim Saints

We will now consider the time of the advent of the Messiah
as fixed by the Muslims. la this case we have several very
important considerations which conclusively settle the question
of time. In the first place, the Holy Quran describes the Holy
Prophet as the like of Moses in the chapter entitled Al-Muzammal
thus claiming the fulfilment of the prophecy of Deut, 18: 15-18
in his person. In another chapter entitled the " Light," it pro-
mises that from among the followers of the Prophet, successors
will be raised to him "like unto" the successors raised to Moses.
These two resemblances, the likeness of the Founder of the
Muslim Law to the Founder of the Israelite Law, and the like-
ness of the successors of the one to the successors of the other,
clearly demonstrate that as a Messiah terminated the chain of
the successors of Moses, a Messiah would also appear to termi-
nate the chain of the successors of the Holy prophet. The
prediction of the advent of a Messiah in this manner clearly
indicates several resemblances between the two Messiahs of
which we are at present concerned only with the resemblance
in time. The distance of time between Moses and Jesus is 14
centuries or according to the Jewish account 13 centuries. It
was, therefore, necessary that a Messiah should have appeared
in the fourteenth century after the Prophet and this brings to us
the present time. What is needed is only a resemblance, and
the view that the present is the time for the corning of the
Messiah is strongly corroborated by other considerations.

The Quran has wisely fixed certain signs for the advent of
the Messiah so that all men might know from their fulfilment

that the time is come. Of these the most important sign is the
predominance of the Christian religion and the activity of the
Christian nations in every department of life. Of this predomin-
ance and activity there is not the least doubt. The Christian
Missionaries have crept into the corners of the earth. There are
at present upwards of 77,000 men engaged in missionary work
and the enormous sum of Rs. 50,000,000 is annually spent on
them. There are 250 missionary societies, with agents working
at more than 20,000 stations. Men and women are both engaged
in the task. If the Messiah is not needed now, will he be needed
when the whole world is led to believe in the false doctrine of
which the Holy Quran had said: "The heavens might almost
be rent there at, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains
fall down in pieces?"

Another great sign of the advent of the Messiah to which a
reference is contained in the, Quran, and of which the particulars
are detailed in a tradition, is that relating to the eclipses of the
moon and the sun occuring respectively on the 13th and 28th of
the month of Ramzan. This came to pass in 1894 and it is a
visible sign of the advent of the Messiah, foretold thirteen hund-
red years before its occurrence and manifested in such a way that
every individual could see it for himself. Among other signs
related in the Holy Quran and authentic traditions are the appear-
ance of the plague, which is at present devastating India and
several other countries, the introduction of a new mode of con-
veyance in place of camels, &c., which has been fulfilled by the
construction of railways throughout the world, the increase of

knowledge, the mixing together of people living in distant lands,
the multiplicity of canals, the spreading of papers and a host of
other signs which we cannot detail here. Our object is simply
to show that the signs are all fulfilled arid that they denote not

that the advent of the Messiah is yet expected but that it
already taken place. These signs show that the Messiah has
appeared and it is the duty of every seeker after truth to find him
out. Another point which deserves to be noticed is that the
revelations of all the Muharnmadan saints fix the appearance of
the Messiah at the commencement of the 14th century of Hejira
and not a single revelation takes it further. There is moreover
an authentic tradition to the effect that a spiritual Eevivalist
will be raised among the Muslims at the commencement of every
century, and since the Messiah will also be a spiritual revivalist,
therefore if he does not appear in the earlier part of the century,
his advent shallhave to be delayed for another century, an idea
not only repugnant as suggesting the decline of Islam for another
century, but also opposed to all prophetical writings.

We have thus seen that the present is a time which the
Jews, the Christians and the Muhammadans declare with one
voice to be the time of the advent of the Promised Messiah. The
concurrence on this points of three great religions, otherwise
differing in their conceptions of the Messiah, is a very significant
fact. The first Messiah was expected by one nation only and
that a very small one, but the second Messiah is expected by
three great nations and they all agree that the time of his advent
is come- It is a time when all religious and national prejudices
should be thrown away lest they might prove a hinderance in
the acceptance of the truth. The Messiah is come and it is,
therefore, the duty of every seeker after truth to walk after him.
No stronger proof is needed to establish that the Messiah has
come than the agreement of three different religions, each coming
to the same conclusion by a different channel of arguments and
on the authority of different sacred books. The signs foretold by
the Israelite prophets, such as Daniel and others, as well as those

described by Jesus and his apostles and those predicted by the
Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God
be upon him, are strangely enough all appearing at the same
time. If ever a prophecy was fulfilled exactly, we are indeed wit-
nessing the plainest fulfilment of such a prophecy to-day: (Vol.
II R. R. 1903.)

The Holy Quran cleaply speaks of the death

of Jesus son of Mary (Isa Ibne Mapiam)
Peace be on him and refutes the false belief
of his personal Second Advent.

In the Chapter entitled the Maida, Almighty God relates
the answer of Jesus to a question put by Himself: "0 Jesus,
didst thou say to the people to take thee and thy mother for
two gods?" The answer is, "My Lord, had 1 said so, Thou
wouldst have known it, for Thy knowledge is all comprehensive.
I did not say to them aught but that which Thou didst com-
mand me to say. But when Thou didst cause me to die,
Thou wast a watcher of their doings, while I could not be
aware of them*" This answer can never be reconciled with
his second advent into the world. For, if there is any truth in
the doctrine that Jesus, son of Mary, will come again and live for
forty years upon the earth, and fight with the Christians and
break the cross, he cannot with any plausibility of truth assert
on the day of judgment that he did not know what happened
after his death or in what errors the Christians were involved. In
his second advent he should not only see the Christian and come
to know of their false belief regarding his own divinity, but should
also fight with them for this false doctrine, until either its holders
are all murdered or the doctrine is extirpated. A person who
with all this knowledge gained upon this earth, pleads a total
ignorance or the circumstances must be condemned as a liar. In

this case he ought to heaven swered like a truthful servant of

God that he knew well that the Christians had gone astray and
taken him for a God, and that he opposed this false doctrine with
the sword and broke the cross. Nay, the question itself would
not be justified in this case, for Almighty God should know per-
fectly well that Jesus had punished the people who had taken
him for God. Why should Jesus be questioned as to the corrup-
tion of the very people whom he had corrected or punished for
their evil doctrine. Is it not strange that Almighty God should
first send a man to execute His wrath upon a people who had
gone astray and to bring them to the right path,, and when he
had done his duty and punished them adequately and converted
them to the true faith, He should then question him if he had
led them astray? In short, the Holy Quran clearly tells the
Muslims that Jesus died and that he will not come back but that
some one must appear in his spirit and power. Had such lucidi-
ty marked the book of Malachi and the Jews had been thus
plainly told that Elijah himself would not come back, they would
not have perished. ; ...

Our opponents assert that though the Quran does not speak
of the Second advent of Jesus, yet the traditions "are clear on
this point. But there is not a single tradition stating that the
same Israelite, prophet, Jesus, to whom the Gospel was revealed
would come back, notwithstanding the plain words of the
Quran that the Holy Prophet is the seal of prophets. A mention
of the name of Jesus or son of Mary only should not deceive any
body, for in the Quran (Sura Tahrim) individuals from among
the Muslims have been called by this name. In the chapter rer
ferred to above the Holy Quran compares one class of the faithful
to Mary and then speaks of the breathing of a soul into that
Mary which was unquestionably the soul of Jesus. It is, there-

fore, clear that the name Jesus has been given by the Holy
Qtiran to some individuals of the Muslim people, and it is plainly
indicated that some one from among the Muslims will first
acquire the characteristics of Mary on account of his perfect
righteousness,' and be called by that name, and then the spirit of
Jesus being breathed into him, he will be called by the latter
name. In accordance with these words of the Holy Quran,
Almighty God first named me Mary, and then spoke of the
breathing of a soul and lastly He named me Jesus, as is clear
from revelations published in the Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya.

Moreover, in the traditions it is clearly stated that in his
famous night vision the Holy Prophet saw Jesus am.ong the
other prophets who are all dead. He did not anywhere in heaven
discover Jesus with his physical body. All that he saw was his

soul among the departed; souls in the same place as the soul of
John the Baptist. Of course the living could not have gone to
the habitation of the dead, and therefore, Jesus could not have
joined the other prophets without passing through the door of
death. In short, Almighty God has borne witness to the death of
Jesus in His Word while the Holy Prophet saw him among the
dead, and thus by his deed he has given tbe same testimony.
Any one who rejects these two testimonies, will be answerable to
God.

The Muslims ought not to stumble where the Jews stumbled
before them. They have before them the example of the Jews
and know with far greater certainty than they that Almighty
God never sends men back to this world. Had the second
advent of a man been possible, we stood in far greater need of
oar lord and master^the Holy Prophet Mubarnmad, may peace
and the blessings of God be upon him, and his return should
have been vouchsafed to us, for in it was our whole delight. But

these fond hopes can not be realized and this door has been shut.
by almighty God by the words. u^^JJ)" Verily thou arfc
mortal." If this door were open and the .Divine laws allowed
the return of a person who had once departed, why was not
Elijah sent for a : few days before Jesus, and why were thousands
of the Jews left to perish on account of rejecting Jesus on this
very ground ? Bub Elias did not come back and ultimately Jesus
himself had to explain his second advent as meaning the advent
of one in his spirit and power. This verdict of Jesus is plainly
recorded in the Gospels and the question of second advent has
thus'been decided once for all. A wise man should not walk in
the path, which has once been shown to be dangerous. Did the
Jews gain anything by insisting on a too literal interpretation
of the prophecy of Elijah's second advent ? Unbelief and damna-
tion was the consequence to them, and those who walk in their
footstep, should not expect any thing better. Why do they
thrust their hand into a hole from which many have been bitten
before ? Do they not remember the tradition.

"The true beliver is not bitten from the
same hole twice." They read the Fatiha every time in their
five daily prayers but do not for a moment reflect on its meaning
and object.

There is another consideration of great importance in this
connection. On the death of our Holy Prophet, some of the
companions were under the impression that the Holy Prophet
was not dead and that he would come again. Upon this Abu
Bakr read the verse. .

V JL J) dixj ^ft> u^J.^,. jJ (Jr* ) 5J). iXo^sw* U>

" Muhammad is only an apostle and all the
apostles have passed away before him." From this he concluded

67-

as he explained to the assembled companions that there was no
prophet; who was not dead, and that, therefore, in the death of
the Holy Prophet there was nothing strange or to be regretted,
for death was the common lot of all mortals including prophets.
Had the companions entertained the belief that Jesus was not
dead but that he had been sitting alive on the heavens for six
hundred years, they would have referred to it as going against
the argument of Abu Bakr, but not a single voice was raised
against it, and there was a marked agreement among all the
companions that all the prophets were dead. If there was a man
in whose mind the faint idea lurked that Jesus was alive, he cast
it away at that moment. I say this because it is possible that
owing to the proximity of the Christian religion, some uninformed
and short sighted men may have imbibed the false idea that
Jesus was alive, but there is not the least doubt that after .the
sermon preached by Abu Bakr, there was not a single voice dis-
senting from the belief that all the prophets before the Holy
Prophet were dead. This was the first accordance in a religious
point among the companions of the Holy Prophet. There are
other reasons why the companions of the Holy Prophet could
not have entertained the belief that Jesus was alive? To them
the Holy Prophet was the dearest object in the world. To men
who were lost in the love of their prophet, it was quite incon-
ceivable that their prophet, should .die at the age of 64, while an
Israelite prophet should have been sitting alive for six hundred
years on the heavens. Their fond love for the prophets could
not have allowed them for a moment to consider any .one as
excelling their master. Cursed is the doctrine which is calcu-
lated in any way to lower the dignity of the Holy Prophet. The
companions were his true lovers, and to them it would have
been death in life to learn that their beloved prophet died, while

Jesus was sitting alive on the heavens. That noble prophet was
the most beloved of all the prophets not only to his companions
but also to Almighty God. It was on account of the Divine love
for God's chosen Prophet that when the Christians rejected His
beloved Apostle and defied a weak mortal, the jealousy of God
ordained it that one of the servants of Muhammad, may peace
and the blessings of God be upon him, should be made the like
of the supposed deity and granted a far greater share of Divine
grace and blessings than he, so that the Christians may know
that all grace is in the hands of God. With this object Almighty
God has raised me among the Muslims In short, it was one of
the objects of sending a like of Jesus, son of Mary among the
Muslims that his supposed divinity should le brought to naught.
It is as much against the Divine laws that men should go up to
heaven with the physical body and inhabit those celestial regions,
as that the angels should be embodied in flesh and inhabit the
terrestrial globe. " And the laws of God are never changed " says
the Holy Quran. (Vol. II E. E. 1903.)

Did Jesus son of Mary Peace be on him mount

up into Heaven bodily?

It is the height of absurdity to hold such a doctrine in face
of all authority when th.ere is not a single instance of it. in the
Word of God. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad may peace and
blessings of God be upon him, was asked by the unbelievers to
mount up into heaven, and he was commanded to point out to
them the absurdity of such- a question in. the sublime words:
D y*) );^^) ^ J-& ^j ^^H J- "Say: Praise be to my
Lord! am I more than a maa, an apostle?" If there is any,
truth in this answer, it may well be asked, was Jesus more than
a man that he was taken up into heaven without any request?
Again the Holy Quran speaks only of Jesus' having been raised

to God and: nob to heaven as is asserted, and this is plainly taken
in a spiritual sense. The objection of the Jews against the truth
of Jesus was based on the ground that having been nailed to the
cross, he died an accursed death and that, therefore, according to
the Mosaic Law, he did not spiritually rise to God like the true
prophets, but that he was of those who were damned. It was of
great importance for the Quran to raise this objection before
acknowledging Jesus as true prophet and.if the >j of Jesus spoken
of in the Quran, refers to his bodily ascent to heaven and not to
his spiritual rising to God, the objection of the Jews remains un-
answered.. Such is not the case however. The Word of God has
decided the dispute and refuted the objection brought forward by
the Jews to negative the truth of Jesus' Divine Mission. In speak?
ing of Jesus' m/a, it has placed him on the same level with the
holy prophets of God and denied his subjection to curse. If this
vital objection is not refuted in these plain words, the onus lies
on our opponents to show in what part of the Holy Quran its
refutation is contained. Or is it that Almighty God misjudged
the whole case and instead of saying a single word in refutation
of the charge took up a totally different story that Jesus had made
a bodily ascent to heaven? Such are the straits to which our
opponents are reduced ! They never consider that bodily ascent
is not a requisite of salvation, and that what is needed is a
spiritual ascension to God. Again, the word rafa 1 is preceded by
the word ^ y which means to cause to die a natural death, and
this circumstance enables us to see the nature of the raja" a-nd
shows conclusively that it was only an ascension of the spirit
which according to the Holy Quran is granted to every righteous
servant of God after his death. To assign any such meaning to
the word ^y as taking up into heaven with the body is a per-
version of the Word of God, for nowhere in the Holy Book or in

the tradition of the Holy Prophet has the word been used in this
sense, nor does any dictionary of the Arabic language thus inter-
pret the word when as here the subject verb is God and its object
a human being. Moreover to insist upon assigning such a novel
meaning to the word ^ff is to assert that the Holy Quran does
not speak of the death of Jesus at all, and thus to set up for him
an everlasting life. In that case the consequence would be that
his death even at any future moment would remain unproved for
wherever the word ^y is used of him (which is generally used
to denote the death of human beings), it shall have to be inter-
preted as meaning taking up with the body into heaven. (Vol. II
E. R. 1903).

The resemblances between the Mosaic
and the Muslim system and their

two respective Messiahs,
The Holy Quran says:

j) %IWJ 1 . .. J . I J 1 VAtXtsM 1 I V/OO .X.VJ. I l\fb WJU i) feAAM **)>) I OkXvj 11 w 7
J J \Jj J vi? J 1 " -^ ' I " *

" We have

sent to you a prophet, a witness over you, ?. e.> a witness of the
corrupt moral state in which. you are, like to the prophet whom
we sent to Pharoah." In this verse Almighty God calls our Holy
Prophet the like of Moses. Again in the chapter entitled "the
Light/' the Holy Quran says:

*
) uJiia*M ) U/p J) )

" God has promised to those of you who believe and do the deeds
that are righteous, that He shall make them successors (to the
Prophet) in the land like those who were made successors before
them (?. <?., the successors of Moses)." Here the chain of the
successors of the Holy Prophet is described as resembling the
chain of the successors of Moses. For the truth of this resem-

blance, it is, therefore, necessary that the first. Prophet in Islam
should be the -like of Moses and his last successor the like of
Jesus. Now it is universally agreed upon by the Muslims that
the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the -blessings
of God be upon him, was the like of Moses. It is therefore,
sheer bigotry to deny that the last successor of -the Holy
Prophet will be the like of Jesus. Such a denial is in fact
a deliberate renunciation of the Holy Quran itself, for not only
does the Holy Quran call the Holy Prophet the like of Moses,
but it further traces out a perfect resemblance between the

successors of the founders of the. two laws. It is, therefore,
unquestionably and undeniably true that the system of the
Muslim successors of Holy Prophet must terminate in the like
of Jesus, i ., in a Messiah. Moreover, as the resemblance between
the first and the last of the Muslim system respectively, conclu-
sively settles the question of the resemblance of the two systems,
therefore in the Word of God stress is laid upon this point only.
Nay, a resemblance has been traced even between. the enemies of
the founders of .the two systems, and between the enemies of the
last successors of the two systems. Thus Abu Jehl has : been
compared to Pharoah, and the enemies of the last Messiah to
the Jews who rejected Jesus.

In the verse which describes the likeness of the successors
of one system to those of the other, there is also a clear indica-
tion as to resemblance in point of tim.e. In other words, the
duration of time that elapsed from the appearance, of Moses to
that of his last successor, must, correspond in length to the
duration which must elapse between the Holy Prophet of Islam
and the last Messiah. . Now according to the Jewish account,
Jesus announced himself as the expected Messiah in the
fourteenth century after Moses, while the Christians think that

fourteen centuries had already elapsed from the death of Moses
when Jesus made his appearance. Apparently the Jewish account
claims the greater credit, but even if the Christian account
is taken as the- true one, the resemblance in point of time marks
out the present as the time of the appearance of the last Messiah.

In fact the resemblance between the two systems, extends to
every good and evil which is their lot. The Holy Quran says of
the Jews ^+*> ^Jafje^ and elsewhere says of the Muslims in
almost identical words & +*> **-* J$ the purport of the two
verses being tha-t Almighty God said to the two people that after
granting them kingdom and rule, He would then see whether
they continued to walk in the paths of righteousness as a reward
for which kingdom was granted to them or whether they departed
from it. The expressions used here with regard to the Jews and
the Muslims are almost exactly the same. This shows clearly
that Almighty God has foretold that some of the Muslims would
be exactly in the same position in which the Jews were and
that they would be guilty of the same evils of which the Jews
were guilty, meaning by the people their religious leaders.

The closing verse of the Fatiha reveals the same purport
for there too by a universal agreement of the commentators the
words ^t^yos^) mean the Jews who came under the
wrath of God on account of their rejection of Jesus. So also in
authentic traditions it is plainly staled that the above words
signify the Jews upon whom the Divine wrath was executed even
in this world. To the truth of this point, the Holy Quran further
bears witness in its statement, that the Jews were cursed by
Jesus and hence the vengeance of heaven was brought down:
upon them. All these considerations show conclusively that by
the |*v^* Vj-^** are to be understood the Jews who had plotted
to cause Jesus to die an accursed death on the cross. Now the

prayer taught by Almighty God in these words is in fa.ct a
prophecy foretelling the appearance of a Messiah among the
Muslims of the consequences of whose denial they are forewarned.
Moreover when it is admitted that these verses foretell of a time
when the Muslim priests would acquire a strong resemblance
with the Jewish priests, it is absurd to assert that for their
correction the Israelite Messiah would come down from heaven.
Not only is such a supposition against the letter of. the
Quran which calls the Holy Prophet the seal of prophets, and,
therefore, forbids the coming of an alien prophet after him, but.
it also contradicts the spirit of the holy word, for the Muslims,
would not be the best of people as described by it, but the worst ,
of them if they are destined to inherit all the vices of the corrupt
Jews, but are totally unfit for receiving the blessings of Messiah-
ship for which office a foreigner would be needed in that case If
it is true that the Muslims must become Jews, i.e., must inherit
the chief Jewish evil characteristics, it follows as a necessary con-
sequence that the Messiah needed for their correction cannot be
a foreigner. The fact is that as some Muslim individuals have
been called Jews, on account of their close resemblance with that
people, so one individual has" been called Jesus on account of his ;
complete resemblance with that prophet and his having his
characteristics. As the Muslims are not literally Jews or descen-
dants of Israel, so the Messiah is not literally Jesus Ghristj the
Israelite prophet.

It should be borne in mind that the words recorded in the
Sura Fatiha which teach the Muslims to pray that they may
not become of those with whom God is angered (i. e., the Jews),
would not have been needed if certain individuals from. among
them had not been in danger of becoming Jews. Whenever there
is a Divine injunction to a people to refrain from a certain course,

there, is always beneath the prohibition a prophecy that some of
the individuals so forbidden, will adopt that course- There is not
a single instance in which all men may have observed the in-
junction. All heavenly books disclose this law. For instance in
the. law of Moses, the Israelites were commanded not to alter, the
Word of God, and the result was that the commandment was
broken and the original text was tampered with. But such a
cammandment was not given by Almighty God to .the Muslims
regarding the Holy Quran- On the other hand, its preservation
from corruption remained directly in Divine charge. Thus
Almighty God says of it:

.^Je*- IsJ dJ.U ) ^y ^J ) UJ jj (J sd U )

"Verily We have have revealed the Quran, and verily We
will be its protectors." In short, it is a sure and certain law in
the Divine word that when it prohibits a people from taking
a vicious course of commands them to adopt a righteous one, it
does so with the knowledge that some of them will break that
law. Accordingly, it would be seen that the Divine injunction to
Muslims not to become the Jews whom Divine punishment
overtook .in this very life on account of their rejection and per-
secution of the Messiah, disclosed a prophecy that, some of the
Muslims would follow the footsteps of the Jews and reject and
persecute the Messiah that would be sent to them. No one can
seriously maintain, that it .was meant that the Muslims would
become the descendants of Israel and persecute the same Jesus,

son of Mary, who was persecuted before, for neither that Jesus
nor those Jews are to be seen on earth. The verse, therefore,
relates to the future and not to the past, and foretells that a
person would be raised among the Muslims in the last days after
the manner and in the spirit of Jesus Christ and the priestly
class would then abuse, torture and persecute him like the Jewish

priests of old. The hard-heartedness and evils of the Jews would
be witnessed in them and, therefore, though in name they would
be the followers of the Holy Prophet, yeb on account of their
rejection and persecution of their Messiah, they would be called
Jews. If then the Muslims would turn into Jews and inherit
their vices, it is necessary that one of them should also be made
the Messiah, for it a disgrace to the Muslims that all dishonor

and evil should fall to their lot, while glory and blessings should
be reserved for an Israelite. The prayer taught in the Fatiha
is in fact a prophetic prayer and clearly signifies that a Messiah
would be raised among the Jews, and that some of them would
become Jews on account of their persecutions of the Messiah,
and that, therefore, every Muslim should pray that at'the appear-
ance of the Messiah, he may not be numbered with the Jews.

It should also be remembered that the wrath of God which
is spoken of in the verse of the FatzJia referred to above, indicates
the punishment that overtook the Jews in this world, for the
punishment in the next will be dealt out to all unbelievers alike
and, therefore, in respect of that punishment all men who undergo
it, are under the wrath of God. In the verse under discussion,
however, only those Jews are spoken of who persecuted Jesus
and being cursed by him were punished even in this life, at first
by a destructive plague and afterwards at the hands of Titus.
According to the prophetic prayer of the Fatiha, the Muslims
must follow the same course and meet the same fate. In other
words it foretells that a Messiah will appear among them after
the manner of the first Messiah, i. ., he will not take up the
sword, but propogate the true religion by heavenly signs and
pure teachings, and that when he will be persecuted by the
Muslims, the wrath of God will overtake them in the form of
the plague and the words of prophecy that had been announced

from the beginning will be fulfilled. The supposition that the
same Jesus, son of Mary, the Israelite prophet would reappear in
the world in the last ages is against the spirit of the Word of
God. To anyone who reads the Quran with an impartial and
critical eye and studies it profoundly, it would be as clear asday-
light, that the Word of God points out a close parallelism and a
complete resemblance between the Mosaic and the Muslim
systems : for every blessing which was. granted to the former, it
has reserved a blessing for the latter, and for every evil an evil.
There are those among the Muslims who are like the Israelite
prophets, and in the opposite direction there are individuals
under the wrath of heaven like the Jews who were cursed by the
Israelite prophets. The two systems may in fast be represented
by two houses having two parallel sets of buildings, each com-
plete in itself and not depending for aught on the other, the
latter having been built in place of the former when it was dest-
royed. The Holy Quran does not depend on the Mosaic law
for anything, nor are the Muslims in any way depend upon the
Jews. The perfect one who comes for the Muslims comes from
among them, and is spiritually fed from the blessings of the
Holy Prophet, his revelation being an image of the revelation of
the noble founder of Islam. This is the point which must be
rightly understood and it is here that our opponents have stum-
bled. It was never meant that Islam should be degraded by the
appearance of an Israelite prophet for the correction of its fol-
lowers. On the other hand, it should feel proud of its resemblance
which entitles it to an inheritance of all the former blessings.
(Vol. II R. R 1903.)

The Promised Messiah appeared exactly at

the appointed time with thousands of

Signs and Testimonies.

I appeared exactly at the hour when rny appearance was
anxiously waited for; forme the sun and the moon eclipsed in
the month of Ramzan as was foretold; in rny time the plague
spread in the country as was prophesied ; at rny advene pilgri-
mage to Mecca was prohibited for a while in accordance with the
prediction of the Holy Prophet ; my appearance was declared by
the &ussinnain ; by the construction^ railways was fulfilled the
prophecy relating to rny time which foretold of the camels being
given up for a more convenient mode of travelling ; and hundreds
of heavenly signs have been shown by me. Is there a man who
can show the like of it ? By Him in whose hands is my life, more
than two hundred thousand signs have been manifested on my
hands, and nearly ten thousand men or more have seen the Holy
Prophet in their visions bearing testimony to the truth of rny
claim. Some of the most reputed saints in India have been in-
formed of my truth in their visions. One of them died thirty
years before rny appearance. He was known by the name of
Gulab Shah and lived in the Ludhiaua district- He informed
Mian Karirn Bakhsh of Jamulpur that Jesus was born at Kadian
and that he would come to Ludhiana. Mian Karim Bakhsh was
a pious and God-fearing old man, and he related this story tome
when I was at Ludhiana. His relation of the prophecy of Gulab
Shah made the Maulvies his enemies who persecuted him but he
remained firm. He informed me that Gulab Shah had told him
that Jesus, son of Mary, was dead and that he would not come
back into the world and that the Messiah for the Muslims was
Mirza Gulam Ahmad whom God had by His deep wisdom
arid knowledge made the like of Jesus. Gulab Shah also told

Karirn Bakhsh that a very hot opposition would rage against the
Messiah among the Moulvies but that their efforts to bring him
to naught would meet with total failure. He also said that the
Messiah would come to reveal the beautiful face of the Holy
Quran by removing blunders heaped upon it by the commen-
tators. This prophecy also indicated that Karim Bakhsh would
live long enough to see the Promised Messiah.

In spite of these testimonies I am declared to be a liar. The
error in which my opponents are involved lies in their wide ex-
pectations. They think that every word recorded in the traditions
must be fulfilled literally, and that the claimant to Messiabship
must be rejected if he does not answer to the description of a
single tradition, however unreliable it may be. But such a liberal
fulfilment of the prophecies which are in the hands of a people
has never taken place. Jesus did not appear in the manner in
which the Jews expected his appearance on the basis of their
traditions. Similarly ail their proposed signs were not fulfilled in
-the person of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the
blessings of God be upon him. They thought that the last pro-
phet would be from among the Israelites but Almighty God
raised him from among the Ishmaelites. Almighty God could have
given, .if He had so willed, all the particulars about the Holy Pro-
phet in the prophecies so that the Jews should have recognised
him at once, but it is His established laws that when He disclo-
ses a secret, He attaches to it a certain obscurity to try men and
to separate the wise from the unwise. For the Promised Messiah
to fulfil all the different signs proposed by the different Muslim
sects, is impossible in the very nature of things. Every sect has
in its hands a different set of signs and it cannot be satisfied
until all of them are fulfilled. In fact it is the function of the
Messiah as a Divinely appointed Judge to sift truth from error

and to declare what is false and erroneous in each sect's belief.
In the prophecies relating to his advent, he is described as " the i
Judge" and this shows that at his advent every sect shall have
in its code of beliefs a certain amount of error mixed with truth. /
Therefore it is a serious error to think that unless all the pro-
posed signs are fulfilled, the claimant to Messiahship cannot
be accepted. If some of the signs are fulfilled, it would follow
that the traditions speaking of the others, which are not fulfilled,
are fabrications and must be rejected. The Jews who accepted
Jesus- or our Holy Prophet acted upon this wise rule and, there-
fore, they were saved. They had to reject a very large mass of ^
tradition and then they found the truth. It was sufficient for
them that many of the appointed signs had been manifested, and
the truth of the claimant was further made clear by the Divine
assistance which was granted to him.

In fact such light has been thrown upon every side of the
question of my claim to Messiahship that it shines out like the
meridian sun. The Holy Quran has decided the question that
Jesus died a natural death and that he would not come again into
the world. As to traditions, a hundred thousand of them cannot
be given any credence against the verdict of the Quran, and if
they contain any statement which is at variance with the Holy
Quran, they must be rejected as spurious and fabricated. The
Holy Quran has also decided that the successors of the Holy
Prophet would be raised from among the Muslims that there
would be a likeness between them and the successors of Moses,
the last one only in each system coming in fulfilment of promise
given beforehand. The two most authoritative works on tradition,
Bokhari and Muslim, also speak of the Promised Messiah being
from among the Muslims. The Quran and the authentic traditions
are, therefore, both in agreement as to the Promised Messiah

being a member of the Muslim community. When these points
are settled, it only remains to be seen whether my claim to the
Promised Messiahship can be demonstrated to be true. The Holy
Quran has described all circumstances and signs attending my
advent in full and clear terms and has even hinted at my name,
la the traditions even the name of my village has been given
Kada and in the Bokhari my personal appearance has been des-
cribed and distinguished from the Israelite Messiah. It is alluded
to in one tradition that the Messiah would appear in India, for
India is described as the working-centre of the Anti-Christ and
it is also stated that the Promised Messiah would appear at a
place to the east of Damascus, Kadian occupying exactly that

situation. Other signs detailed in the traditions have all been
fulfilled, and as they have already been pointed out above, we
need not repeat them here. Moreover Divine assistance has been
with me in the same manner as it was with the chosen prophets
of God. Nearly two hundred thousand people have been led to
virtue and piety by swearing repentance on my hands. The found-
^ atipns of the Cnristian religion are shaken and the whole super-
structure is destined to fall, Islam has been divided into numerous
sects and fallen off from the high standard of purity and righ-
teousness which it originally taught. False doctrines and evil
practices prevail throughout the world, and drunkenness with
all sorts of immorality is in full force. The world has undergone
a deep change and every wise heart is panting for a true spiritual
reformer. Such are the signs chat have been fulfilled and such the
v condition of the world. Under these circumstances, I was com-
manded by Almighty God to announce myself as the long-expec-
ted Messiah. The heavenly signs which have been manifested in-
support of my claim can be counted by thousands. The whole
world has shown its powerlessness to produce their like. The

fulfilment of thousands of prophecies published before hand is
such a proof of my truth that it can not fail to convince an
unprejudiced mind. (Vol. II E. R. 1903).

Hear ! Ye Christians of Europe and America !
and Ye Seekers after truth !

Ye, Christians of Europe and America! and ye seekers after
truth! know it for certain that the Messiah who was to come has
eorne, and it is he who is speaking to you at this moment.
Heaven and earth have shown signs, aud the prophecies of the
holy prophets of God have, seen their fulfilment. Almighty
God has shown through me thousands of signs and furnished
arguments of my truth in every way. I say to you truly that if
the heavenly signs which have been shown on my hands, had
been shown by Jesus, son of Mary, the Jews would have been
saved from destruction except such as were the sons of perdition.
Who is not aware of the effect of Jesus' signs on the minds of
the Jews ? Only one instance is sufficient to illustrate it, viz., the
case of Judas Iscariot, the favorite apostle for whom a throne
had been promised in heaven, but who apostatized even in the
presence of the master. Not only did he by his apostacy deprive
himself of the promised throne but he also threw Jesus into
innumerable difficulties. All ye that are desirous of perpetual
happiness and eternal salvation, fly to me, for here is the fountain
which will purge you of all your impurities, and here you will
find the salvation which is the fruit of certainty and a strong
faith and perfect knowledge. Know it for certain that your
trust in the blood of Jesus is a vain trust. Had he been
crucified not once but a thousand times, even then he could
not have saved you. Salvation is in faith and love and cer-
tainty and not in the blood of a man. Time is giving you the
warning that the theory of a blood-bath is a false theory, there-

fore repent of such beliefs while there is time and before you are
called to stand before the throne of God. Almighty God has
sent me in this age that I might bear witness that all faiths have
become corrupt and been tainted with falsehood with the only
exception of Islam. If the truth of my testimony is not sealed
by Divine authority, I am not true, but if the witness that I bear
is confirmed by the Divine seal being impressed upon it, remem-
ber lest you bring yourselves under the judgment of God by
rejecting truth. A weak mortal, the sou of Mary, is by no means
your God. To me is given the spirit, against which no one can
stand' If you know that there is none among you who with the
assistance of the spirit, can withstand the holy spirit .that has
been given to me, be sure that your silence would bring you under
the judgment of God- And peace be unto those who follow the ;
truth. . (Vol. II B. R. 1903).

Why is the Promised Messiah sent from

among the Muslims?

"I had never any desire to claim to be the Promised Messiah
on the other hand I loved to remain in solitude and to be quite
unknown to the world abroad. But Divine wisdom ordained it
otherwise and God enjoined me to come out of the corner of
solitude which I loved. Almighty God doesnot love that greater
honor and dignity should be attributed to a man than that to
which he is entitled, for this is against His Unity. Hence because
Jesus whom God sent as a Messiah to the Israelites was taken
for a God, Divine jealousy ordained that another man should be
sent as a Messiah so that the world may know that the firs!;
Messiah was nothing more than a weak mortal. Almighty God
has, by raising one of the followers of the Holy Prophet Muham-
mad, may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, to the
dignity of the Messiah, not only corrected the error of the Chris-

tians in unduly exalting Jesus, but also revealed the true dignity ,
of him whose servant appears as the- Messiah of the last' ages.
Another reason why the last Messiah is raised from among the
Muslims is that Islam is a living' religion whose blessings shall
-not be intercepted to the day of Judgment It shows how great
is the sanctifying power of our Holy Prophet that his spirituality
has^not ceased to cast its wholesome influence upon his followers
even after thirteen hundred years " (Vol. TV R. R. 1905)

One God one Prophet and one Faith,
It (Quran) says : y>. & \* &* ^ I**" I & &1y " There is n6
people among whom a warner has not been sent ; " and again

<**AJj u^lfM ^k* \AS^ u i f e%t the Holy Quran contains all v/
the true and sacred scriptures that were revealed before it. These
verses show that in the earlier ages Almighty God gave a sepa-
rate revelation to every nation which had settled in a different
country because the circumstances then necessitated such a
course, but that now He wills to make them all one as He is one.
To gather all into one fold, He sent the Holy Quran and revealed
therein that a time, shall come when He shall make all people
one nation, and all countries one land and all languages one
language. Now we see that the world is making on approach to
this state and the relations between different countries are fast
strengthening. The means of travelling have been extremely
faciliated, and the interchange of ideas between far and distant
lands has become very easy. The union of different nations has ',/
been rendered possible by free and easy intercourse. The construc-
tion of railways is deemed to reader if possible for a person, to
travel round the world in forty days. The communication of
messages has been rendered easy to a degree which passes belief.
From this it appears that it is the will of God to make all people
one nation as they were one in the beginning, so that the circle v

.74

of creation may be complete, and there may be one God, one
Prophet and one Faith. The principle commends.itself to every
reasonable being that when different nations lived in different
countries and had no means of easy communication and easy
intercourse, Almighty God sent His prophets among all the peo-
ple and did not keep back His favours and grace from any people,
but when their union was rendered possible, He comprised all
truths and all the rules of guidance in one heavenly Book and
revealed it in a language which is the mother of languages, i. e.,
in Arabic (Vol. II K. R. 1903).

The EaHy Life and Mission of
the Promised Messiah,

I have been inspired by God to execute this mission and
to invite men to the truth. God has committed to me a message,
and has commanded me to deliver it to the world. I have taken
this work in hand at the bidding of my Master, and it is nothing
but doing my duty and paying the debt which I owe to the world.

Let it be known that I claim my descent from noble
and respectable ancestors. I have received information from
on high that their original home was Samarqand. After their
settlement in this country, the reigning monarch, knowing their
position and nobility, entrusted them with the command of
armies and the government of provinces. In course of time
one of my forefathers became the head of an independent
state. He and his descendents ruled over it ably and peace-
fully until the time when the Sikh hordes overran this fair
country. The brief term of Sikh ascendency was marked by
complete anarchy and bloodshed, and the people were plunged
into unspeakable misery. The state of my ancestors could not
hold out against the rapacious Sikhs ; they seized upon it and
threw the reigning chief into prison. Afterwards they turned
him and his family out of house and home- It was winter and
the nights were terribly cold. Shivering with cold and utterly
prostrate with grief at their sad lot, the sufferers were turned out
one dismal stormy nights from their father' land, and were
compelled to seek asylum in a neighbouring state whose ruler
was friendly to them. He opened to them his hospitable door
and received them as honored guests. At last the measure of Sikh
iniquity became full to the brim, and the time came when the
plundering career of these marauders was to receive a check.

The British came from the East like the rising sun and dis-
pelled the dark clouds of Sikh tyranny. They gave the country
not only peace and tranquility but above all" religious liberty
which to me seems the greatest boon which a just ruler can
confer upon a subject people/ "The victims 'of Sikh oppression
once more breethed freely. The surviving members of our family
returned to their native country to share in the general peace
and received back a small part of their former state. ...

Time went on. At last my turn came; but almpst^nothing
of my ancestral state" descended to me and at my father's death

% - - , - . - .. . . ,-i f .j

I was left quite forlorn. At this period of my life scarcely any
body knew me. Even my fellow villagers gave me the cold
shoulder and I was forsaken by everybody. But I was quite
satisfied with my lot and never showed signs of discontent.

. . >. ' - ' .''-

Indeed, I had never at any time in my life sought honor and
distinction- I was naturally inclined to lead a retired and an
unknown life and never thought of being considered a distin-
guished member of society. Even in my father's life-time, I
never liked to receive visits. Long interviews were always irk-
some to me and they made me sad and downcast. This disposition
in me did not escape the notice of my father. He gave up all hope
of me and regarded me as littlej)etter than a guest who ate his
bread and did nothing for him. Being fully convinced that I was
given up to solitude and a life of devotion, and had a fixed aver-
sion to mixing with society, he had great apprehensions of my
condition in the world. He urged me to improve my worldly
prospects and do something for my material 'prosperity. Like a
kind father, he painted before rue worldly greatness in very vivid
colors, but in this matter found me quite deaf and blind. For me
these pleasures had no attraction because I felt myself irresist-
ably drawn to the source of all enjoyments.

'77

At length the time came when God called away my father.
When my father was yet alive and before any fatal symptoms
appeared, the Word of God carne to me at midday foretelling my
father's death after sunset that very day. No sooner the idea of
his death passed into my mind than the inspiration of God broke
forth upon me in the following words : ' *&? uJ-Uj dJJ) ^xf )
""Is not God sufficient for His servant." My father died after
sunset as the Word of God had spoken, and this happened on a
Sunday night. It w_as thus-on a, Sunday that I .passed from the
shelter of worldly., prplectprs into the protection of my great
Master. As the creation of the world commenced on a Sunday,

^-^ L .. ^ ^__

so God ordained that Sunday should also be the first day of that
glorious new. worToLlTfto which I was entering."' In memory of this
blessed inspiration, I immediately got the words of God engraved
on the stone of a ring which I have always kept with me. In
accordance with this word which God spoke to rne, He took
charge of all my affairs, himself became my teacher, Himself
guided rny soul in all concerns, Himself supplied me with all I
required and Himself crowned me with honor and glory. I was
unknown, God made me famous; I was unrecognised, God gave
me glory and renown; I was in want, God granted rne affluence.
This grand prophecy now shines forth like the Meridian sun.

Thus God gave me honor and glory. But I had not the least
idea that He would present me before, the world as the Promised
Messiah, and through me would fulfil His promise. As for my-
self I always. shunned the path of renown and wanted to be left
alone wi.th my meditations I studiously avoided society and all
my enjoyment consisted in living a retired life. But God's com-
mand was imperative. He charged rne with the duty of inviting
men to Him and fulfil His pleasure. I took up that duty like a
faithful servant.

I have a friend whose love has pervaded my whqle<beihg and
has made rne avers'e to worldly greatness.

1 see that the land of those who seek- the world, is often
stricken with famine ; but the. land of love never sees dearth.

Most men are drawn to the- pleasures of sense, but I am
attracted to that beautiful face whose sight gives eternal bliss.

I cleave to my beloved one and, this nearness has lighted u'p
the recesses t>f my heart.

* ; I have vowed a solemn vow that I will never, quit His side
even if lions and wolves may tear me to pieces.

Other people's glory departs with their breath, but the glory

which love brings is everlasting.

They abused me and I do not know why ; shall I ever desert
my friend and act against His will.

In this way I became wholly God's and cut of all connections

'with the world and its people, and had very little to do with its

concerns. I remember that I was quite young when I felt -myself

'powerfully attracted towards my Lord and there dawned upon

me the dim conciousness of a future when God would use me as
His instrument in carrying out one of His great plans. I was
like gold hidden in dust which was to display its brightness, at
last. In my 'youth when my father saw that I was slow in the
business of the world and was always devoted to religion, he was
much ill at ease and tried his Lest to persuade me to climb the
heights of worldly greatness, and gain wealth like my forefathers.
But he little -knew that God had another sort of greatness in
store for me. He illumined me when the world was immersed
in cimmerian darkness, and made rne a beacon of light to give
light to the whole world, and by His grace He made me the

v Promised Messiah. Then He helped me in various ways- He
manifested Himself to me and eclipsed the sun and the moon to

verify my claim, The announcement of my claim to the Pro-
mised Messiahship was received by the Maulvies with outbursts
of great indignation. They set me up as a liar and branded me
with heresy. Had jj^npt been for the fear of the authorities, they
would have taken jrnyjife. They thought that the Messiah would
come do wrTfrorn heaven. I did my best to make them think to
the contrary and by reasons and arguments pointed out to them
the error of their belief, but they persistently shut their ears

against me.

Listen earth ! and bear witness Heaven! that 1 have
received inspiration from on high, and have found access to the
Divine mysteries. I have been sent in the^ early part of this
century in order that I may restore Islam to its original purity,
and. as & Judge remove the difference that are tearing asunder
che^Muslitn sects, arid armed with the weapons of heavenly signs,
destroy air false principles, "and -bring about a spiritual transfor-
mation in the whole world. I am not an impostor nor am I given

"" --....-, r - '

to lies. God knows that I arn not one of those who lead men
into evil and sin. Let every one remember that a liar nevdr
prospers but meets a disgraceful and miserable end. My reve-
lations are from God and have all the sighs of a Divine revelation.
They are repeatedly impressed upon me as being from God and
my heart is filled with the conviction that they are Divine. They
are always in conformity with the letter an-d spirit of the Holy
Quran. They are accompanied by extraordinary manifestations
from heaven and their heavenly origin is confirmed by the hea-
venly signs which attend them. Therefore they are not delusions
but real manifestations of Divine will. Does the world think that
it cost me nothing to receive this inestimable blessing? No; I
had to undergo the severest hardships- I flung myself into the
fire of love and was wholly consumed. My heart bled and I was

ground to dust. It was then that He revealed to me His radiant
face and I got not only revelation but also true wisdom. Most
of the revelations which I receive contain prophecies. Now, the
deep secrets of the future are known to none but God, and, there-
fore he who foretells the future, must necessarily be from Him.
l"he wicked who set their affections upon worldly glory can never
get access to what is exclusively God's. Can God take into His
confidence one who has set the trap of fraud to ensnare His
people, who instead of showing men the right path leads them to
destruction and injures the cause of truth ? It cannot be. God
brings the impostor to a bitter end. He invariably and speedily
roots him out and sends him to eternal perdition.

It is a Law^of God that He always raises a reformer at the
time of spiritual and moral decay. Agreebly to this law, He
revealed Himself to rne that through me He might infuse new
life into men dead in spirit. He exalted me to the dignity of
Mahdi and Messiah and opened up to me all the treasures of
sacred wisdom. He has made me His instrument in bringing
falsehood to naught. The reason of the Messiah being styled the
Judge (Hakam) is that he shall make his appearance when the

V, ' "' "' -. .

Muslim community shall have been split into many and contend-
ing sects. The Messiah shall put a stop to all discord by his just
and final verdict in all religious questions. In his days no system
of belief shall be free from conflict of opinions. But he shall sift
truth from error and shall take up the side of truth and declare
against error. The cause of his being called the Mahdi (the
Guided) is that for his wisdom and knowledge he shall not be
indebted to mortals but the Almighty Himself shall be his in-
structor and guiding star as He was of the Holy Prophet. He
shall enjoy personal communion with God and shall be educated
in the seminary of heaven.. He is entitled the Messiah because

for the propagation of Islam he shall not wield weapons but shall
place his sole reliance upon heaven whose blessings he shall call
down as if by a miraculous touch and gain his ends through them.
The weapon at his command shall be his heartfelt prayer uttered
with tearful eyes. The, spiritual personality of the Messiah and
the Mahdi is a combination of the spiritual personalities of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad and Jesus, may peace and the blessings
of God be upon them. Borne of the phases are derived from the
one and some from the other and are thus intermixed to form a
complete and uniform whole. In other words, their spirituality
pervades his whole being and as it were supplies the fuel which
keeps up the heat of his spiritual life. Both these great persona-
ges have appeared again through him, and both constitute the
key to the secret of his being. Now, one of the untold perfections
of the Holy Prophet was that the word revealed to him, could
not be equalled in its beauty and excellance by the combined
efforts of all mortals. The promised Messiah in the quality of
the Holy Porphet's vicegerent has also inherited that perfection,
because being the very image of the Holy prophet it was impossi-
ble that he should not have inherited this heavenly perfection.
In the same manner the Promised one hasMnherited the perfection
of Jesus Christ. And as the personality of the Promised Messiah
was quine blended with these two personalities and was wholly
lost in them, therefore the names of these two chosen ones of
God predominated over his own name and on heaven the names
of these two great ones were appropriated for him. (Vol. II R, R.
1903).

82
The Teachings of the Promised Messiah,

To follow me ib is necessary in the first place to believe in
one God, the Creator and the Supporter of all existence, powerful
over all, eternal, everlasting and unchanging in His attributes,
neither being a son nor having a son, and free from suffering in-
juries, cross or death. Being far off He is yet very near, and being
near He is still very far, He is one but His manifestations are
many. For those who renew themselves, He is a new God, and
His dealings with them are new. They witness a transformation
in God to the extent to which they transform themselves. But
it is not God who changes, for He is unchanging and perfect in
His attributes from all eternity. It is a new manifestation of
Divinity which is disclosed to a man when he is transformed by
a renewal of his mind. As a man rises higher, a higher manifest-

. i

ation of Divine power is revealed to him. When he shows an
extraordinary transformation, Almighty God reveals to him extra-
ordinary manifestations of His power. This is the root from' which
signs and miracles spring.

Such is rny Lord, in Him you must believe and Him you
must set before you. Let God be uppermost in your mind, let
Him be dearer to you than your own selves, your comforts and
all your connections. Be ye constant and firm in His path so
that no storm might shake you. The world trusts in its resources
and prefers not God to its own dear objects but trust ye in God
alone and prefer Him to all else, so that you may be numbered
upon heaven with His people. Almighty God has been exhibiting
His signs of mercy from ancient times, but you cannot avail
yourselves of His tender mercies until you are one with Him
and fulfil all the laws of righteousness. His will must be your
will and His desires your desires. Be faithful to Him in

adversities and lie at His door whether -He hearkens to your
voice or not, so that. His will be done in all cases. If you trust
in Him thus, the Living God who has long hidden His face from
the world will manifest Himself in you. Is there any one among
you who can act upon these ordinances, who can seek to do the
will of God and submit to the decree qf heaven without uttering
a word of complaint? When adversities encompass you all about,
your faith in Him should be greater.

Let all your power be exerted to establish His unity upon
earth. Be kind and merciful to the creatures of God. Let not
your tongue speak evil against them or your hands do injury to
them. Do not oppress them but try your best to do good to
them. Speak not the word of pride and vanity to any one though
he be your subordinate or servant. Abuse not any one though
he might abuse you. Walk upon earth in humility and meekness
and sympathise with your fellow-beings, that you may be accep-
ted of God. There are many who show meekness outwardly but
inwardly they are ravening wolves. There are many who are
smooth in appearance but they have the nature of a serpent. You
cannot be accepted of your God until your tongue conforms with
your heart. If you are in a high place, glory not in your great-
ness and do not look down upon the lowly but have mercy upon
them. " If you are learned, glory not in your learning, and do not
despise the ignorant with vanity but give them a word of kind
advice. If you are rich, glory not in your riches and behave not
proudly toward the poor, bat serve and assist them. Shun the
paths that lead to destruction. Fear God and be righteous.
Worship not the creatures bat severing all your earthly connec-
tions, be ye wholly devoted unto God. Let not your delight be
in this world. Serve God only, and devote your life to His
service. Hate' every impurity and evil for God's sake, for your

Lord is holy. Let every morning bear you., witness that you have
passed the night with righteousness, and let every evening bear-
you witness that you have passed the day fearing God.

Be not afraid of the curses of this world, for they are like the
smoke which disappears instantly and cannot turn the light of
your day into the darkness of night ; but fear the curse of God
which comes down from heaven, and brings ruin, both in this
world and the next, upon the heads of those upon whom it des-
cends. You cannot save yourselves with hypocrisy, for your Lord
sees the inmost secrets of the heart. Can you deceive Him ?
Therefore stand uprightly before him, purge your hearts of every
impurity and cleanse them of every dross. If the slightest dark-
ness remains in you, it shall overcome your light and all shall be
darkness. If there is vanity, hypocrisy, self-approbation or idle-
ness in you, you cannot be acceptable in the sight of God. Be
not deceived that a few words that your lips utter, are the goal
of your life, for Almighty God wishes to bring about a thorough
V transformation in your lives He demands of you a death, after
which He shall breathe a new life into you. Be at peace with each
other and forgive the trespasses of your brethern, for wicked is
the person who does not agree to be at peace with his brother.
He is in danger of being cut off, for he sows the seed of dissention.
Renounce your desires and passions in every way and settle your
differences quickly. Being true, humble yourselves like one who
is in error, that you may be forgiven. Get rid of the fatness of
passion because strait is the gate to which you are called, and a
fat man cannot enter io. it. Woe unto him who does not accept
these words which have come out of the mouth of God and have
been taught by me. If you wish that God may be pleased with
you upon heaven, be at agreement with one another as twin-
born brothers. Greatest among you is he who most forgives his

brother's trespasses. Woe betide him who does not forgive and
persists in vengeance. Such a one has no share in me.

Fear the curse of God, for the Lord is a holy and jealous
God. The workers of iniquity cannot attain the nearness of
God. The proud, the unjust and the dishonest cannot approach
Him. Every one who is not jealous for the name of the Lord,
cannot draw nigh to Him. They who are greedy of every sordid

, -**st-

earthly gain like dogs or are busy like ants in gathering the
riches of this world, or fall like vultures upon the carrion of vile
things of this world, and lead their lives comfortably in these
enjoyments. are turned away from Almighty God, and can have
no access to His presence. An evil eye cannot see Him and an
impure heart cannot know Him- Who casts himself into fire for
His sake, shall be delivered from hell-fire; who weeps for Him,

shall laugh ; and who cuts asunder the ties of this world for His
sake, shall meet Him. Be ye the friends of God with a sincere
heart and with faithfulness and zeal, that He may befriend you.
Show kindness and mercy to your servants, your wives and your
poor brethren that mercy may be shown to you on heaven. Be ye
for God in right earnest that He maybe for you. The world is a
place where trials and afflictions await you on all sides and the
plague is only one of them. Take hold of God with firmness and
fidelity that He may keep these calamities from coming high you.
No one can be smitten with a calamity upon earth until a decree
is issued from heaven ; nor can an evil be removed until mercy
descends from heaven. It is wisdom to take hold of the root and
not to trust to the branch. It is not forbidden you to make use of
a medicine or to resort to a measure, but it is forbidden you to
put your trust in these, for nothing will happen but what God
wills. If any one can, let him trust in God for to trust in God is
the safest course.

I also enjoin upon you not to forsake the Quran, for in it is

v your life. Those who honor the Quran, shall be honored upon

heaven ; those who prefer the Quran, shall be preferred upon

\l heaven. There is no book on the face of earth for the guidance of

</ the world but the Quran, and no apostle for the intercession of
mankind but the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the
blessings of God be upon him. Endeavour to bear true love to
this. Prophet of honor and glory, and do not give excellence to
any one over him that you may be written on heaven among
those who are saved. Do not deceive yourselves that; you shall bee
salvation only after your death, for true salvation is that which

f reveals its light in this very life. Who is saved ? He who knows
the existence of God to be certainly true and certainly knows the
Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God
be upon him, to be the intercessor between men and God. Under

\ heaven there is no other apostle of .equal dignity with the Holy
Prophet, nor-' any book of equal, excellence with the Holy Quran-

I To none has Almighty^ God willed to vouchsafe an everlasting

i life, but the chosen Pprphet lives for ever. Of this his everlasting
life. Almighty God has thus laid the foundation that He has conti-
nued the benefits of his Law and spirituality to the day of judg-
ment, and through the continuance of his spiritual blessings, has
at last favored the world with the advent of the Promised Messiah
whose advent was necessary for the completion of the Islamic
building. It was necessary that this world should not have come to
an end until a spiritual Messiah had been raised in the Muslim
line like to the one who had been raised in the Mosaic line. I
am that Messiah : God has ordained it to be so. The fool fights
with his God but the wise man submits to His decrees. He has
sent me with more than ten thousand. shining signs of which the
plague is also one. My soul cannot intercede for the safety from

this calamity of any buc such as sincerely enter into my disciple-
ship, follow me with a true heart and forsake their desires in
submission to my will.

Ye people ! who call yourselves my followers, you cannot be
recognised as my followers upon heaven until your footsteps fall
on the path of true righteousness. Say your five daily prayers
with your whole heart, humbling yourselves before God and
fearing Him in such a manner as if you actually see Him. Keep
your fasts faithfully for the sake of God. Such of you whom
the Law requires, must give alms in accordance with its
directions. 'If the pilgrimage to Mecca is obligatory upon you,
and there is no obstacle, you must perform the pilgrimage. Do
good so as to love it well and forsake evil so as to hate it. Know
it for certain that no deed rises up to God which is devoid of
true righteousness. Righteousness is the root of every goodness;
if the root has not dried up, the deed shall prosper- It is neces-
sary that you should be tried with various afflictions and adver-
sities as the faithful before you were tried. Beware that you
stumble! Earth cannot inflict any harm upon you if the tie by
which you are bound to heaven is a strong tie- It is your own

.<4 ,

hands and not your enemy's that cause you a loss. If your
earthly honor is all lost, God will give you an eternal glory up-
on heaven. Do not forsake Him, therefore. It is necessary that
you should suffer various afflictions, and be deprived of some
long-cherished hopes, but be not grieved, for your God tries you
and examines the faithfulness of your hearts in his path. If you
wish that even the angels should praise you upon heaven, rejoice
when you are persecuted, and be thankful when you are abused,
and dissever not the tie when you meet with failures. You are
the last of God's chosen people ; therefore do deeds exceeding in
their excellence the deeds of every other people. Whoever is slack

and remiss among you, shall be cast off as an excrement and shall
come to a grievous end. Hear me, for I give you the glad tidings
that your God really exists. Though all the creatures are His,
yet He selects him from among all who selects Him for his Lord,
and He comes to him who goes to Him, and glorifies him >who
declares His glory. Come to Him with your hearts cleansed of
every guile and duplicity, and your tongues, eyes and ears purified
of every defilement.

God requires you to believe that there is one God and that
Muhammad may peace and blessings of God .be- on him is His
prophet and the seal of the prophets and the greatest of all. No
prophet shall come after .him but only he who is spiritually
clothed in his clothing, for the servant and the master are as one
and the branch is not independent of the root. Therefore, he
who losing, himself in his master,, receives the title of prophet
from God, .does not break the seal of prophecy. It is like one's
own image in a looking glass. Such an image of the Holy Pro-
phet is the Promised Messiah. This is the secret of the words
which the Holy Prophet spoke with reference to the Promised
Messiah that he shall be buried in his grave. He plainly meant
that he is but his own self. Believe it also that Jesus, the son of
Mary, is dead. His tomb is situated in the Khan Yar Street,
Srinagar (Cashmere). The Holy Quran speaks of his death on
various occasions. The religion of the cross cannot die except with
the death of Jesus. What is the use of holding him alive against
the teachings of the Holy Quran ? Let him die that the true faith
of God may live. Almighty God showed the death of Jesus by
His Word and the Holy Prophet saw him among the dead in his
vision of heavenly journey. Thus the Holy Quran plainly des-
cribes Jesus' death by quoting his own words in answer to a

89
question from God if he had taught the people to take him for a

God : ^C u^ ) uJ J u^tfU^ UU i >/* d U'J

"And I was a witness of their actions so long as I lived
among them, but since Thou, God, hast caused me to die, Thou
hast watched over them." This verse tells us plainly that the
Christians departed from Jesus' teachings after his death because
he witnessed their actions so long as he lived among them, and
the corruption took place after God caused him to die. There is,
moreover, an admission here on the part of Jesus that he was
ignorant of the corruption of the Christians, which he could not
have been, if he had been alive and had personally come back
into the world, and with his own hands destroyed the false re-
ligion. In the latter case, his proper answer to the question
*U I ^y y./* v^/V ) \y ) 3 ur j } ^ J u' WW* caJ ) p "Didst thou say
to the people : take me and my mother for gods beside God,"
should have been, "Almighty God! Thou knowest that not only
did I not teach any such doctrine but in my second advent, I
uprooted this evil doctrine." How can his ignorance of Christian
corruption be consistent with his second advent ? In another
verse, the Holy Quran plainly hints at his journey to Cashmere.
Thus it says : ^j*** j; )/ ^>M Xy ; ^J ) Uw j) 5 " And we gave the
son of Mary and his mother a refuge on a lofty place which was
secure and watered wit : h springs." This is a description of Cash-
mere. Moreover the verse plainly indicates that this took place
after some heavy misfortune or great danger, for the word LO'
signifies the giving of refuge in danger; and with the exception
of the event of crucifixion, no other event of great misfortune or
danger to Jesus is recorded in history. Similarly the Holy Pro-
phet not only testified to Jesus' death by stating that he saw
him among the dead prophets, but settled the question of Jesus'

death with his own death. The death of the Holy Prophet is an
insult to his glory if Jesus ts-alive.

As for me, it should not be imagined that I deny the excel-
lence of the prophet Jesus, peace be on him. It is true that
Almighty God has informed me that as the founder of the Muslim
law is greater than the founder of the Mosaic law, so also the
Messiah of the Muslim line, is greater than the Messiah of the
Mosaic line, still I honor the son of Mary, for spiritually I am
one with him, being the last of the successors of the Holy Pro-
phet Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of Grod be upon
him, as Jesus was the last of the successors of Moses. He was
the Promised Messiah of the Mosaic line as I arn the- Promised
Messiah of the Muslim line. Therefore I hold my namesake in
honor, and all those who assert to the contrary and say that I do-
not respect him, are mischief-makers and they, invent a lie con-
cerning me. Not only do I revere Jesus, but I also/honor his four
brothers, because they were all born of one mother. Nay more,- 1-
regard the real sisters of Jesus as holy women, for they were all
equally the issue of Mary. , And who is Mary ? She is the ; good
woman who passed many days as a virgin in the service of the
temple, and did not give her consent to a match until the elders
of the people insisted upon it on account of her pregnancy. Some
people object to her marriage as illegal according to the Mosaic
law for having taken place during her pregnancy, and for being
in violation of the vow which she had vowed to pass her life as a
virgin, as well as for being a polygamous marriage her spouse
being already a ; married man, but I say that the circumstances
under which all this was done palliate the violation of the law-
and it was a case of compulsion rather than of choice.

Again I say to you, do not imagine that your mere outward
entrance into my secc will do. An outward act is nothing if un-

attended with a transformation of the heart. Almighty God sees
your hearts and shall deal with you according to their state.
Hear, and in saying this I am discharged of the responsibility of
delivering my message to you, that sin is a poison and therefore
shun it, and that the disobedience of God is an obominable death
and therefore eschew it. Pray God that strength be given to you.
He who, when he prays, is faint-hearted and does not consider
God as powerful over everything except where He Himself has
promised to the contrary, is not of rny followers. He who forsakes
not lying and deceit, is not of my followers. He who is involved
in the greedy love of this world and does not even raise his eye
to look the next, is not of my followers. He who does not in
practice give a preference to matters of religion over his worldly
affairs, is not of my followers. He who does not repent of every
evil and wickedness, such as drinking- wine, gambling, looking to
lust, dishonesty, bribery and every other iniquity is not of rny
followers. He who is not regular in his five daily prayars, is not
of my followers. He who is not constantly supplicating before
God and praying to Him with humbleness of heart is not of my
followers. He who forsakes not the company of the wicked who
cast their evil influence over him, is not of my followers. He who
does not revere his parents, or does not obey them in that which
is fair and not against the Holy Quran, or does not care to serve
them to his utmost, is not of my followers. He who is not kind
and gentle towards his wife and her relatives, is not my followers.
He who refuses his neighbour the least good in his power, is not
of my followers. He who forgives not the trespasses of others and
harbours revenge, is not of my followers. The husband who is
false to his wife or the wife that is false to. her husband, is not of
my followers. He who breaks in any way the promise which he
makes at the time of Baiat, is not of rny followers. He who does

L r not believe in me as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, is not .of
my followers. He who is not ready to obey me in all that is fair,
is not of rny followers. He who sits with the wicked and chimes
in with those who reject me, is not of my followers. Every forni-
cator, transgressor, drunkard, murderer, thief, gambler, usurper,
wrong-doer, liar, forger, every dishonest person, every one given
to bribery, every accuser of his brother or sister, and every one
who sits in such company, is not of my followers. Every one who
does not repent of his wicked deeds, and. hates not the congreg-
ation of evil-doers, is not of my followers.

These are all poisons which if you take, you cannot be saved.
v Light and darkness cannot be in the same place together. Every
one who is crooked and not) clear before God, cannot get the
blessings which are granted: to those who are of =a candid heart.
Blessed are they who are upright of heart, who purge their hearts
of every dross, and serve their Lord faithfully, for they shall not
be lost. God shall not disgrace them, for they are God's and God
is theirs; they shall be delivered in the day of affliction. Their
enemies who plot against them, are fools, for they are in the
bosom of God and He is their supporter- Who have faith on God ?
Only those who are such. He is also a fool who plots against a
wicked, mischievous and daring transgressor, for he shall perish
of himself. Since God created the earth and the heavens, it has
never happened that He should have destroyed and brought to ;
naught the righteous. OD. the other hand, He has been displaying
for them His deeds of wonder and will even now show His power.
The Lord is faithful God, and for His faithful servants He
shows His wondrous deeds. The world would swallow them and
their enemies gnash their teeth against them, but He who is their
friend, saves them from every path of destruction and makes

them victorious in every field. Blessed is he who holds fasfe the
skirt of such a God. I have believed in Him ; I have known Him.
That God is the God of all the world who revealed His Word
to me, who showed mighty signs for me, and sent me as the Pro-
mised Messiah in this age. Besides Him, there is no other God
neither on earth nor in heavens. Blessed is he who believes in
such, a God, for he shall be happy. Woe to him who does not
believe, for he shall be forsaken and his days shall end in grief.
I have received the revelation of my God which is brighter than
the sun. I have seen Him and known Him that He is the God
of the whole world and there is none besides Him. What a power-
ful and supporting- God that I have found, the owner of mighty
wonders that I have seen! The truth is that there is nothing
impossible with the Mighty God but He do'es not do that which
is against His Book and promise. Therefore you when you pray,
be not faint-hearted like the ignorant naichries who have limited
the laws of nature to their own narrow circle of imperfect reason
and understanding which is not testified to by the Book of God.
These are rejected by God for their little faith, and their prayers
shall never be listened to. They are blind and not seeing, dead
and not living. They set against God 'laws framed by themselves
and set limits to His unlimited powers. Tney look upon God as
weak and shall be dealt with according to the weakness of their
faith. But thou, when thoti standest up for prayer, shouldst be
certain that thy God is powerful over all. Then shall thy prayers
be accepted and thou shalt see the wonders of the power of God
which I have seen. My witness is not of hearsay but of actual
sight. If a person does not consider God as powerful over every
thing, how can his prayers be accepted and how can he have the
courage to pray to God for deliverence, which he deems to be
against the laws of nature, from afflictions and adversities. But

fchou blessed man, be not so weak of faith. Thy 'God is the
potent Being who has hung innumerable stars without any pillars
to rest upon, and who has created heaven and earth out of nothing.
Does thou suspect that He shall not be able to help thee in thy
difficulties? Nay, but thy own mistrust shall deprive thee.
Almighty God is never weak, but His Holy Word teaches us with
regard to His laws of prayer, that out of His inBnite mercy, He
deals with the supplicators like a. friend. Sometimes He does nob
enforce His own will but accepts the prayer of the supplicator as
is indicated in ^ >~^" ) '^J j ^ ) /' Ask and I shall give." Again,
He executes His own will and requires the supplicator to submit
to it as He says ; ? ^ ) 3 " ^ ) ^ '\^ ^ ^ j "Verily We shall
prove you with somewhat of fear and hunger." This He does that
He may elevate the certainty and knowledge of a person when his
prayer is listened to, and that again by making His servant sub-
mit to his will, He may grant him the honor of His pleasure,
elevate his dignity and promote him in the path of guidance by
thus loving him.

In short, our Gol has innumerable wonders but shows them
only for those who are His in faith and sincerity. He does not
display them to those who have no faith in His wondrous might
and are not His faithful servants. Woe to him who is still igno-
rant that he has a God who has power over every thing. My God
is my paradise; in my God have I my highest bliss for I have
seen Him and found that He possesses every beauty. This is a
wealth to be possessed though one's self may be lost in gaining it',
and a jewel to be bought though one's self may be extinguished
in getting it. All ye that lack this blessing, run to this fountain
for it shall quench your thrist. It is the fountain of life and shall
save you from destruction. Ah ! what should I do and how should
I impress these glad tidings upon the heart ! With what trumpets

should I declare the wonderful ness and might of God on every
inhabited corner of the earth that all men may hear it ! What
remedy should I apply that their ears may be opened to my voice !

If you will be God's people, know it for certain that Heshall
be your God. You shall be.sleeping and God shall be awake for
you. You shall be negligent of the enemy and God shall see him
and frustrate his evil plans. You are not yet aware what power
belongs to your God. Had you known it, no day would have ever
found you grieving for this world. - If any one has vast treasures
in his possessions, will he weep and cry or commit suicide for,
the loss of farthing ? If you had been awre of the rich treasure
that your God will perform all things for you and that He will be
your refuge in every distress, you would not have been mad after
the world. Your God is a precious treasure ; set great store by
Him for He assists you in every step that you may take. With
out God you are nothing and your means and plans are useless.
Do not 'imitate the alien people who have put their whole trust
in earthly means. Like the serpent that eats dust, they eat the
dust of earthly means, and like the dogs and vultures which fall
upon a rotten carcass they are tearing a carrion with their teeth.
They are removed farthest off from God. They worship men and
eat swine and drink wine like water. For their excessive trust
in earthly means and ceasing to pray to God for help, they are
dead. The heavenly spirit has quitted them as a pigeon quits its
nest and takes flight. Their inwards are infected with the leprosy
of worldworship which has consumed them from within.

I do not forbid you to have recourse to the means which are

% '

necessary to attain to an end, but I forbid you from becoming
slaves to the means, from trusting in them alone and forgetting
God who provides the means. Had you an eye, you would have
seen that besides God all is naught. . You cannot stretch out

your arm, nor withdraw it but with His. permission. He who is
spiritually dead would laugh at it, but his death would have been
better for him than his laughter. Beware that you do not imitate
other people because they have made a certain progress in this
world, and follow in their footsteps to attain a similar success.
Hear and understand that .they are quite ignorant of- and utter
strangers to that God who calls yon to Himself. But what is
their God? Only a weak human being ; and, therefore, they are
left in their rernissness. I do nob prohibit you from having your
own business or occupation ; but do not follow them who consider
this world as the goal of all their aims and desires. Be conti-
nually praying to God to grant you power and ability in the
execution of all your affairs whether temporal or religious. But
let not your prayers: be empty words uttered by your lips alone,
but let them be* sincere supplications prooeediug from -heart. Let
it be your sineere-belief that -every blessing descends from heaven.
There is no righteousness in you unless when you face any diffi-
culty or undertake a business, you close the doors of all material
resources and humbly throw yourselves down at the threshold of
God, asking for His grace to deliver you from the difficulty or
help you in your undertaking. Then shall the holy spirit assist
you and an unknown way shall be opened for you. Have mercy
on your souls and- follow not those who have severed all their
connections wich God, and given themselves wholly to- material
resources so much so that they cannot utter the words *JJ )
(if it please God) to seek strength from God. May God open
eyes so that you may be able to see that your God; is the beam of
all your plans. If the beam falls, will the roof remain ? It would
not only fall itself, but also cause the loss of many lives. In like
manner, your plans can never succeed without the assistance of
God. If you do not seek the assistance of God and make it t : he.

guiding rule of .your life, you shall never succeed, and your 'days
will end in grief. Do nob imagine that my words are not true be-
cause other people have seen prosperity, although they know not
the God who is your perfect and powerful God. They are led into
temptation for forsaking God. When- a person forsakes God and
takes delight in the lusts and luxuries of this world and is desi-
rous of its riches, he is tempted by having all these doors opened
to him, whereas the door of religion is fastened against him and
he is quite denuded of his spirituality, and thus taken by death
while involved in his worldly entanglements, he is cast into an
eternal hell. Sometimes, however, he is tempted by the wreck of
all his worldly schemes. But the former temptation is more
dangerous than the latter because it makes a man vain, though
both classes are under the wrath of God.

The fountain-head of true delight is God. How can heavenly
bliss be the lot then of those who are quite ignorant of the Living
and Supporting God and turn their faces away from Him. Blessed
is he who understands this secret and woe to him who compre-
hends it not. Follow not world-wisdom nor regard it with honor,
for it is nothing but ignorance. True wisdom is that which God
has taught you in His. Word. Lost are they who love world-
wisdom but those who seek wisdom and knowledge in the Word
of God, shall prosper. Follow not the paths of ignorance. Do
you presume to -teach God what He knows not ? Do you run after
the blind that they may lead you and show you the way ? Ye
fools ! the blind will not lead the blind. True wisdom comes from
the holy spirit as has been promised to you. Through the spirit
you will be taken to the pure fountain of knowledge which is be-
yond the reach of other poeple. If you ask with a sincere heart,
you will find it. Then will you understand that this is the know-
ledge which renews you and breathes a life into you and brings

conviction to you. How will he give you clean food who himself
feeds upon a carcass? How can the blind show you the way?
Every word of pure wisdom descends from heaven ; what do you
seek from earthly people? Wisdom is the inheritance of those
whose souls rise to heaven. H,ow can he bring you to conviction
who has no conviction himself? But purity of heart is the first
condition, truth and sincerity are the primary requirements, and
then what you ask shall be given to you. Think not that the age
of Divine Revelation is past and .that the holy spirit does not
descend now as it used to do in time past. ,The law has finally
been revealed to the world in the Holy Quran but the doors of
.revelation are not closed, for revelation is the soul of the true
faith. Religion not accompanied by revelation, is not a living
system but a dead log. I tell you truly that every other door may
Jbe closed but the door of revelation can never be closed. Open
the windows of your hearts that it may enter them. You ; are
removing; yourselves farther away from that bright sun because
you close the windows through which its rays can find an entrance
into your heart. Thou fool ! arise and open the windows of thy heart
and the light shall enter into it of itself. Almighty God has not
closed against you the doors of iworldly blessings but has opened
them wider than they were in the past. Do you think that the
ways\)f^heavp,nly blessings of which you feel the greater, neednoWj
have been, stopped in this age? That cannot be, The doors of
heavenly blessings are also opened more widely and clearly. When
Almighty God has opened to you the door of ail the blessings of
the former prophets, why do you not enter and welcome the
precious boon ? Let your thirst be for that fountain and the water
will flow to you. Cry like babe for that heavenly milk and it
shall corne to you as it comes to the suckling. Make yourselves
deserving of mercy that mercy may be shown to you. ;.Be sore

vexed that comfort in ay be given to you. Lament and cry that
one may take you by the hand. Difficult and strait is the path
which is the path of God, but it is made easy for those who fall
into the bottomless pit ready to die. They decide to enter into
fire and to burn in it for the sake of their beloved one. They
actually thrust themselves into that fire and, to their surprise,
find it the very paradise. It is in reference to this that Almighty
God has said -^j***' "'fi b*&* ^ ^ j ^ ^ * ^ * ) )j $ ) ^ & 1 5
' (p*/) ^V **' ^/*^) ); & 3 ) y") &* j" 1 ) ** Ye that are wicked and ye that
are righteous, there is not one of you who shall not pass over
hell-fire, but those who go down into it for fear of God shall be
delivered while those who walk on it only in obedience to their

sensual passions, shall be consumed in it. This is a settled decree
of God." Blessed are they who struggle with their passions for
fear of God, but woe to them who fight with God in blind
obedience to their carnal desires. He who puts aside the com-
mandments of God for his own passions, shall never enter into
heaven. Try therefore, that not a jot or a tittle of the holy
Quran should bear witness against you, lest you may have to
answer it, for the slightest iniquity shall bring punishment upon
you. The days of your life are few and short, and your work is
yet unfinished. Walk fast for the day is going away and the
evening is nigh. Consider well what shall be required of you;
lest you leave something undone and find yourselves undone at
last ; lest the thing you are going to offer, should be impure or
counterfeit and unworthy of being presented-

I am told that some of you do not admit the authority of
traditions. Such men are in error. My teaching is that three
things have been given you for guidance, the Holy Quran, the
sunnat (usage) and the kadis (tradition). The Quran inculcates

100

Y the doctrine of the Unity, the Glory and the Majesty of God.
It decides the differences that arose between the Jews and the
Christians. For instance, it corrects the error that Jesus Christ

" .

died on the cross and was subjected to curse and that , con-
sequently his soul did not rise to heaven as did those of the
other prophets. You are likewise forbidden in the Holy Quran
to worship anything besides God, for instance, any man or animal,
the sun, the moon or any other heavenly body, the means to an
end, or your own self. Take care therefore that you do not take a
single step against the Divine injunctions and the guidance of
the Quran. I tell you truly that whoever breaks the least pf the
seven hundred commandments of the Holy Quran, closes with
; his own hands the door of salvation against hfrnself- It is the
Holy Quran that has shown to the world the true, clear and per-
fect ways of salvation, all other inspired books being only its
imperfect images. Eead the Quran attentively and love it dearly,
more dearly than you love anything else in the world. For, the
Word of God came to rue, saying: .<j)fl J ^.& ^ J J " All sorts
of goodness are contained in the Quran." This is the truth, and
woe betide him who gives preference to other things over the
"/Holy Book. In the Quran is your only change of salvation and
1 prosperity, and it is the fountain-head froijq ; which all blessings
flow. There is not a singleone of your religious or spiritual needs
which is not supplied by the Holy Quran. It is the Quran that
.will bear witness, or give the lie, to your faith on the day of
judgment. There is no other book under heaven besides the Quran
which can guide you into the right path independently of it.
Almighty God has, out of His infinite mercy andlovingfkindness
to you granted you a book like the Holy Quran. I tell you truly
that had the book which has been rehearsed to you, been rehearsed

to the Christians, it would have saved them from destruction.

101

and had the guidance and blessings that have been granted to
you, been granted to the Jews, they would have kept them back
from a denial of Resurrection. Value it, therefore, for it is an
inestimable boon. It is the most valuable blessing, the most
precious treasure. If the Quran had not come, the whole world
would have been but a rotten carcass. (Vol. I R> R. 1902)
The Teachings of the Quran and

Gospels compared,

The Quran is a book in comparison with which all other
guidance offered to mankind are of no account. The teachings
of the Gospels were inspired by the spirit which descended like a
dove, a feeble bird which can be seized and devoured even by an
animal like cat, which is itself proverbial for its weakness. This
is the reason why the Christians .gradually fell into the pit of
weakness and are now utterly devoid of spirituality. They placed
their faith in a dove and are, therefore, undone. But the Spirit
of God which brought the Holy Quran appeared in a majestic
semblance and filled the whole space between earth and heavens.
What a fine contrast between the two semblances of the Holy
Ghost representing the Gospels and the Holy Quran respectively,
a poor dove on tiie.one hand and a grand a awful semblance on
the other. If there are no outward and inward obstacles, the
Holy Quran can purify a man within a week. If you do not flee
it, it can rnake'you like the prophets. There is no other book on
the face of the earth which teaches its followers the excellent arid
hopeful prayer which the Holy Quran has taught in the very
beginning. It tells them to pray for all the blessings which
were granted before them to other people, to the prophets and
messengers of God, to the faithful, the martyrs and the righteous.
Let your enterprise be great, and do not reject that which the
Holy Quran hold out to you, for it offers you the rich blessings

102

of God Which were granted to the righteous before you. Has
it not given you the kingdom of the Israelites and their holy
temple ? Do you doubt then, ye of little faith and low spirits,
that it is not able to bestow upon you the : spiritual benefits which
Were granted to the Israelites when it has made you the masters
of all their temporal blessings ? Nay, doubt not, for Almighty
God has far higher blessings in store for you. He has made you
inherit their spiritual and temporal kingdoms, but from your
hands these shall not pass away into those of another people until
the day of judgment comes. He shall never withhold from you
the blessings of revelation and inspiration and of being spoken to
by God, but shall confer on you all those Divine blessings which
He bestowed upon any people before you. But if any one makes
a daring fabrication against God and says that he receives the
Divine revelation when he does not receive it, or that God has
spoken to him when He has not spoken, I call God and His angels
to witness that he shall perish, for he has spoken a He against
God and been insolent and presumptuous towards Him. Be ye
afraid, therefore, for the curse of God is upon those who fabricate
visions and revelations. They think that there is no God, but the
punishment of God shall overtake them and their evil day lies in
wait for them. Let your footsteps be guided by truth and sincerity
and by righteousness and love of God, and let this be the aim and
object of your life. The Word of God shall then descend upon
whomsoever of you He will. . But do not make it the desire of your
heart lest seeing your desire, the devil should tempt you and
bring you to destruction. The service and worship of your
Master should be your sole concern, and you must be engaged
with all your faculties in keeping His commandments. Let your
desire be to rise higher .in certainty, not that you may be called
inspired ones, but that you may be saved.

103

The Holy Quran has prescribed many holy carnmandments
for you, one of which is that you should not set up with God
other gods, for those who set up gods with (rod, never find their
way to the fountain of salvation. Do not speak a lie, for lying
is also a shirk (setting up gods with God). It has been said in
the Gospels that you should not look on a strange women to
lust after her, and that you may do so otherwise, but the Holy
Ouran says to you that yon should not look at strange women at
all, neither with a good intention nor with a bad intention, for on
such occasions a man is apt to stumble. The Quran enjoins up-
on you that you should cast down your' looks when you meet a
woman, and that you should not see her features except in so far
as is unavoidable and that with a dim sight.

It has been said in the Gospels , that you should not drink to
excess, but the Holy Quran says to you that you should not drink
wine at all, for if you do, you shall not find the way of God, nor
will He speak to you, nor purge your hearts of impurities. It
tells you that wine is the innovation of Satan, and that there-
fore you should shun it.

It-has been said in the Gospels that you should not be angry
with your brother without a cause, but the Holy Quran says to
you that you should not only suppress your own anger but also
act upon iW^J b)^ iy and advise others to suppress their anger,
and that you should not only be merciful yourselves but should
also advise your brethren to show mercy to others.

It -has been said in the Gospels that you should not put
away your "wife saving for the cause of fornication and should
suffer every other impurity to which she yields but the Holy
Quran says to you: ^M^ ^ feW I "Good women only are for
good men." It tells you that the pure and the impure cannot
live together. If, therefore, any one's wife is not guilty of actual

104

fornication but looks to lust on other men .or yields to their
embraces and goes through the preliminaries of fornication,
though she may not have committed fornication actually, and
discloses to others the parts of her body which, should be concealed
and is a mischievous woman, and hates the holy God, who is your
Lord, he should divorce her if she persists in her evil ways and
does not repent of wickedness. She separates herself from her
husband and is not flesh of his flesh, therefore it is not permitted
him to live with her like a contended cuckold. She becomes like
the flesh which is corrupt and rotten, and must be cut off, lest if
allowed to remain, it should corrupt the whole body and cause
death.

It has been said in the Gospels that you should not swear at
all, but the Holy Quran prohibits you only from vain swearing,
for in some cases it is necessary to administer an oath to come to
a decision. Almighty God does not wish to annihilate the means
of proof, for it is His wisdom that has brought them about. It is
natural that when there is no witness in a case, Almighty God
should be called to witness-

It has been said in the Gospels that you should not resist evil
in any case, but the Holy Quran does not like, the Gospels, teach
you unconditional non-resistance of evil on every occasion. It
says to you : *M ) ^ /? [ * ^ ) j [ ** ^ ^" '**& '&*".*) j*
" The recompense of evil is only evil proportionate thereto, but
if a person forgives under circumstances when his forgiveness
without causing any harm is likely to lead to a beneficial result
and render matters better, God shall be pleased with him and
shall give him his reward." .The Holy Quran neither justifies
strict venegeance nor does it commend unconditional forgiveness
on all occasions. It requires us to consider and weigh the circum-
stances of each case and adopt the course which is conducive to

105

good. We should not punish or forgive in obedience to our
impulses, but must exercise our judgment; and act according to
the propriety of the occasion.

It has been said in the Gospels that you should love your
enemies, but the Holy Quran says to you that you should have
no enemies in obedience to -your own desires, and that your
sympathy should extend to all. Your enemies are only such as
are the enemies of your God, your Prophet and the Word of God.
Invite even these to the right' path and pray for them. To the
individuals you should bear no enmity, but hate their evil deeds.
Let all your efforts be" to reclaim these men and make them mend
their ways. Thus it says.

^0 ; ftJ ) ^ 3 jjjj ) ; ^ IMA 5) ).j J C>*J (>j* b tfiJ ) ^)

" Almighty God commands you to do justice, i. ., good for good,
and further, to do good even to those who have done no good to
you, and last of all to sympathise with, your fellow-beings with
the kindness of kindred, with the kindness of a mother towards
her child, for instance.". The person who does goodness to another
is apt to remind him sometfmes of the favor, and there some-
times lies hidden under it a sort of vanity. But when goodness
proceeds out of a natural 'desire for sympathy, no such infirmity
accompanies it. Tnis is therefore, the highest stage of goodness.
This verse, moreover, calls attention to our duties to the Creator.
In connection with this part of our duties 'adl or justice is that
as a recompense for the numerous blessings which He has besto-
wed upon us, we ; should obey His commandments ; ihsan or good-
ness consists in believing in Him with such a certainty as if we
were actually seeing Him ; and ita-i-zilqurba or goodness, out of
a natural desire is 'that He should be worshipped and obeyed
neither for love of paradise nor for fear of hell, but even if the
abodes of bliss and torture were-suppo&ed to be non-existent, there

106

should still be the same passionate love for Him, and the same
complete submission to His will.

It has been said in the Gospels .that you should bless them
that curse you, but the Holy Quran says to you that you should
not bless or curse anyone out of your own desire, but first consult
your heart which is the habitation of the glorious manifestations
of Divinity, as to the manner in which you should deal with such
a person, and act according to the guidance of the voice of God
that speaks within you. If you find that such a person is not
cursed upon heaven, you must sympathise with him, lest in cur-
sing him you oppose the will of God. But if the dictates of your
conscience lead you to the conclusion that he is not excusable,
you should not bless him, as no prophet of God has ever blessed.
Satan or declared him to be free from curse. But you must not
be rash in cursing any body, for many suspicions are false and
many curses fall back on a man's own head. Look before you leap
and take good care before you do a thing, Seek assistance from
God for you are blind. Do not proceed to do a thing in obedience
to your desires, lest you should ch'arge the just with iniquity and
a man of truth with lying, and thus offened your God and bring
to naught the good that you have done.

It has been said in the Gospels that you should not do your
good deeds before men to be seen of them, but the Holy Quran
says to you that you should neither do all your good deeds in
public nor all in secret. When you consider it profitable to your
own-self to do a deed in secret, you must do it in secret- Bub
when you consider it beneficial to the public to do a deed in
public, you must do it before men that they may see you, and be
thus incited to follow your example and do good deeds like you.
Your reward shall be double in such a case for in addition to the
goodness you have done, you will thus enable those who are

107

infirm and have not the courage to do a good deed, to follow your
example and do the good which they have seen you doing, In
short, Almighty God has Himself expressed the wisdom of the
words Xxilkjjj**, (i. e , yo.u must give your alms in secret as
well as before men), and indicated plainly that you should incite
people to good deeds not only by your words ami preaching, but
also by your practice and example, for example is far more effica-
cious than precept in most cases,

It has been said in the Gospels that when you pray, you
should go into^ your closet, but the Quran says to you that you
should not always. pray in secret, but occasionally you must pray
openly before men and in the congregations of your brethren so
that when your prayer is accepted, it may increase the faith of
your brethren, and also -that your example may lead others to
pray to God-

The Gospels praise those who are .poor, meek and lowly, as
well as those who are persecuted and resist not the evil, but the
Holy Quran says to yo.u that humility, meekness and non-resist-
ance of evil are no doubt, commendable virtues, but if displayed
on the wrong occasion, these are evils. Your good deeds, therefore,
should be marked by the propriety of the occasion, for every
virtue degenerates into a vice if not shown on the proper occasion. .
Rain is beneficial if it cornes in time, but untimely rain is pro-
ductive of loss. Mildness and severity, forgiveness and retaliation,
blessing and cursing, and all other moral actions must be resorted
to as the occasion arises for them. Be meek and humble but show
not meekness or humility out of place. The Holy Quran, moreover
teaches you that truly excellent moral qualities, not leavened with
the poison of selfish desires, are only the gift of the holy spirit
from above. You cannot acquire them by your endeavours until
they are bestowed upon you from heaven. Anyone who claims

108

morality independently of the heavenly gift granted through the
holy ghost, puts forward a false claim. There is mud and dirt
beneath- the surface of his water, which come up upon the sligh-
test agitation caused by selfish passions.. Seek- assistance from
God every moment that your water may be cleansed Irom this
mud and purified, by means of the holy spirit. True and pure
morality is a miracle of the righteous, in-which the evil-doers have
no share, for those who are not devoted to God, are not granted
power from on high, and it is impossible that they should at any
time acquire high moral qualities. Purify your connections with
God. Give up vain mockery, derision, vengeance, obscene language,
avarice, lying, wickedness, evil glances, wordly-mindedness, vanity
disdain, self-approbation and all other iniquities, and you will get
the assistance of heaven which will invest you with true morals.
Unless you get the power from above which can draw you up, and
unless the holy spirit enters into you which gives life, you are weak
and grouping in darkness- Up to that time you are dead and there
is no life in you. In this state you can neither withstand any
adversity, nor can you save yourselves from vanity and pride if
you are in well-to-do circumstances, and are under the control of
Satan and your carnal desires, Your deliverance cannot he effected
except the holy spirit which comes from your God, should turn
your faces to virtue and righteousness Make yourselves the sons
of heaven, not the children of earth, and be the inheritors of
light, not the lovers of darknees, that you may be safe from the
ways, of Satan, for Satan comes out in the night and cannot
venture to make his appearance i-n the day. He is the old thief
who walks in darkness. (Vol. I, R. E. 1902.)

109
SOME .CRITERIA

A DIVINE REVELATION.

IN stating the criteria of a, Divine revelation, we quote the
answer recently given by the Promised Messiah, the greatest
living receptacle of such a revelation, to an opponent who refused
to admit the Divine authority of his revelations and called them
hallucinations and Illusions. The Messenger of God wrote as
follows :

My revelation is as free from all sorts of doubt, untruthful-
ness and untrustworthiness as the revelations of all the Messengers
of God from Adam down to the'eeal of the prophets, may peace
and the blessings of God be upon him. If to this statement it is
objected that the supreme evidence of the Divine origin of the
revelations of earlier prophets lay in the miraculous and prophetic
elements, I say my revelations are attested by miracles and pro-
phecies which in quality and number surpass those of most of
the earlier prophets, and are immeasurably above those of some
of them. There is another important distinction which gives to
my miracles and prophecies a far greater validity than those of
the earlier prophets. Their miracles are now simply tales of the
past, not properly provable, mostly incredible when looked at
critically because it is impossible to prove their historical reality.
But to the prophecies and signs shown by me, there are thousands
of eyewitnesses. They can be proved by an evidence of the
soundest character because there are thousands of living witnesses
to their truth whereas the miracles which constitute the basis of
the truth of other revelations claiming to be Divine, cannot
claim a single living witness. The Holy Prophet Muhammad,
may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, is an exception,
because to the truth of his miracles, I am a living witness and

110

the Holy Quran is a living witness too. How can then the
miracles pervading early prophetic history bear any comparison
with mine, some of which have been witnessed by millions of
human beings.

Any one not blinded by prejudice must confess when fully
informed of the details that the prophecies and miracles wrought
by rrie are the best-established facts and greater in number and
stronger in validity of proof than the miracles related of most of
the earlier prophets. To satisfy himself of the truth of statement,
it is the duty of every seeker after truth to personally look into
my claims and weigh their evidence, because he can have access
to me and my witnesses. When, therefore, there is positive
evidence of the greater validity and strength of my prophecies
and miracles, it is nothing but absolute denial and utter rejection
of the prophetic and miraculous, to say that my revelations are
illusions or hallucinations. Now. if there is anyone who entertains
any doubt as to the truth of these assertions, it is his duty, if he
is a God fearing man, to convene a meeting in which my signs
and prophecies shall be related and then the evidence which is
procurable for them, shall be taken upon oath, and recorded at
length. Everyone shall then be at liberty to produce against this
collection, the miracles and prophecies of any prophet or saint
(except our Holy Prophet) for which the requisite proof exists.
Mere narratives of wonders and marvels without any eye-witnesses
,to support their truth, cannot avail, for such legendary tales
which more often have their basis in a raythmaking tendency
than in any reality, abound in all people ; and if mere tales are
to be depended upon, the Hindoo will not remain behind in pro-
ducing the marvels wrought by ancient Rishis. The fact is that
no credit can be given to the stories of marvels as against facts
for which valid proof exists and the former are in comparison

Ill

with the latter as dunghills against stores of musk and ambergris.
But it should be borne in mind that it is impossible to produce
any parallel to the prophecies and miracles which God has mani-
fested through me, in their quantity, quality and validity of proof
though anyone might waste his whole life in this vain search.

If any one does not consider my revelation which has been
testified by heavenly signs as the Word of God, it would be better
for him to go to the very root of the matter and deny the very
existence of God. and reject the whole system of prophecy, ins-
piration and revelation, for it is to repair the crumbling building
of prophethood that Almighty God has established this new
dispensation. With fresh miracles and prophecies, Almighty
God is restoring the honor of the old ones. Stories of the
miracles wrought by the holy prophets of God in the past, once
more rise from the grave and assume the shape, of facts, and
that which was hearsay ere now is actually witnessed. Almighty
God has turned over a new leaf in the history of miracles and
recalled them to life that those who are involved in doubts, may
see the face of certainty. He who accepts me, accepts anew the
prophets and their miracles, and he who rejects me shall lose
even the tottering faith which he possessed before, for he has
shadow and not the reality. It is I who am the looking-glass
for Divine image. He who comes to me accepts me, shall
see afresh the God who to others is only imperfectly known
through their lifeless traditional beliefs. I believe in the true
God who is not known to those who reject me. I declare it in
truth and sincerity that what they believe in, is not God, but
an idol which is the creation of their own imagination. This is
the reason why their idols cannot assist them, or strengthen
them, or bring about any pure transformation in their lives or
effect any miracle or show a heavenly sign in their support.

112

It should also be borne in mind that any misdoubt or in-
credulity regarding the revelation of God which is granted to me,
is absurd and fantastical. It is nonsensical to say that this may
be no revelation at all but simply a delusion. Almighty God is
not weak in the manifestations of His power. He adopts such
supernatural methods to make the matter certain that a man
recognises the Word of God as clearly as he sees the sun. Do
the modern sceptics think that God had the power to take seekers
after truth to the fountain of certainty through revelation from
Adam down to our own Holy Prophet by the manifestations of
His mighty hand but that now He is destitute of His power, or
having that power has intentionally withheld this gracious gift
from this unfortunate generation and forgotten the prayer which
He had Himself tauht in .the Fatiha :

"0 God! guide us in the right path, the

path of those upon whom have been Thy favors and blessings,
thus making us their heirs."

To the question often put forward by sceptics "How are you

certain that the words put in your. mouth are really and actually
the Words of God, and how do you know that they are not
delusions or Satanic suggestions?" I give the following answer:
The word which is revealed to me comes with a majesty/
affords a bliss to, and makes an impression upon, my soul. It
enter into my heart with the firmness of a nail of iron and
dispels every darkness. With its entrance, I feel an unalloyed
bliss ; ah ! that I had the power to describe it. But every enjoy-
ment whether spiritual or physical cannot be adequately described
in words and represented exactly as one feels it. A person sees
a beloved object and is enchanted with its beauty but he cannot
describe the pleasure which he derives from the sight. In like

113

manner, there is an indescribable bliss which one enjoys in the
sight as well as in the Word of God who is the Author of all
existence and the cause of all causes. His word transports a man
into a paradise of bliss in exactly thai same manner as His sight
does. But if a person bears a voice, or certain words or put into
his mouth, and he has doubt as to their Divine origin, the voice
and the words ars certainly a delusion or a Satanic suggestion.
For, the power and majesty with which the Word of God enters
.the heart, the blessings that accompany it, the light which it
sheds, the impression that it makes, the bliss that it affords, the
Divine glory and the splendour that it imparts to the receptacle
of the revelation, determine it to a certainty that it is from God.
It has not a single point of resemblance with the lifeless voices
which proceed from Satanic suggestions or delusions. It has an
animation, it has a power, it has a magnetism, it has the charac-
teristic of producing a certainty, it has a bliss, it has a light, it
'has a supernatural glory, it has with it angels that exercise a
control over every particle of the body, and besides, it is accom-
panied with numerous extraordinary signs manifesting the power
of God. It is impossible that the receptacle of such a revelation
should ever have any misgiving as to its Divine origin. To him
a doubt is as fatal as unbelief. Such a revelation, with all its
characteristics is with him the greatest of miracles, even if he
could work no other miracle,

A complete transformation beyond merely human power is
worked in the person who is favored with the Word of God. His
love for God is so extraordinary that he is mad after Him, and
his constancy and faithfulness in His path know no bounds. The
certainty that reigns in his heart makes him independent of all.
He is an infallible guide and sits on the throne of sufficiency.
Such is my condition, but the world knows nothing of it. Before
I witnessed any miracle or obtained any heavenly assistance, I

114

was drawn to Him by the mighty magnetism of His word in a
manner for which I cannot account. Keen swords cannot cut the
tie asunder and burning fire cannot frighten me- The magne-
tism which has worked upon' my soul, is beyond comprehension,
above every description, and outside the grasp of intellect. In
the beginning was Word and the Word wrought the wonderful
transformation that has been wrought in me. The invisible God
first of all revealed Himself to me through His word, and opened
the door through which I listened to His sweet voice. His word
acted like a magnet on my soul and was the cause of my attrac-
tion to the one God. Ah ! that I had words to describe and give
a notion to others of the deep impression that the Word made
upon my heart, the heights to which it made me soar, the trans-
formation that it wrought in me, of what it took away from my
heart and what it gave to me. The extraordinary favour and
grace with which He approached me, none knows but 7, and the
unique place on which I stand in His love and devotion, none
Jmoivs but He. But I say truly that the commencement of this
spiritual advancement and union with God lies only in His
sweet word whose sudden attraction transported me to quite
unknown regions. A mighty hand took me up with such an
irresistable force as a whirlwind drives a straw before it and
throws it in some distant place.

To speak to rne of the possibility of my revelations being

only a delusion, is no more exact than to tell a person that his
seeing with the eyes, or hearing with the ears or speaking with
the tongue, is not a fac.t but a delusion. -Is it possible that the
person who knows that the shutting of eyes or the stopping of
ears or the cutting off of tongue, shall deprive him of the powers
of seeing, hearing or speaking respectively, shall on a denial of
these facts entertain the least doubt as to their actual existence ?

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Such is my condition with regard to the Divine revelation- The
Word of God with which I was and am favored, is my spiritual
mother from which I took my birth. It gave me a new life which
I did not possess before, and it breathed into me a soul which I
had not first, I grew up in its bosom 1 like a child. It took a tender
care of me ; it supported me when I would have stumbled, and
held me up wben my foot was about to slip. It went before me
like a light until I reached tbe goal. My heart cannot conceive
a greater villainy than that I should entertain the least doubt as
to the Divine origin of this revelation. I believe it to be the
Word of God in the same manner as I believe that I speak with
my tongue and hear with rny ears. .What ! should I deny it and
it showed me God, made me drink of the sweet fountain of know-
ledge, and refreshed rne with a cool and fresh breeze in times of
suffocation? It came upon me in languages quite unknown to
me, as English, Sanskrit and Hebrew. It proved itself to be
Word of God by majestic prophecies and grand heavenly signs.
It laid open before me a treasure of fine truths and carried me to
regions of knowledge which were terra incognita to me and my
people. I flew on its wings until I reached the goal. It was
revealed to me sometimes in words which were quite unknown
to me whether belonging to the Arabic, English or any other
language. Do these shining proofs still leave the matter in
doubt ? Is it fair to evade these important points?

The Word which has been revealed to me has shown the
power of a miracle and proved its mighty magnetism. It has not
kept back the unseen but revealed to me the deep secrets of the
future thousands of times. With a secret noose it drew me to
itself while it threw another noose on capable and obedient hearts
and brought them to me. It gave them eyes with which they
began to see ; and it gave them ears with which they began to

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hear ; and it gave them a fearless constancy and faithfulness with
which they became ready to sacrifice their lives in this path.
Can all these things be the result of a Satanic suggestion or a
delusion? Is Satan the equal of God in power and glory ? Why
is God then silent aad why does He not assist you? Listen to
me^ for He who revealed this word to me, addressed me in the
following word: "I shall reveal the light of My glory and raise
thee with the manifestation of my power, A Warner came into
the' world, but the world did not accept him. God shall .accept
him, however, and- manifest his truth with mighty attacks." It
is, therefore, necessary .that this age should not pass away nor I
depart from this world, until all these promises of God are fulfilled,

The person who walks in darkness and is not even aware
that Almighty God reveals His sure and certain Word to His
servants,- is really ignorent of the existence of God. He thinks
that the whole world is involved in the darkness of doubt like
himself. He adheres to the doctrine that inspired words are
nothing but temptations of the devil, confused dreams or delu-
sions, or at the most, words of a doubtful and not certain Divine
origin. But, as I have already stated, when the sun of Divine
revelation shines upon a heart, the darkness of doubt and distrust
is dispelled from iu, for it. is impossible that the darkness of doubt
should remain in the heart which is illumined with the effulgent
light; of the Word of God. The reception of a certain Divine
revelation even by others than prophets, is amply exemplified in
religious history. It was on the strength of a Divine revelation
that the mother of Moses trusted her infant son to the waves of
the river and yet she was not guilty of an infanticide in the sight
of God which she ought to have been if she looked upon the
words revealed to her as of a doubtful origin. Mary, the mother
of Jesus, was also inspired with a certain Divine revelation, in

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obedience to which she did Dot care a bib for her people. Alas
for the unfortunate Muhamrnadan nation, that it does not enjoy
that favor in the sight of God which the women of earlier nations
did ! It is not then " the best nation" (as it has been described
by the Holy Quran) but the worst and the most ignorant nation.
Khizr was not a messenger of God and yet- the Word of God
revealed to him was not doubtful, for hecould not have proceeded
to take, the life of a child on its strength on a contrary supposition.

The revelation of God to the companions of the Prophet to
wash his holy body was also certain, for had it been doubtful
they could not have proceeded to act upon it. Though a person
may deny my revelation on account of his blindness, yet if he is
a Muharnrnadan and not an Athiest in secret;, he must adhere to
the belief that the doors of a certain Divine revelation are open
for Muhammadans. He must believe that as many men and wo-
men in the former nations enjoyed the favor of being receptacles
of the sure Word of God though they were not prophets, the
presence of a similar Divine revelation is necessary among the
Muhammadans, so that instead of being the most excellent nation
they may not prove the most despised of all. Almighty God has,
therefore, brought into existence this new dispensation in the last
ages that it may be a perfect type of the Divine dealings with
His servants in the* former ages.

These are not matters to wonder at. No man can ever attain
to true salvation unless he is either directly favored with the
Word of God, with clear and decisive Words of Divine origin and.
-authority precluding every possibility of doubt, or are closely
; connected with such a receptacle of Divine revelation by inviol-
able ties of faith and fidelity. It is evident that the prevalence of
sin in the world is due to the absence of that certainty in matters
relating to a life beyond the grave as exists in the case of temporal

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pleasures, and worldly honor and property. A man of the world
cannot trust in God to the same extent as he can count upon a
box of precious jewels or other valuables. Nor has he the same
fear of God as he has of the temporal Jaws of earthly governments.
The reason of this is that formal religious beliefs are quite power-
less and give way before tbe certainty which avails in temporal
affairs and earthly connections. Salvation is, therefore, impossi-
ble without certainty in spiritual matters and to this the Holy
Quran testifies in the words : * j* 3) ) ^^ ^e ) * i* ^ ^ K ^
%** J* )j ^ c ) " Who is blind here, shall be blind hereafter, nay
worse than blind." How can salvation be attained without a
certainty ? What purpose does a religion serve if it does not take
a man to the fountain of certainty and salvation? The hearts of
the companions of the Prophet undoubtedly overflowed with such
certainty, for they witnessed the heavenly signs with their e} 7 es
and had thus a certain belief in the Word of God. Their lives
were, therefore, purified and purged of every dross. But what
means of certainty remained in the hands of those who followed
them, hundreds of years afterwards, True, they had the Holy
Quran, and the Holy Quran is like a two-edged sword, cutting
with one edge the internal evils, and thus expurgating, the hearts
of Muhammadans themselves of every impurity, and destroying
with the other all erroneous doctrineSvtaught by the false religions.
Yet this sword needs a brave soldier's arm to wield it. Almighty
God says: ^ ) p<^**) ^ 'fr " ) ^ *t. "The Prophet of God
rehearses to them His signs, and purifies them and imparts to
them a knowledge of the Book." Therefore, this purification of
the soul which is effected through the Holy Quran, has not been
mentioned independently but as having been brought about by
the Holy Prophet. This is the reason why the Word of God
never comes into the world alone, The brave spiritual warrior

119

who can wield this trusty sword and is a true judge of its worth,
also conies with it. Therefore every age stands in need of anew
champion to bring about a true and fresh certainty with regard
to the Holy Quran, to reveal its true worth and to convince its
opponents through it of its truth and their error. This need is
the greater in this last age, for, being the time of the appearance
of Antichrist and of the final struggle between heavenly and
earthly forces, a braver vanquisher must appear in the field,

In short, when the Holy Quran says plainly that the man
who remains blind in this life (i e., does not see the light of
certainty) shall also be blind in the next (i. e. } shall nbt attain to
salvation), it is the duty of every seeker after truth to seek this
light; of vision and seek the living religion in which the lights of
the living God are manifest. Lifeless is the religion in which the
chain of a certain Divine revelation does not run unbroken. Such
a religion closes the way to certainty, the only light to attain
salvation, and makes men depend upon idle tales of marvels done
in the past. It makes them despair of God and throws them into
utter darkness How can a religion point the way to God and
release men from the bondage of sin, when it has no means of
bringing them to certainty. It is only with the shinning of the
sun of certainty that the day of the disappearance of sin rises.

The only true religion in the world is that which shows the
way of certainty by living heavenly signs, and those who do not
follow such a religion are in hell in this very life. What can a
mere doubt avail when it leads us to the only conclusion that a
thing may be either right or wrong. Freedom from sin is impossi-
ble without certainty. To lead an angelic life upon earth is a tale
without certainty. To forsake the world and all its immoral
pleasures is impossible without certainty. Pure transformation
in one's life is Impossible without certainty. To be drawn to God

120

with an extraordinary heavenly magnetism is impossible without
certainty. To rise above the earth (i. e ., materialism) and soar to
the higher regions (of spirituality) is impossible without certainty.
To fear God as one ought to fear to attain to true .righteousness,
is impossible without certainty. To abide by the minutest rules
of piety, and to be sincere in one's deeds, is impossible without
certainty. To consider God as the most precious treasure which
the soul of man can possess, to spurn the riches and greatness of
this world and to have no desire of temporal honor and regal
pomp, is impossible without certainty. Let those who call them-
selves Muhammadans, answer how they can get out of the dark-
ness of doubt and reach the light of certainty. There is only one
way, and that is the Word of God as is indicated in the verse
; yJ ) ^J ) ui**ilaJ ) ^* ^ ; io " Bringeth them out of darkness into
light/'* .

Now that thirteen, hundred years have passed since the dawn
of prophecy in Arabia, and this age has not witnessed the
shinning heavenly signs and heavenly light with which the Holy
Quran came into the world^ and Christianity, Aryanism and
Atheism with all the forces of evil are attacking, tooth and nail,
the Word of God, His prophet and faith, and the Muhammadans
have nothing in hand but a few written leaves to whose miracul-
ous power and efficacy they are utter strangers, and the miracles
that are related in support of their truth, are mere tales of wonders
abounding in the history of every sect which under these
circumstances is the way by which the top of the high minaret
of certainty can be gained ? How can the enemy be convinced
that Islam can point to methods, unknown to other religions, by
which a man may attain to certainty in his belief of God and be
freed from the trammels of sin ? What are the arguments oil
whose strength a seeker after truth ought to give it a preference

121

to all other systems ? Can any wise man be expected to condemn

a thing which is encrementitious- and devour another which stinks
as nasty ? Every good heart is w.illing to- accept the truth, pro-
vided truth is able to show its light. What is generally offered
now-a-days to other nations under the name of Islam, is husk
not kernel, shadow not substance. How can be accepted then ?
What is the use of conversion if there is no change for the better.
A person changes his religion to get rid of some evil, and as a
remedy for a disease, but if the same disease prevails in the new
religion, what good there is in the change. Do not even the
Brahmoos with all their rejection of the most excellent attributes
of God, assert that they believe in one God ? But the truth is
that none believes in God except the person whose eye of
certainty has been opened. He only is released from the bondage
of sin who sees God with the eye of certainty. -All other stories
are false, all atonements vain.

The same Living God who manifested Himself by His word
spoken 'through His prophets, 'manifests Himself again in this
last age by the same means through me that people may believe
and escape destruction. The Holy Quran is, no doubt, the Word
of God; Hig most excellent word, but it is a sealed book to you,
ye sleepers ! Your eyes cannot see it, nor can your understandings
comprehend it. It' is now in your hands but you cannot get its
blessings -like the unbelieving Jews who had the books of the
prophets in their hands. If you speak justly, 'you shall yourselves
bear witness that on account of the disappearance of the light of
its certainty from your eyes, you cannot avail yourselves of its
power of sanctification. If the testimony of external facts h.as
any weight, you can bear witness against your own condition in
this age, if you mind tobear a true testimony. Tell me truly, do
you shrink, from sin and act against righteousness as a man

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shrinks from the use of poison ? Speak and do not lie, are you*
walking firmly on the path of piety on which the Holy Quran
has laid so much stress ? Say and be candid, do you possess the
signs which appear after ceroainty ? Nay dissemble not, and say
if you love God as ardently as His righteous servants do, and if
you can show that constancy and firmness in His path which the
sacred ones have shown. Call Heaven to witness and say if you
have an undisguished aversion to the rotten carcass of low motives
and worldly desires, and if you are flying towards the true God
with sincerity and zeal and the singleness of heart. Do not
dissimulate nor try to please others only like a vain braggart for
there is a God who sees everything you do and hears every word
that you utter, and know while you speak that His wrath is a
consuming fire whose flames devour every vanity and conceit in
an instant, state honestly, are not your feet so enchained that
you cannot move out of worldly desires and worldly vanities your
hearts so bent low upon low motives that you cannot aspire after
anything higher, your necks so bowed down that you cannot arise
your heads to heaven r and your hands so tied that you cannot
do anything which is not of worldly interest ? Had you a certain
belief in God, you would have shunned the poison of sin. The
whole world would have perished because of this poison, had it
not been for the timely establishment of this heavenly propaganda
by the Divine hand. But if you boast that you are faultless and
free from the darkness of sin and attracted towards God by the
powerful steam-engine of certainty, I tell you plainly that you
have told a lie and brought a false charge against the maker of
earth and heavens. For this daring falsehood, the curse of God
shall soon be take you and disclose your misdeeds before you die.
Certainty does not come alone but is attended with its light.
No one can take you to heaven but he who comes from heaven.

123

If you knew that the fresh and certain Word of God is the true
remedy for your diseases, you would not have rejected him who
came with this blessing in the beginning of the century. Ah
trifle rs ! no deed can rise to heaven until it proceeds out of
certainty ; internal dross and impurities cannot be washed, nor
spiritual diseases cured until the heart overflows with certainty.
You boast of your Islam, but what you have is a lifeless routine
of formal ceremonies, not the living organism, the essence of
Islam. True Islam works a manifest transformation. A light is
kindled in the heart which burns the low desires and worldly
motives, and a new life is breathed into the Muslim of which
you are not aware. All this comes after certainty, and certainty
after the sure Word of God which comes from heaven. God is
known through God and not by any other means. As you know
those better who talk familiarly with you, so does a man advance
in the knowledge of God through His word.

The manner in which the Word of God comes, is in itself a
clear indication of the Divine origin of the word. It often hap-
pens that the servant of God prays to Him and immediately
receives an answer from Him, and this occurs not once or twice
but the process may continue to twenty, thirty or fifty times and
sometimes a whole day or a whole night passes in this verbal
intercourse, The answers are always in the most eloquent and
sweet words and sometimes in words and languages quite un-
known to the supplicant. Along with it there is an outpouring
of heavenly signs and miracles, and a profusion of Divine favors
and assistance. Is it possible that after all this continual verbal
intercourse and evident signs, doubt should still lurk in the mind

as to the Divine origin of that word ? Not at all. On the other
hand, this is the only means by which a man can see God even
in this life, and to him the impenetrable mystery of the next

1 : 24

World is oi ved beyond a shadow of doubt. All aspects of a brutish
life iii which a man indulges in bis passions, vanish away with
the glorious m- : r;?-g of the light. In the heart that is thus
illuminated, there grows up a strong aversion to the dead gods
and an ardent love for the Living One. As wordly men are mad
after the things of this world, he is out of all patience to attain
the nearness of God and a close union with Him.

In short, the Word of God which a man receives with the
full certainty of its Divine origin, is the key to certainty and all
spiritual blessings which flow from that pure fountain-source.
When Almighty God wishes to draw any one of His servants to
Himself, He sends His Word upon him, favors him with a perso-
nal verbal intercourse with Himself, comforts him with extra-
ordinary heavenly signs and shows him in a variety of ways that
it is His Word. The Word of God revealed in this manner
becomes the substitute of an actual sight of God. It is then, and
not till then, that a man understands that there is a God, for he
hears His sweet and awful voice "I am." Before -Almighty God
reveals Himself by His Word, a man's belief in His existence
based on an observation of the material universe, does not amount
to certainty. The perfect plan and consummate laws of order
discovered in the universe only give rise to an idea of the pro-
bability of the existence of a Creator. But the certain conclusion
that there is a God, can never be arrived at, nor an 'impure life
of sin dragging a man lower and lower into the pit, be got rid of,
except by His Word.

It would also appear from this, how absurd is the doctrine
of salvation invented by the Christians. They think that the
suicide of the son of Mary has brought them to the door of
salvation, whereas they know it as a matter of fact that they are
involved in a narrow and dark hell of sin, doubt and veiling from

125

God. Where there is doubt there can be no salvation, for the
pure fountain-head from which salvation flows is certainty. The
greatest 'blessing that man can have is the certainty that there is
a God who in His wrath consumes the sinners and the trans-
gressors, and in His mercy turns to those who turn to Him. This
certainty is the only remedy for all sins. No other atonement
can ever release you from the bondage of sin, no blood can wash
the impurities of your heart. Is it not a matter of every day
experience that certainty alone is the true barrier against every-
thing that is harmful. You do not hold out your hand over a
flame because you know that it will burn. You do not stand
before a furious lion because you are certain that it will tear you.
You do not take a poison, for you are fully conscious that the
resuh will be death. Countless instances have verified the fact
that where there is a certainty of loss or destruction proceeding
from an act, it is never essayed and is viewed with horror. Why
not apply this established truth in matters spiritual ? Nothing
but certainty can keep a man back from sin. A goat will not
feed in a pasture where there is a lion standing before it such

is the wonderful effect of certainty even upon animals. The heart
which is full of the certainty of God's existence and of His power,
awe and grandeur, can never think of disobedience to His
commandments. But if a person cannot refrain from the com-
mission of sin, it is certain that certainty does not reign in his
heart. Has a certainty of God's existence not even the force of a
certainty in the material world, or is the one of a lower degree
than the other ?

Want of certainty is the only cause of the sin which drives
a man away from the presence of God, and generates a hellish life.
Ah. with what trumpets should I proclaim that certainty alone
can effect a release from the bondage of sin, a renunciation of false

126

ascetic/ism and assumed piety and a revealing of the face of God.
The religion that does not take a man to the fountain-head of cer-

o *

tainty, does not deserve to be so called ; it is a sink of corruption,

nay, the very hell. The spring of life flows from certainty, and the

wings which enable a man to soar to heaven grow out of certainty.

Try that you may see the God into whose presence you must at last

go. Certainty is the vehicle which can take you to God. It is

swifter than lightning and can take you to the remote goal in the

twinkling of an eye. Seekers alter righteousness ! if you wish to

walk upon earth with pure and humble hearts, if you desire that

angels may shake hands with you, seek the path of certainty. If

you have not attained that stage, follow the person who has seen

God with the eye of certainty. And if you still question me as to

how a person can see God with the eye of certainty, I shall give

the answer, whether you attend to it or not, that the only means

of 'obtaining certainty is the living Word of God, which has

within it, and is accompanied with, living signs. When it comes

from heaven, it raises the dead from their graves. You have

eyes and yet these are of no avail without the shining lustre of

the glorious orb of light. Similarly your own conjectures cannot

lead you to a true knowledge of God. The faint light of reason

also stand in need of the light of a sun which sheds its light from

heaven upon earth, and this is the living Word of God. Without

His Word the knowledge of God is imperfect. The word is a

go-between in God and man. When it descends, the light of God

comes with it. It takes to heaven the person upon whom ib

descends with all its attendant signs, its full glory and the Divine

power and majesty. In short to reach God, there is Only one

way and that is the Word of God.

Of all the gifts of God, the most precipus is the gift of His
sure and certain word revealed to a man. Through the word a

127

person reaches the highest stage of advancement in the knowledge
of God. He as it were sees God, and his belief in His existence
is the belief of an eye-witness. Divine awe and grandeur then
take full possession of his heart and the darkness of doubt vani-
shes away as gloom before the light of the sun. He then walks
upon the earth like an angel, and is unique in his righteousness,
unique in his. hatred for sin, unique in his love for the one God,
unique in his faithfulness to Him, unique in his fear of God,
unique in his trust in Him, and unique in his fidelity^ to the tie
of friendship. Moreover, as the Word of God has promised that
Divine revelation shall always be granted to faithful hearts,
reason also requires its actual continuance in the world for the
good of mankind. There is no remedy for sin and transgression
except the certain revelation of Divine Beauty and Glory. Ex-
perience shows that there are only two forces which can keep a
man back from transgression or disobedience, i. e. : true love for,
or true fear of, the being whose commandments are transgressed
or disobeyed. True love for a kind and gracious friend is also
attended with the fear lest the tie of friendship should at any time
be broken. Therefore, the person whose heart is inspired with
true love for God or true fear of Him, and the person who knows
and loves such a person and is affected with his superior influence,
are both released from the bondage of sin. But the person who
does not belong to either of these classes, cannot be free from
the poison of sin. There are some hypocrites who pretend that
they are sinless and pure in heart, but they only try to deceive
men and God- Eelease from sin is impossible unless a death is
brought about on the carnal desires of the heart by the awe-
inspiring fear of God through the piercing rays of certainty,
unless true love and true fear dominate the heart, and it is con-
secrated with the glory and beauty of God. But the heart can

128

never realise these conditions so long as there reigns not a
certainty in it regarding the existence of God and His two
attributes of glory and beauty,

From this it is clear that certainty regarding God's existence
is the root and the only means of salvation. It is certainty which
makes a man submit to the Divine will under trials and afflictions,
and excites him to enter into burning fire for His love- It is
certainty again which excites love and prepares a man for death.
It is due to certainty that a man forsakes his own comforts and
conveniences for the love of God, becomes indifferent to the nod
of approbation and the tribute of praise, and makes the whole
world his deadly enemy for the sake of one. Where the danger
is certain, a man fears to approach even that which is allowable.
He holds his tongue from the utterance of improper wofds as if
a padlock had been put upon his lips- But such certainty is the
result either of .actual sight of God or of being addressed by Him
in. words which proceed certainly from His mouth arid prove
their Divine origin by the power, glory, attraction and heavenly
signs which accompany them. Without such revelation there
can be no certainty either of God's existence or of His attributes.
The Word of God revealed to the former prophets and the
miracles wrought by them, cannot now serve as a conclusive
argument of God's existence, for neither are those miracles, plainly
witnessed by any man, nor does that word descend, at the present 1
time- The Holy Quran is indeed a miracle but it cannot serve
as such unless there is a person who displays its excellences. But
no one can do this unless he is himself purified by the revelation
of God.

Since acccording to the plain dictates of human nature and
conscience, the soul of man shrinks from a death of doubt, and is
thirsty after a'manifest certainty, it follows that the mighty and

129

wise Being who created the soul of man with this thirst, must
have beforehand made provision for it to quench that thirst and
satisfy itself with certainty, But what are the means provided to
acquire this certainty? Let me declare it openly in answer to
this question that certainty is produced in obedience to the law
which has prevailed since the commencement of the world, viz.,
by the love of God supported by His supernatural deeds. Do not
deceive yourselves by thinking that the Word of God revealed in

**' '

. tfhe past is sufficient to produce conviction and that there is no
need of a fresh revelation. The Arya Samajists are involved in
the same fatal doubt. . They think that the Word of God. was
revealed in the Yedas and that there is no need of any new reve-
lation subsequent to the Yedic revelation.. But they are deceived
as .are also the Christians who think. that the Bible contains all
the religious teachings and that they have no need of the Quran.
The answer to these frivolous assertions is that the object with
which the Word of God comes to men is the bringing about of
certainty. Almighty God reveals His word to men that they may

, believe in His existence and attributes and know the ways of His
liking from the ways* which He hates, so that with the blessing
of certainty their faith in God may be perfect and they may
avoid every path of wickedness and transgression and walk in
the paths of righteousness. But when the days are over during
which a prophet of God lives upon earth, and the Word of God
revealed to him gradually loses its force and attraction and be-
comes a story of the past, it fails to fulfil the object with which
it was revealed, and the hearts of men are at last devoid of the
certainty which it brought about at first. Look at the Jews who
have the books of the prophets in their hands and deceit in their
hearts. How many are there among the Christians who being
smitten on the right cheek, turn the other, and to him who takes

130

away their coat, give the cloak also, and refrain their eyes from
looking to lust, and do not judge other people, and have not
crooked, deceitful and ambitious hearts? If any one is rarely to
be met with among them with these qualifications, he has not
shunned evil because of the injunctions of the Gospel but owing
to his own good nature.

In short, as you stand in need of fresh meals every new
morning, you require fresh revelation to renew your faith- When
the light of faith which is certainty, begins to diminish with the
lapse of time, people rehearse the Word of God, but the rehearsal
does not pass their lips. The Word of God remains far from them
and does not even touch them, and, therefore, they cannot be
affected with its good influence. So the word is taken away from
among them, and leaving but dead bones in their hands it rises
to heaven. Then a new magnetiser is created and the Word of
God draws him to itself and with the strength of the word he is
granted a certainty. The knowledge which had risen to heaven
is brought back by him to earth.

This is the Divine Law according to which certainty is
generated afresh in the hearts by the fresh Word of God. The
hearts that follow the law which Almighty God has abolished,
become disfigured. There does not remain a single man in their
midst who is worthy of receiving a new Divine revelation. Such
a book is like the stagnant and stinking water with which is
mixed an enormous quantity of filth and inud. Such a law gives
no benefit to its followers, for its signs are all idle tales of the
past. The fresh water of heaven, i. 0, the fresh Divine revelation,
does not come to them. These are the signs that God has forsaken
such a people. It is, therefore, a criterion of a dead religion that
it is wanting in the light of fresh revelation. The people who
follow it, put their trust in words which are not confirmed by the

131

fresh Word of God or new signs from heaven. Their hearts are,
therefore, dead and the light of certainty which consumes sins
and transgressions, does not come near them.

To sum up, the fresh Word of God is a buttress of the Divine
Law. It takes the boat which is drowning on account of sins to
the haven of safety. I repeat over and over again and wish that
I were able to impress it upon hearts that by the Word of God is
meant the word which descends afresh in an age- From its very
nature it first of all convinces the person upon whom it descends
as well as those who are in close contact with him, that it is
certainly the Word of God. In being the Word of God it does
not differ from the words spoken by Almighty God to thn former
prophets, though there may exist a distinction in other respects.
But it must be clearly borne in rnind that from this definition of
the Word of God, we exclude the doubtful words imagined to
have been inspired, which are neither accompanied with heavenly
signs and Divine assistance, so that the words receiving a support
from the deeds might be able to convince men of their super-
natural origin nor does the person who receives them, know them
to be certainly Divine and not satanic. In this connection it is
important to note that the weak and inefficacious words whose
origin is doubtful even to the person who receives them, are
actually satanic or are at least mingled with satanic suggestions.
The person who trusts in them, goes astray, and the person who
is subjected to this dangerous temptation, is undone, for Satan
sports with him and leads him into a path of which the end is
destruction.

Under these circumstances the question would naturally
arise as to the criteria by which a Divine revelation may be
distinctly recognised as such. For the guidance of seekers after
truth, we point them out below :-

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(1) It has a Divine power and blessing whose sublimity and
grandeur clearly point to the Divine origin of the word though
there may be no other argument, and which so completely over-
power the receptacle of the revelation that even if he were thrown
into fire or were. about to be struck with lightning, he would
never say that his revelation is a satanic suggestion, or of a
doubtful origin. On the contrary, his soul is full of the conviction
that it is the certain Word of God.

(2) It has in it a supernatural majesty.

(3) It comes with a force and a loudness.

(4) It has a heavenly bliss in it.

(5) It often takes the form of question and answer. A man
puts a question and receives an answer from God, and this pro-
cess is repeated several times. During the time that the answer is
communicated to him, he is under the influence of a sort of
slumber. But the mere utterance of certain words in a state of
slumber, is no evidence of their Divine origin.

(6) It sorneties comes in languages quite unknown' to the
person to whom it is revealed.

(7) It has a heavenly magnetism, which at first exercises its
influence upon the inspired one so as to make him dissever all
connections, and then gradually begins to work upon capable
hearts and draws a whole world to him.

.(8) It delivers a man from errors and all erroneous beliefs,
and acts in the capacity of a judge. It does not contradict the
Holy Quran...

(9) The prophecy which it contains is true in itself
and must be fulfilled though there may be an error in under-
standing it.

(10) It makes a man improve in righteousness and morals,
alienate his heart from the world and hate sin.

133

(11) Being the Word of God ' it is corroborated by His
wondrous deeds and contains grand and powerful prophecies which
are fulfilled in their time. When the word and deed combine,
certainty flows like a river, and being disconnected with 1 an earthly
life a man becomes an angel. (Vol. I, R. K. 1902.)

It is a Divine law which can be traced as far back as the
history- of man that by the wonderful working of His grace, He
first causes the holy spirit to descend upon whomsoever He wills,
and by the assistance of the holy spirit instills His love into his
heart, grants him perseverence and faithfulness, and strengthens
his knowledge and suppresses his weaknesses with manifold signs
until the man is actually prepared to sacrifice his life in the way
of God. His connection with God is made so strong and undis-
-solvable, that no trial or adversity can break it and no sword can
cut ic asunder. This love has no temporary support, and transi-
tory motive. It is not called forth by the desire of heaven or the
fear of hell, or by any longing for worldly comfort or worldly gain.
It is uridescribable and the nature of it is not known to any one but
God, not even to the person who loves. He does not know why
he loves and with what object, for his soul is naturally drawn to
it. This connection is not produced by knowledge, for knowledge
comes afterwards and illumanates the connection which is already
existing. It is like the fire which is hidden in flint, but to lighten
which it is necessary to strike it with steel. The person so
favored possesses on the one hand inherent love for God, and
on the other be is granted a zeal for sympathy with his fellow-
beings. So, as he is himself momently drawn towards God, he
draws all capable hearts to himself. In Muharnmadan theologic
terminology such a person is called a ^ (Prophet), a Jj*^ (Mes-
senger), or a ^ &** (Reformer). The prophets are the recipients
of Divine revelation and are spoken to by God, and heavenly

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signs are manifested at their hands. Their prayers are accepted,
and when they pray to God, they receive an answer from Him.

Ignorant men sometimes say that they also see true visions
and receive inspirations and have their prayers accepted though
it be on rare occasions. According to these men, there is no
distinction between themselves and the prophets of God, who
must, therefore, be either impostors or self-deceived men. Such
vanity has led many a man to destruction. A seeker after truth
can easily see that the holy prophets of God are not ordinary
men They are a class especially selected by God and endowed
with numerous spiritual bessings. Notwithstanding their rejec-
tion by their enemies, they ultimately vanquish them, and their
light shines forth so clearly that all intelligent men have to
admit a remarkable distinction between them and their oppo-
sers. A beggar who possesses a few rupees, cannot claim an
equality with a monarch whose treasures are full. In like manner,
.the glow-worm which emits a sparkle of light in darkness, cannot
say that there is no distinction between it and the sun. Hence also
the man who occasionally, sees a vision which is true, and thus
; catches only a glimpse of the light, is a fool if he claims an
equality with the prophets of God who are as the sun. Nor has
Almighty God given the human soul this glimpse of light unpur-
posedly. It is meant to serve as a guide in the recognition of the
claims of prophets, and thus all available means are placed by
God within the reach of men, so that they may have no excuse
for rejecting the prophets. (Yol. III. B. R. 1904.)

135

Some of the Revelations of the Promised Messiah,

When Almighty God saw that the world was steeped in
iniquities, transgressions and errors, He raised me to draw it from
this state of degradation and commanded me to preach the truth
and reclaim the world from the evils into which it had fallen.
So, exactly at the time when the thirteenth century of Hejira had
come to a close and the world had entered upon the fourteenth
century, I announced my mission in obedience to the Divine
commandment and made it known to the people through my
words and writings that I was the Reformer promised to appear
at the commencement of the fourteenth century for the reforma-
tion of the faith, so that I should re-establish upon the earth the
faith which had vanished from its face, and that being strengthen-
ed by God, I might draw the world by the powerful attraction of
His hand to true virtue, piety and righteousness and remove the
prevailing errors in doctrine and practice. A few years after this
I was informed in clear and plain revelations from the Divine
Being that I was the very Messiah who. had been promised from
the beginning for the last days, and that I was also the last
Mahdi who was ordained to appear at a time when Islam would
be in decline and errors would prevail, and who being guided in
.the right path by Almighty God Himself, was destined to offer
heavenly truth anew to the world, and the glad tidings of whose
advent had been given by the Holy Prophet, may peace and the
blessings of God be upon him, thirteen centuries ago. Divine
revelations and the Word of God came so frequently and so
plainly spoke of my heavenly office and mission that it was im-
possible for rne to entertain the slightest doubt as to their truth
and heavenly origin. Every revelation was strongly impressed
upon my mind and driven like a nail of iron into the very core of
my heart. Moreover these revelations disclosed wonderful pro-

136

phecies whose fulfilment was clear as daylight. They frequency,
the permanency of their effect and their miraculous power
compelled me to believe that it was the Word of the same one
God whose word the Holy Quran is- I have not here spoken of
the Bible as being the Word of God for it has been tampered with
to such an extent and undergone so many changes from human
v hands that it does not now deserve to be called the Word of God.

But the Word of God, which is revealed to me, is so sure and
certain that I have found and seen my God through it. The
certain truth of my revelation is not only established by the
heavenly signs which accompany it, but every word of it was
found in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Holy Quran
when its truth was tested by this criterion. Its truth was further
demonstrated by the appearance of the promised signs. The sun
and the moon eclipsed in the month of Karnzan in those very
days, in accordance with the prophecy which declared a peculiar
eclipse of the sun and the moon in the time of the Mahdi. The
plague also made its appearance and havoced the Punjab. This
visitation of the plague in the last days was also foretold in the
Holy Quran as well as by the former prophets and its devastation
was described to a general devastation to which no village or
town would be an exception. Thus as it come to pass in accor-
dance with the prophetic word. Of its appearance in this country,
Almighty God informed me more than twenty-two years before
its visitation, and revelation on this point were afterwards granted
in abundance, frequently expressing the same meaning in different
forms. In the following revelations Almighty God addressed me
thus.* " The doom of God comes to pass, therefore, hasten it not.
These are the glad tidings which the prophets of God have
always been receiving. Yerily God is with those who fear him,

* The original revelations are in Arabic and their translation is given here,

13,7

(that is to say, who tremble in the presence of Divine awe and
majesty, and on account of the humbleness of their hearts and
their respect for the Divine injunctions fear to tread not only the
paths of open transgression, but also those of doubtful rectitude,
and whose. words and deeds are marked by a want of boldness and
by an exercise of due care and caution) ; and God is with those
who are faithful to Him and who do good to His creatures. He
is Mighty and Powerful ; He has power over everything, but most
people do not know it. When He willeth a thing, His command
to it is, Be, and it comes into existence. Can you flee from Me
and verily We will revenge Ourselves upon the sinful- They say :
1 It is but the Word of man and other people assist him in the
matter ; he is an ignorant man or beside himself.' Say to them :
'If you love God, come, follow me that God may love you.' As
for those who deride thee, have thou nothing to do with them,
for We;will maintain thy cause against them. I will bring him to
disgrace who is intent upon thy disgrace, and will assist him
who assists thee. I am God in whose presence the sent ones fear
not. When the assistance of God and victory will come, and the
Word of thy Lord will be fulfilled, then will it be said; ' This is
what you hastened.' And when it is said to them ' cause not
disorders in the earth, they say,' 'Nay, rather do we set matters
right ' ; of a certainty they themselves are the authors of disorder.
And they take thee as the subject of their railleries, and say in
derision : 'Is this he whom God has sent as an Apostle !' This is
how they take thee, but the fact is that We offered truth to them
and they hated it and rejected it. Verily, they who walk unjustly
will soon find out in what direction they shall be turned. Praised
is God and exalted high above what they ascribe to Him. And
they say ' Thou art not a Messenger of God ' ; say to them ' I
have with me the testimony of God; will you then believe?'

138

Thou hast dignity in My presence ; I have chosen thee for Myself.
When thou art angry with a person, I am also angry with him,
and whomsoever thou lovest, I also love. Almighty God doth
praise thee from His throne on High. God praises thee and walks
towards thee. Thou hast a place in My presence which the world
does not know. Thou art to Me as My Unity and oneness. Thou
art from Our water and they are weak-hearted. Praised be God
who made thee Christ son of Mary and taught thee what thou
wast ignorant of. And they said : ' Wherefrorn and how hast thou
got this dignity and high rank.' Say to them : 'My God is a
wonderful God.' No one can undo the grace which He chooses
to hestow upon His servants. He is not questioned of what He
doeth. but men are questioned of their deeds. Verily thy Lord
doeth what He willeth. He created the last Adam and gave him
honor and dignity. I willed that I should make one my vicegerent
upon earth, so I created this Adam. And the people said : 'Dost
Thou place upon the earth as Thy vicegerent one who shall act
corruptly therein i. e., who shall bring about'disunion ? ' God said,
' 1 know things which you know not.' And they say, 'This is but
a fabrication.' Say 'It is God who has established this dispensa-
tion ' ; then leave them in their vain sports. Verily we have sent
him with truth and he came at a time when his need was truly
felt. We have sent thee as a mercy for the whole world. my
Ahmad, thou art according to My wish and thou art with Me.
Thy secret is My secret. Thy rank is great and thy reward is at
hand. 1 enlightened thee and chose thee. A time will come on
thee like the time which came upon Moses. Do not intercede
with me for the evil-doers, for verily they will be drowned. And
they wil) devise plans against thee, and God will also devise
plans for their destruction, and God is certainly the best planner.
Verily God is a generous God who walks before thee and He

139

holds him as His enemy who bears enmity to thee. He will grant
thee gifts which will please thee. Yerily We will inherit the earth,
and We are eating it away from its sides that thou rnayest warn
the people whose fathers and grandfathers have not been warned,
and that the way of the sinners may be made clear. Say, 'I arn
commanded by God and I am the first believer.' Say, It has been
revealed to me that your God is God alone; and all goodness is
in the Quran. The treasures of its hidden truths and deep mean-
ing are disclosed to those who are , purified by the hand of God :
what tradition will you then believe after the Quran, i.e..., depart-
ing from its injunctions. They wish to exert themselves to their
utmost against thee, so that thy affair may be left unfinished,
but God wills it that thy affair should be perfected, and God will
not leave thee until He sever the virtuous from the wicked. God
is He who has sent His Messenger (i. e., the Promised Messiah)
with the guidance and the religion of truth that he may make it
victorious over all other religions, and the .promise of God was
one day to be fulfilled. Verily the promise of God has come and
it pawed and mended the affair. God will save thee from thy
enemies and He will attack him who attacks thee unjustly. His
wrath has come down upon the earth for people disobeyed His
cormnaudrnents and transgressed His laws. Diseases shall be
spread in the country and lives shall be destroyed in various
ways. This has been decreed upon heaven and it is the decree of
the Mighty God who is Powerful and Great. God will not
remove the evils that have befallen this generation until people
change the condition of their hearts. He will take into His
protection the village of Qadian after a little trial.* On that day

* The word in the original revelation is - J which is used in Arabic to denote a
taking into one's protection after some adversity and saving from still greater adversities and
destruction. In this the word. ) ^, . J and ^ . } have been frequently used in the Holy Quran

as the verse . U Uxiji i ^Oso J ) shows.

there will be no protector except God. Build thou the ark
before Our eyes and according to Our revelation. The Power-
ful God is with thee and with thy poeple. I will save
every one who is within the four walls of thy house except
those who with vanity and haughtiness rebel against My
commandments and do not bow in submission before Me. Thee
I will protect in particular from among all people. * Peace' is
the word of the Merciful Lord. ' Peace unto yon for you are
pure in heart ; and be ye separated, sinners, this day.' I will
stand by My Apostle and I will break the fast and keep it. I will
blame him who blames thee, and grant thee the blessings which
shall know no end, and kindle in thee the light of My manifesta-
tion. I will not leave this earth until the appointed time, i.e.,
My wrath will be upon it. I am the lightning and I am the
Merciful, the Lord of benevolence and bounty."

Successive revelations thus came to me and mighty and
wonderful signs were revealed. Carnmanded by God, I publish-
ed my claim to the Promised Messiah with its arguments and
announced it to the World. (Yol. II., K. R. 1903).

141

Are all Religions fr*om God ?

THE following letter was written by the Promised Messiah
in answer to an old Hindu friend who wrote to him that all reli-
gions were from God and that salvation not being the rnonoply
of any particular religion, a man could attain to it by following
any religion. The letter runs thus :

It has given rne much pleasure to learn that you have an
interest in the all-important question of religion. In fact since
this world is like an inn and its inhabitants only travellers who
must go back to their real home sooner or later, it is the duty of
every one of us to give the deepest consideration to. the questions
of religion and belief. It is also oar duty that if a religion is
proved to our satisfaction to be from God and a path is known to
us*as the path of the pleasure of God, we should choose that
religion and walk in that path fearless of every disgrace and
dishonor and regardless of cue ties of close relationship or of the
attractions of kindred and wealth. In this manner did the righ-
teous always act and in the cause of truth they bore all sorts of
sufferings and persecutions.

In the world we witness false beliefs prevailing along with
true ones and wicked deeds practised along with good ones. But
the righteous should shun every falsehood. and evil. For instance,
it is alleged by a certain section of the Hindu community that
the Vedas inculcate the doctrine that in case a wife bears no
offspring for some years after marriage or gives birth only to
female children, her husband should invite a stranger to have
carnal knowledge of her, and that this process should be continued
until the wife bears eleven male children from the stranger's seed.
The followers of the Sakat mat who also trace their religious
principles to the Yedas have their religious festivals characterized
by horrible scenes of incest and adultery, and they hold these

142

immoral practices as legalised by their mantras. Similarly there
are many other religious systems whose principles and practices
are abhorrent to human feelings. It is not possible for a man to
be so peaceful as to acquiesce in all these immoral practices. The
same sad condition is observable in the principles to which
different people adhere. Some are addicted to the lowest forms of
fetishism, some worship trees, snakes, cats, dogs, fire, sun, moon,
rivers, &c., while others worship human beings, as their God.
Can we suppose all of them to be on the right path ?

It is the duty of. men who come into this world for its
regeneration to spread the truth upon the earth and extirpate
falsehood out of it- If a righteous servant of God were told by
dacoits or thieves that he should obtain certain property by
extortion or theft, would it be right for him to join with them in
tbe perpetration of such crimes ? Religion would teach him to
eschew such evil deeds, for religion enjoins us to eschew all evil
and impure doctrines and deeds, and not to take for our guides
books which teach such immoral and impure practices and laws.
I cannot understand how a man can honestly live at peace with
all forms of religion and admit the truth of their principles know-

ing tbem to be false. Such a course would imply that no evil is
evil, and false doctrines and evil deeds shall have to be regarded
as high trutbs and virtues. To any one who would cast a glance
at the different forms of religion prevalent in the world, it would
be clear that in respect of the knowledge of the Supreme Being,
various notions prevail, some of which cannot but be condemned.
On the one extreme are the Athiests who do not believe in the
existence of God, and on the opposite are those who look upon
men, or animals or heavenly bodies or the physical forces of
nature as their God. Again, there are the Arya Samajists who
consider themselves as the true heirs of the Vedic religion. They

143

believe in the existence of a nominal Deity who they hold did
not create a single particle of matter, nor brought into existence
a single soul or a single germ of life. Matter and soul they regard
as having existence independently of the Divine Being, nor do
they consider Him as the originator of any of their properties or
powers. With the creation of this universe they think Almighty
God has nothing to do. By referring to this article of their creed,
I only wish to point out that for a man of true righteousness, ib
is simply impossible to subscribe to all the creeds contradicting
one another and to believe in them as true. My object here is
not to point out the error of those who by their false beliefs
derogate the Divine glory, dignity and power or legalise immoral
practices, but only to show you that a conscientious being cannot
treat the pure and the impure alike. To one who purifies himself
the Divine face is undoubtedly revealed but methods which in-
culcate a belief in impure doctrines or enjoin immoral practices,
can surely never lead to God. The love of God is no doubt a
certain way to a heavenly life, but how can the man entertain
true love for God who takes, Barna, Krishna or Christ for his God
or regards the Divine Being so weak and imperfect as not to be
able to create a particle of matter or a soul ? What is salvation
but to know the true and perfect God with all His pure and per-
fect attributes and to walk in the ways of purity which He has
shown us. This is the real salvation and every way opposed to it
is a way of error, and no one can attain to true salvation by
following error.

We witness in the world that religious beliefs are in most
cases determined by training and habits. A Christian would have
no hesitation in calling Jesus his God, while a Hindu would as
easily fix upon Kama or Krishna as the true Deity or upon the
Ganges as the supplier of all needs, or appoint for himself a God

144

who created nothing and consider matter and soul as co-eternal
with God and self-existent like Him. .But all these trusts are

vain, for they have no argument with them. To find his way to
the living God should be the sole object of the seeker after truth.
The world is constrained in the bondage of customs and habits.
Every one who is born in a religion deems it his duty to defend
the same. But it can be easily seen that this principle is wrong.
A man should adopt the religion which can point out the way to
the living God whom extraordinary signs and miracles point out
with certainty as the powerful and mighty God. For if God exists
(and I swear by Him that His existence is the greatest of all
certainties), then He must reveal Himself to His servants. The
mere guesses of human reason that this world has a Creator are
not sufficient to give satisfaction and make His existence a cer-
tainty. The man who trusts in these conjectures has no access to
the Divine presence, and he cannot rely upon God with as great
a certainty as he counts upon the cash which is locked up in his
safe, or upon land and gardens which are the source of income to
him, or upon sons on high posts who assist their father by sending
in large donations of money every month. Why does he not trust
upon God as he trusts upon all these material objects? Only
because his faith in God is not a certain faith. Similarly a man
who is negligent of his duty to the Divine Being, in bold in the
commission of sin and does not fear God as he fears the plague,
for instance, not going into a village where its devastating hand
is busy at work, or as he fears the snake not daring to thrust his
hand into its hole, or as he fears the lion not having the courage
to go into a jungle which is its abode. The reason at the bottom
of this boldness in the commission of sin is the same unbelief in
God, for while admitting God with the tongue, the heart is quite
foreign to Him and negligent of Him. It is not easy to have a

145

sincere faith in the Divine Being, for unless manifest and clear
signs of His existence and power are witnessed, a man cannot
understand that there is a God. Almost all men are helievers in
God by the word of the mouth, but their deeds show that their
hearts are quite strangers to the true belief in Divine existence.
True faith requires a certain knowledge as the knowledge of a
thing after repeated experience. Experience for instance tells us
that a very small quantity of strychnia is fatal. This experience
giving rise to a certain faith in its power of killing will keep a
man back from its use in a quantity which is likely to cause death.
The person, therefore, who is in any way involved in the bondage
of sin has no faith in God, for he has not recognized Him yet.

This world is the scene of many vanities, and most people
are satisfied with false principles of logic. The true religion is that
which reveals the face of the living God and brings a man to
have such near access to him that he sees Him. When thus filled
with certainty he is brought into a close and deep connection
with God. He is then freed from every sin and impurity and
Almighty God is thenceforward his sole trust. He reveals Himself
to him by His peculiar signs and His special manifestation and
the revelation of His word. From that day he knows that God is,
and from that hour he is purified and cleansed of all his internal
impurities. This is the true knowledge of God which is the key
to heaven, but this way is not open to any one except through
Islam. This is the Divine promise from the beginning that He
will reveal Himself to those who follow His Holy Word. Experi-
ence is our greatest witness and experience tells us that except
through Islam God never reveals Himself to any one or honors
any one with His Word or assists anyone with His mighty signs.
How can we in opposition to our clear experience admit that

146

God reveals Himself in this manner to the followers of other
religions also.

Some time ago, Lekh Ham, a Brahman by caste and an Arya
by religion, came to rne here at Qadian and asserted that the
Yedas were the Word of God and that the Holy Quran was not
His Word. I told him that since he asserted the Yedas to be the
Word of God, and that since considering their present condition
I did not hold them to be such for they taught shirk and many
other impure doctrines, while I knew the Holy Quran to be
of Divine origin for not only were its teachings free from the im-
purity of shirk and all other impurities, but by following it the
face of the living God was revealed and heavenly signs were
manifested, therefore it was necessary that we should agree upon
some criterion for testing the truth of these assertions. I pointed
out to him an easy way for deciding this point, viz, that with
the assistance of his Yedic God he should publish a prophecy con-
cerning me, while inspired by the God who revealed the Holy
Quran, I should also publish a prophecy concerning him. Upon
this Lekh Ram published a prophecy concerning me that I would
die of cholera within three years, while my God revealed to me
that Lekh Rarn would be murdered within six years and thus'
brought to naught on account of his abuse of the Holy Prophet
of God. It was also revealed to me that the day of his murder
Would be next to the Muharnmadan festival of 'Id, and that shortly
after his death plague would rage in the Punjab. All these facts
of prophecy were punished by me very frequently in my books
and I further wrote that if the present Yedas were the Word of
God, it was the duty of all the Arya Samajists to pray to their
God as hard as they could for the safety of Lekh Ram, for it had
been revealed to me that Lekh Ram would not be saved. The
prophecy about my death from cholera within three years was

147

published by Lekh Earn in his own book. The death of Lekh
Earn in the manner predicted at last bore witness to the fact that
the Vedas are not of a Divine origin.

This is only one-instance. Thousands of similar supernatural
signs have made it as clear as daylight that the religion of Islam
is the only true religion in the world, and that other religions are
either the inventions of human beings, or being originally from
God became corrupt afterwards. Dear friend! I cannot accept
the truth of your assertion without any argument for it. In this
world a claim for the most trifling amount cannot be sustained
unless sufficient proof is produced. How can then any weight be
given to assertions for whose truth no argument is produced-
God is one and His will is one; how can He then be the object
of beliefs contradicting one another.? Haw are we to believe the
truth of everything said about Him, viz , that Christ is God, or
that Eama is God, or that Krishna is God, or that God is such,
a weak and powerless Being that He is not the Creator of a single
particle in the universe? We can only accept the religion which
has the light of proof with it .and that religion is Islam. If you
say that the great miracles and heavenly signs shown in Islam,
are also shown in other religions, we would gladly listen to you
provided that you bring forward proof of it. But it will never be
possible for you to point out any living man of any religion who
.can be set against me in the blessings and heavenly signs granted

to me.

You say in your letter that Almighty God has given an

equal share to the believer and unbeliever in this World. The
reason of this is that Almighty God has invited every one to
Himself, and, therefore, has bestowed on all powers, the right use
of which can lead them to the desired goal. But experience shows
us that unless a person walks in obedience to Islam, these powers

148

are abused and therefore the goal is not reached. It is no doubt
true as you say that it is very difficult that all people should
follow one religion, but for the true seeker every difficulty is
removed. Your illustration of travellers by the train and travellers
on foot trying to reach the same destination does not apply in a
religious matter, and the analogy does not hold true. There is
only one way to find God, viz., to attain to certainty by miracles
and signs. True faith arid purity of soul depend upon this. How
can he reach God or be true in faith upon Him who has yet no
certainty of His existence. There is no plurality of ways to find
but God as in this world. There is only one way and that is
certainty with regard to God on which also depends the purity
of soul. But no religion except Islam has the means of certainty.

You write further on in your letter that God infinite and,
therefore, we cannot know Him except by doing away with, the
restraints of sliarcC (law). Now shard 1 is an Arabic word and ifc
means a way, and hence particularly the way to God. Your
argument is therefore, reduced to this that to find God, we must
leave the way which leads to Him. I leave it for you to consider
the reasonableness of this assertion. As your remark, " Of caste
and profession no one will question thee; worship God and of
God shalt thou be," Islam takes no exception, for it does not
make any distinction on the score of caste or nationality. Every
one who seeks God, will find the way to Him to whatever nation-
ality he may belong. But it is not true to say that every one
can find the way to God to whatever religion he may belong, for
unless the true and pure religion is followed, the way to God is
not found. Religion and nationality are two quite different things.

Then drawing a wrong conclusion from your remark quoted
above, you say : " This is the reason why the followers of the
Yedas have not set on salvation the condition of following any

149

particular person." The truth of this remark, is not clear, for the
person who does not consider it necessary for salvation to follow
the author of the Veda, cannot admit the authority of the Veda
but must regard it false. For instance, if a person does not admit
the truth of the principles and injunctions of the Veda, rejects
the.Niyoga, i e., the immoral practice of allowing the wife to have
illegal connection with strangers for the sake of children, or
condemns the principle that God is not the creator of anything
but that everything is like God self-existent, or considers the
worship of fire, sun, moon, &c., as mere fetishism and thus rejects
the Veda as waste paper, so much so that he does not look upon
the God presented by the Veda as the true God, will he be
entitled to salvation or not ? If he is, we would like to see the
verse quoted from the Veda from which such a conclusion is
drawn ; but if he is 'not, then your assertion does not hold good,
For, what we say is simply this that the person who does not
believe .in the truth of the injunctions of the Holy Quran shall
not get salvation and shall lead his life like a blind man in this
world. Almighty God says: *^ Jw/ \^ [ k * p ^ $ )^ V ^* >
^^sJ) ^ X^aJ ) ^j X 5 which means that the person who shall
not follow the religion of Islam which the Holy Quran preaches,
will never be acceptable in the sight of God, and after death he shall
be one of the lost. To say that the Veda, does not require us to
follow any person is not true, for to follow a book is the same
as to follow, its author. If the Hindus do not follow the Veda,
what does all this noise about it mean ? Your last assertion that
great men have been in every religion, does not carry any weight
unless it is shown that some such great man who can show signs
is living at the present time in any religion except Islam. Was
Pandit Lekh Ham one of the great men, because his loss is
bewailed by the Arya Sarnaj to this day ?

QADIAN: " MIBZA GULAM AHMAD.

24th June 2903,

150

The Teachings of Islam and their
Contrast with other Religions.

(This Lecture was delivered by the Promised Messiah at Lahore
on the 3rd September 1904 in a Meeting attended by
over 10,000 persons of all creeds.)

First of all I thank God who has placed us under the benign
rule of a peaceful Government which allows us to preach and
propagate our religious beliefs, and by its principles of justice,
fair-mindedness and religious neutrality has removed every
obstacle from our way. After this brief prefatory note, I wish to
say something about the different religious beliefs entertained by
the people of this country, and assure the gentlemen present
that so far as it lies in my power, I will try to express myself in
words least offensive to the feelings of those of whose creeds I
Will speak. Let rne at the same time candidly say that truth has
always a certain bitterness in it, and some men are from their
very nature prone to be offended even when a just criticism is
passed on their religious beliefs. The effect of thi,s natural
inclination it is beyond my power to remove, and I beg to be
excused if any word of mine happens to wound the religious
susceptibilities of any hearer, for it is impossible for any man to
deal with what he sincerely believes and knows to be false and
injurious doctrines, and still be able to please those who own
such doctrines. This is a difficulty the solution of which has not
been found yet, nor, if human nature remains unchanged, is such
a solution possible.

After deep deliberation and successive revelations from
Almighty God, I have come to know that the great religious
excitement which is maddening the people in this country and
the ever-increasing diversity of religious sects which is witnessed
here, is really due to the cause that the hold of spiritual power

151

over the hearts of men is quite loosened and the fear of God has
utterly vanished away. The heavenly light by which a man can
distinguish between truth and falsehood is almost extinguished
in most hearts and notwithstanding the outward religious fervor,
atheism is gaining ground day by day. The tongue, no doubt^
utters the name of God but agnosticism has taken a deep root in
the heart. The inner life of the people bears testimony to this
faofc. Every profession is made with the lips but not one of these
is carried out in practice- I am speaking generally and do nob
mean to attack any person who may be really leading a righteous
life. In general, however, it is perfectly true that the real object
of religion is lost sight of altogether. Actual holiness of the heart,
true love for God, real sympathy with man, meekness, mercy,
justice, lowliness, and all other noble moral qualities, piety,
purity and righteousness which is in fact the soul of religion, are
most of all neglected, and the hearts of men are generally dead
to those. What a sad picture of religion that while religious
quarrels and controversies are becoming more and more frequent
day by day, and great fuss is made about the name of religion, the
real worth of it is not cared for and spirituality is becoming a
thing of the past !

,' The aim and end of religion is to know the true and living
God who 'created the world, to attain to that stage of perfection
in His love at which the love of others besides Him is completely
consumed, to have full sympathy with His creatures and to lead
a life of true and perfect purity. But I see that this aim is utterly
neglected and the majority of religious creeds is in fact some one
or other form of atheism. Almighty God is not known and re-
cognised, and hence the increasing boldness upon the commission
of sin. For, it is plain that unless we have knowledge of a thing,
there is no love or fear of it on our part. The prevalence of sin

152

' in the world is, therefore, due to an absence of true knowledge
concerning the Divine Being. The chief criterion of a true
religion is that it should point out .the means to a true knowledge
of God, so that through knowledge men may be kept back from
sins, and realizing the Divine beauty and glory, they may so love
God as to deem even a momentary estrangement from Him more
/ painful than the severest tortures of hell. The truth is that

V ' freedom from sin and the love of God are the highest aims of
man's life, and in these lies in fact the true bliss which is known
as the heavenly life. Every desire which goes against the pleasure
of God, is really a flame of hell-fire, aud'to indulge in such desires
is to lead a hellish life. The question hence arises, how can a
man be saved from this hellish life ? I answer this question with

the knowledge which I have received from God, that no one is
saved from this fire except by a true and perfect knowledge of
God. The flood of passions and desires rages high arid nothing
but the embankment of a perfect knowledge of God can withstand
it. Salvation which means a freedom from the control of passions
and : desires, cannot, therefore, be attained unless our faith is
based on the impregnable fortress of perfect knowledge which no
flood can destroy. The fact that our appraisement of a thing or
our love or fear of it, depends only upon our correct knowledge
of it, needs no argument. Give a diamond worth a million pounds
to a young child and he would not set upon it a higher value
than a mere plaything. If honey mixed with poison is given to a
person who is ignorant of the fact, he would take it for honey
and eat it with pleasure, not knowing that the effect would be
fatal. But you cannot thrust your hand into a hole which you
know to be the hole of a serpent, for you know that such an act
might bring about your destruction. Similarly no one would dare
to take poison with a knowledge of it, for he knows that it must

153

cause his death. What is the reason then that you do not fear
the death which the transgression of Divine commandments must
certainly bring down upon you ? Only that you have not such
knowledge of the effect of your transgressions as of the biting of
a snake or of poison. Ib is certain then that the knowledge ^of
loss or injury deters a man from doing the deed which involves
such loss or injury, and no belief in redemption can act as such
deterrent. Is it not true that even the most daring and habitual
burglar would not break into a house where he is sure to be
caught and punished ? Are not the most violent passions subdued
when their effect is known to be sure and certain destruction ?
A robber would not in broad daylight dare to lay his hand upon
a bag of money lying in a shop when he knows that there is a
sufficient guard of armed police watching the shop. Are criminals
restrained from theft and extortion because of their firm faith in
the redemption of sins, or because their hearts feel the awe of
execution ? Or is it more true that the police and the fear of
punishment are the real deterrents? This is a principle the truth
of which is witnessed not only in the case of men, but also of
animals, Even a lion in fury would not throw himself into burn-
ing fire though he sees his prey on the other side of it. A wolf
would not fall upon a sheep at whose head is standing a watcher
with a drawn sword and a loaded gun.

It is a most true and sound principle that to be saved from
sins, man requires a certain knowledge of God and not any
redemption. I say to you truly that if the people of Noah had
the perfect knowledge which generates the fear of God, they would
not have been drowned, and if the people of Lot had fully re-
cognised their Lord, they would not have been stoned to death,
and if the people of this country had been granted the true know-
ledge of God which makes one tremble at the idea of a transgression

154

of His Commandments, it would not have been thus destroyed
with the plague. But a deficient knowledge cannot avail in the
least, for vain is the love which is not perfect, and vain is the
fear which is not perfect, and vain is the faith which is not
perfect, and vain is the knowledge which is not perfect. If you
do not take food in a sufficient! quantity, it would not sustain you,
and if the full dose of medicine is not administered, it would not
do any good. One grain cannot satisfy your' hunger, nor one drop
of water quench your thirst. How can you then, ye of little
courage and slow in the search of truth, how can you hope to be
the recipients of the vast blessings and unmeasured grace of God
by a little knowledge and a little love and a little fear ? It is His
to purify you from sins and to fill your hearts with His love and
awe, and He has established the law that all this is granted after
a man has attained to certainty in His knowledge, for knowledge
is the root from which love and fear spring. He who is given a
perfect knowledge is also granted perfect love and perfect fear,
and he who is granted these, has got salvation, because he is
purified from sin. For this salvation, therefore, we do not stand
in need of the shedding of blood, or of crucifixion or of atonement.
What we require for its attainment is only a sacrifice, and that a
sacrifice of our ownself. This is a requirement of our very nature
and this is the true significance of Islam. Islam means the
laying down of head for being slaughtered and to bow down with
entire submission at the Divine threshold. The beloved name
of Islam is the soul of the whole of Law and the essence of all
the commandments. To lay down one's self willingly and with
a joyful heart for being slaughtered which is the true significance
of Islam, means a perfect love, while perfect love indicates per-
fect knowledge. The word Islam therefore, clearly signifies that
true sacrifice, which is necessary for the salvation of man,

155

requires perfect love and perfect knowledge and not any thing
else. Referring to this Almighty God says in the Holy Quran :

BJ ) J Ib U > U J il U-.J *JU ) J/* 1x3 J

" The flesh of these, (& # , the animals slaughtered) does not reach
God, nor yet their blood, but the sacrifice that God accepts from,
you is that you should fear Him and walk in righteousness for
His sake."

It should be borne in mind that the truth which underlies
all the principles of Islam is that indicated by the word Islam
itself, and the aim of all its commandments is that a man should
attain to the stage of perfection signified by Islam. Hence the
Holy Quran emphatically teaches that Almighty God should be
made the sole object of one's desires and love. It shows now His
beauty and goodness and calls attention then to His countless
gifts and favors, for beauty and favours are the two incentives
to love. According to the Holy Quran, Almighty God is one
and without any partner in His excellences, and He is eternally
free from every defect. In Him are found all the perfect attri-
butes and by him are displayed all the mighty powers. From,
Him the whole creation comes into existence and to Him all the
affairs return. He is the fountain-source of all blessings and the
Judge of retribution. Being remote, He is very near, and being
near, He is still far off.- He is above all but still it cannot be said
that beneath Him there is anything else, and He is the most
hidden of all thing?, but it cannot be said that anything is more
manifest than He. He is Himself living and everything has its
life from Him. He is His own support and everything finds
support from Him. He bears everything and there is nothing
that bears Him. Nothing has come into existence independently
of Him and nothing can exist without Him. He comprehends
ail, but the manner in which He does so, cannot be described.

He is the light of everything that is in earth and heavens, and
every light has shone forth from His hand and is a shadow of
his person. He is the Lord of all the worlds arid there is no soul
which has nofc been brought forth by Him and has come into
existence by itself. Nor is there any faculty of a soul which has
not been brought into existence by Him. His manifold blessings
are of two kinds. Firstly, such as are not given as a reward for
any previous deed of a doer and which exist from the beginning,
as earth, heavens, sun, moon and stars, fire, water, air and all
other things which have been created for our comfort. Everything
that was necessary to sustain us, was created for us by Almighty
God long before we came into existence or any deed was done by
us. Who can say that the sun was created because of any
meritorious deed done by him, or that the earth was brought into
existence because he had done a highly virtuous deed ? In short,
these blessings of God were created by His mercy displayed long
before the existence of man and they are not the result of any
deed done by him. The other kind of Divine blessings is the out-
come of His mercy displayed on the good deeds of men, and this
does not stand in need of explanation.

The Holy 'Quran further teaches us that the person of God
is free from every fault and defect, and that He wishes that
human beings should also by following His injunctions become
free from every defect and be purified of every impurity. Thus be
says : ^* ) ; ^ J) J ^* j& ^& ) ^ ^ ^ ^ " Whoever remains
blind in this world, and does not see God, shall remain blind
after death and his darkness will not be dispelled." For, the
truth is that the eyes to see God are granted in this world, and
any one who leaves this world without getting the eyes to see
God, shall not see God in the next life. In this verse Almighty
God has given us clearly to understand what height of spiritual

157

advancement. He wants man to reach, and what stage of per-
fection a man can attain to by following His commandments.
How Almighty God can be seen in this very world, is then stated
in the Holy Quran. Thus it says : ^ &** J**U <w ; > IHJ ^j ^ ^ ^
).ixa );*> U3 O ; &> )) LmJ ." Who wishes that he should see in
this world the God who is the true Lord and the Creator, should
do the deeds of virtue which are free from every sort of corruption
and in worshipping his Lord he should not be guilty of any shirk."
The first portion of this verse requires a man to do ^ ^ J>* i.e ,
deeds of virtue which are free from impurity and every contamin-
ation, by which are meant deeds which are neither done that
they may be seen of others nor do they generate vanity in the
heart of a man that he is the doer of such great and excellent
deedSj nor are they incomplete or defective, nor do they savor of
aught, but sincere personal love entertained towards God and are
saturated with true faithfulness and perseverance. The second
portion of the verse requires a man to abstain from shirk i e.,
setting up with God such false deities as the sun, the moon, the
stars of heaven, the physical forces of nature, the elements or
anything else that is upon earth or the heavens, or setting too
high a value upon the physical means and placing so much
reliance on them as to consider them actually effective without
any reservation like God himself, or giving an importance to one's
own resources and efforts, for this too is a sort of shirk. On the
other hand, when a man has done everything that lies in his
power and exercised his abilities to his best, he should still be
conscious of his utter weakness and ignorance, and ascribe every-
thing to the mighty power and deep knowledge of God and not
to his own power or learning. Our soul should constantly be in a
state of perfect submission and prostration at the Divine thershold,
and thus draw His favours and blessings, Unless we make our

158

condition like the helpless cripple who lying in a desert parched
with thirst, suddenly sees a spring of sweet and clear water and
halting and limping takes himself to it, and applies his burning
lips to the cool water, not parting them until he is satiated,-
I say, unless we fully realize our own utter weakness and inability
and the mighty power and beneficient grace of God which we
constantly draw upon, we are not free from shirk and do not
deserve to be called Unitarians.

With respect to His own attributes of excellence and per-
fection, Almighty God says in the Holy Quran : ^ )*>*. ) *JJ ) ^ Jj
**. ) ) jtf *J ^ f J j *J y. r ) j orb ^ *d ) " Your God is the God who is
one in His person and without any participator in His attributes.
He is God alone, for there is no being which is like Him
eternal and everlasting, nor has any being its attributes
like His attributes." The knowledge of man is acquired
and limited, but the knowledge of God is neither acquired nor
limited. The power of hearing in man depends upon the trans-
mission of sound by air and is moreover a limited power, but the
power of hearing in God is an inherent power and is unlimited.
The power of seeing things in man depends upon the light of the
sun or some other light and is limited, but Almighty God sees
things without the assistance of any light and His power of sight
is an unlimited one. The power of man to make things depends
upon the existence of material and is a limited power while the
act of making must occupy some time, but the creating power of
God does not stand in need of any existing material, is unlimited
and does not depend upon time im its exercise. As there is nothing
that is like Him, so there is nothing whose attributes are like
His attributes. For if there is any defect in one of His attributes
all His attributes must be defective, and if one of his attributes
can be possessed by any one else, then all His attributes can be

189

so possessed. Therefore His unity cannot he established unless
He is regarded one and without any partner in His person as
well as His attributes. The remaining portion of the chapter
above quoted says that God is neither a father nor a son, for He
stands in need of none, not even of a father or a son. This is the
doctrine of Unity taught by the Holy Quran which is necessary
for a perfect faith.

So far as to belief* I will now consider the course pointed
by the Holy Quran for observance in practice- The summary
of its teachings regarding our treatment with others is contained

in the verse : ^ OV V.J <J>.fi J \J> & ^ h & u ^ ^ ' J J *** ^ /* l - ^ J ^ >
^^Jj /kJ )j jLksvoJ v" Almighty God commands you to be just and

fair to others, i. e., to do to them as they do to you, and (if you
wish to attain to higher stage of perfection) to do good to those
who have done no good to you, and (to rise higher still) to do
good to others not to lay an obligation upon them or to receive
thanks in return, but with the natural inclination of a mother for
her child; and He forbids you to do any violence, or remind
others of any obligation you have placed them under or do any
evil to one who has done good or shown sympathy to you." As
an explanation of this verse, the Holy Quran says on another
occasion ^ ^ UW ) ^ j*W. 3 i^y^ $ j > ) j*. &* & ; J 3) *JJ ) &. J ^^\ L> )
) } j LJUJ j the*** v*. " The righteous feed the poor and the
orphans and the prisoners, simply for the sake of, and out of
their love for, God, and say to them, 'We give you food simply
for the sake of God and do not wish from you any reward or
thanks in return for this service'." Again with reference to the
requital of an evil, the Holy Quran says : ^ s <j+* U&* ^ * Jj?"
*U ) i^e ^ U ^ } ^ " The retribution of an evil is an evil like it,
but if a person forgives and his forgiveness is conducive to any
good and does not lead to further evil (for instance, the evil-doer

160

is likely to reform his conduct and refrain from evil in future),
forgiveness under these circumstances will be better than requital
and the person so forgiving shall find his reward from God."
Thus the Holy Quran does not teach us to turn always the other
cheek, whether in place or out of place, for this .is is against true
wisdom, and a good done to an evil-doer is sometimes equivalent
to the doing of an evil to a good man. The Holy Quran
further teaches us : ^# ^ JJ M 3 U v"** ^ ^ ^ ^ F '

f**s* ^J 5 <*}' K 5 ) a* <uw ^ " If any one does good to thee, return thou
his good with a greater good, and the result would be that even
if there is an enmity between you, it will turn into sincere friend-
ship and he would be to thee like a friend and a near relative."
Other verses containing teachings on this point are. ^
f 3* c- (/ * py f*"*l ^ * 7*3A.;& &* fl ) **} J.r b ^ 1 J i>^. J
QJ )J u ) &U ) ^ ) ) )A )

Uj*^ 1J ) Jx^ ) ^^X/: ) j * ) ^j ov, 3) y ) jJ y ^ * ; j ^J ) J y ) ^xiia. ) 3

" One of you should not backbite another : does one of you like
that he should eat the flesh of his brother who is dead ? Nor
should one class of people laugh at another that it belongs to a
higher class and the other to a lower : haply those who are
laughed at might be better than the others. Verily the more
honored near God is he who is greater in virtue aud righteous-
ness, and the distinction of nationality is nothing with Him, Do
not call others with contemptuous names which they regard as
offensive or insulting, otherwise you will be counted wicked near
God. Keep away from idols and from falsehood, for they are
both impurities. And -when you speak, speak with reason and
wisdom and refrain from absurd talk. And you should all in one
body and with all your faculties and powers devote yourselves to
the obedience of God."

161

Again, the Holy Quran says: ;? ^ I ^; j ^'^ y &U

ti ^uu) ] ^ ^ jJjJ y IK * ^-^JAJ -J ^ M ^ ^ J*IM uJ _j~ Itf

) ^ j;U^j ^iLj-J pS ^%>) ^ c V j ;*J pJ ^.^s^^ J "The manifold
occupations of the world divert your mind from God and you
remain in this state of rernissness from Him until you visit <the
graves. This is an error and you will soon know it, I tell you
again that this is an error which you will, soon discover. Had
you the knowledge of certainty, you would have soon seen by its
application your hell, and would have known that this your life
in sin is a hellish life. And if your certainty becomes greater,
you would see with the eye of cercainty that your life led in sin
and disobedience to God is a hellish life. A time will then come
when you will be thrown into hell and there you will be questioned
of your excesses in the dainties that were given you, (i. e., being
made to suffer actually the punishment you will realize that
certainty)." These verses show that certainty is of three kinds :
firstly, that which is obtained through reasoning and deduction,
as, to give a homely illustration, the existence of fire in a place
is inferred from the presence of smoke; secondly, the certainty
which is gained when the thing itself is seen, as fire in the above
case; thirdly, the highest degree of certainty is attained when
the existence of a thing is fully realized as that of fire by casting
one's hand into it. These are the three degrees of certainty which
are termed respectively ^^ ) ci^and Vi ^l ^ c ^/^ ) ^ c . In these
verses Almighty God has taught man that his true happiness lies
in the nearness and love of God, and in breaking connection with
Him a man leads a- fiellish life which ultimately becomes clear
to him, though it be at the time when he is about to depart from
this world and leave all his property behind him,

Keferring to man's heavenly life, the Holy Quran says :

5 which means that whoever out of respect

162

for the honor and majesty of his Lord, and fearing that he shall
have to stand one day in His presence, forsake sin,, shall be
granted two paradises ; viz., a paradise in this world and a
paradise in the next. The paradise in this world means a hea-
venly life which begins with a pure transformation in this life
when Almighty God becomes the sole administrator of one's
affairs, and the paradise in the next means the eternal bliss and
enjoyments of after-life which shall be granted to the righteous.
Elsewhere the Holy Quran says: ^ f& ^ & J U)

* ) } f*i&)y^K ^ ^ vjij**j h' y ] vy j J ;**" j ^ h 1UU
u K (& &}*"}> ;*-. ) j&*> ' j j j 3 ?^. ^ J ) J ^ ^ so & *
^ l# % MJ j U?*. Jj* " Yerily we have prepared chains
and collars and that which burns the heart for those who do not
believe in God, and hence do not entertain love for God and are
bent low upon earth. (Their feet are enchained with the love
of this world and in their necks are collars of estrangement from
God which keep their heads bent down upon the world and do
not allow them to raise them up towards heaven, and their hearts
burn with the unsatisfied desires of this world). But the righte-
ous are made to drink in this very world of a cup which is mixed
with camphor which cools the love of this world and quenches
the thirst of seeking the world. It is a spring of camphor which
is granted them and they divide it into running streams and
thus place its refrigerent waters within the reach of the thirsty
near and far. (When the standing water of the spring is
made to run into a stream and the power of faith is streng-
thened) they are then made to drink of another cup with
which is mixed ginger. (For when the camphorated cup has
benumbed the love of this world, another syrup is needed which
should generate in the heart the warmth of Divine love. This
is what is meant by the syrup mixed with ginger because the

163

tjualifcy of ginger is hot, and ifc is, therefore, a symbolic expression
for the warmth of love.) It is a spring which is called salsabeel,
(lit., ask the way from God) meaning that when the way farer has
reached the spiritual eminence indicated in the preceding verse,
he is entirely in the hands of (rod and asks his way from no other
than God.*' Again, the Holy Quran says: *>*j V j ^ ^ ) <>*
(^ i3 ^ <_> IA, " Verily he who has purified his soul is released from
the constraint of sensual passions and is granted a heavenly life,
but whoever remains bent down upon earth and does not turn to
heaven, shall end his days in grief and despair."

As the high stages of man's advancement described in the
verses quoted above, cannot be attained by a man's own efforts, the
Holy Quran repeatedly invites us to pray to God and to exert our-
selves to our utmost in His path. Thus it says : ^*u ) o Jy * )
" Pray to Me and I will accept your prayer," and again :*$$> ) i Jj
.^J ] ^sa~J^ ^ U o ), 3 ) g ) oJ ) a j* o v j. ) V 3 ,3 ^J U ^U ^ o U*

^O d^^^J.J ^3 ) ^^Jj "And if my servants question thee as to
the proof of My existence, as to how they should know that God
exists, say to them that I am very near: I answer him who calls
upon Me, and I hear his voice when he invokes Me and I speak
to him. They should, therefore, make themselves fit to receive
My word and have a perfect faith in Me so that they may find
My way." And on another occasion, the Word of God says :
UU, ^ jiJ Uw ) j JA U ^j dJ Ij " Those who try hard and exert
themselves to their utmost to find Us We surely guide them
into our paths." And again : ^ ^ ^ ) ^* )y <f $ " Besides prayers
and exertions in the way of God, you should also live in the
company of the truthful and righteous ones, for this is also
necessary in order that you may see God.

These are the commandments by walking in which a man
realizes the true nature of Islam, for as I have already said the

164

true significance of Islam is to lay oneself before God like the
sheep that is to be slaughtered to lose all one's desires, passions
and intentions and to be completely lost in the will and pleasure
of God, to subject oneself to death, to love Him so entirely as to
obey all His commandments out of love and not any other motive,
to get eyes which see with God, ears which hear with God, a
heart which is wholly inclined to Him and a tongue which does
not move to utter a word until moved by Him- This is the stage
at which all the labours of the spiritual wayfarer end, and all the
passions and desires of man undergo a death. Then does the
mercy of God with His living word and brilliant lights grant him
a new life. Then he is honored with the sweet Word of God, and
that most subtle Light which no reason can discover, nor eye
can see, itself comes near to the heart of man, as He says :
*V, y$ ) J^- ^j" -**J) V f \ \j^ " We are nearer him than his vein of
life." With such nearness does Almighty God honor mortal man.
Then comes the time that every blindness and darkness is remov-
ed and a man sees his God and hears His voice, and finds himself
completely enwrapped in His mantle of light. Then is the reality
of religion reached, and seeing his God a man throws off the
dirty clothing of worldly life and wears the magnificient robes of
Divine light. The promises of paradise and of seeing God are
not then simply prospective promises to him, but he actually
tastes of the delights of paradise in this very life and sees God
and speaks to Him, and thus realizes even here all those promises.

The Almighty God says : Jf& ) y &*~ ) f ^ ) ty -j ^ $ ^ ^ I & )
^ 5 i> y ^ ,^1 ) &svJ b J 5 ; .io ) ^ ) y jso il ^ J ^ (s3 $ [ &&J ) ^lc

" Those who say that our Lord is the God who possesses all the
perfect attributes and who has no partner in His person and
attributes and remain faithful to their word, their faith not
being shaken by any trial or adversity, however hard it may be

165

the angels of God descend upon them and Almighty God Himself
speaks to them and says to them 'Do not fear the enemies that
stand against you and the trials that befal you, nor be grieved
for the bitter adversities which befel you in the past, for I am
with you, and be joyful that I grant you in this very world the
paradise which was promised to you.'"

It should be borne in mind that these are facts supported by
the strongest testimony. Within the sphere of Islam there have
been thousands of the righteous people who have, actually tasted
the fruits of the spiritual paradise in this iiie. In fact Islam is
the blessed religion, whose true followers have been made by Al-
mighty God the inheritors of all the righteous servants of God
who have passed before them and the heavenly blessings that
were granted to them variously granted all to the Muslims He
has accepted the prayer which He Himself taught in the Holy
Quran in the following words : ^. & ) k ) y* p&i^ )-^ } ^ } U &*> }
^) laJ ) 31. j ^lc u-yoiJ ]jtp ^xlfi ^**j ) '* Lord ! show us the right
path, the path of the righteous whom Thou hast favored and
honored in every way and who have received from Thee all sorts
of blessings, (who have received the honor of being spoken to by
Thee, of having their prayers accepted by Thee and of having
been granted victory, assistance and guidance from Thee) ; and
keep us away from the path of those upon whom Thy wrath has
descended and of those who having forsaken Thy path have be-
taken to erroneous paths." This is the prayer which is addressed
to Almighty God by every Muslim five times daily in his prayers.
It shows clearly that a person who passes his days in blindness
from God, lives and dies in hell, and that he only really obeys
God and attains true salvation. who recognises God and has a
perfect faith in His existence, for only such a one is granted
power to forsake sin and to love God with his whole heart. The

166

religion, therefore, in which there is no yearning for a certain
Divine revelation, which is one of the highest Divine blessings,
is not from God, nor is that prophet true who has not taught
people to seek the path of certain Divine revelation and perfect
Divine knowledge. For, the highest aim of man's life, and the
only way in which he can be released from the bondage of sin, is
that he should attain a certain knowledge regarding the existence
of God and His retribution. But certainty regarding the Divine
Being who is the most hidden of all things, is impossible unless
from Him is heard the voice 'I AM,' and unless a man witnes-
ses the clear and manifest signs of His existence. Such certainty
can never be obtained from the source of reason, for the deduc-
tions of reason lead us no further than that there should be a
God, for this is the only conclusion with regard to the existence
of a Creator that a man can arrive at by deep reflection over the
consummate order and perfect skill displayed in the universe.
But it can be easily seen that such a conclusion is only an infer-
ence suggested by certain facts, while the statement that God
actually exists requires a sound and conclusive proof about which
there should not be the slightest doubt. The necessity of the
existence of a thing and its actual existence are two quite diffe-
rent things. In short, in the midst of the great religious excite-
ment of the present day, the seeker after truth should not forget
the great truth that only that religion is from God which can
show God with perfect .certainty.

I will now take some of the more important religions which
are showing great missionary activity, and see whether they can
take a man to the stage of perfect certainty regarding Divine
existence, and whether their scriptures contain the noble promise
that they can make their true followers the recipients of a certain
Divine revelation, and whether if they do so this promise is borne

167

out by actual facts 1 at the present time. First of all I take the
religion which is named after Christ. The answer to the questions
proposed above for solution is very easy and simple in its case,
for the Christians are all one in the belief that after the time of
Christ the fountains of Divine revelation and inspiration are
closed to all. The blessing of Divine revelation has according to.
them been left behind and it now remain closed to the day
of judgment. The door of Divine grace by which alone salvation
as shown above can be obtained being shut up, a new plan of
salvation has been set up which is opposed to the established
principles of the world, and which is contrary to human reason
and Divine Justice and Mercy. It is said that Jesus Christ bore
the sins of the 'world and chose to die on the cross, that by his
death others may be delivered, and that Almighty God killed
His own innocent son to save the sinners. We are unable to
understand how the pitiable death of one man can purify the
hearts of others from the impure quality of sin, and how by the
murder of one innocent man others can be absolved of the sins
and crimes which they have committed. This course is, on the
other hand, directly opposed to justice and mercy, for to punish
the innocent in place of the offender is against justice, while
causing the son to be murdered cruelly with no fault on his part
is contrary to Divine mercy, and the whole affair is a meaning-
less transaction. I have already stated that the true cause of
the prevalance of sin is the absence of true Divine knowledge.
If, therefore, the cause is not removed, the effect cannot be
annulled, for the cause must bring about its effect. It is a strange
philosophy that sin is supposed to be made non-existent while
its cause which is a want of 'Divine knowledge remains as strong
as ever. Experience shows that without full knowledge of a
thing we cannot know its true value, nor can we love or fear it.

168

but love and fear are the only incentives to action and a. man
does not do or abstain from doing a deed except from the motive
of either love or fear. Therefore it is clear that unless the love or
fear of the Divine Being is generated in the heart which depends
upon a true and perfect knowledge of God, it is impossible that
a man should be released from the bondage of sin: But so far as
the Christians are concerned, I am bound to state and that for
the sake of truth that their knowledge of God is very imperfect
and ambiguous. The doors of Divine revelation are for ever
closed and miracles ended with Jesus and his apostles. What is
left then in. our hands to judge the truth of the Christian religion
except the authority of reason, but the defying of a man has
already set reason at naught. If the old stories of miracles as
narrated in the Gospels are adduced in support of Christianity,
various objections may be put forth against this evidence by one
who does not admit the truth of the Christian religion. In the
first place, it is impossible to ascertain what amount of truth is
contained in these narratives and what reality. For there seems
to be no doubt that the evangelists were great exaggerators. For
instance, in one of the Gospels it is written that if all the things
which Jesus did had been written in books, the world could not
have contained those books. This is a most extravagant state-
ment. How could the world prove insufficient for the record of
deeds which were contained in it in an unrecorded state, deeds
done by one man within the limited period of 3J years in a very
small province. Secondly, the miracles stated to have been
performed by Jesus were in no way superior to the miracles of
Moses. Nay, even the miracles of Elijah display a greater power
than those of Jesus. If therefore the performance of certain
miracles can make a man God, many of the prophets shall be
entitled to Divinity.

169

The alleged Divinity of Jesus is sometimes supported on the
ground that Jesus called himself the son of God or that he is so
designated in some book. This is an idea which deserves to be
laughed at. In the Bible many men are designated as the sons
of God and to some even the epinhet God is applied. They all,
therefore, belong to the same category aud one of them cannot
become a God to the exclusion of all others. Even if the title
son of God had not been used for any one besides Jesus, it would
have been absurd .to interpret it literally and draw from it an
argument for the divinity of Jesus, for such metaphors abound in
the Word of God. But when the title on whose basis divinity is
claimed for ^Tesus is freely applied to others in the Bible, it ceases
to have the slightest force as an argument for his divinity, and
if it has, it at the same time proves the divinity of all those to
whom it is applied. In short, the plan suggested by the Christian
belief should not be depended upon for salvation, for it fails to
provide the true remedy for sin. On the other hand, it is itself
a sin that a man should commit suicide thinking that others
would be saved thereby. I can say on oath that Jesus did not
offer' himself to be crucified, but he was in the hands of his
enemies who subjected him to all sorts of cruelties. He prayed
to God to save him from the accursed death on the cross and
wept-the whole night long. Then, .was he hard because of his
righteousness and his prayer was accepted and he was saved from
death upon the cross, as appears from the Gospels themselves.
It is, therefore, a false accusation against Jesus that he commit-
ted suicide by designedly subjecting himself to death. Moreover
reason itself condemns the theory that Peter should be cured of
his headache by John's knocking out his brains. We do admit
that Jesus was a servant of God and .one of the perfect ones whom
God purified with His own hands, but he or any other prophet

170

cannot be made a God on the strength of words spoken of him in
any holy book. I have personal experience in this matter and in
the Word of God revealed to me I find words of honor and
dignity used of me which I have not met with in any Gospel as
used concerning Jesus Christ. Can I then assert on the strength
of such words that I am God or son of God ? Far be it from me
or any other prophet of God to make such a blasphemous asser-
tion.

As to the teachings contained in the Gospels, I arn of opinion
that they are imperfect. A perfect code of ethics is that which is
calculated to develop all the moral faculties of man and does not
lay stress upon one side of human nature only. I assure the
gentlemen present that such perfect teaching is cantained only
in the Holy Quran, for in every matter it adopts the mean path,
which is th'e path of truth and wisdom. For instance, the Gospel
says: "Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also." But the Holy Quran does not teach us
unconditional forgiveness on all occasions. It directs us to see
the occasion first, whether it requires forbearance or revenge,
forgiveness or punishment. It is evident that the latter is the
proper course for a man to follow, and its observance is necessary
for the social life of man. No society can live on the principles
taught by the Gospel nor can any Christian society be pointed out
which should have ever acted on the turn-to-him-the-other-also
text Again the Gospel says that no one should look " on a woman
to lust after her," but the Holy Quran tells us that a man should
not unnecessarily look upon other women whether with lust or
without lust for this habit will after all make him stumble- On
such occasions the Quran requires that a man's eyes should be
half-closed, for this is the, only way in which a man can remain
pure in heart. Perhaps the advocates of a mis-named liberty would

171

object to such a course, but experience shows that this is the
only right course. Free intermingling of the two sexes and their
freely casting looks at each other, are productive of great mischief
and no good has resulted from them. To allow men and women
whose hearts are not yet purified, and who are yet under the
control of their sensual passions, to freely mingle with, and look
at, each other, is to intentionally push them down into the pit.
The Quranic teaching in this respect is free from every harm.
The same defect of Gospel teaching is brought to light in its
directions regarding divorce. The Gospel says that no one should /
"put away his wifej saving for the cause of fornication," But the j
Holy Quran permits divorce on other equally" urgent occasions,
for instance when the husband and wife become the deadly
enemies of each other and the life of one is in danger from the
other, or when the wife is guilty of having gone through the
preliminaries of fornication, though she may not have actually
committed fornication, or when she suffers from some such disease
as would endanger the life of the husband in case the relations
are continued, or when some other cause comes into existence
which -on account of its beisg a hindrance to the continuance of
conjugal relations is a sufficient cause for divorce. In all such
cases divorce is permitted, and the truth of this principle is
practically admitted by the Christians themselves.

To revert to the main point of this lecture, the Christians,
cannot point out the means which can lead a man to salvation
and freedom from the bondage of sin. For, as stated above sal- v
vation means nothing but the attainment of a condition in which
a man does not venture upon transgression and his love of God
becomes so great as" to suppress his sensual desires, and the
realization of such a state depends upon a perfect knowledge of
God. The Holy Quran points out to us the clear ways which can

172

make a man attain to a true knowledge of God and fill him with
such fear of Him as keeps him away from sins. By following the
Holy Quran a man becomes the recipient of Divine revelation,
sees the heavenly signs, receives the knowledge of future from
God, has a zeal in his heart for union with God which he prefers
to every other connection, receives knowledge from God before-
hand of the acceptance of his prayers and a mighty torrent of
Divine knowledge flows in his heart which sweeps away all sinful
tendencies before it. But when we go to the Gospels, it points
out a method for release from the bondage of sin which is con-
trary to reason and does nothing to remove the causes of sin.

-We will next take the Arya Samaj and consider the means
which it proposes for release from the bondage of sin. Here
again, as in the case of Christianity, we meet with a plain denial
of Divine revelation and heavenly signs, a denial which is based
on the authority of Hindu sacred books, the Vedas. It is vain,
therefore, to look in this direction for the complete satisfaction
which the heart of man finds in the sweet Words of God, the
acceptance of his prayers and the manifestation of heavenly signs
which reveal to him the face of the living God. But if access
cannot be had to all these sources of certainty, then a man shall
have to depend upon reason only according to the Yedic doctrine.
But reason, as shown above, is not a source of perfect certainty
and cannot make a man attain the perfect Divine knowledge
which is equivalent to seeing God, and which by generating true
love and fear of God, burns the chaff of sin, mortifies the sensual
passions and working a holy transformation in the life of man,
cures all defects and washes away all the impurities of sin. Bub
as most men do not care for the perfect purity of life which frees
a man from every stain of sin, therefore they do not even aspire
after a holy life, and their hearts are so dead to it that they do

173

not ever feel its need. On the other hand they are ready to fight
/when the truth is told because of their excessive bias towards a
particular set of dogmas.

The position of the Arya Samaj is extremely deplorable. It
denies revelation, heavenly signs and acceptance of prayers, the
only means to a perfect knowledge of God, and bases the whole
superstructure of its beliefs on the slender bases of reason. But
its principles do not hold even when judged from the. standpoint
of reason. For, as shown above, the only argument for the exis-
tence of God that can be derived from the source of reason, is
that this universe could not have come into existence of itself,
and that it must have had a creator. But the Arya Samaj teaches
the doctrine that matter and soul are self-existent and eternal y
and that God has created nothing. Hence the only argument
that reason could give for the existence of God fails in view of
the principles inculcated by the Arya Sarnaj. This vital objec-
tion against the teachings of the Sarna,j.it is sometimes sought
to remove by the assertion that though matter and soul are self-
existent, yet the combination of the particles of matter and the
union of matter and soul could not be effected without the
power of God. But the absurdity of this idea is clear on the
face of it, for when it is assumed that the particles of matter and
the souls have in them the inherent quality which has made
them self-existing and self-supporting from eternity, it is nothing
but sheer folly to assert that some external power is needed for
their union and combination. To assert first that every particle
of matter existing in the universe is with all its qualities a self-
existing thing, and that similarly every soul with all its attri-
butes and powers is self-existent, and to deny then that the
power of combination in the particles of matter and the power
of union in matter and soul belongs to them, is to contradict

rte

btieself anil no sensible person can hold this position 1 for a single
minute. The holder of such a belief is an easy prey for atheism,
and it needs very little effort on the part of an atheist to win
over an Arya Samajist to his own side. It grieves me much to
see that the Arya Samaj has in formulating its doctrines com*
rnitted serious errors in both branches of Law. With regard to
God the Aryas hold the belief that He is not the Author of the
Universe and the source from which all blessings flow, but that
matter and soul with all their properties and attributes are self-
existent and not in any way under obligation to God. If this is
true, it is meaningless to acknowledge the existence of God, and
even if His existence is assumed, it does not appear why He
deserves to be worshipped, on what grounds He is to be taken as
the All-powerful Being, and how and by what methods He is to
be recognised. Can any one answer these questions? Ah ! that
there were a heart capable of receiving this message of sympathy.
Ah ! that some one should sit in the corner of solitude and
ponder over these words. Almighty God ! Have Thou mercy on
these people who are our old neighbours. Turn Thou the hearts
of most of them to truth so that they should know it and accept
it, for to Thee belongs all power. Amen !

So far as to the error of the Arya Samaj in connection with
the recognition of God and His powers, but the other part of
Law is also full of errors. Firstly, there is the doctrine of trans-
migration according to which the soul assumes different bodies
in different births, The point which strikes one most in this
doctrine is that Almighty God is represented as a most cruel and
hard-hearted being whose anger can never be appeased. In the
Arya Samajic code of beliefs, God is first shorn of His glory and
divested of the power of creation, and then in strange contra-
diction with it, He is invested with an arbitary and tyrannical

175

power over the souls to punish them for billions of years for
disobedience of commandments to which He has no right to
exact obedience. For, if He has not created the souls, He has no
absolute right to require them to obey Him. Or assuming that
He has acquired such a right, it must at all events be very limited
in its scope like the right acquired by a ruler over his subjects.
But the interminable series of punishments which every soul has
to undergo according to the doctrine of transmigration in one
body after another, is absolutely inconsistent with such an acqui-
red right and the principles of justice. According to the Muslim
doctrine, not only are soul and matter with their attributes and
properties created by the hand of God, but even the punishment
which they must receive for disobedience to their Master, does
not last for ever. Thus Almighty God says in the Holy Quran
with regard to the eternity of the punishment of sinners:
*> & ^ J J ^* *? j e/ J -*?,;* U U U ) " Except in so far as thy Lord
willeth, for thy Lord doeth whatever He wilieth." Here we are
told that though the punishment of the sinners is spoken of as
lasting eternally, yet it is not without an end in the sense in
which God is without an end, but only because of its length, and
the mercy of God will then overtake them, for He is powerful
and does what He wills. This verse is further explained by a
tradition according to which the Holy Prophet is reported to have
said : ^)^J ^-f f M) ^ ) ^ ) ^ \j~$ ^ l*j ^ ^b ^jb

" A time will come over hell when there will be no one in it and
a cold breeze (of the mercy of God) will blow upon its gates."
The Arya Sarnajic teaching represents the Divine Being as a
peevish and revengeful master whose anger can never be appeased.
The Christians also entertain the belief that a man shall be
condemned to eternal hell for every sin and that his tortures will
know no end. But the wonder is that while proposing endless

176

torture for other men, the son of God is made to bear punishment
for three days only. This unrelenting cruelty to others and
improper leniency to His own son, is absolutely inconsistent with
the mercy and justice of God Instead of being let off with such a
slight torture the son should have, been made to bear the heavier
punishment, because being the son of God and as such possessing
greater power than mortals, he was the only fit person to bear up
under a heavy and never-ending punishment. In short the Chris-
tian and the Arya Samajic doctrines are both open to the same
objection, while some Muhammadans too are guilty of a depar-
ture from the reasonable teaching of the Quran on this point.
But the Holy Quran has expressed itself in clear and unequivocal
words in the exposition of the doctrine of eternal hell, and hence
the blame which attaches to some of its votaries, cannot be laid
at its door. Another error of which the Muslims are guilty,
because going against the teachings of the Holy Quran, is that
relating to the death of Jesus, The Holy Quran speaks of his
/ death in the clearest words but some Muslims still hold him to
i be alive and think that he would come back to this world.

Another objection against the doctrine of transmigration is
that it is against true purity. If the mother, sister or daughter
of a person dies to-day, she may be reborn to-rnorrow and in a
few years become the wife of the self-same person and thus rela-
tions may be contracted which are prohibited by the Vedas.
This difficulty which vitiates the purity of the family life cannot
be obviated unless the birth of every child is attended with a
document containing particulars as to the relations in which it
stood to different persons in the previous birth. But since no
such arrangement has been made, the upholders of this doctrine
shall have to confess that Almighty God Himself is the cause of
spreading an evil in this world. But leaving aside these objec-

177

tions, it is difficult to understand what good results from casting
souls into the revolution of births. ~M.ukti or salvation, as must
be admitted by every sensible person, depends upon gayan, i. e.^
Divine knowledge, and if the doctrine of transmigration had any
truth in it, the Divine knowledge attained by a soul in a previous
birth ought not to have been lost. On the other hand, every frag-
ment of Divine knowledge attained in one birth, should have been
a stepping stone for the acquirement of more knowledge, and the
previous store ought to have been added to the newly acquired one,
thus bringing a person nearer and nearer to the fountain of salva-
tion. But it is clear that every child comes into the world utterly
ignorant and the previous store of knowledge amassed with great
labour during a whole life is utterly wasted like the fortune of a
prodigal man. The revolution of successive births, therefore, in
no way assists the attainment of salvation, for whatever store of
Divine knowledge is accumulated in one birth is utterly wasted
in the transition to the next. This process of the gain and loss of
knowledge at the beginning and end of each birth, makes the
attainment of salvation almost an impossibility, and therefore
metempsychosis does not afford the least assistance to such attain-
ment. A really insurmountable difficulty in the way of souls for
the attainment of salvation that they must lose everything they
gain without any fault of theirs and simply because God has
wished to cast them into the maze of transmigration. And in
spite of these difficulties, the salvation obtained is temporary and
not permanent, and thus after enjoying this hardlywon rest for a
short time, the soul is again cast out from the abode of bliss to
undergo similar revolutions of ceaseless tortures.

The second doctrine owned by the Arya Sarnaj which strikes
at the very root of the true purity of life, is the doctrine of Niyoga.
I do not ascribe this doctrine to the Vedas; nay, I tremble at the

178

idea of making the Vedas responsible for such a hideous doctrine.
I am sure that human nature repels the idea extremely dis-
gusting that a man should tell his own chaste wife who belongs
to a respectable and noble family to have connection with a
stranger simply for the chance of getting a son, in spite of the
continuance of her conjugal relations with her own husband, or
that the wife should herself desire to adopt such a shameful course
of life. Even some animals are so jealous of their mates that they
do not like their living with other males. It is not my object to
enter into any discussion here. I humbly entreat the leaders of
the Arya Samaj to renounce this doctrine, because in it lies their
moral betterment. The people of this country have already much
fallen off from true purity and if practices like the Niyoga remain
in vogue, the moral degradation of the country would only grow
deeper and deeper day by day.

Here I take occasion to express my views on another point
of equal importance. Whatever the feeling of hatred which the
Arya Samaj entertains towards JVIuslims and tbe principles of
Islam, it should not make a total departure from the time-honored
custom of purdah, for such a course would be productive of im-
mense evil and mischief, though it may appear to be attractive
at the present moment. Every sensible person can easily under-
stand that the majority of men and women in this age are walking
only in obedience to their passions and desires, and are so com-
pletely in their control that they do not care aught for the
retribution of their deeds. Most young men cannot refrain from
looking to lust after young and beautiful women if they get a
chance to look at them at all, and so is also the case of most
women. If in this state when the hearts of both sexes are not
free from corruption and evil and are unable to resist the temp-
tations of flesh, a too free intercourse of men and women is

179

allowed, the result would be that the evil of adultery would poison
the whole system of society, as is the case in many parts of
Europe. But when these men actually grow pure in heart, when
they- are freed from the control of bestial passions and sensual
desires, when the spirit of devil is utterly expelled from among
them, when Divine majesty takes entire possession of their hearts
and the awe of God controls their looks, in short when a pure
transformation is effected in their lives and they don the garments
of the fear of God, then, but not till then, they may do what they
like, for they would be then as ennuchs made so by the Hand of
God and their eyes would be shut against lustful looks and their
hearts closed against evil ideas. But remember, my beloved
countrymen, may God Himself inspire this idea into your hearts,
that this is the most dangerous time for doing away with the
custom of purdah, and if you do it, you would sow the seed of
poison in your people which would vitiate the whole society.
This is a time when the custom of purdah ought to have been
instituted even if it had never prevailed before, for this is the
Tcaljug (the iron age). Evil rages in the world and the transgression
of Divine commandments, corruption and drunkenness are at their
highest. Atheism prevails in the hearts and the awe of Divine
majesty and glory has utterly vanished away from them. Many
things are uttered with the tongue with which the heart does
not tally. Lectures are delivered which may claim great intellec-
tual merits, but the hearts are dead and devoid of spirituality.
It is not meet that at such a time the poor sheep should be let
loose in forests where wolves abound.

My friends, the plague is still threatening us and I have re-
ceived information from on high that many of its onslaughts are in
store for us. These are dangerous days and no one can say who
would become its morsel by the next year and who remain alive,

180

what house Would be devastated and what saved. Arise then and
repent, and please your Lord with good and virtuous deeds. Mind
that though errors in belief would be punished in the life to come,
and the fact of being a Hindu or a Muhaminadan or a Christian
would be decided on the day of judgment, yet the person who
exceeds all limits in his transgressons, evils and injustice to
others, will be punished even here, and he cannot flee from the
wrath of heaven. Kise then and please your Master and be at
peace with Him before the terrible day cornes, the day of the
raging of plague, of which the prophets of God have prophesied.
Keconcile yourselves with your Lord, for He is the most merciful
and if you repent truly and forsake the ways of evil, He will for-
give you all your sins. A single moment's repentance with a true
and fearful heart cancels the evil deeds of seventy years. Do not
say that your repentance is not accepted by God. No ! you cannot
be saved by your own deeds, it is the grace of God that takes
you by the hand and not your own deeds. Merciful and Gracious
God, show mercy to us for we are Thy servants and bow our-
selves at Thy threshold,

*My Claim to Promised Messiahship.

Gentlemen, I would now say something about my own claims
which I have published in this country. Reason and history
bear witness to the fact that when the darkness of sin oversha-
dows the earth, when all sorts of transgressions prevail in the
world and evil is supreme, when the spiritual sensibilities are
deadened, when the earth growing impure with immoral practi-
ces and the love of God being numbed in the hearts of men, a
poisonous wind begins to blow, the mercy of God then ordains
that life should again be breathed into dead hearts and the earth

* This subject forms the second part of the same lecture.

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should be quickened afresh. As there are changes of seasons in
the physical world, so here are revolutions in the spiritual world.
In autumn the trees lose their verdure and freshness, and are
stripped of their leaves and branches, and look like a man who
being in the last stage of consumption loses all his flesh and
blood, or like a leper whose face is disfigured by the effects of
leprosy and whose limbs have dropped down. But they are not
left in this state. Another period comes, and autumn is followed
by spring when a new life is given to the dead plants and they
sprout forth into fresh leaves. Similar to these changes in the
physical world, there are changes and revolutions in the spiritual
world and periods of light and darkness follow each other succes-
sively like day and night. At certain stages of the history of the
world, men are stripped of spiritual excellences and the perfec-
tion of manhood like trees in the autumn, while at others a wind
blows from heaven which breathes life afresh into their hearts.
This our time is also the beginning of a spring. The deadness of
autumn was witnessed in the Punjab during the days when this
country was under the Sikh sway. Knowledge had then quite
disappeared and ignorance had become prevalent. Religious
books had become so rare that they could not be found except in
some high family which remained intact from Sikh oppression.
The night of the Sikh rule has been followed by the day of Bri-
tish dominion which has brought us the invaluable blessing of
peace. The truth is that if regard is had to the general peace
and security prevailing in the country and to the comforts which
we can and do enjoy, it is unjust to compare the days of Sikh
rule with even the nights of English Government. The time in
which we live is a time of physical as well as spiritual blessings,
and what has already appeared is a sign of the richness of the
harvest that we may yet reap- It is true, however, that being

182

the commencement of a new age, this period presents varying
faces. Some faces are hideous because they go against righteous-
ness and the true knowledge of God, while others present attrac-
tive features and there is a lustre of righteousness in them.
There is no doubt, however, that the English Government has
taken great pains to spread learning' in the country and to advance
the cause of science and knowledge. Printing presses-have multi-
plied copies of books to an extent unknown in any previous age
and placed them within the reach of all. This vast spread of
knowledge has brought to light many hidden libraries and cast
the light of publication upon many rare manuscripts and thus it
has changed the whole appearance of society within a few years.
' Side by side with the growth of learning and spread of know-
ledge spoken of here, there has been a continual falling off from
the standard of parity in practice, and the plant of atheism has
struck a deep root in most hearts. There is no doubt about the
benefits and blessings which the English Rule has brought to us,
nor can any one question the unparalleled peace and liberty which
it has established in this country, but most people have not made
a right use of this liberty and peace. Instead of being thankful to
God for His great obligation in placing us. under the benign rule
of such a peaceful and kind Government, most people have
become utterly neglectful of and stolidly indifferent to God and
have wholly given themselves up to the pursuits and cares of this
world, so wholly indeed as if this world were their permanent
abode and they were not under the control of any Higher power
or under any obligation to Him. As happens generally, with peace
transgression has become more flagrant, and on account of daily
increasing hard-heartedness and indifference, the country is now
in a very dangerous condition. Ignorant people commit the most
brutal and heinous deeds like .savages, and every grade of society

183

is more or less involved in some sort of evil. Public houses are
much more frequented than other shops, and professions involving
open immorality are daily increasing, while places of worship are
only used for the performance of ceremonials devoid of life and
inner worth. In short a violent outburst of evil and iniquity has
taken place, and as a flood destroys all embankments and sweeps
away whole villages before it in a single night, so the flood of
passions is sweeping away all barriers to sin before it. Cimmerian
darkness has spread over the world, and it has reached the point
at which it must either be regenerated and receive a light from
heaven or be utterly destroyed and brought to naught. But the
prophetical utterings give us to understand that the end is yet a
thousand years off. Moreover, the new physical order of this world
which has been brought about by the numerous discoveries and
inventions of the last and the present century, is clearly indicative
of a similar change for the better in the spiritual system of the
world. There is pressing necessity for such spiritual reform, for
spiritually the world stands on the brink of destruction and is so
depraved that the wrath of heaven must be kindled against it.
The force of passions is growing too strong while the spiritual
tendencies have been utterly weakened and the light of faith has
been extinguished. A light must, therefore, be kindled from
heaven to shatter the clouds of darkness whichoverhang this
world, for, as we see daily, the gloorn of night is not dispelled
until the heavenly light makes its appearance. As there is a
heavenly light which lightens the corners of the earth, so there
is also a heavenly light which illuminates the corners of the heart,
and the truth of both these laws is manifest.

Since God created man, it has been His unchangeable law
that He sheds His light upon mankind through one of their own
number, so that there may be a unity and oneness among them.

184

The persdn Who is thiis chosen, receives the light of perfect
Divine knowledge from God, drinks deep at the fountain of His
perfect love, is spoken to by Him, made to walk in the path of
His perfect pleasure and granted a deep-seated zeal to draw others
to the light, the knowledge and the love which have been granted
him Thus drawn by him and sharing in his knowledge because
of their close connection with him, other people are also kept
back from sins and guided to the path of piety and righteousness.
In accordance with this time-honored law, Almighty God pro-
phesied by the mouth of His prophets that after nearly six
thousand years from the time of Adam when great darkness
Would prevail upon earth and an irresistable flood of passions
would make the love of God wane and iniquity predominate, God
would, breathe into a man the soul of truth and love and know-
ledge spiritually after the likeness of Adam, and he would be
called the Messiah, because God would Himself anoint his soul
with the ointment of His love- This Messiah who on account of
the promise of God concerning his appearance is called the Pro-
mised Messiah in sacred books, would, it is foretold, be made to
stand against Satan, and between him and the evil one there
would be a mighty struggle, the final struggle between good and
evil. For this spiritual fight Satan would bring all his hosts into
the field and gather together all his power and make use of all
his resources. Never shall a fight like this have occurred between
good and evil before, for on that day the tricks of Satan and the
means by which he can mislead people, would all be exhausted.
After a heavy fight, the Messiah of God would drive back the
powers of darkness, and the glory, majesty, unity and holiness of
God would be proclaimed upon earth and would continue to be
so declared for a thousand years, the seventh day of the Holy

185'

Irtooks of God. Then will be the end. I am that Messiah : let
nirn who will, accept' rne 1 !

Doubts would, perhaps, be entertained here by some- as, to
tihe existence of Satan and they would wonder at the mention of
Satan and his hosts. Let them bear in mind that every man's heart
has two attractions with it, the attraction of good and the attrac-
tion of evil. The first of these is attributed in Islamic law to the
angel or the spirit of goodness, and the second to Satan or the
spirit of evil. Man is inclined sometimes to evil add sometimes
to goodness, and this is what is meant by the struggle between
good and evil. I think there are many men in this gathering who
will, simply on hearing rny claim to Promised Messiahship and
Divine revelation, call rne a liar and look down upon my claim,
but I do not condemn them, torso it has been from the beginning.
Every Messenger of God had to hear words of abuse and
contempt from his people in the early stages of his mission, and
it may be said truly that a prophet is not without honor but in
the beginning of his career as a prophet. That Holy Prophet and
Messenger of God to whom the Holy Quran was revealed, and
who gave us a law which is the finisher of all laws, of being called
'whose followers we are all proud, was also received in the same
'manner by his people. For thirteen years'he suffered persecution
'and tortures at the hands of his 1 enemies alone and helpless, and
received their scoffing, insults, affronts and outrages with the
greatest patience and forbearance, all these cruelties of his enemies
reaching their climax in^that unkindest cut of all, his expulsion
from Mecca. Who knew ''at that time that helpless and
forlorn man was destined to become the guide and leader of
millions of human beings ? Such is the Divine law that the sent
ones of God are laughed at and despised at first. There are very
few who recognise them in the beginning and hence they must

186

suffer at the hands of the ignorant and bear all sorts of scurrilities
abuses and taunts until the time comes when God should open
the hearts of men for their acceptance.

Such is my claim. But the work for which Almighty God
has appointed me, my function as the Promised Messiah, is that
I should remove the estrangement which has taken place between
God and man, and re-establish man's connection of purity and
love with his Divine Master. I have been raised that I should
put a stop to religious wars and lay the basis of peace, concord
and fellow-feeling between, men, that I should bring to light the
religious truths which have long been hidden from the mortal
eye, that I may show true spirituality by dispelling the darkness
of passions from before its face, that I may manifest the working
of Divine powers within man by prayer or by concentration of
attention, and most important of all that I should re-establish
the pure and glorious unity of God which is free from every mix-
ture of shirk, and which has disappeared from the face of earth.
All this will be effected not by my power, but by the mighty
power of Him who rules in heaven and earth. I see that on the
one hand Almighty God having trained me, in His deep knowledge
and having made me the recipient of His revelation, has granted
me a zeal for bringing about these reforms, and on the other He
has Himself prepared hearts which are ready to accept my words.
I see that a mighty revolution has taken place in the world since
I was appointed by Almighty God to this heavenly office. While
in Europe and America the doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus is
being rejected by all sensible thinkers, in India idol-worship is
fast losing ground. Though these people are yet ignorant of true
spirituality and are content with a few words in which is con-
tained a formal expression of their beliefs, yet they have broken
asunder many ties which held them to unbelief, and they are now

187

as it were standing on the threshold of unity. I hope that in the
near future the grace, of God would take many of them by the hand
and place them within the stronghold of unity where there is all
peace and safety, and where a man is granted perfect love and
perfect fear and perfect knowledge. This is not a mere wish but
Almighty God has given me the 'glad tidings which make me
entertain this hope. The manifestation of this heavenly ordinance
has been brought about in this country so that different people
may be the sooner seen gathering into one flock, and that the
night of discord and enmity may the sooner changed into the
bright morning of peace and concord.

That the different people will be ultimately made one nation,
is the universal hope of all religious sects. The Christians think
that the time is coming when all the nations of the earth will
accept the doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus. The Jews entertain
the fond hope that their Messiah will soon appear and make them
the inheritors of the whole earth and bring the gentiles into the
Jewish faith. The Islamic prophecies also give the hope of the
advent of a Messiah who would make Islam the predominent and
universal religion of the world, and the promised time of advent
goes no further than the commencement of the 14th century of
Hegira. And at this very moment the Pundits of the Sanatan
Dharrn are anxiously waiting for the advent of an avatar who
would spread the true faith in the whole world. The Aryas,
though they do not believe in any prophecy, share in these uni-
versal views and are trying their best to spread the Arya religion
in the East as well as in the West. Nor has the Buddhist reli-
gion remained behind in this movement, for it is also showing
signs of activity and reform. But what is most wonderful of all,
and may perhaps excite laughter, is that in this competition of
religions for superiority, even the sweeper community is not quite

188

-..-> , i

indifferent, but it also is awake to the serious necessity of protec-
ting itself from hostile religions. In short, the ^competition of
religions has grown hot and every sect is inspired with the zeal
to make acquisitions from other faiths. There is a commotion in
the religious world more violent than the commotion which is

f ! " p ' I

caused in the sea by a storm, and as the billows roll down upon
one another, so do at present the different religions.

The various movements described above lead one at least to
this conclusion that the time has come at which Almighty God
has willed to gather all men into one fold. .Regarding this very
time, He says in the Holy Quran I**?- ^ U** ; ^ j ^ JM ^ Bea-
ding this verse along with the preceding verses its proper signifi-
cance appears to be that when there will be a hot competition
for victory among the various religions, and they will be in a
tumult like the waves of the ocean, then will Almighty God
bring into existence a new dispensation which will draw all

o .

capable hearts to itself. Then will they know what religion them
is, and a new life, the soul of true righteousness, will be breathed
into and they will be made to drink at the fountain of true
knowledge of God. It was necessary that this world should not
have come to an end until this prophecy was fulfilled which was
announced by the Holy Quran 1300 years ago.

The Holy Quran has mentioned many other signs of the last
ages when all people would be gathered upon one religion ; for
instance, that the rivers would be generally split into canals,
that the earth would bring out its hidden treasures of minerals,
inventions and sciences, that such means would come into exis-
tence (referring to printing presses) as would cause books to be
multiplied in large numbers, that a conveyance would be dis-
covered which would render the camels useless and facilitate
men's going to and fro, that the means of correspondence and of

189

the mixing together of different people would become easy, and
that the sun and the moon would eclipse on specified dates in
the month of Raraazan. All these signs of the mercy of God
would be followed by another which is indicative of the wrath of
heaven i. e> the raging of a destructive plague which would
aflecfc every town and village, utterly laying waste some and
leaving others in a partially desolate condition. God would
then be in great wrath because the signs which He
manifested at the hands of His Messenger were belied,
and the Apostle whom He had sent was rejected and
called an impostor.

All the signs enumerated above, which the Holy Quran has
described as the signs of the appearance of the Promised one,
have been fulfilled in this age. Thus there is a clear path for
any one who exercises his judgment and understanding for my
acceptance, because all the signs appointed for the appearance
of the Promised Messiah have been manifested by God for me.
Besides the signs mentioned above, the Holy Quran fixes the
time of the appearance of the Promised Messiah in another
manner too. In it we are told that one day with God is equivalent
to a thousand years as is indicated in the verse : * & ; &&.. t*y t ^)
^ 2 o*j U/* &i e_aJ fc Therefore the seven days mentioned in the
Holy Quran indicated seven thousand years which represent the
present age from Adam to the end spoken of in the holy books
of God. I do not mean to say that seven thousand years is the
whole time from the beginning to the end of the world, for from
the Holy Quran it appears that the world existed before the
Adam spoken of in the Holy Book. Of course we cannot say
who the people were that lived upon earth then because" we
have no details in our hand. But it appears that one cycle of
this world lasts for seven thousand years and hence also the

190

seven days, each day standing for a thousand years. We cannot
say through how many such cycles the world has passed up to
this time, and how many Adams have passed away before our
own Adam. As God has ever been the creator, therefore 'we
believe that His creation must have existed always in some one
form or another though it is difficult for us to specify the parti-
cular form. Here too the Christian faith has made an error, for
the Christians believe that the world was created and heaven
and earth made only six thousand years ago, and that before that
time the creating power of God had for ever remained unemployed.
I do not think any sensible person can subscribe to such a belief
which is absurd on the face of it. The Holy Quran on the other
hand teaches us doctrines whose truth can never be questioned.
In teaches us that God has always been a creator and will for
ever be a creator, and if He wills He can destroy heaven and
earth and make them anew millions of times. He has told us
that from the adam who is our ancestor to the end of this cycle,
there is a period of seven thousand years, which are as seven
days with God. The Holy Prophet Muhammad, may peace and
the blessings of God be upon him, appeared in the fifth thousand
after Adam or in the fifth day of this cycle. This is indicated in
the chapter entitled the' Asr (Afternoon) the letters of which,
according to the mode of reckoning numbers from letters, re-
present the number of years which had elapsed from Adam to
the time of the revelation of that chapter to the Holy Prophet.
According to this calculation six thousand years have now elapsed
from Adam, and a period of one thousand years more would com-
plete this cycle.

The Holy Quran as well as tbe previous books give us to
understand that the Messenger of God who would appear in the
last ages in the likeness of Adam, and would be called tbe Mes-

191

siah, would be born in the last days of the sixth thousand from
Adam, a"s Adam was born at the end of the sixth day. These
signs are sufficient to lead a thinking mind to the true conclusion.
The seven thousand years of this cycle are further divided accor-
ding to the prevalence of good or- evil, every odd thousand being
the time of the prevalence of virtue and true guidance, and the
even thousand of the supremacy of Satan. Thus in the fifth
thousand our Holy Prophet was born for the regeneration of the
world and Satan was then put into chains. Then followed the
sixth thousand, .from the beginning of the fourth to the fourteenth
century after Islam, in which Satan was let loose and evil pre-
dominated. And now we are in the seventh thousand which is
the time of God and His Messiah and of every goodness and
virtue, of the true faith and regeneration of mankind, of righte-
ousness and the proclamation of the Unity of God and Divine
worship.. With the entrance of the world upon the seventh thou-
sand, the Millenium, no other Messiah can set his foot upon
earth, for his time is now gone. The true Messiah is he who has
appeared in time and made known his appearance to the world, *
All these prophecies are contained in the Holy Quran, and they
were also uttered by the earlier prophets. In fact, no prophecy
has been uttered, with such frequency and force as the prophecy
relating to the appearance of the Messiah in the last ages and to
the evil of the Anti-Christ. :

Some men think that the prophecy relating to the appea-
rance of the Promised Messiah is contained only in the traditions
and not in the Holy Quran, and accordingly they demand a proof
of it from the Word of God. A reflection upon the words of the
Holy Book is sufficient to convince any reasonable man that this
prophecy is contained in the plainest words in the Holy Quran.
In the chapter entitled the Tahriin, it is indicated that some

192

individuals from among the Muslims would be called Ibn-i-Mar-
yam (the Son of Mary), for in that chapter at first thefaitbful
are compared to Mary and afterwards the breathing of a soul into
her (i.e., the faithful like her) is mentioned. This indicates that
the faithful who observe complete obedience to Divine command^
ments and make themselves like Mary, will be rewarded by God
by being made Christ-like. It is in reference to the attainment
of this stage that Almighty God says of me in a revelation pub-
lished in the Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya: '&*) ) O^ ^j 3 ^ ) V! /1 fiy b
" Mary ! Enter thou and thy friends into paradise ;" and again :
<3 i^aJj j } ^ ^_J# >ftj ^ y* b "0 Mary! I have breathed into
thee the soul of truth," (thus symbolically Mary was impregnated
with truth) ; and last of all : ^J ) <-& fy 3 ^-&*-^J ) &~*P k "-0
Jesus! I will cause thee to die a natural death and would then
raise thee to Myself," where I am addressed as Jesus Christ as if
raised from the dignity of Mary to the dignity of Christ Thus
the promise contained in the Tahrim has been fulfilled in me,
and I am named by God as the son of Mary.

Again, in the chapter entitled the Nur (Light), Almighty
God says that successors to the Holy Prophet would be raised
from among the Muhammadans like to the successors that were
raised to Moses as in the verse ^i ^ J ) ^^^ ) ^u^; ^ )^y jV^V^
(^ e/* From the Holy Quran it also appears that the religion of
Islam would witness two terrible disasters which would endanger
its very life. One of these came upon Islam with the death of
the Holy prophet and was averted at the hands of Abu Bakr, the
first caliph according to Divine promise. The second disaster
according to the Holy Quran would be the evil that would be
wrought by the Anti-Christ, to repel which the Promised Mes-
siah would appear. It is to this great evil that the concluding
words of the Fatiha, which every Muslim must repeat in his

prayers, contain an allusion, and to this time of tribulation that
the prophecy contained in the words: \^> ; ) -'L^ ) ^. ^ ^ \tfi*$ }
U* ) /y^ ->? &* f^<^ 3 (V Defers which occur in the Afar immedi-
ately, aft^r the -words : in: which successors to the Holy Prophet
are promised. In these words Almighty God tells us that in the
last ages when the faith of Islam would be severely shaken, so
much so that there would be fear of its extinction and of its
being swept off. wholly, He would re-establish it with firmness
upon the earth, and grant the Muslims a security after that great
fear. To the same effect the Holy Quran says elsewhere : ?& )y>
^ &*** J (J* a ^ cH ) v^. J J (^** [ ^ aK-;; J-jJ "God is He
who sent His messenger with the guidance and the true faith so
that He may ultimately (i e., m the time of the Promised Mes-
siah) make it victorious over all other religions." Again, the verse
^.j& tJ 4J.U ) 5 /^J J UJ.jj ^ U I "Verily We sent down the Holy
Quran, and verily We will be its guardians," also refers to the
time of the Promised Messiah for as it speaks of the sending
down of Revelation which was effected through the Holy Prophet,
it also speaks of guarding the revealed word from its enemies
when it would be in danger of being brought to extinction, which
is the function of the Promised Messiah. Here I have briefly
pointed out the verses in which the advent of the Promised
Messiah is indicated, either in plain words or by way of allusion,
as a detailed proof would not have suited the .limits of a lecture.
This is a sufficient proof for any one who seeks an evidence of
my claim in the Holy Quran in the same manner in which he
seeks an evidence of the claim of the Holy Prophet or Jesus
Christ in the previous books. So if these prophecies, are not
regarded as sufficient, it must also be admitted that there is no
prophecy in the Taurat concerning the appearance of Jesus or
our Holy Prophet, for if the words of the former prophecies are

194:

not very definite, neither are they so in the case of the latter
prophecies. It is exactly here that the Jews stumbled in the
recognition of the two prophets, Jesus and Muhamrnad, may
peace and the blessings of God be upon them. For; instance, if;
it had been stated in plain and clear words in the prophecies
foretelling the appearance of our Holy Prophet that be would be
born at Mecca, that his name would be Muhammad, that his
father and grand-father would be known respectively as Abdulla
and Abdul Muttalib, that he would be of the Ishmaelite race,
that being persecuted at Mecca he would fly to Medina, and that
he would be born so many years after Moses, not a single Jew
could have denied him. The difficulties in the case of the pro-
phecies relating to the appearance of Jesus Christ, are still
greater, and it is on this ground that the Jews to this day con-
sider themselves excusable in rejecting Jesus. In these prophe-
V cies it is clearly stated that Elijah would re-appear before the
advent of the true Messiah and prophecies containing this
condition are contained in the revealed books. But since Elijah
did not re-appear, therefore the claim of Jesus to Messiabship
could not be regarded as true by the Jews. When confronted
with this difficulty, Jesus replied that by the appearance of
Elijah was meant the appearance of one like him, and not his
own appearance. But this explanation was rejected by the Jews
as directly opposed to the Word of God which spoke not of the
advent of the like of Elijah, but of the advent of Elijah himself.
These considerations show clearly that the prophecies relating to
the appearance of the prophets of God are always deep so that
they may serve to distinguish the righteous from the wicked.

This is not, however, all that I can say in support of my
claim. A claim based on truth is not attended with only one
sort of proof, but like the genuine diamond it shines in full efful-

195

gence in all its phases. Such is my claim to Promised Messiah-
ship. Its truth shines forth from whatever point of view it is
considered. My claim to being sent by God and of being the
recipient of Divine revelation, dates from a period of over 27 ^\
years; and it was published in my book entitled the Barahin-i~ I
Ahmadiyya about twenty-four years ago. Such a long and conti-
nuous aeries.; of lies is inconceivable. However great a liar a
person may be, he canoot be guilty of concocting a falsehood
extending over such a lengthly period of time and effecting the
whole world. Moreover Almighty God does not assist an impos-
tor. Consider a person who with every new sun concocts anew
falsehood and fabricates a new lie, forges words and prophecies
and pretends that it is an inspiration which he has received from
God, or the Word of God thai has come down to him as a reve-
lation from the Almighty, while God knows that he is a great
liar and impostor in what he says every day, consider if God
would grant assistance to such an accursed being, if he would
make him and his followers flourish and increase for long years
and frustrate the designs and plans of his enemies to bring him
to naught. Yet for 27 years, I have been receiving the assistance
of God without any intermission and the number of my followers
has constantly increased notwithstanding the hardest opposition.
Do not these facts point me out as the true one ?

There is another argument which settles .conclusively the
truth of xny claim. Twenty-four years previous to this at a time
when I was quite unknown to the world and lived in the corner
of solitude, Almighty God revealed to me certain prophecies
concerning my future life which were at that very time and
under those very circumstances published in the Barahin-i- Ah-
madiyya which I was then writing. Addressing me Almighty
God thus spoke to me : "0 my Ahrnad, thou art according to my //

196

wish and thou art with me. Thy secret is My secret. Thou art
to Me as My Unity and Oneness, so the time has come when
thou shouldst be assisted and made known among men. Thou
hast in my presence a dignity which the world knows not- God
will assist thee in all fields- Thou hast dignity in My presence
and I have chosen thee for Myself. And I will make many
people follow and obey thee and will make thee a guide to them.
We will inspire people from heaven that they may assist thee.
Assistance will come to thee from deep and distant paths. People
will flock to thee from distant corners of the world. It is, there-
fore, meet that thou shouldst not turn away from them or get
tired of them, because of their vast numbers, but receive them
with kindness and courtesy. And pray to God, '0 Lord, do not
leave me alone and Thou art the best of inheritors.' God will
procure for thee the companions of the mat, and what knowest
thou who the companions of the mat are. Thou wilt see tears
flowing from their eyes, and they will say, '0 Lord, we have
heard the voice of one who invites people to faith in God.' Verily,
I will make thee My vicegerent upon earth, and people will say
of the contemptuously, ' Whereform and how hast thou got this
dignity and high rank?' Say to them, 'My God is a wonderful
God and. wonderful are His powers.' He is not questioned of
what He doeth; but he will question every one as to what He
said. They say, 'This is but a fabrication.' Say, 'It is God who
has established this dispensation, then leave them in their vain
sports. God is He who "has sent His Messenger with guidance
and the religion of truth that he may make it victorious over all
other religions. They will try to extinguish the light which God
has kindled, but God will make that light perfect and kindle it
in hearts that are ready to receive it, though the unbelievers may
not like it. God will protect thee against their mischiefs, though

197

people may not be able fco save thee. Thou art before My eyes;
I have Darned fchee Mutavakkil (bruster in God). Arid God will
nob leave thee until He has severed the virtuous from the wicked.
Two sheep will be slaughtered, and every one who is upon earth,
must taste of death. There may be a thing to which you may
be averse, but haply it may be good for you ; and there may be
a thing which you deem good but haply its attainment may be
injurious to you. God knows what is good for you arid what
injurious, but you do not know."

It will be seen that the revelations given above contain four
grand prophecies. Firstly, at a time when I was alone and com-
panionless about 24 years since, God gave me the glad tidings
that I would not be left alone but would have numerous followers
and that people will come to me from distant places and remote
corners in such numbers that they should tire me- Secondly,
that I would receive great assistance from these people. What
I was when these prophecies were published, and what I am now
when about a quarter of century has elapsed since their publi-
cation, is known to the whole world. Alone I lived in the corner
of solitude then in a small village, but now I have more than
200,000 followers. The third prophecy mentioned in the same
connection is that people would do their utmost to bring this
dispensation to naught and to extinguish this light, but all their
efforts would be fruitless and all their designs would be frustrated.
These three prophecies are shinning like the meridian sun. ISlo
sensible person would hold that these wonderful disclosures of
the deep secrets of the future, upon which no guess or surmise
could shed the faintest light, could be announced beforehand
except by a revelation from Almighty God, the knower of all
secrets. There was no circumstance which could make the most
intelligent person guess that the helpless and solitary man who

198

had never stepped out from the corner of solitude* would one day
become the leader and guide of hundreds of thousands of men.
If it is within the power of man to reveal such secrets, let another
such instance be cited. The grandeur of these prophecies is
made more manifest and the heart of man bows with true sub-
mission before the mighty knowledge of God when the third pro-
phecy foretelling the attempts of the people to thwart the fulfil-
ment of these prophecies, and God's promise to bring about their
fulfilment in spite of every opposition, is borne in mind. Can a
mere mortal thus challenge the world? No, he cannot even say

that he would live for such a time. The fourth prophecy which
particularly deserves the reader's attention is that relating to the
slaughter of two sheep which was fulfilled by the martyrdom of
two of my disciples in Afghanistan, viz., Sheikh Abdul Eahman
and Sahibzada Maulvi Abdul Latif at the hands of Amir Abdul
Rahman and Amir Habibullah respectively.

Besides these, there are hundreds of other prophecies which
were fulfilled in their time. On one occasion, I informed Maulvi
Hakim Nurud-din that a son would be born -to him who would
have sores upon his body, and the prophecy was published in a
book. Some time afterwards the promised son was born and he
had the sores on his body as described in the prophecy. The
Maulvi Sahib is present in this gathering, and every one can
question him as to the truth of this statement. On another
occasion, Abdul Rahirii Khan, one of the sons of Sardar
Muhammad Ali Khan, Eais of Malerkotla, was attacked with a
serious disease and all hope of his life was lost. When I prayed
for him to God it was revealed to me that the boy would recover
on my intercession. So like a kind and affectionate sympathiser,
I prayed for him and the disease was gone- AbdullaKhan, the
second son of the same gentleman, also fell ill and the attack

199

was So serious that death seemed to be certain. I prayed for him
and was informed of his recovery by God and he accordingly re-
covered. There are numerous other signs and if I were to relate
them all, this lecture would hot be finished even in ten days.
Hundreds of thousands 6f men bear testimony to the truth of
these signs because they were shown before their eyes. One
hundred and fifty of these I have collected in a book called the
" Nazool-ul-Masih " which will be published shortly. These signs
are of various sorts. Some of them were manifested upon heaven
others upon earth ; some related to my friends, while others were
in connection with my enemies; some effected myself and my
children and otfrers have been manifested by God through my
enemies without any intervention on my part. To the last class
belongs a sigh which was manifested through Maul vi Ghularn
Dastgir of Qasur, who pubished in his book Fatah Rahman o?
his own accord a prayer against me to the effect that of us two \,
God might destroy the liar first. A few days has passed when
the Maulvi died and -thus bore a testimony to my truth. Be- \
sides this, there are thousands of men who were informed of mjf
truth through visions and who have thus accepted ihe.

Thete are! other considerations of importance in determining
the truth of a claim lo prophethood. Whether the claimant has
appeared in time of need, i. e., at a time when the need of a
guide was felt by the world, whether he has come exactly at the
prophesied hour, whether he receives assistance from God,
whether he has fully refuted the objections brought forward by
his opponents against his claim, are points which go a long way
to prove the truth or falsehood of his claim. If all these ques-
tions are satisfactorily answered, they would be an evidence of
his truth. Now ib is clear that the at present -moment, the need
of a guide and Reformer is very strongly felt by the whole world.

200

Islam needs the soothing hand of a Reformer who should bring
about union and agreement among the contending sects and the
strong hand of one who should defend it against hostile attacks,

^ while the world generally needs a spiritual guide who should
restore to it the spirituality which it has lost, and re-establish
the certainty which has vanished away from its face, and thus
strengthening faith release people from the bondage of sin and
turn them to paths of virtue and righteousness. These are facts
which no one can deny unless he is blinded by prejudice, and
therefore I clearly fulfil the first of the conditions enumerated
above, viz., the condition of corning in time of need. In the
second place, it requires to be seen whether I have come at the
prophesied hour. In point of time the clearest prophecy is that
relating to the appearance of the Promised Messiah at the end of
, the sixth and the commencement of the seventh thousand from
' Adarn. Computing by the lunar year, the seventh thousand has
begun and by the solar year the sixth is corning to a close. Be-
sides this the Holy Prophet had said, as reported in an authentic
tradition, that among the Muslims a Reformer would appear at
the commencement of every century to give fresh life to the holy

V religion of Islam. But more than a fifth of the fourteenth century
has passed away, and no other Reformer can be pointed out who
has claimed an authority under the tradition referred to above.
Thirdly, it is to be seen whether God has assisted the claimant
or not. This condition is eminently fulfilled in me, for opponents
stood up against me from among every community and left no
stone unturned to bring me to naught and made all sorts of plots

/ against me, but all their designs and plans were hopelessly shat-

w tered by Almighty God. There is no community which can say
that it did not exert itself to destroy me. But against their
wishes Almighty God gave me honor and made thousands of men

,201

my followers. What is it if nob heavenly assistance, for upon i
earth no eibrts were spared to bJot .me put- The stronger the
opposition grew, the more (I was made to flourish, untiLmy follow-
ing now .exceeds two hundred thousand. Had not a hidden hand
been in my support, and had my mission been based on human
machinations, I would have bee>n long before shot iby one of t,he
arrows of which I was made-an aim, ^and being utterly destroyed
no trace , of mine would have been .left to-day. iFor there is no
;doubtr that an impostor does not prosper, but meets with destruc-
tion in one way or another, because God Himself is his enemy.
But Almighty God guarded ;me from .every evil that was designed
against me in accordance -with His promise which He had irnada
t-wenty-four years' before. What a 'wonderful assistance from the
Almighty that He first informed me in > my loneliness :and solitude
that He would assist me and bring thousands, of men to me and
disappoint -my enemies in their evil designs against me,-andthen
brought all this to fulfilment as He had foretold. How manifest
is His assistance and how clear this sign ! Can it be within the
power of man or devil. that ha should when quite helpless foretell
his mighty success in the future, and this should be fulfilled not-
withstanding the efforts of numerous enemies who rise against V
him for his destruction. The fourth condition, 'viz: t that the ob-
jections of the opponents should be fully refuted, has also been
fulfilled by me. The greatest objection that .has been put forward
against .my claim is that Jesus is alive and that he himself must \
come back into the world in fulfilment of :the prophecy relating to
the advent of the Promised Messiah in the last ages. It has
been shown by rue in refutation of this objection that Jesus is ,
dead and he cannot come back. For the Muslims, the authority \
of the Holy Quran is conclusive which says ; u>3 ) *&& ^Vy ^
) The occasion of this verse in the Holy Quran is that

202

on the day of judgment, God would question Jesus if he had said
to his people that they should take him and his mother for Gods
and worship them. In answer to this, Jesus would say that he had
said to them only what God had commanded him to say, viz*, that
they should worship God alone and consider him as His apostle
only, and that he knew what they did so long as he was among
them, " but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou didst witness
their doings and I was quite ignorant of what happened after
me-" The reply of Jesus here is that his followers did not set
up to the false belief of his divinity until after his death.
If, therefore, it is held by a Muslim that Jesus is still alive, he
shall also have to admit that the Christian doctrine is true.
Moreover here Jesus displays an ignorance of the condition of
his followers after his death, a fact which is inconsistent with
the theory of his re-advent, because in the latter case he could
not remain ignorant of the doctrines invented by the Christians
after his death. The belief that Jesus would come back in to the
world, and joining with the Madhi, slay the infidels, falsifies the
Quranic verse quoted above, and must, therefore be rejected.
Nor can it be held that Jesus would conceal before God the fact
that he had gone into the world, lived there far forty years and
slain the Christians, for that is far from the dignity of a prophet,
and besides nothing would remain concealed on the day of judg-
ment. If any one has true faith in the Holy Quran, he can see
that the whole plot of Mahdi's murderous deeds and Jesus' decent
from heaven to assist him in that bloody task, is brought to
naught by a single verse.

When the opponents are vanquished in every point, as a
last resource they bring forward the slender objection, that one
or two out of thousands of my phrophecies have not been fulfilled,
while as a matter of fact this is untrue. Besides this, it will be

203

seen that the prophecies so objected to related to the punishment
of certain individuals arid the Divine law is, as appears from
the Holy Books of God, that a prophecy relating to punishment
is always conditional, whether the condition be or be not expres-
sed in it, and the punishment can be averted upon repentance or
deeds of charity or upon manifesting a fear of God. The
prophecy of the prophet Joaah is an example of this. There was
no express condition in that prophecy, but still the punishment
was averted on the people's repentance. If, therefore, the law
established above were not true, the prophethood of Jonah would
be seriously in question. It cannoc be questioned that God's in
tention to punish a people is suspended or averted on their repen-
tance, and what is prophecy but a manifestation of that intention
through a prophet. If such intention can be suspended or aver-
ted when it is not disclosed to any person, there can be no objec-
tion to its being suspended or averted when it has been revealed
through a prophet. Now the essence of the prophecy relating to
the death of Atharn which is objected to in my case, was that of
the two, Atharn and myself, the party in error would be brought
to destruction before the eyes of the other. The truth of this pro-
phecy has been sealed by the death of At ham, and it is quite un-
reasonable to object to it on the ground that he did not die within
the stated time, for the limit of time had with it a condition in
express words. Atham showed fearfulness and was granted a res-
pite according to the express condition of the prophecy, but when
he concealed the truth, he was soon seized by God and died in
occordance with the piophecy. Even if the condition had not
been expressly stated, he could have taken the benefit of.it ac-
cording to the Divine law with regard to the prophecies of
punishment). Besides this, all the details are not always contained
in prophecies, and such details are only manifested after their

204

fulfilment. Ifc also happens that an error occurs sometimes in the
interpretation of a prophecy, for after -all prophets. ;are mortals.
For instance, Jesus had prophesied that ..his twelve apostles would
sit on twelve thrones, whereas one of them. became the devil's in
his lifetime. He bad also prophesied that the men of .his time
would.be still living when he would come-back. This also remain-
ed unfulfilled on account of error in the interpretation of the words
of revelation. Some other prophecies of Jesus too met a similar
fate. As to my prophecies, there are thousands of them that have
been fulfilled in all their details and to ignore all of these, while
selecting one or two for objection, is nothing but intentionally
rejecting the truth. I fully hope and am certain that df any ione
were to live in my company for forty days consecutively, he
would witness a heavenly sign. Here I finish this lecture and
think t'hat wtaat I have said is sufficient for a seeker after truth.
And peace be upon hirn who follows truth and guidance.

* * * *

An Extract from the Promised Messiah's Lecture
delivered at SiaJkot on the 1st November 1904.

There are ignorant men who because of their .determination
to reject the truth, do not in any way benefit themselves by the
proved signs manifested from heaven, and finding faults with
what has been shown manage to avoid the truth. They level
their objections at one prophecy or two, never mentioning the
thousands which have been so clearly fulfilled as to defy every
objection. What a pity, that they lie so boldly as if they had no
fear of God, and calumniate so grossly as if theyidid not care for
the retribution of the next world. I do not mean to dwell here
upon their calumnies for that is useless. Had they possessed
any piety or entertained any fear of God, they would not have
been so bold and so hasty in rejecting and belying the signs of

205-

God. Had they been really unable to comprehend any sign, they
should have sought its explanation from me. Is it true piety
that they do not so much as mention thousands of the signs
against which they cannot . bring forward any objection and
whenever they have to speak of signs refer only to the one or
two which their warped understanding is unable to comprehend.
Had they had any fear of God, they would havebenefitted by the
prophecies which have been fulfilled, and of which the clearest
proof exists. Every plain miracle is treated as in different 137 as if
it had not existed at all, and where there is a subtle question an
objection is brought forward. Now this is a process which, if
adopted, would bring to naught the prophethood of every pro-
phet, and those who reject rne because they can object to one or
two of my prophecies, will have to reject by and by every prophet
of God, on the same line of reasoning. For instance, Jesus was
a prophet of God and as such he must, no doubt have shown
certain miracles. But if his signs were to be judged by the test
which is applied in my case, the whole body of his miracles would
have to be rejected in the same way as mine are rejected. For,
an opponent with this bent of rnind, can say that some of his
prophecies were not fulfilled. This is what the Jews say to this
day, viz., that all his prophecies turned out to be false. And he
can easily argue that Jesus had prophesied that is twelve apostles
would sit on twelve thrones, but one of them apostatised even
during the life-time of Jesus, and thus the prophecy remained
unfulfilled. He had also said, it may be further asserted by an
opponent, that he would come back before the generation then
living passed away, but generation after generation has slept in
graves for nineteen centuries and still he has not returned.
According to his opponents, his prophecy that he was the king
of the Jews also turned out to be false. And any one who chooses

this procedure, may multiply the list of objections to any extent
that he likes. ID like manner, the whole mass of the prophecies
of our Holy Prophet is denied by men of this type, because of
certain objections to one or two of them.

If the procedure adopted by -my opponents is right, then
nothing will be left in their hands, and they will have to reject
in the same breath the prophecies of every other prophet of God.
There is no doubt that if they continue to walk in this line, they
shall have to bid farewell to Islam itself. In the interpretation
of the words of prophecy, the opinion of the prophesier is some-
times mistaken. But an error of opinion does not in anyway
vitiate the prophecy itself. This was what happened in the
journey of the Holy Prophet during which a truce was made at
Hudaibiyya. Anticipating the time of the promised victory he
undertook a journey to Mecca. But let me say again that such
an error in opinion does not detract from the glory, honor and
excellence of the Holy Prophet. Perhaps it might be said that
the liableness of a prophet's opinion to error, destroys our confi-
dence in his infallibility. The reply to this Objection is that
such error is a very rare occurrence and that infallibility is the
rule. It sometimes happens that revelation comes like a single
/ piece of news, and being concise it does not explain itself. It
then requires to be explained, and such explanation, it is easy to
see, would be a matter of opinion. Now opinion is liable to
r error, though in the case of the prophets of God, this happens
\ very rarely. Such an error does not lessen the effect of the clear
and perspicuous signs which are more numerous. I do not there-
i fore, deny that like all true prophets, I may err in interpreting
! the word of prophecy when there is any obscurity about it, but
then there are thousands of my prophecies which are fulfilled in
the clearest manner and which defy all scepticism. So no defect

207

can be pointed out which can disprove my claim to the office of a *
Prophet. It should, moreover, he borne in mind that in prophe-
cies containing a threatening of punishment, it is not obligatory
upon God to carry out His threat. It k admitted on all hands v
that repentance and prayer avert the punishment. Had such
not been the case, prayers and the deeds of charity which are
generally resorted to by men at the time of Divine visitations,
wouid have been perfectly useless. The well-known prophecy of
Jonah also supports this position. .

Now I close this lecture, and thank God that He has enabled
me to finish it in spite of my weakness and illness, and I pray
that by these words, He may lead many a man out of darkness
and error, ! and guide him into light and truth I pray also that
as He has brought about this gathering of various people, He
may also ordain that accepting the true guidance they may all
love each other and be united by ties of affection. May He
cause the wind of guidance to blow in all quarters ! May He
cause heavenly light to descend from above, for without the
light of heaven, the eye cannot see! May He create the air of
guidance from the unseen, for without air, the ear cannot hear!
Who can come to us, but he whom God Himself may draw? But
He is drawing many men, and there are many more still whom
He will draw. He will unlock many a heart and open it for the
reception of truth. The death of Jesus is the door to my claim. \j
It is the foundation and my claim is the superstructure. Almighty
God has Himself fortified this basis, and the Holy Prophet protects
it against every attack. Almighty God has testified to it by His |
Word and the Holy Prophet by his deed. God has told us in
the Holy Quran that Jesus died, and the Holy Prophet saw in
his famous vision of night-journey that Jesus was included
among the prophets who had died. But there are men he do

208

not cafe for all these testimonies, because they strike at the

! root of their cherished opinions. They give Jesus a peculiarity

. which is not given to any other prophet of God. These are

matters which the Christians count upon as supporting the

r Divinity of Jesus, and many ignorant men stumble because of

\ / such beliefs. I bear witness that Almighty God has informed

me that Jesus is dead. His life involves the destructions of the

j faith of Islam, and to undertake to prove the exploded theory of

his ascent to heaven is a puerile task. The very first fact agreed

upon by all the companions of the Holy Prophet, and thus the

first point of agreement in Islam, was that all the prophets were

dead and that none was an exception to this rule, as is clearly

: stated in the verse : J^ f ) *A*S ^ ^IL & Jy ; $ ) i>*sw> u? j

( ll*r c < )^*^ J I) "Muhammad is no more than an apostle, all the

other apostles have passed away before him." (III. 143). May

God bestow ample reward upon Abu Bakr who was the first to

assert that all prophets had died, and who going up into the

pulpit at once proclaimed this verse of the Holy Quran.

In conclusion, I sincerely thank the Government which has
with kindness and liberal-mindedness granted us religious liberty.
It is this liberty which enables us to preach the truth and to

convey important religious knowledge to others. It is one of the
greatest blessings of this Government for which it. deserves our
deepest and sincerest thanks. I would not exchange this liberty
for a jagir of millions of rupees, for the wealth of this world is
transient and is a thing which must pass away, but the wealth
of liberty does not pass away. I enjoin all my followers to be
sincerely thankful to this Government, for he who does nob
thank a man for his gifts, cannot be thankful to God. The
virtuous man as he thanks God, thanks also the man through
whom he has received any blessing from God. And peace be
upon those who follow true guidance. (Vol. Ill R. R. 1904).

209

The Bubonic Plague.

" Praise be to God and peace be witb His chosen ones ! My
beloved countrymen ! May God show His mercy to you here
and hereafter. You know that the plague has got a footing in
your country and pitched its tents in the very hearts of your
cities* Its onslaughts have drawn tears from your eyes and rent
your heart-strings* Many among you have had to mourn for the
loss of some dear friend, parent, child, kinsman or neighbour
who has fallen a victim to its virulent attacks. Know it for
certain that in sending this affliction upon you the Wise and
Gracious God has tried you and visited you in wrath and venge-
ance. The visitations of the Providence are due to four causes,
and this is an unchangeable law which we witness in the
workings of God as far back as the history of man can be traced.

Firstly, the judgment of God overtakes men when they do
not walk in the paths of Divine pleasure, transgress the limits of
purity and virtue, violate the laws of sanctity, lead their lives
in vanity and self-conceitedness being bent solely upon the mean
cares of this world without any solicitude for the next, unscru-
pulously indulge in wickedness and iniquity, transgress the
commandments of God and trample them under their feet,
commit enormities before His face, and offend Him by open
revolt and shameless villainy.

Secondly, the just retribution of God is dealt out to people
who are disobedient to Rulers appointed over them by Divine
expedience for their material and religious welfare and the
guarding of their lives and properties, run riot and set authority
at naught, shake off the yoke of obedience, do not assist them in
lawful and proper measures, look upon them with distrust,
frustrate their plans by opposition and antagonisn, disobey and
defy their orders like disloyal and faithless, subjects, cut off the

210

connections which God has established, and reject that which
Almighty God has brought about by His consummate wisdom.

Thirdly, the wrath of God descends upon the people who
reject the Divine Messenger who is raised in the beginning of
the century with clear and conclusive arguments in support of
his claim, deny his signs on account of their own meanness and
narrow-mindedness, injure him, persecute him, abuse him declare
him an heretic, mischievously plan his death and falsely and
unjustly drag him into law courts.

The fourth iniquity which moves the Almighty to send a
general calamity upon a people is the^ total absence of sympa-
thetic and merciful feelings from among them which leaves them
like beasts preying upon each other and recognising no social
distinctions,

It should be clearly borne in mind that these are the four
causes which bring about devastating plagues, and we pray God
that out of His infinite mercy and grace He may protect us and
our friends from this devouring evil But the wise and far-
seeing only can understand them. Fear God, therefore, and do
not approach the evils, which bring havoc and destruction, that
you may be saved. I declared it ere now but you would not
listen to my words, I pointed out the path of safety but you would
not walk in it, and I showed you the way but you would not see.
It has occured to me therefore, that I should once more exhort
you so that I should not be blamed for neglecting the performance

of the duties entrusted to me ..."

" Whoever does not take rny words lightly but listens to them
as serious advice, shall meet with certain success Corne to the
Judge, therefore, and repent of your past deeds. Believe what I
say to you to be a benefit for yourself; in it lies my happiness
and yours. Whoever accepts this advice shall see better days.

211

The Lord shall deliver him from all afflictions and save him out
of all his troubles and mend his broken heart. I am certain and
my judgment assures me that all these afflictions are due to the
sinfulness and transgressions of men, and God has justly sent
them upon this generation, as He sent upon those of the past
times. Walk in the paths of Divne pleasure and depart from all
manner of evil and wickedness, and then shall you be saved from
an ignominious death. I fear lest the plague should enter every
city and every inhabited corner of the country and swallow up
every soul, consume every pasture and dry every spring of water.
Do deeds of righteousness and .charity and give alms to the
poor, and you shall surely be saved from destruction. Throw
away the garments of pride and luxury and arise from the
drowsiness of sleepers. Say your prayers in company with those
who stand and bow in reverence to God. Seek deliverance from
the affliction, with perseverance, prayer and charity and God
will forgive your iniquities and deliver you from every affliction.
Then being freed from every error you shall see the mercy of
God. I have spoken to you as the inspired ones of God did speak
and ere long you shall know the truth of my words." (Vol. I. R.
R. 1902.)

Plague Inoculation and the Followers of
the Promised Messiah.

By no means can aught befall us but what God hath ordain-
ed for us. He is our patron and protector: in God alone it
behoves the faithful to trust.

Out of sympathy for its suffering subjects, the Government
has kindly undertaken at the expense of about a million of rupees
to place the benefit of plague inoculation within the reach of the
general public as a safeguard against the anticipated outbreak of
the plauge. To tell the truth, it is one of those benevolent

212

measures of the Government which it is the duty of all sensible sub-
jects to welcome with expressions of greatfulness, and upon which
none but the fools and the enemies of their own souls would look
with distrust or suspicion, for it has often been proved that this
cautious Government never asks its subjects to try any dangerous
remedy, and does not offer one to be taken recourse to by the
people unless it has assured itself of its usefulness and harmlessness
after repeated trials. To impute a selfish motive to the underta-
kers of a benevolent measure which requires an enormous outlay of
money, is most uncharitable. There is not the least doubt that ino-
culation is the best and most efficacious preventive against plague
that the Government has yet discovered. Korean it be denied that
it has actually proved useful when restored to. It is, therefore, the
duty of all loyal subjects to relieve the Government of the great
anxiety it has for their lives by acting in accordance with its de-
sires and getting themselves inoculated so as long there is no
obstacle.

As for me, I most respectfully beg to inform the Govern-
ment that I would have been the first man to avail myself of

^*^**"-" - __^_

, | .its. generous offer, had not an ordinance of Heaven kept me back,
j Almighty God has willed to show to this generation a sign of

1 mercy from heaven. The Lord of the earth and heavens, whose

\ knowledge and power extend over every thing, spoke to me long

I ago, saying : I shall protect thee from the plague and also deliver

all those from this accursed death who live within the four walls

of thy dwelling and those ivho follow thee, provided that they

purge their hearts of all inimical intentions, and with heartfelt

sincerity and humble submission swear repentance on thy hands,

and rebel not against the commandments of God and His

Messenger nor show any vanity, haughtiness, remissness, arrogance,

or self -approbation, and conform their conduct to fhy teaching.

213

But for those who do not follow tkee -faithfully, be thou not
grieved, for such is the decree of heaven. Again His word came
to rue saying: Out of regard for thy residence therein, I shall
save the residents of Qadian in general from destructive plague
and protect it from such a severe outbreak of it as might cause a
panic or depopulate the town.

It is the ordinance of Heaven which renders inoculation
needless for me and for all those who dwell within my house or
follow rue. For Almighty God has said it that people of my sect,
whatever their number, shall be comparatively safe from the
attacks of the plague. Only such of them may be overtaken by
it as are either not true to their pledge or about whom there is
some other reason known to God only. But ultimately people
will see with wonder and acknowledge that compared with my
opponents, my followers have enjoyed with God's assistance a
far greater security from the plague, and that a special provi-
dence of God has watched over them, to which there has been
be no parallel among any other people. At this some will laugh
and call me mad, and others will be startled and surprised to
hear that there is a God who can bring down His mercy upon
His faithful servants without the intervention of physical causes.
To set this scepticism at rest, I declare that without doubt their
exists such an Almighty God. If God had n9t such power,
His seekers would have had to quaff the bitter cup. Wonderful
is the might of the Lord and wondrous are His ways. On the
one hand, He turns the wicked ones against the righteous and
sets them over His favorite ones like dogs, atid on the other, He
gives His angels charge over them and makes them triumph
over their enemies. In like manner, when His fierce wrath
encompasses the world to consume the unrighteous and His
anger is kindled against the workers of im'quily, His eye protects

214

His chosen ones. Had Almighty God not thus extended His
mercy to them, the righteous would have been confounded with
the unrighteous, and no one could have known them from the
wicked. Great are the works of the Lord and infinite is His
power, but they are displayed to men only according to the
measure of their faith. The extraordinary manifestations of His
power take place only for the sake of those who show an extraor-
dinary love and faithfulness in His way, and sever all low con-
nections and suppress all desires of the flesh for His sake. He
does whatever He wills, but His wonders and marvellous works
are displayed only when a man shows a wonderful and marvellous
transformation in his connections with him. In this age, there
are very few who know God or believe in His wonderful works,
but many who have no faith at all in the Almighty Being whose
I voice is heard by all things and with whom nothing is impossible.

) It should be borne in mind that I do not declare it to be

! generally illegal to have recourse to medicines or preventive mea-

~i '

I sures in the case of plague or other diseases, for the Holy Prophet
; is reported to have said that there is'no malady for which God
has not created a remedy. But I consider it sinful to obscure by
inoculation the heavenly sign which God has been gracious
enough to display for rne and my followers and by which He in-
tends to show His distinctive favour to those who accept me in
sincerity and faithfulness. I cannot, therefore, insult and dis-
credit this sign of mercy by submitting to inoculation, and be
guilty of unbelief in the promise of God. If I get inoculated like
others, I shall have to tender my greatful thanks to the physician
who invented the cure and not to God who gave me the promise
that He shall protect all those who live within the four walls of
my house. I declare it as an eyewitness that the promises of
God are true, and I see the impending danger as if it had already

215

corner I know that the real object of Government is no other
than to save people from the plague and if it ever happens to
find out a better remedy than inoculation for the plague, it will
receive it with joy. Considering this, it is plain that the method
which God has revealed to me does in no way conflict with the
aims of Government. Twenty years ago a prophecy about the
appearance of a terrible epidemic and the protection therefrom,
and an increase by that means, of rtiy followers, was published
by me in my work the Barahin-i-Ahmzdiyya, pages 518-9. Since
then the Word of God has emphatically asserted the same pro-
mise repeatedly.

Bare occurances of plague amongst those who class them-
selves as my followers, cannot lessen the value of this sign. For,
it is not to bar death that the sign has been manifested by God.
Amongst the numerous causes of death, plague is one. It is not
to be feared so long as it does not cause a high rate of mortality.
If any one falls vicfcim to it from weakness of faith, or some
blemish in his conduct or the inevitable decree of heaven, or
some other reason known to God only, or if sundry cases of plague
which do not cause panic or'a vast destruction, occur in Qadian,
the sign shall not thereby lose its value. In comparing results
on a large scale, rare occurrences cannot be taken into account.
In saying this, I adhere to the words of the prophecy. Inocula-
tion itself is esteemed an inestimable boon for the comparative
safety it affords and the Government has seen that it is not an
irresistable bar against the attacks of plague. But the public as
well as Government shall esteem the Word of God revealed to
me when they shall see at last that comparatively rny followers
have enjoyed a far greater security from plague than those who
restored to inoculation Those who are endowed with wisdom,
do not laugh at heavenly signs when they are foretold but wait

216

patiently for the consequences. What I have said is the sure
Word of God, not the vague talk of an astrologer; it proceeds
from the brightness of heavenly light, not from the darkness of
conjecture. If subsequent facts do not fulfil my prophecy, I
shall willingly submit myself to the condemnation of not being
from God.

It should further be remembered that the outbreak of the
plague in the time of the Promised Messiah is foretold in the
Holy Quran as well as in several books of the Bible as for ins-
tance in Zach. 14: 12, Matt. 24: 7 (where Jesus makes the
plague a sign of his appearance) and Eev. 21 : 8. It is impossible
that all these prophecies should have been made in vain. The
appearance of the plague and the protection from it of those who
follow me, being signs of God it behoves us not resort to
material resources, so that the sign which Almighty God has
promised to show, may not be attributed to such resources. Bub
if God by means of revelation discloses a remedy or any mode of
safety, the dignity of the sign will not therby be lowered because
both the remedy and the sign emanate from the same supreme
source-

The occasional occurrence of cases of plague among my
people without causing any considerable loss can not lessen the
value of the heavenly signs, for we witness in the history of
early prophets that it was only their ultimate success that served
as a heavenly sign, although in the meantime they occasionally
suffered loss, which being insignificant could not seriously mar
their progress. I emphatically assert that the prophecy shall be
fulfilled in a manner which shall not leave any doubt in the
mind of any seeker after truth as to its fulfilment, and he shall
clearly see that Almighty God has granted a miraculous pro-
tection to my followers from among all the people. To make

217

the matter still more plain, there will ba an extra-ordinary in-
crease in the number of my followers owing to the plague, this
clearly establishing that it is a sign from heaven in rny support.
People should not wonder at the disclosure of this secret of
the future. Almighty God has more then ten thousand times
revealed to rne such secrets and about 150 of these have been
collected in a book shorily to be published. There is not a
single one of my prophecies which has not already been fulfilled
either wholly or in part. Their fulfilment has been as 'clear as
daylight and there are thousands of witnesses for them- They
have not a single parallel in history except in the life of our
Holy Prophet, People shall soon see how the face of Almighty
God is revealed and how He comes near, as if He had come
down from heaven. He kept Himself hidden from the world for
a long time. He was denied but He has been still and has
refrained Himself. But now He shall no more hide His face
and this generation shall see His wondrous deeds which their
forefathers had never seen. All this shall be because the earth
is filled with iniquity and people have no faith in the Maker of
earth and heavens. On their lips are professions of faith but
their hearts are utter strangers to it. Therefore God Almighty
has wished to create a new earth and a new heaven. What is
that new earth and what is that new heaven? By the new earth
are meant the regenerate hearts which have been purified by
God's own hand, which have been manifested by God and
which shall manifest God's glory. By the new heaven are
meant the signs which God is showing to the world through
His servant. But alas ! the world only oppose this new mani-
festation of God's glory. They have nothing but tales to rely
upon ; the God that they worship is an image of their own
desires and passions; their hearts have lost all zeal for truth,

218

their ardour has cooled, and over fcheir eyes are coverings.

Ifc would have been center if these people had not fallen
into temptation, for no one can withstand the will of G-od and
the word is gone out of His mouth that He shall save those
who follow me. This I declare before the whole world, and
request the leaders of other religious sects that if they enjoy any
favor in the sight of God, they should also announce similar
protection for their followers and publish the fact beforehand
so that seekers after truth might be able to judge afterwards of
the merits of each religion. Tne Christian Missionaries should
particularly take advantage of this occasion. They assert that
there is no deliverance but through Jesus. Let them, therefore,
deliver the Christians from this terrible calamity. Of all these
sects only that one can claim the truth which now proves itself
to be most acceptable in the sight of G-od. Every one can now
give proof of the favor he enjoys with the Almighty Being,
without entering into a controversy. Tne method proposed will
not only decide the truth of a religion, but also save its adherents
from the plague. If the Christian Missionaries sincerely look
upon the son of Mary as their deliverer here and hereafter, they
should be foremost in declaring the efficacy of a belief in tnat
Redeemer as a safer protector from plague. In this manner
Government will be relieved of a great burden, for every religious
leader shall undertake to procure protection for his own people
from the God which he believes in or from anything else, which
he regards as his Deity, and intercede with him to save his
suffering worshippers. This method is calculated to do immense
good to mankind, to furnish the proof of the truth of a religion
and to assist the Government in its care for its subjects. I must
also add that those of rny followers for whom the Government
has rendered it compulsory to get inoculated, should obey the

219

orders of the Government. Of the rest, those who cannot act
upon my teachings as given below, (see page 82 of this book)
should also avail themselves of the benefit of inoculation, lest
the Lord should deal with them after their iniquity, and thus
they become stumbling blocks in the way of others by obscuring
the heavenly sign. (Vol. I. R. E. 1902).

Immediate Precaution in case of outbreak of Plague,

"The Government of India consider the evacuation of

infected house as the best plan to minimise chances of infection

from the plague, and the correspondence which has just been
published on this subject directs that as sooa as the plague
makes it appearance in a village or in any mohala, of a town
the residents of the infected quarter should take the earliest
opportunity to evacuate their houses and should live in sheds in
the open at sufficient distance from the infected place. lam
fully confident that this plan is a most efficient one as a remedy
against the plague. Oar Holy Prophet, upon whom be peace
and the blessings of God- also directed that when the plague
made its appearance in any town the people living at the infected
place should be immediately evacuate it and that otherwise they
would be fighting with God. To fly from the place which is
under the wrath of God is an act of wisdom. In the Islamic
history an incident is related with regard to the second Caliph
Omar, which also shows that a place visited with the plague
should be avoided- It is stated that when Omar undertook a
journey to Syria after the conquest of that country, it was
brought to his knowledge on the way to it that the. plague raged
there- On hearing this he at once made up his mind to go back
and not to advance any further. Some people remonstrated
with him on his postponing his journey saying that it was not
proper to fly from the decree of God- But Omar said that he

220

was only flying from one decree of God to another decree and
they were satisfied. In fact it is the duty of man not to choose
the path which is sure to lead him to destruction. Bear in
mind that whatever the Government is doing for the suppression
of the plague, it is doing for the welfare of its subjects. It has
spent hundreds of thousands of rupees for the safety of the lives
of those who live under it. None is more foolish than the
person who looks with distrust upon the Government measures.
My followers! be foremost in showing an example of true obedi-
ence, for in it lies your welfare. Your number is now close upon
four hundred thousand and your example will serve to save
many a life. I enjoin upon you that if the plague makes it
appearance in any town in which you live, you should be the
first to leave the infected locality

" But remember that I do not think this to be sufficient
that you should leave infected localities. Nay, I inform you,
servants of God, that the plague has not of itself appeared in
this country, but it has come by the will and order of God whose
order every particle of this universe obeys I have been informed
that Almighty God is offended with those on earth because of
the multiplicity of their sins. Repent therefore and seek the
forgiveness of your Lord. Mind that as you leave the place
which is infected with the plague, banish also all ideas from
your heart which are infected with evil and sinfulness. Ye that
follow me! I shall not live for ever among you; remember my
words that nothing occurs on earth uuelss the same is decreed
upon heaven, Fear therefore the God who is the God of earth
and heavens, and let there be a transformation in your lives so
that you may be saved from the punishment which is overtaking
others.

" Remember also that it will be wickedness and mischief if

221

you look with suspicion upon the measures or .disobey the orders
of the Government under which you are living peacefully and
whose favours you have witnessed many a time. It is your own
misfortune if you turn away from its orders which are meant for
your own welfare. I do not say aught to you but what is for
your own good) and I do not stand in need of flattering the
Government, for there is only one Lord who is my refuge and
whose protection I seek. He is the King of the earth and the
heavens and I trust that till I die, I shall not stand in need of
anybody else. But I cannot conceal that this Government is a
great benefactor of ours and except that we can pass our lives
with peace and security under this Government, there is not so
much as a span of earth where we should lead our lives in safety.
If therefore we are not thankful to this Government which
Almighty God has chosen for our comfort and safety we shall be
unthankful to God. If I arn not right in saying this, name the
Government which will afford you a shelter in case you leave the
shelter of this Government. You have heard that the Maulvies
who are opposed to you and who are followed by millions of
people in this and other countries have published in pamphlets,
notices and newspapers judgments declaring that you are here-
tics and that your murder is a deed of merit. Similar judg-
ments have more recently been published in the Civil and Mili-
tary Gazette by Syed Muhammad of Peshawar and Maulvi
Muhammad Husain of Batala who gives himself out to be the
advocate of the Ahl-i-Haddes sect. Where then is peace for you
except under this Government? Certainly you cannot find it
under any Muslim Rule. Be faithful to this Government-with a
true and sincere heart and let there be no desire of reward on
your pare for what you have done, for their is sufficient reward
for any service tbat you may render in that Almighty God has

222

appointed this Government to protect your lives and properties.

" I may add that the Government intends to afford every
facility to those who are ready to act upon the measures sugges-
ted by it, and it is hoped that in such parts of the country as the
Frontier Provinces where the lives of those who go out into
fields will be in danger, a danger which is doubled in the case of
the Ahrnadis on account of the fatwas of heresy and murder
aganist them, the Government will if approached properly make
sufficient arrangements for safety of lives in addition to the
arrangements for safety of property which it intends to make
elsewhere.

"Some people object saying why they are required to leave
their houses and to leave in temporary sheds in the fields. This is
a foolish complaint. I know it for certain that even if the
Government did not interfere in the case of such terrible disease,
those concerned would ultimately be obliged to resort to those
very measures which the Government has undertaken for theic wel-
fare. For instance, when plague deaths begin to occur in a house,
the residents of the house will, when they have seen two or three
of them dying, begin to feel anxious for desertion of the house.
But if after leaving it they only take their abode in a different
quarter of the same town, the result will be that infection will be
carried to that quarter. Then they will, no doubt, think of
leaving that town for some other place but this even the Islamic
law forbids, for it does not allow that when plague rages in a
town, the inhabitants of that place should go to some other town.
In other words, even the Divine law forbids leaving an infected
city to take abode in an uninfected one. What other plan there
is, I ask, which under the circumstances we can adopt at such a
dangerous time if we are free to adopt it. It is a pity that evil
is done in return for goodness and the Government measures
and plans are looked upon with suspicion," (Vol. VI R. R. 1907).

223
Plague Remedies Suggested by various Religious Sects

AND

The only true Remedy revealed by the Almighty God.

The various religious sects are nob silent upon this subject
The Muhammadans suggest, as appears from a handbill issued
by the Secretary of the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam, Lahore,
that all the Muhammadan schisms, in every town and village,
should gather together on a certain date at a certain hour of
the day, and forgetting their sectarian differences for a moment
.should all together pray to God to take away this affliction.
This measure, it is asserted, shall afford ao instantaneous relief
from this visitation. The publisher of the hand-bill, however
makes no suggestions as to the manner in which the sectarian
differences can be removed- and prayers said together by the
various Muslim sects, for there are essential differences among
them which according to one sect, render void the prayers of
the other. We are not, moreover, told what the Hindus are to
do at this time of general affliction. Are they too allowed to
seek the assistance of their idols? Should the Christians
worship and beseech Jesus Christ to save them from this des-
truction ? We ought also to have been informed^as to the
.course which those sects should take which look upon AH or
Husain as their deliverer and the supplier of all their needs or
which worship Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani, or Shah Madar or
Shaik Sarwar. All these sects call themselves Muhammadans, but

in the above mentioned announcement no directions are contain-
ed for them and we are not told whether, being Muhammadans,
they should or should not, call upon their own deities for assis-
tance. We may also ask another question from the advertisers
of this general prayer at a fixed hour whether all their various
sects are not now, frightened and terror-stricken, engaged in

224

prayers and supplications to their idols and deities. Walking
into a ward of the Shias, one would fiad every door witnessing
the truth of this couplet:

"I have five saints with whose names I extinguish the fire
of the burning plague, viz., Mustafa (i. e^ the Holy Prophet),
Murtaza (i. e., Ali). Fatirna and their two sons (&.., Hassan and
Husain)."

My tutor, a learned Shia, used to say that the only remedy
for plague is ^y and \^j i. e^ excessive love, bordering upon
worship, of the Imam of the house of Ali, and excessive hatred,
displayed in abuses and imprecations, of the other companions
of the Holy Prophet. This is the Shia amulet for the plague.
It is also said that the first appearance of the plague in Bombay
was looked upon as a miracle of I-marn Husain, for its first
victims were the Hindus who happened to have had a quarrel
with the Shias. But when it levelled its attucks against the
votaries of there idol, the cries of " Husain " began to die away.

Passing on to the Christian religious view of the plague,
we notice a hand-bill issued by Revd. H. M. Weitbrecbt as
expressing the view of a Christian Religious Society. It also
suggests a remedy for the extirpation of the plague which it
regards as the only true safeguard, all others being merely useless.
Our intelligent readers might have guessed it It consists in
taking the man Jesus for God and believing in the efficacy of
his blood.

The Arya, sect of Hinduism lays stress on the point that
this Divine visitation in wrath is owing to people having given
up the Yedas. All men should believe, the Aryas assert, in the
truth of the Hindu scriptures and look upon all the righteous
prophets of God as impostors, and then the plague is sure to
vanish.

225

All these views could have been easily guessed by an
intelligent person, but the most wonderful proposal comes from
the Sanatan Dharm quarter of the Hindu religion. But for the
org-an of conservative Hinduism, the Akhbar-i-Am, this valuable
mystery could never have been revealed to the world. Tne
plague, we are told, is in consequence of the suffering of cow,
and the only measure which can ensure its extirpation is a
prohibition against cow-slaughter. The same newspaper goes
on to assure the public that a person heard a cow speaking that
all this evil and affliction which distressed the country was on its
account.

However superstitious this last statement may, appear all
of them are equal in one respect viz*, that they are all assertions
without any arguments to establish their truth, each the belief
of a different religious sect, and therefore not acceptable to the
public at large. If at this critical hour a person were required
to sit as a judge over all these various beliefs, he would probably
himself pass away before he could pass a judgment over the truth
of anyone of them. This is not the time for the solution of the
intricate problems of belief but we need some decisive measure,
more easily comprehensible, and accompanied with evidence of
the clearest and most conclusive type. It is with this object
that I now appear before the public.

Four years ago I published a prophecy that the Punjab was
about to be visited with severe plague. I then wrote that I had
seen in a vision black trees of plague planted in the villages and
towns of this province, but that if people repented, the disease
would have run its course in two winters only. Vulgar abuses
and denunciations were, however, hurled at ray head in response
to this call of warning, and the result is the destructive state of
the plague in the Punjab as witnessed to-day. God revealed to

226

me His word, then, saying : ^ ^ ) 3
*?. ;^ ) v^-j ) *^ ) ft-***' " Almighty God has willed that He shall not
take away His visitation which He has brought down upon the
people in wrath until the people change their own condition
with respect to their behaviour towards the Apostle of God, and
He, the All-powerful one, shall protect* the village of Qadian

from the destruction of plague," so that there may be a sign that
Qadian was saved out of respect for the Messenger of God who
was there. The truth of this prophecy has already been made
clear. While, on the one hand, plague has widely spread in the
Punjab and rages severely in numerous towns and villages in the
province, being in the fifth year of its life here, we witness, on
the other, that Qadian is up to this moment quite free from the
epidemic, in spite of the fact that it has appeared in villages

* The word ^.. J oceuring in the revelation quoted above signifies the " affording of

protection from a general dispersion and destruction and taking in one's own shelter." The
word has here been used, in fact, In. reference to the highly destructive form of plague known
as the " Ta'un-i-Jarif ' or the destructive plague which sweeps away whole villages and
towns in its onslaughts. This frightening epidemic depopulates whole towns, one part falling
victim to its attacks, and the other flying away from the terror of its name. On account of
its fearful sever fcy and destruction it causes a panic in the country. The revelation therefore
promises a protection against such destruction. This is made clearer by the words of another
revelation (sid } ^ J^J ) T O ) )) J " Had it not been for the regard in which this propa-
ganda is held by God, Qadiaii should have been laid waste with destructive plague." This
revelation establishes two things : (!) It is not against the plain interpretation of the-words of
the revelation that rare cases of plague may occur in Qadian without causing any destruction
or evacuation of the village. (2) It is necessary that, in exact contrast with Qadian, places
which in comparison with Qadian. are the abodes of more refractory, wicked, atrocious and
corrupt persons and of the bitterest enemies and unrelenting persecutors of this propaganda,
shall be visited by destructive plague, and deserted by the people who shall take to flight in all
directions. We therefore, assert that Qadian shall never be visited by Taun-i-Jarif or destruc-
tive plague which depopulates inhabited places and eats away the inhabitants aiid that other
towns and villages, the abodes of iniquitous and turbulent spirits, shall be the frightful scenes
of destructive plague in comparison with Qadian. This is the only place in the whole world
for which Almighty God has promised this protection, All praise is due to Him for this favor

227

situated at not more than two miles from it. It also deserves
to be mentioned that certain persons who were sick with plague
were, brought. in here from infected villages and they all escaped
death. What stronger proof than this could he demanded that
what had been said four years since is being. fulfilled. to-day. Tne
appearance of the plague in the Punjab had been foretold in the
Barahin-i-Ahrnadiyya more than twenty-two years ago. To
reveal such deep secrets of the future could not be within the
power of a mortal. The Message which Almighty God has
now. given to me as to the means which can cause the
plague to disappear from the country, is that people
should believe in me with a sincere heart as the Prom-
ised Messiah. Had my assertion not been accompanied with
adequate proof like the assertion of other religious leaders, I
would have been an idle-talker like them. But I told you of
what was to happen before there was any sign of the thing, and
what I said ere now has been fulfilled to-day. Almighty God
has again revealed to me His word, saying:

P iEJ i yjifj ^ j ; $i I )) y * ? jj jSj ) ^ j i AJ ) ^ C^H j ^ **d *JJ ) ^ & u

^ jL, f J ; ^ J ^ (sy $ ^J i ^ j jl ) > ) o ^4^ jJ | l> )
fy * }} Ju } * r ^b ^ . r y .) 3 * r y .) J r- ; J ' r

^ JJ J 3J ) c Lij ^w^&jj ) j G IxiJ ^ ) j* $ ] J
l U ) ^ j i^/ _j ^J i J vlT) 3 ) & UA ) )

f^i . dJU

I \\1 I** I** * * 1

l^^lj / * I ^ *^ *1 / 7 * v*^ ^ f^& u*^' ' *

I 5 L >xa> C35^ .1*10 ^2a^ v.^. Uir* ^.V i L __-&*M \*) /

God is not going to punish them (i. e., the people of
Qadian) with severe tortures whilst thou art among them. Verily
He shall protect this village from the virulence and destruction
of the plague. Had it not been for the regard and esteem in

228

which you are held, I should have destroyed this village. I am
the Merciful who remove the" afflictions. Verily, My Messengers
shall have no fear or anxiety hefore Me ; I am their protector.
1 shall stand by My Messenger and reproach the man who chides
him ; I shall break the fast and keep it (i. e , for a certain portion
of the year, I shall destroy people' with the plague and for
another portion let them live in peace), My wrath has been
kindled, diseases shall prevail and lives shall be destroyed. But
those who believe, and their belief has no defect in it, shall live
in peace and be delivered from all afflictions. Do not think
that the criminals are quite safe, we are corning nearer and nearer
to their residence. I am preparing My armies, i. e., am multi-
plying the plague bacilli. The people shall be found lifeless in
their houses like so many dead camels- We shall show them
our signs first in distant parts and then among themselves.
Those shall be the days of the assistance and victory of God. I
have made a contract of exchange with thee, i. e , something
which was thine has been transferred to My ownership and
something which was Mine I have made over to thee; do thoti
also say ' God has made a contract of exchange with me-' Thou
art to Me as j a son * Thou art from Me and I fr*om thee, (The

* It should be clearly bornfl in mind that God is free from having sons. He has neither
an equal nor a son. No one has the right to call himself God or the Son of God The relation-
ship of Son towards God is, therefore, a metaphorical expression. In the Holy Quran,
Almighty styles the hand of the Prophet as His own hand saying j ^ [ ^ y aJJ ) jo The

hand which is above their hands is the hand of God ;" and again addressing the Prophet says :
t ^j> Ur b Jj " Say, my servants " instead of <)D J Uc b Jj " Say, the

servants of God " ; and elsewhere we read also < > b ) J> S & &U ) ) * j U "And

remember God like your fathers." Do not stumble therefore at such metaphorical expressions
and be careful wheii you construe them. Believe in the words as they have been revealed
without seeking the " why and wherefore " of them. The clear words of my revelation which
refute the idea of any one being actually the son of God are as follows : ,&j (j J UJ )

229

words " Thou arb from Me" mean bhab ib is I who have senb thee
and showed bhy brtibh bo bhe world and the words " I am from
bhee " mean bhab ib is through 1 thee bhab My face has been reveal-
ed bo bhe world.) The -time is coming when I shall exalb bhee
bo such a high position bhab bhe world shall praise thee. Success
is wibh thee and failure with thine enemies. Wait patiently
unbil bhe promised day arrives. Time shall come when plague
shall wholly die away and no one shall suffer from ib. i. e., ab
lasb there will be peace and safety."

This revelation establishes three bhings:

(1). Ib sbabes bhab bhe plague has made ibs appearance,
because bhe Promised Messiah was not only rejected but also
abused and persecubed. Plans were formed againsb his life and
he was called an unbeliever and Anbichrist. Bub God did nob
desire bo leave His Messenger unsupported. He, bherefore,
made heaven and earbh bhe witnesses of his- cause. Heaven
gave bhe evidence of bhe brubh of his claim by the eclipses of the

> **. * J ) U3

" Say : I am a man like yourselves, and it has been revealed to me from the most High that
your God is God alone, and everything good is contained in the Quran."

* Long ago, Almighty God had told me of 'the plague in the words in which a third
person is supposed to be the Speaker tj [ . jx ,ilJ [ ^JU** b and on the 21st April

; 1901 the word of God was again revealed to me i>so ( -<s ^ J J Li | . j> (J^sJ J ^M/* b
" 0, thou Messiah of k God who hast been sent to the world, hasten (j j [^ U ) /

for our assistance and intercede for our protection with God : thou shalt not see hereafter any

wickedness or disturbance from us (i. e., we shall be plain and can did in future and shall nob

abuse thee." In accordance with this, there is also another revelation. "By sending plague

t l&svftJ | } *gj | MC ( _ jj.*aJJ v _ ftvw.ji Lc tU^. y _ ) ) ^ Ave shall bestow a favor upon

this Joseph, vie., that people shall not abuse him because of the terror of plague." Relating
to these days is also the revelation of God in which the earth is made to say addressing me :
t^ _ ) 3) u^i^iJJ ) J . b "0, thou saint of God, I did not recognise thee before this

time." The earbh was in a vision, brought before me and it addressed me in the words quoted
above; meaning that it did not recognise me as being the sancitifled one of the Merciful.

230

sun and the rnoon in the month of Ramzan, and the earth gave
similar evidence by bringing forth plague, so that the Word of
God may be fulfilled which said: p& ) J* *JJ ) ^ o ^ ^ tie J;>
^^J^j'^l J^j aJJ) ^ M V ^ ^V>A Jj ^/*^y " I have an evidence
from God; will you therefore believe? I have another evidence
from God; will you therefore submit ? " The first evidence is the
evidence of heaven as is evident from the use of the expression
(will you believe ?) which implies no force. The second evidence
is that of the earth which has brought forth plague; and in this
case people are required too submit (not believe as before), because
there is a sort of a compulsion caused by the terror of the plague
which makes them submit to God.

(2). The revelation asserts in the second place that the plague
shall only abate, in case the people accept the Messenger of God,
or, at the least, do him no violence, harm or mischief. In other
revelations of earlier date than that of the Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya
and published in that book. Almighty God says that he shall
send plague upon earth in order to check tbe mischievous and
wicked people who vilified His Holy Messenger. The truth is
that a mere denial of the apostles of God does not bring down
punishment in the present life. Anyone who denies the mission
of an apostle, yet keeps within due bounds of respect and decen-
cy, shall find his punishment in the next world. Death and
destruction sent upon a people on a rejection of the prophets
was ever the, result of their excesses, abuses and persecutions
directed towards the prophets that were sent to them. If people
even now hold their tongues, refrain from the mischief, oppres-
sion and injustice, they have been doing to the Messiah of God,
and repent of all these ways of wickedness, the afflictions too

shall be averted. Thus plague is a warning from God, and on
this occasion many capable hearts shall turn to truth, accept the

231

Messenger of God, and receive the Diviae blessings. Thus shall
the earth be filled up with good and virtuous men.

(3). Lastly, the Revelation establishes that however long the
period of the plague may be, Qadian shall ever be safe from the
destruction and havoc which it works in other towns and vil-
lages, for it is the seat of God's Holy Messenger. This is a sign
for all nations of the earth.

Now if there is anyone who rejects the Messenger of God or
denies the supernaturalness of this sign, and thinks that formal
prayers or the worship of the sou of Mary or reverence for cow
or a belief in the Yedas, can avert this evil, despite the enmity,
opposition and disobedience of this Messenger, he must furnish
like proof of his assertions. It is no doubt the time to judge the
truth of every religion and every claimant has the opportunity
to offer proof of the Divine favor he enjoys. It seems as if Al-
mighty God had appointed this day as the day of final triumph
for the true religion, and brought about this grand exhibition for
every religion to display its truth or falsehood before all the world.
In this grand arena a Champion has already appeared to challenge
others, and Almighty God has named Qadian as the seat of His
Chosen One which He shall, for His Messenger's sake, protect
from the destructions of plague. If the Aryas believe in the truth
of the Vedas, they should prophecy that the plague shall find no
access to Benares, the birth-place of the Vedas, and the most
ancient seminary for the instruction of students in Yedic lore.
The conservative Hindu party, the Sanatau Dharrn section of
the Hindu religion, should also name some city where cows are
found in large numbers and particularly revered, Amritsar for
instance, as enjoining a similar protection out of regard for one
cow. If this revered animal is willing to show some such super-
natural miracle, .Government, we think, shall gladly prohibit its

slaughter, "the Christian should also come forward and name,
for instance, Calcutta^ which enjoys the favor of being the seat of
the great Lord Bishop and as such the greab representative of
j'esus Christ, and inform the world that out of respect for his
great representative, Jesus shall save that city from the ruin of
plague. The Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam of Lahore should alsOj
with the aid of some inspired residents of Lahore, such as Mun-
shi Ilahi Bukhsh, Accountant P. W- D., publish a similar pro-
phecy relating to the grant of a similar protection to Lahore.
This is also the time for Abdul Haqq and Abdul Jabbar to stand
forth as the inspired champions of the city of Amritsar, their
place of residence. Shamsul-Ulama Nazir Husain and his dis-
ciple, Muhammad Husain of Batala, the leaders of the Wahabi
sect, shall not, we hope, lag behind in securing such protection
for Delhi, the birth-place of Wahabism. If all these religious
leaders take these steps, there is no doubt they shall relieve the
country of great afflictions and the Government of heavy res-
ponsibilities. But if they do not come forward now and bring
their religious to the test of this great touchstone, it shall be
clear and unquestionable that the true and Living God is only
He who has sent His Messenger at Qadian.

It should also be borne in mind that if all these men, includ-
ing the inspired leaders of the Muhammadans, the Hindu Pan-
dits and the Christian Missionaries, make no answer to this call
and assume a conspiracy of silence, no other argument shall be
needed to prove the falsity of the principles which they teach
against this Messenger of God. The day is fast approching when
Qadian shall shine out like the noontide sun from among all vill-
ages and towns and prove to the world that it is the habitation
of a righteous servant of God. Last of all the Secretary of the
Anjuiuan-i-Hirnayat-i-Islarn, Lahore, who thinks that God will

233

bear their prayers because tbey are afflicted, is in manifest error
as to the applicability of tbe verse k^)6 ) jk*aJ) ^xo ^l j. e.,
" He is tbe God who hears the afflicted," because the afflicted
spoken of in this verse are those afflicted 'by way of trial and not
by way of punishment. Had the case been as he deems, the
people of Noah, of Lot and Pharoah would all have escaped the
afflictions with which God punished their transgressions against
His Messengers. The verse applicable to their case is found else-
where in the Holy Quran and runs thus: '^/^) aUdUj
J^\y ^1 " And the supplications of the rejectors of the Mesen-
ger of God are useless."

To clear all doubts upon this point, I take the liberty of
repeating the real object of this announcement. The message
which I bear to rny countrymen is, that the plague which now
prevails in this land is due to no other cause than the persistent
rejection, accompanied with abuses, persecutions, fatwas of
heresy, and threats of murder, of the Promised Messiah, who
has made his appearance in the seventh thousand after Adam, in
accordance with the prophetic utterances of the former prophets.
The jealousy of God has therefore come into motion for His
Messenger a-nd He has sent down His warning upon the people
for their mischiefs and insolence. Almighty God had also made
it known in the sacred writings that in the days of the appear-
ance of the Promised Messiah, severe plague shall rage in the
country on account of his denial. The appearance of the plague
was, therefore, inevitable. The name Ta'oon given to this plague
throws light upon its real cause. Ta'oon, is derived from Ta'n>
which means to revile and the word therefore literally means a
great reviler. The plague is called Ta'oon inasmuch as it is the
punishment of those who revile the Prophets of God, thus being
an answer to their calumnies. The Israelites used to be infected

V-'-

234

with it whenever they calumniated their prophets. The inten-
sity found in the meaning of the word Taoon, as stated above,
indicates that it does not overtake people afc an early stage of
calumny but only when the heavenly Messenger is abused and
persecuted intolerably and when the .slanderers exceed all limits.
Therefore nothing but an acceptance of the Messenger of heaven
can check it in its onward march. My message to my countrymen
is that if they have a mind to be delivered from the sore distresses
wliich afflict them, they should accept the Messiah with a sincere
heart. This is a sure and certain remedy,. An inferior remedy is
that people should at least refrain from rejecting and abusing
V him, and that their hearts should be impressed with his greatness
and dignity. (Vol. I E. R. 1902.)

235

A Standing Miracle of Islam in support

of the Proof that Islam is the only

true and Living: Religion on earth.

THE HOLY PROPHET MAHOMMAD PEACE AND BLESSINGS

OF GOD BE ON HIM SAYS :-

;" Verily Qod shaft raise for my followers at the beginning
of every century a man who shaH revive their

religion for them."

(None of the Religions on earth possesses such an
exceptional Divine Blessing.)

Of all the 'religions prevalent in the world, Islam is the only
religion which is free from every error. The erroneousness of
other creeds cannot, however, be traced to their very beginning
but is due to the fact that since the time that Islam was esta-
blished upon earth, heavenly assistance has not been vouchsafed
to other religions. They have, therefore, become like the garden
which has no gardener, no one to tend or cultivate or water it.
Errors have gradually crept into them and they have become
corrupt. Tne trees that yielded fruit have all withered away
and dried up and thorny bushes and pernicious shrubs have
grown up in their place. Spirituality which is the root of reli-
gions has vanished away and nothing has remained in the hands
of their followers except vapid wards. The life and the spirit
are gone for ever and they have never been re-animated. But
Islam has not been brought to this condition. As Almighty God

236

ordained' that tka garden of Ida m, should *be?$ver- green
fore He watered it a new at the commencement of every century

after the Holy Prophet and did not allow it to wither or loose its
freshness Though whenever a man of God was raised for the
regeneration of the world, ignorant men opposed him and severe-
ly resented the correction of errors which had taken a firm root
in their customs and institutions and been grounded in ; their
habits, yet Almighty God did not forsake His law until in this
age, when the final struggle between truth and error was to be
fought, finding the Muslims in a state of remissness, He again
remembered His promise made of old concerning the last ages,
and breathed new li'fe into the faith of Islam at the commence-
ment of the fourteenth century of Hejira and the seventh or
the last thousand of the present cycle of the world. But since
the time of our Holy Prophet, other faiths have not experienced
such regeneration, and therefore they are all now dead and devoid
of spirituality, and errors have taken such a firm root in them
as dirt in a cloth which is never washed. Men who had no share
of the holy spirit in them, and whose disobedient spirit had not
yet been purified of the dross of earthliness introduced into them,
principles according to their own evil desires, and with such cor-
ruption changed their whole nature and their very appearance-
v Look at Christianity for instance, how holy were the principles
upon which it was originally based. Though the teachings
given by Jesus Christ appear to be defective when compared
with tne teachings of the Holy Quran, this being due to the
apparent reason that the faculties of man had not at that stage
been yet completely developed and accordingly the time for a
perfect teaching had not arrived, yet these teachings were quite
in accordance with the requirements of that time and embodied
excellent principles of moral and spiritual growth, and pointed the

237.

way to the same God to whom the Old Testament had guided men
before. But after the death of Christ, the Christians set up a
new God for themselves, of whom no trace was found in the
books of Moses and ;the prophets, and who was quite unknown
to the Israelites. Faith; in this new God overturned the whole
scheme of the Old Testament doctrines. All the directions
which had been given by the prophets of God for many centuries
for attaining true purity of life and obtaining salvation from the
bondage of sin, were overthrown, and purification from sin was
based on the monstrous theory that Jesus was in fact God and
that he himself chose to die a shameful and accursed death on
the cross in order to give salvation to. the world. But the
Christians did not stop here. They went further still and abo-
lished many of the Old Testament laws which had been given
for all times. In short, the Christian religion has uudergone a
complete metamorphosis and is so completely changed that if
Jesus himself were to come back, he would not recognise in
Christianity the religion which he had taught and preached. It
is astonishing indeed that men who had been eujoined to regu-
late their conduct by the laws of Old Testament which had been
given for all times forsook that sacred book all at once. For
instance, it is nowhere written in the Gospels that the prohibi-
tion against the flesh of swine was taken away by Jesus, or that
circumcision which was required by the law was prohibited by
him. How could principles be introduced into religion regard-
ing which Jesus gave no directions? But it had been ordained
that a universal religion viz-, Islaru, should be established upon
earth, and the corruption of Christianity served as a sign of its
advent-

Hinduism had met a similar fate before the appearance of
Islam. Idol-worship was prevalent throughout India, Corrupt

238

beliefs had replaced the true and simple monotheistic doctrines.
The same corruption sfcill prevails in the beliefs entertained
by the Arya Samaj who hold that the Creator like mortals stands
in need of material to make things. One error called forth
another and as a necessary consequence of the first belief, ano-
ther erroneous belief had to be formed according to which the par-
ticles of matter and the souls are regarded as self-existent and
eternal like God Himself. Had the Aryas given a little reflec-
tion to this point, they would have discovered the error of their
belief. For, if God stands in need of material ia His attribute
of creation like mortals, then He must also like men stand in
need of resources in His attributes of seeing hearing, &c. The
power of hearing in man depends upon the transmission of sound
by the waves of air, and the power of seeing in him depends
upon the existence of light. Does God too then need air and
light to hear and see, and is He like mortals dependent upon
these things? If He does not, as the Arya Samaj will be obliged
to admit, then it is equally certain that Hedoes not need material
for the exercise of Hi.s attribute of creation In short, it is a
false logic which attributes to the Divine Being a weakness and
dependance like that to be met with in mortals. In fact such
a belief involves the likening of Divine powers and attributes to
the powers and attributes of man- Man is, no doubt, not able
to make something out of nothing, but to judge of the power of
God in accordance with that of mortals is an error. Man is a
finite being and God is infinite, and by the power of the infi-
niteness of His existence, He can bring other things into existence.
Such is the mighty power of His Godhead. If He too like men
had depended upon other things in the exercise of His power,
He could not have been anything more than a mortal. Is there
any one who can resist His will or withstand His power? Is

. , . .

^ the Mighty God, unable to create earth and heavens in the
twinkling of an eye if He so wills it ? Those among the Hindus
in whom learning went hand in hand with spirituality, and for
whom a false logic had no charms, never entertained the
erroneous belief whioh the Arya Samaj holds. Such a belief
gains currency only on account of an estrangement from the
Divine Being, which is, in other words> the absence of spirituality.

(Vol. Ill R. E. 1904.)

When Almighty God saw that the world was steeped in
iniquities, transgressions and error?, He raised me to draw it ^
from this state of degradation and commanded me to preach the
truth and reclaim the world from the evils into which it had
fallen. So, exactly at the time when the thirteenth century of
Hejira had come to a close and the world had entered upon the
fourteenth century, I announced my mission in obedience to the v
Divine commandment and made it known to the people through
rny words and writings that I was the Reformer promised to \ f -
appear at the commencement of the fourteenth century for the
reformation of the faith, so that I should re-establish upon the earth
the faith which had vanished from its face, and that being strength-
ened by God, I might draw the world by the powerful attraction
of His hand to true virtue, piety and righteousness and remove
the prevailing errors in doctrine and practice. A few years
after this I was informed in clear and plain revelations from the j
Divine Being that I was the very Messiah who had been pro- ^
mised from the beginning for the last days, and that I was also
the last Mahdi who was ordained to appear at a time when Islam
would be in decline and errors would prevail, and who being
guided in ohe right path by Almighty God Himself, was destined
to offer heavenly truth anew to the world, and the glad tidings
of whose advent had been given by the Holy Prophet, may peace

240

and the blessings of God be upon him, thirteen centuries ago.

(Vo). II. R. R. 1903.)

Listen Earth ! and bear witness Heaven I that I have
received inspiration from on high, and have found access to the
Divine mysteries. I have been sent in the early piart of this
century in order that I may restore Islam to its original purity,
and as a judge remove the differences that are tearing asunder
the Muhammadan sects, and armed with the weapons of heavenly
signs, destroy all false principles, and bring about a spiritual
transformation in the whole world. (Vol. II. R. R 1903.)

Another point which deserves to be noticed is that the
revelations of all the Muhammadan saints fix the appearance of
the Messiah at the commencement of the 14th century of Hejira,
and not a single revelation takes it further. There is moreover
an authentic tradition to the effect that a Spiritual Revivalist
will be raised among the Muslims at the commencement of every
century, and since the Messiah will also be a Spiritual Revivalist,
therefore if he does not appear in the earlier part of the century
his advent shall have to be delayed for another century, an idea
not only repugnant as suggesting the decline of Islam for another
century, but also opposed to all prophetical writings.

.,; (Vol. II R R 1903.)

The advent of a Reformer at the commencement of every
century is admitted by all, and it is further admitted that the
Promised Messiah will also come as a Reformer. But no one
can point out where the Reformer is who ought Jto have appeared
at the commencement of the fourteenth century of Hejira. The
eclipse of the sun and the moon in the month of Ramzan was
the sign fixed for the advent of Mahdi (another name for the
same Reformer), and more than eight years have elapsed since
that sign was seen on the heavens, but no Bother Mahdi can be

241

shown. If it be said that though the sign has appeared, yet the
person whose advent it denotes, will appear after some time, there
would be great difficulties, for in that case any number of men
may claim Mahdiship and accordingly the advantage of the sign.
Heaven has shown a mighty sign, but people do not care for it.
The prophets had also spoken of another sign to appear after the
eclipse,- a heavy disaster which was to befall the world. This has
appeared in the form of plague which has wrought a havoc in the
country. It has destroyed hundreds of thousands of souls, and
who knows what destruction it may yet bring about, but people
have not recognised him whose sign it is. Heaven and earth
have borne testimony to my truth, but their testimony has been
rejected. God is jealous and He will show His jealousy because
His signs are denied. He will not leave this disobedience unpun-
ished. Both the Quran and the traditions speak of another sign,
a new conveyance which was to replace camels. Thus the Holy
Quran says: u>ils ^ U.*J ) i ) ^ " When the camels will fall into
disuse," while a tradition says : ^* ^*~ ^ u* ^ J ^ j*tf "Verily
the camels will be given up and they will not be used for riding
upon." This sign has been brought to fulfilment in a wonderful
manner, so much so that even in the deserts of Arabia where
camels have not been dispensed with from time immemorial,
railways are under construction, and thus camels will soon fall
into disuse there fulfilling the great prophecy. Could I bring
about the fulfilment of these signs in support of my claim by my
power? Had I any control over the solar system that I should
have brought about the eclipse of the sun and the moon in
accordance with the prophecy ? Or could I create the germs
of plague in order to fulfill the prophecy concerning this epidemic?
Or was it at my instance that pilgrimage to Mecca was obstructed?
All the signs fixed for the advent of the Messiah have been

242

brought to fulfilment by. Almighty God who has control over the
system of the universe, and every argument has been produced,
but there is still the same denial. (Vol. Ill E. R. 1904.)

The wrath of God descends upon the people who reject the
Divine Messenger who is raised in the beginning of the century
with clear and conclusive arguments in support of his claim, deny
his signs on account of their own meanness and narrow minded-
ness, injure him, persecute him, abuse him, declare him an heretic,
mischievously plan his death and falsely and unjustly drag him
into law-courts. (Vol. I E. E. 1902.)

No one can take you to heaven but he who comes from
heaven. If you knew that the fresh and certain Word of God is
the true remedy for your diseases, you would not have. rejected
him who came with this blessing in the beginning of the century.

(Vol. I E. E. 1902.)

A Glorious Prophet came into the world for the regeneration
of mankind, i. ., the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may God pour
His choicest blessings upon him, and he called people to the path
of the true and living God whom the world had quite forgotten
and forsaken, but in the present age he has been held in such
contempt and disdain and abused to such an extent that there is
no parallel to it in any other period of history. Almighty God
has moreover sent in the commencement of the 14th century of
Hegira, a servant of His, i. e., the writer that he may bear wit-
ness to the truth, glory and grandeur of the great Prophet, and
preach the unity of God and glorify Him, but he also has been
abused and anathematized. This is the reason of the calamities
that have befallen the world in this age. There is no fear of God
in the hearts of men, there is much o'f vain talking and babbling
but as to real worth, the purity of heart, there is none. There
is a great ado about society, and national considerations solely y

243

occupy the hearts which are totally devoid of every impression
of the glory and majesty of God. (Vol. II R. R. 1903.)

It should be further borne in mind that for proof of the
blessings and fruits of Islam stated above, we do not refer the
seekers after truth only to the past. Islam is not a dead religion,
and we are not compelled to say that the blessings of Islam are
left behind. It is in fact the unique excellence of the holy faith
of Islam that its blessings are unbroken and continuous. It
offers not only its blessings in the past but similar blessings even
now. The world stands ever in need of blessings and heavenly
signs, and it is absurd to suppose that it stood in need of such
signs in the past but can do without them now. Man is a weak
creature, and walks blindly until he is shown traces of the
heavenly kingdom ; and his faith is a blind faith until he wit-
nesses the wonderful signs of the existence and power of God.
The signs shown in a previous age are of no avail in a later age
unless they are renewed. The relation of stories of wonders dis-
played in the past can never produce the conviction which signs
witnessed by a man himself can do. Every new century is the
inauguration of a new era and the beginning, as it were, of a new
world. The God of Islam, who is the true God, therefore mani-
fests new signs in each new world; and in the commencement of
every new century, especially when the world goes astray from
probity and righteousness and is involved in darkness, He raises
a vicegerent of the Holy Prophet in the looking glass of whose
nature the person of the Holy Prophet is imaged forth. The repres-
entative so raised shows the excellences of the Holy Prophet
whom he follows and establishes the charge against his oppo-
nents by truth, by showing the reality and by exposing them; by
truth, because shows that the prophet whom they rejected
was a true prophet, and shows the heavenly signs for his truth ;

244

by showing the reality, because he solves all difficulties in the
. comprehension of the religion of the Prophet, and removes all
doubts that are entertained with respect to it, and refutes all
objections that are urged against it and by exposing them, be-
cause he rends asunder all the veils under which they hide
themselves and lays bare before the world their folly in not
comprehending nice points of religious truths, their love of
remissness, ignorance and darkness, and their being forsaken by
God and cut off from communion with him. The perfect man
who is raised for this purpose is a recipient of Divine revelation,

I . and he is purified and blessed and has his prayers accepted by
God. He shows with clearness that God exists and that He is
powerful over all, sees, hears and knows every thing, and regu-
lates affairs according to His will, that prayers are in fact accepted
and have an efficacy, and that the men of God actually show
heavenly signs. He is not only himself rich in Divine know-
ledge, but his appearance brings about a life in the faith of the
people. The heavenly signs which were rejected and scoffed at
by people as opposed to the laws of nature and contrary to reason,
or, if treated with respect, were considered at the most to be
stories, are not only accepted as truths at his appearance because
of their renewal at his hands, but the absurdity of the former
position is also fully realized. It is then, clearly seen and even
regretted that what was taken to be wisdom was really folly, and
that which was considered to be knowledge of the laws of nature

V was in fact ignorance. In short, the Holy One raised by God
falls like a flame upon the world and gives a light to every one
according to his capacity. He is at first tried, thrown into afflic"
tions persecuted on all sides, abused and injured by all possible
means, and every attempt is made to bring him to disgrace, but
as he has with him the argument of truth and Divine assistance,

246:

he overcomes all difficulties and vanquishes his enemies, and the
rays of the light of his: truth are made to pierce into the world
by a powerful hand. When Almighty God sees that the earth
has rejected him, He commands the holy host of heaven to bear
testimony to his truth. Therefore a clear and bright testimony
comes down for his sake from heaven in the form of extraordi-
nary heavenly signs, acceptance of prayer and the disclosure
through him of deep religious truths and verities. This
heavenly testimony gives sight to the blind, and hearing to, the
deaf, and the power of speech to the dumb. There are' many
who are drawn at that time to the truth; but blessed are they
who accept him previously, for they on account of their strength
of faith are granted the dignity of the siddiqs (the truthful servants
of God). But this is the Grace of God, and He bestows it upon
; whom He wills.

To complete the ^argument that Islam is a living religion, I
deem it my bounden duty to state further that finding the world
involved in utter darkness and^ plunged in the depth of ignorance
remissuess, unbelief and is/m*&, and finding faith, sincerity and
righteousness vanishing away, Almighty God has raised me to
re-establish in the .world the purity of doctrine and -practice, and
the purity of morals and faith, and to save Islam from the hostile
attacks of those who with the weapons of a false philosophy and
science, lawlessness, atheism, etc., are trying to damage this im-
pregnable rock. It was exactly the time when Islam stood in
need of heavenly assistance, and this Almighty God has vouch-
safed by raising me. The general prevalence of error, which is
to be witnessed in ; this agej has taken- place in fulfilment of the
prophecies relating to the appearance of the anti-Christ, as fore-
told by the prophets, of God. Tne basis of these errors has been
laid by Christianity, which inculcates the most fatal error. It

246

was, therefore necessary that the revivalist or representative of
the Holy Prophet appearing at the commencement of this cen-
tury, should have come after the name of Christ, for the found-

^ ation of the present evil has been laid by the followers of Christ.

^ It has been disclosed to me in a revelation that the soul of Jesus
being informed of the poison with which Christianity affects the
spiritual atmosphere, came into motion for. a spiritual re-advent
into the world. Having thus come into motion, and finding his
own people spreading destruction in the worldj the soul of Jesus
required that one resembling him in all points and having the
same spirit and character should appear as his representative
upon earth, there being such a spiritual likeness between the

^ two that they may be considered as one. So, according to the
promise which Almighty God had already made he raised one

t/ resembling Jesus and in him was manifested the resolution,
character and spirituality of Jesus. He and the Messiah were so
closely united as to be considered as being of the same essence.
The attractions of Jesus made his heart their habitation and
fulfilled their requirement through him. In this sense, therefore
his personality was considered as the personality of Christ him-
self, for the resolution of Christ was manifested in him and
/ this manifestation was metaphorically expressed in spiritual
language as the second advent of Christ. It is a deep spiritual law
that the resolution of some one of the perfect ones who
have passed away, is imaged in some living perfect man, and
the unity of their ideas makes the connection so strong that the
appearance of the latter is looked upon by the former as his own
appearance. The person whose soul is thus united with the soul
of a past saint becomes, as it were, an instrument for the mani-
festation of the will of the latter, and the will of the one is made
by Almighty God identical with the will of the other. It short,

247

it is a Divine law that the former prophets re-appear in the world
in this manner. The second advent of Elias in the person of
John took place according to this law; and if this law is not
recognised, the Messiahship of Jesus would be seriously in
question. (Vol. Ill R. R 1904.)

Every Muslim must recognise Imam-
e-Zaman or the Spiritual Leader
of the time who is specially raised
by the Almighty God at the begin-
ning of every century.

THE HOLY PROPHET MOHOMAD PEACE AND
BLESSINGS OF GOD BE ON HIM SAYS:

" He who does not recognise the Spiritual Leader of his
time certainly perishes the death of ignorance"

It is further necessary that there should reign in the heart the
absolute conviction that light is granted to man from heaven only
through the sun who is the Imam (the Spiritual leader) of his time.
Hence it is that ignorance with regard to such a Spiritual leader is
followed by a death of ignorance. The person who thinks he can do
without that real source of light is deluded, for he sets himself in
opposition to the unchangeable laws of God. The eyes have a light,
yet to avail themselves of it they must borrow the light of the sun.
The Imam resembles the sun in being the true source of all light:

tJ O J

he comes from heaven and illumines the world, and the eye is
blind that does not borrow light from him. On the other hand,

248

the person who, with the aid of this light, stands on a firm
footing of certainty is attracted towards virtue. Between the
earthly and heavenly attractions a struggle would naturally follow
and each will try to overcome the other. The one shall be drawr
ing a man to virtue, ;the other to vice, the one to the easfc and
the other to the west. The more powerful the two opposite
attractions grow, the more fearful shall the struggle be. It is a
necessary consequence of great material progress that these two
attractions should display their highest powers. When the world
has attained the highest stage of material advancement the days
of heavenly advancement are not far. It is certain that upon
the heavens also preparations are, then, being made for a spiritual
reformation. An attraction is produced upon heavens and the
two concend with each other for supremacy. Dreadful is the
day when neglect and vanity reign supreme upon earth, for it is
the day of vengeance and the promised day of the great spiritual
struggle. . That terrible struggle has been described in metaphori-
cal language by the holy prophets of G-od. Some have represr
ented it as the final struggle between the angles of heaven and the
devils of the bottomless pit, at the close of which comes the end
of the world ; while others have from crass ignorance taken it to
be a physical struggle which shall be carried on with steel and
gunpowder. The latter view is, no doubt, the result of misjudg r
ment and superficial notions, and metaphorical words describing
a spiritual contest have been misconstrued as meaning a physical
war. " (Vol.. I R. K 1902.)

249

Why are the Muslims called the best of all people and
their Holy Prophet Mahomad peace and blessings
pi: God be on him called the Seal of prophets
and the only Living Prophet? >;

; - The Muslims are called the. best of all people in the Holy
Quran. < If it were true that the gift 'of Divine revelation was
never to be granted to' them, they should have been called the
worst of all people; There were many recipients of Divine re-
velation among the Israelites, but Israel lost favour in the sight
of God on account of its repeated transgressions. The Muslims
came as successors, and as their Holy Prophet was the most
excellent of all prophets^ so they were the most excellent of all
people. This meant that while other people to whom Divine
revelation was granted deprived themselves of this boon by their
own misdeeds, the Muslims were never to be deprived of this
Divine favour. Islam was a living religion and spiritual death

' . * . . ' , i. i . -

was never to overtake it. Its blessings had to continue to the day
of judgment. ; Hence the Holy Prophet was called ^1^',^
the seal of prophets, which meant, not that the gift of Divine
revelation was with his advent witheld from men for ever, but
that the door -to this blessing was everlastingly opened by him,
and his imitation was sure to bring this gift to every people in
all ages to the day of judgment. The prophets that passed before
him had their blessings discontinued after some time, but not so
were the blessings of the Holy Prophet because these were to
continue for ever. The door had been shut to the Israelites,
but if it remains closed even to the Muslims, in what did they
excel the former. How can a blind man claim an excellence over
a blind man ? If revelation inspiration and the manifestation of
heavenly signs, the highest Divine blessings, had been discontinued
so far as the Jews were concerned, did the door remain closed for

^250

ever afterwards? My opponents would fain answer this question
in the affirmative, but I say this belief is a disgrace to the Holy
Quran and the noble religion of Islam. This is in fact my only
difference with, them. I say that the blessings and the fruits of
Islam are still the same as they were in the time of our Holy
Prophet, that Almighty God manifests the signs of His: power
as He manifested them before and that He speaks as He spoke
ere now, but my opponents deny all these facts and say that the
blessings of our Holy Prophet are left behind and shall never
more be witnessed. Ah ! they are not yet aware of the dignity of
the Holy Prophet, of the grandeur of the. Holy Quran and of the
glory of God. Islam is a living religion, the Quran a living book,
our God a living God, and our Prophet a living Prophet : how
can their lights and blessings be then deacl ? Ah! what greater
calamity than this that we should believe that the Muslims must
for ever be deprived of the blessings of Divine revelation while
the Holy Quran calls them the! best of all people. What for
should they pray then if their prayers are not to be attended with
fruits and blessings? Why should they seek if they are told that
the object they seek for can never be attain-ed? To tell them tq
pray in such a case is just like telling a man to dig a well inform-
ing him at the same time that he would never come to water,
should he dig ever so deep. . Certainly all exertions in the path
of God must cease if they cannot bear any fruit. If there is no
answer from God, why should man pray? In short, unless it is
admitted that Divine revelation is a blessing to which a true
Muslim can always have. access, neither would Islam be a true
religion, nor would the Muslims be the best of all people. But
Almighty God has informed me in a revelation which I have
published in the Brahin-i-Ahmadiyya that "every blessing pro-
ceeds from Muhammad, may peace and the blessings of God be
upon him, and blessed is the Master as well as the disciple."

(Vol. IY B. B.1905.)

251

JEHAD OR RELIGIOUS WAR.

There is not the least truth in the assertion that it is the
time for resorting to the sword and gun for spreading the true
religion and righteousness. The sword, far from revealing the
beauties and excellences of truth, makes them dubious and
throws them into background. Those who hold such views are
not the friends of Islam but its deadly foes. They have low
motives, mean natures, poor spirits, narrow minds, dull brains
and short sight. It is they who open the way to an objection
against Islam, the validity of which cannot be questioned.
They hold that Islam needs the sword for; its advancement and
thus brand its purity and cast a slur upon its holy name. The
religion that can easily establish its truth and superiority by
sound intellectual arguments, heavenly signs or other reliable
testimony, does not need the sword to threaten men and force a
confession of its truth from them. Keligion is worth the name
only so long as it is in consonance with reason. If it fails to
satisfy that requisite, if; it has to make up for its discomfiture in
argument by handling the sword, it needs no other argument for
its falsification. The sword it wields cuts its own throat before
reaching others'.

If it be objected that sword was resorted to by early Islam
and hence the legality of Jehad,, we say the objection is based
upon ignorance of early Islamic circumstances. Islam never
allowed the use of the sword for spreading the faith. On the
other hand, it strictly prohibits compulsion in matters of faith.
It has the plain injunction ^.^ ) ^y !/) ^ " There shall
be no compulsion in religion." Why was the sword taken in hand
then? The circumstances under which this measure had been
resorted to have nothing to do with the spread of religion; they

252

are connected with the preservation of life. Briefly, they areas,
follows:

The savage inhabitants of the deserts of Arabia, whofcould
' hardly distinguish right from; wrong, conceived a hatred towards
Islam in its earliest day and became its bitterest enemies. The
reason of this hatred may be easily conceived. When the Unity
of God and the Islamic truths were preached openly to idolatrous
Arabs and convincing argument aganist idol worship were im-
pressed upon their minds and they were told how degrading it
was for the noblest of God's creatures to bow submission to
stones, they found themselves usable to meet the adherents of
the new faith upon argumentative ground. The exposure led
to a motion in favour of Islam among the more reasonable of
them. The ties of relationship were cut asunder, the son parted
from his parents and brother from his brother. This exasperated
them the more and they saw plainly that if their fathers' ; false
religion was to be saved, excessive measures must be taken to
stop the ingress into the new religion. The new convest to Islam
; were therefore violently persecuted and no efforts were spared to
blocked the way to the new faith. Those, acquainted with early
Muslim history- know full well what barbarous and cruel treat-
ment was ineted out to the early converts, and. how many were
murdered in cold blood. But these harsh measures did not pre-
vent people from the acceptance of truth, for even a superficial
glance is enough to convince a man of the reasonableness and
purity of Islam as against idolatory. At length when the impla-
cable foes of Islam saw that severe persecution availed but little
and that their ancient religion was threatened to be swept away
in the current of muslim reason, they planned ; tbe death of the
Prophet himself. But their designs were frustrated. Almighty
God saved His Messenger and took him to Medina. The unbe-

253

lievers, however, could nob test in their homes so long as they
heard that the religion they had persecuted was gaining ground
in another place. They pursued the Muslims to their new abode,
and nothing but their extirpation could satisfy them. What
could Islam do under circumstances but defend itself? For what
fault were Muslims to be mercilessly butchered and not allowed
to protect their lives? Why should not the inveterate persecu-
tors have been brought to retribution and just punishment?
The Muslim battles were therefore not undertaken for gaining
converts but to protect innocent Muslim lives. Can an unbiassed
judgment accept the conclusion that Islam was unable to prove
its reasonableness as against savage Arabs? Can an unprejudi-
ced mind believe that men who had sunk down so low as to
worship images and lifeless things and who indulged in every
manner of vice, could yeu vanquish the noble religion of Islam
on intellectual grounds, and that failure in proof led it to resort
to the sword for increasing the number of its followers? Those
who have advanced such objections against Islam have been
guilty of grave injustice, in as much as they have concealed the
true state of facts.

It is, however, true that the Musalman Maulvis and the
Christian Missionaries are equally to blame for this unjust charge
against Islam. The ignorant Maulvis while pretending to sup-
port Islam have by their repeated inculcations, ingrafted the false
doctrine of Jehad upon the minds of the unenlightened public
who were misled by \>\\Q fatwas of the Maulvis on the one side
and the objections of the Christian Missionaries, whom they took
for learned men, on the other. The doctrine of Jehad being thus
supported by the evidence of two opposing witnesses, its validity
could not be questioned by the masses. Had the Missionaries
taken a different course and with true honesty declared that the

254

fatwas of the Maulvis were based on ignorance of the -early
Islamic history, and that the circumstances which then rendered
and appeal to arms necessary for Muslims, did not exist any
more, the idea of Jehad would long since have been eradicated
from the face of earth. But they never looked to the consequen-
ces and a misdirected zeal for their own religion cast a veil over
their judgment in grasping the truth.

It must also be stated here that permission for self-defence
and murdering the enemies of Islam was not given -to the Mus-
lims until the Arabs had, on account of their excessive oppres-
sions and outrages and innocent bloodshed, rendered themselves
culpable and liable to be punished with death. But a clemency
was even then shown to such of them as embraced Islam. The
unity of religion established a relation of brotherhood and all
past wrongs were forgotten. It is here that some opponents of
Islam .have stumbled and from this draw the conclusion that the

new religion was forced upon the unbelievers. In fact, the case
is just the reverse of what the objectors have thought. There is
no compulsion here ; it was a favour to those who had rendered
themselves liable to death. It is apparently absurd to take this
conditional mitigation of just punishment for compulsion. They
deserved to be murdered, not because they did not believe in the
mission of the Prophet, but because they had murdered many an
innocent soul. The extreme penalty of the law was upon them,
but the mercy of the Gracious God gave them another chance of
averting this merited capital punishment. He knew that during
the long years of opposition the Islamic truths had been brought
home to them and they well understood the futility of idol-
worship, therefore His mercy offered them an opportunity, even
after the sentence was justly pronounced against them, for implor-
ing His pardon arid the forgiveness of their sins. This clearly

255

shows that it was not the object of Islam to put any unbeliever
merely as such to death, but that it was willing to forgive even
when the criminal was found deserving of death.

Islam had to grapple with other difficulties. Religious
prejudice was so strong at the time that if a member of any tribe
adopted the faith of Islam, he was either put to death or threa-
tened with it, and persecution was so severe that life seemed a
burden to him. Islam had therefore to face the difficulty of
establishing -freedom of religious exercise and for this noble
object ic had to undertake wars.

The early wars of Islam fall under either of the above head-
ings and it never took the sword for its own propagation or for
any other purpose. Attempts were made to blot out its very
existence and therefore it had to struggle for its life. It did not
take up arms of its own accord but was compelled to do so. It
had to defend itself and repel the dangerous foe. Later on, when
its true -principles were forgotten, the doctrine was read in a
different light and ignorance looked with pride upon a hateful
course of life. But the fault can in no way be attributed to Islam.
The source from which it flows is pure and undefiled. That
this doctrine has been identified with Islamic teachings by shal-
low-brained zealots who do not care for the life of man even so
much as man should care for the life of a sparrow, cannot be
questioned. But the innocent blood that has been spilt in the
past does not satisfy them. They have yet a bloody Mahdi in
store for the world and would like to exhibit the ugliest picture
of Islam before all nations, that all people may know that
Islam has always had to resort for its propagation to compul-
sion and the sword, and that it has not a particle of truth in it
to gain its conquest over hearts. It seems as if the holders of
these views are not satisfied with humiliation and decadence

256

which Islam has already suffered, but must .bring it still lower
and subject it to yet more disgrace. These men are a reproach
to Islam. But God now wills that Islam should not be branded
with reproaches and remain under a cloud any more. It is al-
ready so distressing to find that its opponents who have not taken
the trouble to investigate matters for themselves, have it impres-
sed upon their minds that Islam has from its very beginning been
employing the sword to add to its numbers.

It is high time that all these base charges should be cleared
from the face of Islam. If the Maulvis unite to root up the evil
from the midst of the Muhammadans, they shall have done a
lasting good to, and conferred a blessing upon, their co-religionists.
Such an exposition of the doctrines of Islam will further reveal
the excellences and beauties of that religion to the general public,
and the aversion which opponents have conceived on account of
misconceptions shall be turned into admiration. The clouds of
dust being cleared, they shall then be able to get theic light from
that source of light. It is evident that no one can approach a
bloody murderer. Every one fears him, woman and children
tremble at his sight, and he looks like a mad man. An opponent
of an alien religion cannot even pass a night with him lest he
should choose to be a Gliazi at the cost of his life. Such events
daily occur among the ignorant frontier people, and a single
bloody deed is deemed sufficient to entitle the murderer to para-
dise aud its manifold blessings. It is a sharne for Muharnrnadaus
that alien races cannot safely live as their neighbours. They
cannot trust them for a single moment and hardly expect any
good in times of need. They do not deem themselves safe among
them and shrink at the hidden belief of Ghaziism.

An instance of this occurred lately here at Qadian. On the
20th of November last a European came here. Just at that time

257

a number of my followers had assembled together and the con-
versation was upon a religious subject. The traveller stood apart
from the assembly and was addressed in polite words. It appear-
ed that he had been to Arabia and other Muslim countries, and
that he came here with the object of taking my and my followers'
photographs. Asa guest, he .was asked to stay for a few days, but
it appeared that he was apprehensive. He stated that he had
seen many Muhammadans who had committed atrocious deeds of
murder against Christians. He mentioned several specific in-
stances in which such cruelty had been 'shown. It was then
explained to him that this, the Ahrnadiyya sect of Islam, abhorred

such doctrines and hated their adherents. It had set before

itself the noble object of uprooting the evil. Upon this he felt
satisfied and stayed here -for one night.

There is a lesson in this story for the pro-Jehad Maulvis.
The growth of such horrible doctrines among the Muslims has
done lasting injury to the cause^of Islam, and created and abhor-
rence for it in the hearts of other nations. They have no
confidence in their sympathy so long as the dangerous doctrine
of Jehad finds favour with them. They cannot form a favourable
opinion expect of such of them as do not lead strictly religious
lives and are not very scrupulous about their relious beliefs.
For all these misunderstandings none but the Muslims themsel-
ves are responsible. The blame of depriving a whole world of the
recognition of Islamic truths lies at the door of the Maulvis who
taught doctrines repulsive to the nature of man. How could the
religion be from God, whose- teachings needed the flash of the
sword to get an entrance into the human heart ? Such considera-
tions were enough to keep back people from the acceptance of
truth. The true religion is that which on account of its inherent
property and power and its convincing arguments is more powerful

258

than the keenest sword, not that which depends upon steel for
its existence,

Such are the evils that call for a Eeformer. Casting a glance
at the internal state of Islam, we meet with sad disappointment.
It is a ghastly picture. The sun has undergone an eclipse, the
greater part being already darkened. The social relations of the
Muslims are deplorable. Traditions have been fabricated that
act like poison upon their moral conditions and break the Divine
laws. The most sacred rights which Divine law has given to
man are those relating to life, property and honour. We are
commanded not to kill man, no to commit an outrage upon his
honour, and not to seize his property dishonestly. But some
Muhammadans have broken all these commandments. They
take away the life of an innocent person and never shudder at
the inhumane deed. Empty-headed Maulvis have circulated
fatwas to the effect that it is lawful to seduce or seize the women
of unbelievers or heretics, and to steal or misappropriate their
properties.

How dangerous is the condition of the religion that is full of
so many evils, and whose pretended religious leaders^ instead of
acting- in obedience to the dictates of their conscience, follow
their sensual desires and palm off their own erroneous views as
holy doctrines taught by G-od and His Prophet. These are
wolves in lamb's clothing and deceive the people. They act like
poison and say they are an antidote. They are an enemy to society
and an enemy to Islam. Their hearts are void of grace and sym-
pathy but they conceal themselves. They put on the mask of
preachers but have in view the indulgence of their own carnal
desires. They come into mosques like saints, but their character
is black with diabolic deeds. These infamous characters are not
limited to aDy particular country or town or sect, but may be

found in every Muslim country. They prebend to be the religious
leaders of the people and expositors of the doctrines of their
religion. They call themselves Moulvis and assume saintly airs
so that they may pass for godly men. Their deeds, however,
reveal their true character. They do not like that true righteous-
ness and true sympathy be spread in the world, for they consider
that a loss to themselves.

In short, the way of Islam is blocked with numerous
difficulties. The souls are dead and do not respond to the call of
virtue. The golden mean which Islam taught as the guiding
rule of life has been given up, and Muslims have gone to
extremes. There are those among them that prostrate them-
selves before tombs and make circuits around them. They
regard the departed-souls of their spiritual guides as having full
control from God over the affairs of humanity. Every religious
order has a tomb in connection with it which is worshipped by
the disciples at the instance of the head. (Vol. I. R. E. 1902.)

"Bear well in mind that the time of religious wars is now
gone. The battles fought by the Holy Prophet were not meant
to compel people to accept the religion of Islam, but they were
fought in self-defence. When the Muslims were very severely
persecuted and turned out of Mecca and many had been killed,
then it was that Almighty God commanded the Muslims to take
the sword in self r defence. But such is not the case now. We
are living in peace and security. . Islam is now attacked with
the pen and not with the sword, and therefore it is the pen which
the Muslims should now take in hand to meet their opponents'
attacks. For, Almighty God says in the Holy Quran that we
should make preparations for defence similar to those which our
opponents make for attack. Now the unbelievers are not muster-
ing forces to crush Islam, but they are writing books against it,

260

and therefore we should adopt a similar line of* defence* Very
fortunate and blessed is the man whose heart is 'pure and whose
true desire is the manifestation of the glory and majesty of God,
for Almighty God prefers him to others. As to those who
oppose me God alone will judge between; them and: me. He
knows- what is in our hearts, and: He sees whose heart is devoted
to the attainment of the objects of this world and who it is whose
heart melts solely for the sake of God. Remember that you
cannot make ; any spiritual advancement until '.? your hearts
are puriffied of every dross. ; But when there is purity in the
heart, there is also generated with it the power which; enables
a man to make spiritual advancement. Consider how the Holy
Prophet, when quite alone and: helpless was commanded to
/' proclaim to the whole worldi: "0 ye people ! I am a Messenger
of God, to you all," Who could think at the time that these
words would ever be fulfilled;? Yet the success which crowned

v/ his efforts is the most marvellous that the world has seen. It
was from among his deadliest enemies that his devoted followers
carne. This leads us to hope that even from among, these people
men will come out who will combine true purity of heart with
an entire submission to Divine will. . (Vol. IV R. R. 1905).
" Listen to rne for I have come to deliver to you the Com-
mand of God that Jehad with the sword is now at an end but
the real Jehad yet remains and much must still be done for
the purification of the soul. I do not speak these words myself
but such is the Will of God. Consider the words Yazaulharb
spoken of the Promised Messiah in the Sahjh-Bukhari, i.e. the
Messiah shall put an end to religious war. I, therefore, give the
word that those who follow me, should with-hold themselves
from such deeds. Let them cleanse their hearts of all moral
defilemen-b and advance in fellow feeling and sympathy for the
oppressed. They should exert themselves to spread peace over
the earth, for thus would they propagate their faith."

261

The Promised Messiah's Exhortation to his
followers concerning the British
Government.

" It is only through His grace and goodness that Almighty
God has placed us under a Government which has granted reli-
gious liberty to all its subjects. It is due to the liberty granted
by this Government and to its justice that our opponents cannot
give a practical turn to their hostility against us (the Ahmadiyya
Propaganda). If it had been in their power, they would have
annihilated us, but on account of their inability to do so, they
only grind their teeth in wrath and despair, for they are unable
to execute their designs. When I remember the hardships and
persecutions suffered by the early Muslims, and then see what
a kind-hearted Government God has sent to protect us from
such persecution, my heart overflows with thanks to the
Almighty for His unbounded grace and kindness towards us.
How merciful and gracious is our Lord, for when He wished to
establish a heavenly dispensation in the days of the decline of
Islam, He placed it under a peaceful Government. I do not
say this to please any body: it is hypocritical to do so, and I
hate hypocrisy and have come to deal a death-blow to it.
Facts compel us to praise this Government and to be grateful to
God for His blessings. Consider only one fact, viz*, the peace
and freedom with which we are doing our own work under the

Government. We have been propagating the doctrines of the \

Movement for more than twenty-five years, and the Government I
has not in the least degree interfered with our work. We have I

published thousands of pamphlets in America, England and i|
other European countries among respectable persons inviting ,[ V
them to accept our holy faith. A book was even sent to Her
late Majesty the Queen-Empress, and though this book contained

262T

an invitation to the Queen to accept Islam, yet Her Majesty or
the Government was not in any way offended -'at- it and another
copy of the book was sent for. By placing us under such a
Government, Almighty God has shown that it is His will to
make this propaganda successful, for no where else could we
carry on our work with this freedom. Had we been at Mecca,
innocent blood would have been shed every day by religious
bigots, nor could we do our work at Medina or Constantinople
without persecution on the part of the authorities. The cruel
murder of two of our friends at Kabul shows the truth of these
remarks. They did not rebel against the Government of the
country or commit homicide or any other crime under the penal
code ; they only spoke against the doctrine of Jehad and the
advent of a Gliazi Mahdi. They did not say anything against
Islam and were murdered by a Muslim Killer, while we publish
writings against Christianity day and night and Christian
Goveinrnent does not even prohibit us from doing so: They
were good, righteous and silent men. Maulvi Abdul Latif
especially was very silent, but some selfish person informed the
Amir of his doctrines and excited him saying that he opposed
Jehad and some other doctrines held by the orthodox. It was
for this fault only that he was stoned to death in such a cruel
manner that the hardest heart melts to tears at the mention of
the cruelty.

11 Look at the British rule now. For thirty years, more or
less we have been writing against the Christian religion. We
tell the Missionaries and other Christians plainly that they
are in a serious error in holding the Christian religion to be true.
We tell them that Trinity and Atonement are false doctrines,
that Islam is the only true religion and the only means of attain-
ment of salvation, and that- the Holy Prophet Muhammad, may

263

peace and the blessings of God be upon bimj is the most excellent
of all prophets of^ God and Divine union cannot.be- attained ex-
cept through him, but we are never arrested for saying these
things against a Christian Government, nor have the authorities
ever asked us why we propagate our religion so openly* If we
do not praise the Government for all this freedom and peace
which it has granted to us> we are ungiateful to God for His
gifts and guilty of a great sin. We have shown the errors
of the Christian religion in the strongest words, but the Gov-
ernment has in respect of religious liberty shown wonderful
neutrality. It has not withheld from us any right which it has
given to the Missionaries of its own religion, and all the religious
sects have the same freedom of opinion and freedom of propa-
gation granted to them.

" Though the Government has granted equal freedom to all
sects and communities, yet its presence in this country is one
of the signs which Almighty God has manifested for us particu-
larly. The tree which it is the will of Almighty God should
grow and give fruit is planted by Him in a place where its
growth is not hampered in any way, but the tree whose growth
He does not like is planted in a place where it soon withers
awayi Now the seed of this heavenly dispensation which
Almighty God has sent me to establish has been sowu in a land
which is suitable for its growth, and no calamity can sweep it
out of existence here. Ib is to a very large extent quite safe
from its enemies. And as it is the British Government which
has been made an instrument by Almighty God in the granting
of these blessings, it behoves us, when we thank God for His gifts,
to express our gratitude to the Government also, for Almighty
God says in the Holy Quran, "Is aught but goodness the reward
of goodness ?" It does not mean that you should do goodness in

264

return for goodness only when the party concerned is a Muslim,
and not when he belongs to any other religion. Such conduct

^ Islam severely condemns. My advice to all my followers is that
they should hate the narrowminded and fanatic Mullas-viho
shed innocent human blood under the guise of religion, and per-
petrate the blackest deeds under the cloak of piety. They should
value this':Government and show their gratefulness to it by
their loyalty and obedience. For, the man who is not thankful
to men cannot be thankful to God." (Vol. VI B. B. 1907).

You have heard the judgments of the Muhammadan theolo-
gions who are your opponents. They hold that you deserve to
be murdered for your doctrines, and in their sight a dog deserves
to have mercy shown to it but you do not deserve it. The
fatwas of the whole of the Punjab and India, nay of all the
Muslim countries, regarding you, are that you deserve to be

V murdered, and your murder, the extortion of your property, the
taking away of your wives by force, and the disgracing of your
dead bodies by not allowing them to be buried in Muslim grave-
yards are not only according to their judgment permitted by the

v law, but are deeds of the highest merit. It is the English whom
the people call Kafirs who protect you from your enemies who
v . thirst for your blood and it is for fear of their sword that you
are saved from being murdered. If you doubt these words, then
go and live under another government and see how you are trea-
ted. So bear in mind that the English Government is a mercy
for you and a blessing. "It .is the shield which protects you,
therefore you also prize this shield with all your heart and soul.
Englishmen are a thousand-fold better than the Muharamadans
who are your bitter opponents, for they do not declare that you
deserve to be murdered nor do they wish to dishonour you.

\ Not long ago, a Christian Missionary prosecuted me for abetment

265

of murder in the Court of Captain Douglas, but that wise and
just Deputy Commissioner having come to know that the case
was entirely false and got up, acquitted me honourably and even
asked me if I desired to prosecute those who had fabricated false
evidence against me. This is an example showing how the deal-
ings of the English are based on justice and equity.

Bear in mind also that there is nothing so discreditable to
Islam as the doctrine of Jehad which is imputed to it. A reli-
gion whose teachings are excellent, and to manifest whose truth
Almighty God shows His signs does not stand in need of the
sword to propagate it. In the time of the Holy Prophet the
persecutors of the Muslims attacked them with the sword and
were bent upon blotting out Islam with the sword from the face
of the earth. Therefore, those who took up the sword were des-
troyed with the sword and the Holy Prophet was compelled to
fight in defence of the Muslim society. But such doctrines as
that the Mahdi would come with the sword and fight with and
vanquish the Christian Kings are mere fabrications, and their
propagation is only corrupting the heart of our Muharnmadan
opponents. Those who hold such doctrines are dangerous to the
peace of society, and they may at any moment excite the igno-
rant masses to insurrection. Therefore, we exert ourselves to
our utmost to deliver the Muslims from the errors of such
dangerous doctrines. Best assured that a religion which is
devoid of sympathy with fellow- beings cannot be from God. God
teaches us that we should show mercy to those on earth that
Heaven might show mercy to us. (Vol. YI. R. R. 1907).

Sir Fredrick Cunningham, once Commissioner and Superin-
tendent of Peshawar Division, wrote in 1900 to the Founder of
Movement : " So far as I can judge, it appears to be a just and
enlightened exposition of the doctrines of Islam, and is equally

266

creditable to your learning and judgment. I have no doubt such
a statement from a teacher of your reputation will be welcomed
by all good Muharnrnadaus as a vindication of their faith, and as
proof that Islam does not countenance crimes which ignorant,
and wicked men may commit under the cloak of religion. I
should be glad to see your Resdla and Fatwa widely distributed
in Frontier districts." (Vol. VI R. R. 1907).

An Extract from Punjab Census Report.

Mr. Ross thus concludes his remarks on the Ahmadiyya
Movement in Punjab Census Report for 1901 : The sect, however,
emphatically repudiates the doctrine that the Mahdi of Islam
will be a warrior, and relies on Sahih Bultliaree, the most authen-
tic of traditions, which says, that he shall wage no wars but
discontinue war for the sake of religion. In his voluminous
writings the Mirza has combated the doctrine of Jehad and the
sect is thus opposed to the extreme section of the Ahl-i-Hadees.

An Extract from Bombay Census Report.

After laying down some excellent rules of conduct for his
disciples, he (The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement) explains
his reasons for naming the sect "the Ahmadiyya," by referring
to the two names of the Prophet, the"Jalali" name Muhammad,
significant of his triumphant career, and the u Jarnali" name Ah-
mad, pointing to the peace and tranquility that he was to spread
in the world. By denouncing the doctrine of Jehad and all cri-
mes of violence committed in the name of religion, the Imam
claims that he and his disciples can be fitly described as "Ahma-
diyya". (Census of India, 1901, Vol. IX, Bombay, Part I).

267

(Through Associated Press.)

Lahore, 1st May 1919.

The following Press Communique is issued by the Punjab
Government : The Punjab Government have received a report
of the activities of the Ahmadiyya community of Qadian in re-
pressing the disturbances and in keeping apart from all partici-
pation in any of the unlawful agitations which have disfigured
the Punjab- The community has been exhorting all their fol-
lowers to have nothing to do with the movements and their
efforts have been reported to have been entirely successful.

An Interpretation of the titles of
Isa Masih and Mahomad Mahdi given to

the Promised Messiah.

THE HOLY PROPHET MAHOMAD, PEACE AND
BLESSINGS OF GOD BE ON HIM SAYS :

There is no Mahdi other than the Messiah.

(Vide IBNE MAJAH.)

"As I have been given the name of Messiah by God with
reference to the creatures' rights and am an incarnation of Jesus
Christ on account of having been sent in his spirit and character
and cast in the same mould, so I have received the name of
Muhammad Ahmad by virtue of my function as a Reformer of
the transgression of Creator's authority. To spread the Unity of
God, therefore, I have been sent in the spirit and character and
cast in the mould of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad, may peace
and blessings of God be upon him. Thus I am at once Isa Masih
& Muhammad Mahdi. Masih is a title given to Jesus Christ and

268

it means one who is anointed and blessed by God, His vicegerent
on earth and a truthful and righteous person. The title of Mabdi
was given, to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and it means one
who is naturally guided and the heir to all truths, and in whom
the attribute "guide" of the Almighty is fully represented. The
grace of God and His mercy have made me the heir to both
those titles in this age and manifested them conjointly in my
person. This is the true interpretation of my claim to the titles
ot Isa Masih and Muhammad Mahdi. The way in which this
manifestation has taken place is known in Islamic terminology
as baruz* I am, therefore, a 5an/# of Jesus as well as of Mu-
hammad, peace be with them, and my person is spiritually a
combination of the persons of 'these two eminent prophets. As
Messiah my duty is to prohibit the Muslims from savage attacks
and bloodshed, in accordance with the tradition which clearly
lay down that when the Messiah shall appear in the world, he

shall put an end to religious -wars My function as

Mahdi consists in re-establishing the Unity of God with heavenly
signs. Ifc was with miraculous signs alone that our Holy Pro-
phet may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, impres-
sed the idolatrous population of Arabia with the grandeur, the
omnipotence and glory of God. Like my master, I have also
been helped with the holy spirit. The Lord that appeared to
the prophets of old appeared to Moses from Sinai, rose up from
Seir to Jesus Christ and shone forth from Mount Paran upon
Muhammad may peace and blessings of God be upon him, the

same powerful Lord has appeared to me in all His glory...

He revealed to me that the belief of the majority of

* Baruz means the spiritual appearance of one in the person of another, the two bearing
a striking resemblance to each other in their qualities and character and being as like one
another as two peas.

Christians in the world wibh regard fco Jesus Christ (such for
instance as in the doctrines of Trinity^ Atonement, &c ) is a

serious error and a deviation from the right path ,

Heavenly signs support my claim, my prayers are accepted ;
future events are made known to rne, and the deep and secret
things of which none but God has knowledge are revealed to
me," (Vol. V. B. E. 1906).

"The relation in which I stand to the Holy Prophet is ana-
logous to one in which a disciple stands to his master. God has
made the grace of that Great Apostle to descend upon me in its
perfection, and has made his favour and bounty to flow towards
me so much that a complete union of personality is the result.
Thus he who identifies himself with the Movement really joins
the companions of rny master, the best of God's Apostles. And
this is the interpretation of the words.

"Others of them who have not yet joined them," (Quran LXIL3)
as it would be clear to all thinking men. Whoever makes diffe-
rence between myself and the Holy Prophet of Islam has failed
to recognize me." (Khutbai Ilhamiya)

But if all the signs are fulfilled and I the claimant to both
these heavenly offices, have been among you for more than
twenty-five years, whom are you looking for still ? To whom do
all these signs point except to him who claimed to be the Mes-
senger of God before their appearance. For signs could not be
shown for one oi whom no trace can be found in the world. A
wonderful hard-heartedness this that when all the prophesied
signs have appeared in support of my claim and all attempts to
bring me to naught have proved futile, still another is expected.
It is true that I have not with this body of clay descended from
heaven, nor have I come into the world to cause wars and blood-
shed, but I am from God and have come to sow the seed of peace.

270

I prophecy that after me no Mahdi would come who should fill
/ the earth with blood, nor would any Messiah ever descend from
; heaven. Be despaired of both of them, for these are vain hopes
which will be buried in graves with this generation. The
/ Promised One has come, and I am he by whose appearance the
promise of God has been fulfilled. He who rejects me fights with
(3k)d. He does not question my truth, but opposes the will of God
and says, why did He bring about the fulfilment of His promises
in this manner ? Such errors in understanding the meaning of
prophecies was also committed by the Jews, and many who,
were learned, among them, stumbled on account of misconception
of the prophetic word. They thought one way and the truth
turned out to be elsewhere. Do not be insolent, for the days of
God are corne, and heaven is showing you the wonderful signs
which your fathers never dreamt of. Blessed are they who do
not stumble in judging and accepting me. And peace be on him
who follows guidance. . (Vol, IV R. R 1905.)

An Interpretation of the title of
Avtar or Incarnation of Shri Krishna given to

the Promised Messiah.

My advent in this age is not meant for the reformation of
the Muharnrnadans only, but Almighty God has willed to bring
about through me a regeneration of three great nations, viz.,
Hindus, Muhammadans and Christians. As for the last two I am
the Promised Messiah, as for the first I have been sent as an Avtar.
It is more than twenty years since 1 announced that as I have
appeared in the character of Christ, son of Mary, to purify the
earth of the injustice, iniquity and sins which prevailed upon it,
I corne likewise in the character of Raja Krishna, the greatest
Avtar of the Hindu religion, and spiritually I am the same man.
I do not say this of my own accord, but the Mighty God, who is

271

the Lord of eftrth and heavens, has revealed this to me. He has
told me not on one occasion but repeatedly, that I am Krishna
for the Hindus and the Promised Messiah for the Muharnrnadans
and the Christians. I know that ignorant Muharnmadans will
at once exclaim upon hearing this that I have become a plain
unbeliever and heretic on account of my having adopted the
name of an unbeliever, as they think the Holy Krishna to be, but
this is a revelation of God which I cannot but announce, and
this is the first day that I announce this claim in such a large
gathering, for those who come f rorn God do not fear being blamed
or reviled. Now Eaja Krishna as revealed to me was so great
and perfect a man that his equal is not to be found among the
Hindu Hishis and Avatar* He was an Avatar or Prophet of
his time and he received the holy spirit from God. He was
granted triumph and victory from God and cleansed the Arya
Varta of sins. He was true Prophet of his time, but many
errors were introduced into his teachings afterwards. His heat
overflowed with the love of^God and he loved virtue and hated
evil. Almighty God had promised to raise a spiritual manifesta-
tion of him in the last ages, and He has now fulfilled this
promise through me. One of my revelations on this point is :

A \JS o^ J e/-" ^ V* ^-?j$ J ^/ ; ;; e/^/ A. "0 Krishna, destro-
yer of the wicked, and upholder of the meek, thy praise has
been written in the Gita." I love Krishna for I appear as his
image. The two attributes of Krishna who is described in this
revelation as the destroyer of evil and upholder of the poor and
the rneek, are exactly the same as those, of the Promised Mes-
siah. Thus spiritually Krishna and Promised Messiah are one
and the same person, there being no difference except that
which exists in the terminology of the two people, the Hindus
and the Mahomedans.

272

As Krishna, I now warn the Aryas of some of" their errors.
The first of these has already been pointed out- It consists in
the belief the matter and soul are self-existent and eternal. This
is serious error, for there is nothing self-existing except the
Divine Being Who does not require any one else to sustain Him.
But how can things be uncreated which require another power
to keep them alive and to support them ? If it be supposed to
be true that matter and soul are self-existent, then their combi-
nation and dissolution can also take place of themselves. In
that case the only proof of the existence of God derived from the
source of reason, would fall to the ground, for if matter and soul
could possibly come into existence by themselves, it is much
more easy for reason to assert that their combination and disso-
lution did not need any assistance (Vol.. Ill E. B. 1904)

An Interpretation of the Promised Messiah's

descent upon a Minaret.

Minaret is the name given to the pure, hallowed, noble and
magnanimous spirit granted by God to the perfect man by reason
of which he gets his light from heaven an idea existing in the
literal signification of the word. The loftiness of the minaret;
represents the magnanimity of the soul of the perfect man, ita
firmness stands for the constancy and determination which he
shows at the time of the greatest trials, and its whiteness is a
symbol of his guiltlessness which is ultimately established.
When the perfect man has passed through all these stages and
undergone all these trials, when his rnaguanimity, constancy,
patience and determination shine forth in their full glory and
his innocence is established with conclusive arguments, then is
the time of his advent in glory, and the period of his first
advent, which was a time of trails and persecutions, comes to an

273

end. Then does the holy spirit invested with the glory of God
descend upon his person, and the Divine attribute of glory is
manifested in him. All this takes place in his second appear-
ance.

The same reality underlies the peculiar manner of the
advent of the Promised Messiah. The Muslims hold that he
shall descend near a minaret. The descent spoken of in that
tradition really stands for his advent in glory which shall be ac-
companied with a manifestation of the Divine power and attri-
butes. It does not exclude the idea of his previous presence
upon earth, but ib is necessary that the heaven should hold
him so long as the appointed time of God does not arrive. It is
also an unchangeable Divine law that spiritual realities are
symbolized by physical emblems. The temple at Jerusalem and
the Ca'ba at Mecca are illustrations of the same law and repre-
sent the manifestations of Divine glory. The same explanation
holds good in the case of the tradition which describes the des-
cent of the Promised Messiah upon or about a minaret in a
country to the east of Damascus. The word 'east' should be
specially noted for Adam also had been put in a garden eastward.
The object of the prophecy is in no way interfered with so long
as the minaret is built before the glorious advent of the promised
one, for it appears from the prophetic utterances that the mina-
ret is to be a sign that shall indicate his advent in full glory.
It had been ordained that the Promised Messiah should appear
in the world in two characters. At first he shall come as an
ordinary person suffering under trials and persecutions of every
sort. When the days of suffering are over, then shall be the
time of his advent in full glory. It is before that time that the
minaret must be completed, for it appears from the traditions
that a minaret must stand as a symbol of the reality, and it shall

274

be a physical picture of the spiritual minaret to which we have
before referred. The world shall nob recognise him before his
glorious advent for he is not of the world. Nor shall the world
love him, for he comes from the God whom the world does not
love. It is therefore necessary that he should be abused, perse-
cuted and charged with all manner of crime. The Islamic
prophecies testify that the Promised Messiah shall not be
accepted in the beginning. On the other hand, he shall be sub-
jected to malignant and bitter treatment from the ignorant and
to oppression and outrage from the mischief-makers. A man
shall do violence to him and think that he has done a deed of
virtue, another shall do him injury and regard his deed as most
pleasing in the sight of God. Thus shall he suffer and undergo
every trial and face every difficulty till the corning of the appoin-
ted time of God and the fulfilment of the Divine law of persecu-
tion against prophets. Then shall come the time of his glory.
Capable hearts shall have their eyes opened and they shall begin
to think of him with unprejudiced minds. "Can this be a liar,"
they shall say, "who cannot be subdued and crushed." What
is the reason," they shall reason with themselves "that Divine
assistance is without intermission granted to him and never to
us." The inspiring angel of God shall then descend upon their
hearts and admonish them that every one of the circumstances
related in the traditions which had been a hindrance in the way
of their acceptance, need, not occur to the very letter. It was
possible nay highly probable that some of those traditions
were errors and fabrications, and others were couched in meta-
phorical language and could not be fulfilled literally. What
was the cause of the misfortune of the Jews in rejecting Jesus?
Nothing but that they waited till every word of prophecy should
have been fulfilled in a literal sense, and exactly according to

275

their own notions of ifc. Bab their expectation was vain and-
their hope a delusion. With that Divine law before them, and
with the God of their fathers above their heads, the opponents
of God's Messenger should consider lest they were tried by God
in the same manner as the rejecters of the prophets before them.
In short, such considerations, when duly weighed, shall at last
turn their rninds to accept the rejected and suffering Messenger
of heaven, as was the case with the prophets of by-gone times.

(Yol. I. E. E. 1902.)

An Interpretation of the Promised Messiah's
descent with two yellow mantles on.

I have been suffering from two diseases for over twenty
years, vertigo and diabetes,- which disappear temporarily upon
prayer. On one occasion I prayed to God that they may dis-
appear permanently, but the answer was that this shall not be.
Then I knew that the continuance of these two diseases is in
fact a sign of the Promised Messiah, for it is written that he
shall descend with two yellow mantles on. The interpretation
of this prophecy (for prophecy like vision sometimes requires to
be interpreted) is plainly this that he shall be suffering from two
diseases, because a yellow mantle ir-i a vision represents a disease
as given in all authoritative books of interpretation. (Vol. 11 E.
E. 1903),

An Interpretation of the rising of Sun from West.

"What was disclosed to me in a vision is this that the rise
of the sun from the West means that the Western countries
which have from time immemorial been in the darkness of
unbelief and error shall be lightened by the sun of Truth and
shall benefit by Islam. I saw myself standing on a minaret in Lon-
don and elucidating the truth of Islam in a very argumentative

276

discourse in the English language, After this I caught a large
number of birds that were sitting on small trees. They were
of white colour' and of about the size of a partridge. I inferred
from this vision that though I myself would not go to England,
yet 'my writings would be circulated among those people and
many upright Englishmen would fall a prey to the charms of
Islam." (IzALA-i-AuHAM P. 214, SECOND EDITION (1891.)

THE PROMISED MESSIAH IS
A PROPHET OF GOD.

God requires you to believe that there is one God and that
Muhammad, may peace and blessings of God be upon him, is
His Prophet, and the sea] of the Prophets and greatest of all.
No prophet shall come after him but only he who is spiritually
clothed in his clothing, for the servant and the master, are as
one and the branch is not independent of the root. Therefore,
he who lo,sing himself in his master, receives the title of Prophet
from God, does not break the seal prophecy. It is like one's
own image in a looking-glass. Such an image of the Holy Pro-
phet is the Promised Messiah. (Vol. I. R. R. 1902).

The Holy Prophet was the seal of prophets and, therefore,
if his successors had been called prophets, the seal qf prophet-
ship would have become a moot point. On the other hand, if
none of the successors had been called a prophet, the similarity
with the Israelite prophets who succeeded Moses could not have
been established. It was, therefore, ordained by Divine wisdom
the first successors of the Holy Prophet should not be called
prophets, so that it may be a sign that the Holy Prophet was
the seal of prophets, and that thus the seal of his prophet-
hood should be established. It was also ordained that the
last successor of the Holy Prophet, the Promised Messiah, should
be called a Prophet, so that the resemblance referred to above,
might be complete. The prophethood of the Promised Messiah
moreover is not Haqiqi (of a New Law) and independent prophet-
hood but one acquired through the Holy Prophet. It is on
account of his being a perfect manifestation of the Holy
Prophet that he has received the title of a Prophet. Thus in

278

the Barahin-i-Ahrnadiyya, Almighty God addressed me saying
1L* 2* cU*^ *+*> j b " Ahmad, thou hast been made an

Apostle. " In these words it is indicated that as being the
manifestation of the Holy Prophet, I was called Ahmad though
my name was Ghulam Ahmad, so being Ahmad, I was made a
Prophet, for Ahmad was a Prophet. (Vol. Il E. E. 1903).

And when Divine revelation becomes frequent and
certain in the highest degree and is free from every obscurity
and defect arid foretells deep secrets of the future in clear
'language, the stage is then reached which is designated by the
title of prophethood, and this is a point on which all the prophets
of God agree. It was impossible that a people of whom it had
been said that " you are the best of people raised for the good
of the world" and who had been taught to pray frequently arid

j->

'-untiringly, "0 Lord ! show us the right path, the path of
those upon whom thy blessings have been showered." It was
impossible that not a single person out of this whole favoured
nation should have attained to the perfect stage of prophethood,
and all should have been deprived of this great blessing. Had it
'been so, not only would the followers of the Holy Prophet have
remained blind and their spiritual advancement been very defec-
tive and incomplete, but in that case it would have further to be
admitted that the Holy Prophet could not communicate his
blessings to his followers and that his sanctifying power was de-
fective. And the prayer which the Muslims are enjoined to re-
peat several times in each of their five daily prayers, would also
be useless in that case. Ou the other hand, if any follower of
the Holy Prophet could have obtained prophethood independent-
ly, that is to say, wilhout borrowing from the light of the Holy
Prophet, the seal of prophethood in him would have been,
falsified. To guard against both these evils, Almighty God has

279

so ordained that the gift of a pure, perfect and holy Divine
revelation is granted to such of the followers of the Holy Prophet
who attain the highest stage of a complete annihilation in the
prophet and the veil which keeps him hidden from strangers is
entirely removed. Thus the condition of being a true follower
of the Holy Prophet is fulfilled in them in a most perfect sense,
for their own personality entirely vanishes away, and the image
of the personality of the Holy Prophet appears in the looking-
glass of their absorption. On the. other hand, they are granted
a most perfect gift of Divine revelation like the prophets of God
and thus deserve to be called prophets."

"It must however be borne in mind that no prophet who
should also be a law-giver can appear after the Holy Prophet,
even from among his followers, for this door is, completely
closed. Nor can fchere be any book after the Holy Quran which
should give new commandments or abrogate any commandment
of the Holy Quran or dispense with the necessity of following
any of them, for this is the last book and its ordinance must
remain in force to the day of judgment."

"Such is the significance of the phrases in which the Holy

.Prophet described the Promised Messiah, of whom he said that

he is *U ) ^ and ^ ^ ^ ) i. e. "a Prophet

.of God, " and, "your Leader from among yourselves." This

means that he is a follower as well as a prophet. A stanger,

(i. e., one from among the Israelites) cannot stand in this

position. Blessed is he who understands this point, for he will

not peribh." (Vol. V. R. R 1906.)

Further Extracts from the Writings of the Promised Messiah.

"I am a Prophet in accordance with the decrees of Provi-
dence : it will be a sin to deny this fact- How can I deny it
\vhenGodHirnselfhasconfeiredon rne the title of Prophet T'

280'

I will cleave to this belief, until I pass away from this world."

"1 swear in the name of God, who has my soul in His hand
that it is He who has commissioned me and it is He; who has
conferred on me the appellation of Prophet, and it is He who. has
called me by the name of the Promised Messiah."

"I am the Promised Messiah and* am the same whom the
greatest of prophets has named ^ ) ^ Prophet of God;"

"I am jtot Divine Messenger or a Prophet with a,, new law^
a new claim, and a new name. But I am a Prophet and a Divine
Messenger in the sense of perfect spiritual impersonation. For
I am a mirror in which both the nature and the prophetic
quality of Mohammad (on whom be peace) have been perfectly
represented."

"I was under the impression that far was it from me to
stand any comparison with Messiah the son of Mary who was
a Prophet and a chosen one of God ; and if my superiority over
him was visible in certain matters I set it down as a mere partial
superiority. But the revelations as subsequently showered on
me did not suffer me to keep to the old belief, for, the appellation

of Prophet was given to me clearly and distinctly. ..........I notice

further that Jesus son of Mary was the last successor of Moses,
may peace of God be on him, and I am the last successor of
that Prophet who was the noblest of Divine Messengers.
Therefore such was the will of God that my rank be not made
lower than his. 7 '

"In is an established fact, that in the course of these thirteen
hundred years not a single man has been favoured with such a
rich plenty of God's inspiration as I have received, and unto
none have been unfolded so many secrets of the future as
unto me. Of all the saints and holy men in Islam that have
gone before me, there is not even one who has received so large

281

a share of this blessing (i. e. God's revelations,) It is on this
ground that I enjoy the distinct privilege .of receiving the
title of Prophet. If other personages do not deserve this
title it is for the simple reason that they have failed to fulfil
the condition of possessing a large abundance of revelations
embracing the secrets of the unseen. That it should have been
so was the decree of Providence so that the prophecy of the Holy
Prophet of Islam may find its perfect fulfilment. For, if the
other holy personages that have preceded me had been previleg-
ed to enjoy the -same degree of divine commerce and the same
clear -vision of the unseen, then they also would ; have been eligi-
ble for the title of. Prophet."

" I do not understand why people get annoyed at rny claim
to the title of Prophet. After it has been established that the
coming Messiah will be from the followers of the Saored Prophet
what objection could there be if God chose to confer on him the
designation of Prophet ?"

" There can be no objection to my being called Rasvl (Divine
Messenger) or Prophet. Nor does it. break the seal of finality.
.As I have repeatedly-pointed out, in accordance with the Quranic
words <c# ) yib- U ^ ^,;%' that I am spiritually the same 'seal,
of Prophets' and God has named me both Mohammad and
Ahmad and has specified my own self as the very personality
of the Holy Prophet, may peace of God be on him."

"So no defect can be pointed, out which can disprove rny
claim to the office of a Prophet."

Tnere was never any Prophet in the world whose name

has not been, given to me I arn Adam; I am Noah;

lam Abraham; I arn Isaac; I arn. Jacob; I arn Isrnael; I arn
Moses; I am David; I am: Jesus, son. of Mary; I arn Moham-
mad; but spiritually as their baruz ............. God has said of rne

282

> Uto U ) iJU ^ *U) ^ ;?fc i e% . the Apostle of God in the clothes.
v of all the Prophets. I have consequently inherited the distinc-
tive quality of every Prophet. And it is through me and in me

, that the traits of every Apostle's character have been made

( manifest."

The Apostle of God in the clothes of all the Prophets,

, "The meaning of this Divine Revelation is this that I have

been gifted with a large share of the special characteristics of all
the prophets from Adam downwards that have been raised on

/ earth by God, whether Israelite or non-Israelite- There has never
been a single prophet from whose special qualities I have not

\ received a portion. Indeed, rny nature takes in the colour of
special endowments of each and every Divine Messenger, For so

I has God informed me ...The revelation points to the fact

that present is the time in which we find accumulated both the
perfections of the good and the extremities of evil. And were it
not for God's grace, the evil-doers of the present day would de-
serve and suffer the judgments of olden times, or, in other words,
all visitations of the past ages would gather their strength in the
present times. The ancient tribes were destroyed by various
heavenly visitations some died of plague, some were destroyed
by thunder-bolt, some by earthquake, some by deluge, some by
storm, some were buried alive,, and so on. Men of these times
should be in constant dread of like visitations, unless they chose

to mend their ways ........The wheel of time is always in

motion, and the likes of men, both good and bad, are created
again and again in the world. In these days God so willed that
the diverse qualities and virtues of all noble, true and holy pro-

V phets of God dwell in one individual person. And I am that

283

Person* Similarly, the types of all wicked people are also to be
met with in these times in the shape of a Pharaoh, or of the
Jews who caused Jesus to die on the cross, or of an Abu Jahl.''

FURTHER DIVINE REVELATIONS.

" God is He who has sent His Messenger (i. e., the
Promised Messiah) with the guidance and the religion of truth
that he may make it victorious over all other religions, and the
promise of God was one day to be fulfilled* Verily the promise
has come and it pawed and mended the affair."

" I will stand by My Apostle."

" We have sent thee as a mercy for the whole world."

" And they say, ' Thou art not a Messenger of God' ; say to
them 'I have with me the testimony of God ; will you believe?"

" And they take tbee as the subject of their railleries, and
say in derision, ' Is this he whom God has sent as an Apostle ! '
This is how they take thee, but the fact is that, We offered
truth to them and they hated it and rejected it."

(Vol. II R: R. 1903.)

284

Fundamental Doctrines of Muslim Faith.

(Being the substance of a speech delivered by the
Promised Messiah on the 26th December 1906 at

an Annual Gathering of Sadr
Anjuman-i-Ahmadiyya, Qadian).

Translated from the Badr t Qadian.

The first fundamental principle of the faith of Islam is the
recognition of Divine Unity, but it should be borne in mind that
a mere belief in the Unity of God is not sufficient. One should
never be contented that one is called a Muslim and believes in
v the formula that "There is no god, but God". Those who have
read the Holy Quran know it well that Almighty God is not
pleased with lip-profession. It is the heart to which God looks
because the heart is the seat of the Almighty. In the Holy
Quran Almighty God speaks of the Jews as a favoured
people to whom great blessings were granted, but another
^ time came upon them when their beliefs became lip-beliefs
only, and the words which^ they uttered with their mouths
had no access to their hearts, because while there was
faith on their lips, their hearts were full of evil ideas, dis-
honesty and faithlessness. Hence Almighty God sent upon
them punishments of various sorts. They had still the Books of
the Prophets with them in which they expressed their belief and
they believed also in the Prophets, but they found no favour in
the sight of God because the words they uttered were upon their
lips aud their hearts did not realize the meaning of those words.
Bear in mind, then, that Almighty God is not pleased with the
words of the mouth when the heart is devoid of true purity.
Remember this, and let cot a mere profession of belief in God
deceive you, for the faith that is on the tongue and not in the

285

heart is an impure and powerless faith. It cannot serve any
purpose neither in this life nor in the next. Almighty God is
not pleased until He sees that a man has banished from his
heart all ideas except the idea of God and turns solely to Him
and sets greater value upon his faith than upon the things of
this world. You may deceive men by outward deeds of prayers,
fasting and almsgiving when your heart is devoid of the true
spirit of these virtuous deeds but you cannot deceive God by
your dry and spiritless formalities. That you repeat the formula
of faith and are known as believers in the Unity of God has no
value in the sight of God,

It is the meaning of the formula of faith which you should
know and act upon. When a person says tM)$ ] d)$ 'There is no
god but God,' he professes with his tongue and believes with his
heart that none except God deserves to be worshipped. The
word ilali translated "god" really means in Arabic "object of
love, worship and desire." The formula la ilalia illallah, "There
is no god but God" which has been taught to the Muslims
as a proclamation of the Unity of God is really the essence
of the Holy Quran. It means that unless God is made the true
object of a man's love, desire and worship, and unless Divine
glory and majesty reign supreme in a man's heart so that he is
prepared to sacrifice every worldly interest for the sake of God,
he cannot attain to the supreme bliss and the eternal happiness
known as salvation There is a tradition of the Holy Prophet
according to which ''Whoever says that there is no god but God
shall enter into paradise". The meaning of these words has
been greatly misunderstood, The tradition does not mean as
many people think that the utterance of the above-mentioned
words with the tongue is sufficient for the attainment of sal-
vation. Almighty God sees the hearts and mere words have no

286

A/'

importance in His sight The tradition signifies that when a
roan fully realizes the significance of the words la ilaha illallahj

I and the majesty and glory of God fully enter into his heart, he
enters into a paradise. The realization of the signification of
these words involves that a man should have no object of love
besides of God, nor any object of worship or desire besides Him.
True and sincere faith in the Unity of God and acting in
practice upon the true significance of the formula of the faith is
that stage in the spiritual progress of man upon reaching which

^ a man becomes a saint or the beloved one of God. Be not proud
that you do not worship an idol or a human being, for idol
worship and human-worship are evils of a gross type and are
avoided by every man of common sense. Even the Hindu who
has for centuries remained steeped in the grossest idol-worship
has now begun to hate it, and the worshippers of Jesus are also
beginning to see their errors. But Islam does not stop there,
and when it inculcates a belief in the Unity of God, it does not
require us simply to avoid idol-worship or human-worship, It

iv requires us to completely forsake all those false idols, which we
have made in our hearts. For instance, to follow one's desires or
to gratify one's passions or to follow evil courses are really so
many idols which men are worshipping. The faith of Islam,
"There is no god but God," rejects these idols as well, and con-
siders them great hinderances to the spiritual progress of man.
In Islam there is a negation of all gods besides God, whether

V those gods ma} 7 be the false idols within a man's heart or actual
images made of stone- What is required is that the heart should
be buried for the love and reverence of one Being only. Nay, it
is easy to forsake the worship of stone idols, but the idols of de-
sires assume various disguises and remain hidden in the deepest
depths of the heart. There was a time when idol-worship pre-

287

dominated every phase of life in India, but many idol-worship-
pers have now become Muslims and even the Hindus who stick
to their old faith are beginning to hate idol- worship. This is
because the errors of idol-worship are plain enough. But the
other form of idol-worship is a far more .dangerous disease. The
idols within the heart of a man are not seen by the physical eye,
and even philosophic minds are misled by the disguises which
they assume. It is through the microscope of Divine grace only
that they can be seen* .And so long as they occupy the heart,
it cannot become the seat of the Almighty. Their harm is the
greater on account of their very nature. These idols are the de-
sires and passions for whose gratification a man infringes both
Divine and human rights. Some people trust the efficiency of
means and resources to such an extent as to exclude all ideas of
God. They may profess a belief in God and express hatred for
idols, but their means and resources are really their idols. Un-
less these idols are swept off, true Unity of God can never be
established in the heart.

Many people would ask, 'Do we not believe in the Unity
of God?' My answer to them is that they do not believe in
the Unity of God if their hearts still follow their own desires
and rely on their own resources. A belief in the Unity of God
is not meaningless thing. It has a wonderful effect upon the
human life arid this effect can be witnessed clearly in the practi-
cal life of the man who with his whole heart and true sincerity
believes in the Unity of God. What I say to you is rny own
experience; let hirn who will accept it. It pains me to see even
among my followers those who do not accept the Unity of God
to which He invites them. A belief in the Unity of God requires
us to be most regardful of the rights of His creatures. There-
fore the person who violates his brother's right is not a believer

in the Unity of God. So long as jealously, enmity, hypocrisy,

dishonesty, &c., are met with in a man's relations with his

/ fellow-men, his profession of the Unity of God is not sincere and

does not proceed from, his heart, For, unless a man shows in

his practice that he has^ forsaken all gods and all objects of love,

worship and desire, a profession with his lips is an utterly useless

thing. A man can never be pure in heart unless he first des-

f troys all the false idols which like rats on earth affect it with a

/ plague. It is in this that the distinctive superiority of Islam,

lies, for as regards the mere belief in the Unity of God, there are

Unitarians even among the Christians, and the Aryas, the Brah-

mqs and the Jews too profess a belief in the Unity of God.

The Unity of God is the first and the foremost principle of
v Islam. Having expressed myself briefly on the true nature of
this doctrine, I will say a few words about the prayers enjoined
by the Muslim law which form the second pillar of the faith of
Islam. The importance of the injunction relating to prayers
can be understood easily from the frequent repetition of that
injunction in the Holy Quran. But the Holy Book at the same
time warns the Muslims against a misconception or ignorance
of the true nature of prayers, for it says : "Woe is to those who
pray but are utterly regardless of the true nature of their prayers,"
Prayers are a supplication addressed to Almighty God by a man
to purify him and to make him attain union with Him, for un-
less a man is purified by the hand of God, he cannot be pure,
and unless Almighty God makes him attain His union by His
powerful hand, he cannot find it. Many are the chains and
fetters with which a man is bound, and his own exertions, how-
ever hard, are not sufficient to liberate him from them. He de-
sires that he may become purified, but his efforts without the hel-
ping hand of God are of no avail, and sometimes he does stum-

289

ble- To purify one from sins is the work of God only and there
is no other power on the earth's surface which can bring about
that object. Hence Almighty God has enjoined prayers that
they may be the means of bringing about a pure transformation
and creating holy promptings and pure impulses within a man's
heart* Prayers are a humble and earnest supplication to
Almighty God that evil desires, evil passions and evil impulses
may be suppressed and a pure love and a pure connection with
the Divine Being may be generated in their place which should
enable a man to walk in obedience to Divine commandments.
The word used for prayers in the Muslims Law is Salat, and the
presence of the idea of burning in the root meaning shows that
prayer is not the utterance of certain words with the lips, but
that true prayer should be accompanied with a burning of the
heart for the attainment of the object prayed for. Very few
persons are acquainted with the philosophy of prayer. A kind
of death comes over the person who sets himself to pray for the
attainment of an object. It is then that prayer is accepted. But
very few persons know this. I daily receive letters in which
men complain that they prayed for an object, but that their
prayer was not accepted. They do not know that the utterance
of certain words with the lips is not prayer. It is a necessary
condition for the acceptance of prayer that the heart should
completely melt before God, and the grace of God should be
sought with patience and perseverance. Such prayers are gene-
rally accepted. The daily prayers which are enjoined by the Mus-
lim Law afford to a Muslim the best occasion for addressing his
supplications to God, but the Muslims are unaware of their bless-
ings. It is due to ignorance that the different sects have invented
different forms of devotion for seeking the nearness of God. It is
through prayers only that His nearness is attained, and this was

290

the way which the Holy Prophet followed. It is ray personal ex-
perience that nothing can make a man attain that nearness of
God which can be attained through prayers. All the movements;
in prayers are expressive of the deepest humbleness before God.
First we stand with our hands folded on the breast, as a servant

stands respectfully before his lord and master, expressing by this

attitude that like a humble servant, we are ready to obey all the

| Divine commandments. Next we bend low before Him as a

servant does before his master and thus express further humble-

[ ness while we praise the holiness and greatness of God. The
highest degree of humbleness which is expressive of utter human

/ weakness in the majestic Divine presence is shown in the act of
prostration. The tongue utters the praises of God and thus
while the words express His glory and greatness, the heart
shows its sincerity in this praise and glorification of the mighty
Lord of earth and heavens by the physical act of prostration.
The physical movements of the body in prayers are therefore
only practical expressions of the deep humbleness of the hearfr
and both the tongue and the heart, the body as well as the soul^
join in singing praises of the glory and greatness of God and
expressing by words as well as practice the utter weakness and
humility of man.

As there is a deep significance beneath the physical move-
ments of the body in the prayers, so there is a hidden meaning
in the five times appointed by the Islamic law for the five daily
\i' prayers. They represent the five conditions of man. They are

I photographs of man's changing conditions. The life of man is
subject to five different changes which he undergoes in the time
of adversity. These five changes are necessary to human
nature. First of all he is informed of the misfortune that is
going to bafall him, as, for instance, when a warrant is issued

291

from a court of justice for his arrest. For the first time then
his comfort and happiness are suddenly interrupted and a cloud
of melancholy, is cast over his sunshine of glory. This stage
corresponds to the time for the first prayer immediately afternoon
As the sun begins to decline f corn the zenith after noon, so a
man who is at the height of his prosperity and success witnesses
the first stage of his declination when he comes to know of an
impending misfortune. This stage of the. human condition
finds its representation in the prayer which is said at the first
decline of the sun i. e. r the zuhr prayer. The sun declines
farther to the west and the troubles increaset In illustration
already stated, the person upon whom, the warrant is executed
is brought before the magistrate* Difficulties, then encompass
him all around, and the light of comfort is on the verge of
extinction. Corresponding to this state of man is the time
of the day when the sun has declined far to the west and his
light is turned pale so that th.e eye can rest upon him. The
zenith of ;glory is left far behind and the setting of the sun after
a short time is apparent. The latter after-noon prayer, .i. e., 'asr
answers to this spiritual state. A third change then comes over
the man- There is no hope left of being delivered from the
trouble. To continue the illustration already suggested, evi-
dence being taken against the accused person which shows his
guilt, a charge is framed by the magistrate, He is then frighted
out of his senses and deems himself already a prisoner. The
sun of glory is then set. This state corresponds to the time
when the sun actually sets and the light of the day vanishes
away. The evening prayer said after sunset represents this con-
dition. The culminating point of adversity is reached when
darkness encompasses a man all round, and its force is fully
realized. The verdict goes against him and he is sent to gaol.

292

Then there is before him the darkness of night. Corresponding
to this state of physical adversity are the night-prayers which
are said when the darkness of night fully sets in. This long
interval of darkness is again followed by a light in the East
which gives news of the rising sun. The period of imprisonment
is over, and the sun of prosperity again begins to shine upon the
man, In accordance with this change the next prayer-time is
the morning which brings the glad tidings of the new sun.

The third principal injunction of the Muslim law is fasting.
There are some men who say that changes must be introduced
into these practices. They are spiritually blind and ignorant of
the deep wisdom which underlies every injunction given by Al-
mighty God. Fasting is necessary for the perfect purity of the
soul. ID is persumptuous on the part of those who have never
walked in the spiritual paths to suggest reforms in these paths.'
They are engrossed day and night with their worldly affairs and
their whole lives pass in temporal concerns. How absurd on
their part to handle matters religious notwithstanding their
absolute ignorance about them. The fact is that the suffering
of hunger and reducing the quantity of food which one generallv
takes is an essential step in the spiritual progress of man. It
strengthens the visionary power of man. Man does not live by
bread alone. And after this life there is another and eternal life
to neglect which is to seperate oneself entirely from God. The
man who fasts should bear in mind that fasting does not mean
only abstaining from food for a stated time. Its true signifi-
cance is that man should abstain from every kind of evil. In
fact, food is a thing which Almighty God has not forbidden bub
He has forbidden evil. If then He requires us to abstain while
fasting from that which he has not ordinarily forbidden, how
much more necessary it is that we should abstain from, that

293

which He has forbidden. When keeping fast, yon should re-
member God much. The practice of the Holy Prophet shows
that the Ramzan is particularly the month of Divine worship.
Therefore let your abstinence from food during these days serve
as a step for the engrossment of your ideas with the worship of
God, so that cutting off all ordinary connections with the physical
world, you may enjoy the blessings of the spiritual world. Woe
to him who found the physical bread and did not care for the
spiritual bread. As the physical bread sustains the physical life
in man, so the spiritual bread sustains the spiritual life of man
and breaths vital power into the spirit. Seek assistance from
God, for by His grace are the doors opened.

The fourth pillar of Islam is Zakat or giving of legal alms.
The Arabic word signifies purification, and therefore by this in-
junction also Islam aims at purity. There are many people who
give alms and make charitable gifts, but they do not care whe-
ther they earn money by fair or foul means. But the institu-
tion of ZaJcat in Islam requires only a stated share of that which
has been earned fairly and without doing any wrong to others.
Zakat is the giving in the way of God out of one's fair earnings
which are thus purified. What Islam aims at teaching by this
institution is that a man should not so love the wealth of this
world as to feeK it difficult to part with it in the way of God.
On one occasion the Holy Qurau says : J^aaii' ^J^ ^ } jy UJ ^J
^^xsu U* " By no means caii you attain to righteousness until
you spend in the way of God out of what you love." The reason
for this injunction is that unless a man learns to sacrifice his
dearest interests for the sake of God, he cannot be said to have
preferred the side of God to this world. When we compare the
state of the Muslims of our time with the companions of the

294

Holy Prophet, a sad contrast is brought to light, There is
nothing in the world which is dearer to a man than, his own life,
but the companions willingly sacrificed their lives for the sake of
God. They had also wives and children to look after, but they
loved to sacrifice themselves and everything they had in the way
of God.

The fifth pillar of the Muslim faith is the pilgrimage to

Mecca. The pilgrimage represents the last stage for the spiri-
tual wayfarer. In the highest stage of spiritual advancement
the spiritual wayfarer has all his lower connections entirely cut
off and he is completely engrossed with Divine love. The true
lover finds his highest satisfaction in sacrificing his very heart
and soul for the beloved one's sake, and the circuit round the
house of God is an emblem or external manifestation of it. Cor-
responding to the Divine temple on earth, there is .a Divine
temple on heaven and a circuit round the temple on earth is
useless unless a circuit is made round the heavenly temple also-
The pilgrim who makes a circuit round the Ka'ba takes off all
his clothes and wears only one garment, but the spiritual pil-
grim throws of all his superficial garments and comes into Di-
vine presence with a heart quite naked because it has been freed
from every trammel. The pilgrim shows by the external act
of making circuit round the Ka'ba that" the fire* of Divine love
has been kindled within his heart, and like the true lover he
makes circuits round the house of his beloved one. He shows
in fact that he has lost his own will and completely surrender
it to that of his beloved Master and that he has sacrificed all his
interests for His sake. Such is the true meaning of the Hajj or
pilgrimage in the Islamic law, and everybody who undertakes
to go on a pilgrimage should bear in rnind that unless
he realizes the full significance of the pilgrimage and unless

29.5

the bodily act of the pilgrimage is accompanied with the
spiritual pilgrimage, his performance of the rites of the pil-
grimage is only a lifeless ceremony devoid of all meaning. But
many people perform the pilgrimage only to be called pilgrims
and spend their foully earned wealth for a visit to the holy
places Almighty God does not accept their pilgrimage, for they
are only crusts without any essence. (Vol. VI R- R- 1907).

OBJECT OF MUSLIM PRAYERS.

There exists a great misunderstanding with respect to the
nature of the prayers enjoined by the Muslim Law. The prayer
of a Muslim is a prayer ia the truest and highest sense of the
term, a devout supplication to Almighty God and reverential
expression of the spill's sincerest desires before its Maker. But
on account of the great ignorance that prevails among the Mus-
lims, prayers are looked upon as a burdensome duty. Does Al-
mighty God stand in need of imposing tax upon His creatures ?
Certainly not ; for He is above .all .needs and able to dispense
with all creatures. Almighty God has commanded men to pray
to Him and utter His praise, not because He stands in need of
it, but for their own good, for only thus can they attain the
great object for which man has beea created. It grieves me to
see that men have no love for piety, righteousness and the wor-
ship of God. The true devotion of the heart has degenerated
into a lifeless ceremonial. Tne love of God is on the wane and
the heavenly enjoyment in His worship is nowhere felt. There
is taste and flavour in everything and most of all in prayers and
in the worship of the Divine Being. But as the sweetest thing
would excite a bitter taste in the mouth of one whose organs of
taste are morbid, similarly prayers and worship do not afford any
pleasure or enjoyment to those who are spiritually sick. The

296

object of man's life has been described in the Holy Quran to be
the worship of Grod, and it is impossible that man should have
been so created as to feel a pleasure in everything except in that
which was the aim of his life. Nay, it is here that he should
experience the highest bliss, and if he does not, he should clearly
understand that some morbidity affects his spiritual conditions
and he ought to seek for the proper remedy.

We see it in our every- day experience that the things that
have been created for the benefit of man possess a certain attrac-
tion for him, Are not delicious articles of food and drink plea-
sant to the taste, beautiful objects and sights and charming sce-
nes pleasing to the eye, and sweet sounds and soft and melodi-
ous tones pleasing to the ear? What other argument is needed
to show that the observance of religious duties must afford plea-
sure and enjoyment to a man ? Again, man and woman were
created as helpmates to each other, and the one was consorted
with the other not by compulsion but by means of attraction
placed in each for the other. The coupling of the man and the
woman with the object of procreation has thus been brought
about by the pleasure which each finds in the union, and the pur-
pose could hardly have been accomplished without it. The
enjoyment which is found in the sexual connection and which
is the incentive to men to propagate their kind, has such a
powerful attraction that ignorant men have taken it to be the
object of the sexual connection and have lost sight of tbe real
object, viz., procreation. The object with which the close con-
nection between man and woman was brought about was no
doubt the propagation of their kind, and the enjoyment found in
the connection was only a step to the attainment of that object-

The true and eternal union which affords the hignest bliss
is the union of man with God. It gives a pleasure which is far

297

above every pleasure of the senses. But tbe unfortunate
man who does not find any pleasure in this union and who
regards the worship of God as a tax, has not his spiritual facul-
ties sound and in a regular order, and is like the sick man who
finds no pleasant savour in sweet things, or the blind man who
finds no charm in beautiful objects or the impotent man who
finds no pleasure in the sexual union. But, alas for the spiritual
lethargy which so generally prevails. The sick man who finds
no enjoyment in his fooxl consults the doctor and incurs every
expenditure for the cure of his disease, and the impotent man
who is deprived of the pleasure of sexual union is ready some-
times to commit suicide, but the hardened heart which finds no
pleasure in the worship of God does nothing to heal itself and to
open itself for the Divine blessings. Why does not this great
grief gnaw his soul ? He is mad after the pleasures of this
world but there is no thirst in his soul for eternal bliss, no year-
ning after heavenly enjoyment. Does he think that temporal
pleasures can be restored to him when he has been deprived of
them, but that Almighty God has made no provision for spiri-
tual and eternal pleasure ? God has certainly made such provi-
sion, but for those who seek it and try for it as they try for the
remedies of physical diseases.

The Holy Quran has on one occasion compared the faith-
ful to virtuous women and this simile has a deep significance.
The close connection which exists between man and woman ser-
ves to exemplify the connection between God and His faithful
servant. The union of woman with man is blessed and fruitful
if it is characterized by love and concord. Discord and disagree-
ment, on the other hand, are not only fatal to the peace of the
household, leading to the corruption of both the man and the
woman and to diseases which impair the health oi the pair per-

manen.tly, but also render the object of the union a certain fail-
ure. Any disturbance in the true union is productive of immen-
se harm and mischief. Such iri also tha case of the spiritual
union of man with God. The person who cuts asunder his con^
nection from his heavenly Master, has his heart cankered and
vitiated. His suffering is very great and knows no end. Again*
as there is pleasure in the sexual union of man and woman for
the production of new life, so there is bliss in the spiritual union
of man and God for an immortal life. The bliss that is felt in
the spiritual union far transcends all earthly and material enjoy-
ments, and has nothing comparable to it in the pleasures of the
senses. If the men of this world who are given to the worldly
pleasures taste but once of this heavenly bliss, they would
forget all their former pleasures for its sake. But what is to
be deplored is the ignorance of most men as regards the source
of this heavenly enjoyment. Their genuflexions and prostra-
tions are not accompanied with the bowing down of the soul on
the Divine threshold and hence their prayers are meaningless
movements of the body. They perform their religious exercises
with an absent rnind, and their prayers have no other signifi-
cance than sitting and rising alternately. It grieves me still
more when I see people resorting to prayers that they may be
seen of men and revered and honored among them ; and their
insincere prayers make them successful in the attainment of
this mean object. Ah, ignorant souls ! they never think that
if their false prayers can make them honorable in the eyes of
men, would not true and sincere prayers make them honorable
in the sight of God ?

In short, indifference to prayers and remissness in them are
due only to an ignorance of the pleasure and enjoyment with
which true and sincere prayers are attended. In large cities and

299

in villages, in the mad race for wealth and in the heat of business
people can hardly find time to bow down in submission be-
fore their Master, and those that go through the external acts of
devotion have their hearts in their business and not in the
prayers which they offer. There is hardly anyone who can bow
down his head in true submission and with his whole heart and
soul. What is the cause of this spiritual letihargy and indiffe-
rence to religion ? Nothing but that people are unaware of the
heavenly enjoyment of prayers and have never tasted of their
true bliss. There is a vast majority of people who would hate
the call to prayer, because at that time they happen to be en-
gaged in some business of theirs. Such men are to be pitied for
their ignorance. They should pray to God with true zeal and
sincerity -that they may be made to taste of the enjoyment of
prayers as they have been granted senses with which they feel
the physical pleasures. If they drink of this pure fountain but
once, they will not forget its sweatness as long as they live- But
as long as they are unaware of its beauties, it is hateful in their
eye. To get up early in the morning from a warm bed when
sweet slumber is soothing the senses to rest and to wash oneself
in the cold season are heavy inconveniences if unattended with
any compensatory benefit.

The question then arises, how to obtain this pleasure in
prayers without which they are but an inconvenient burden ?
The drunkard goes on drinking and takes one cup after another
until he gets intoxicated. He does not get tired with the first
cup and leave drinking because it has not intoxicated him. He
sets before himself the one object of getting the pleasure of in-
toxication and devotes himself wholly to it. The man who has
a longing for the divine joy which is to be found in prayers should
have his attention and thoughts engrossed with it and all his

300

faculties applied toi its attainment The desire to get at it should
cause an unrest to his soul and inspire it with true zeal and
sincerity for its possession. In saying his prayers he should also
aim at true holiness which is the necessary consequence of
sincere prayers, for the Holy Quran says: cjli'^J ) ^ '&> ^*s*) ) ^ )
"Verily good deeds, i.e. prayers, drive away evils." The deep and
I)ivine delight which prayers afford and the true holiness which
they effect, should be the objects which a man should set before
himself in saying his prayers, and he should further pray to God
that his prayers may be like those of the true and faithful ser-
vants of God and be blessed with like blessings."

"Some men think that prayer may be "resorted to, but prayer
means only worship of God and it is a deed of merit which will
be rewarded hereafter. This is a serious error. Every devotion,
which is devoid of true spirituality and every reward which is
vainly looked for at some future moment, is a worthless thing or
an idle hope. Sincere worship of God and true reward make
their light and blessings felt in this very world. It is the sign
of the acceptance of our devotions that when praying to God we
witness with our spiritual eye that a panacean light descends
from God, nullifying the effect of the poisonous matters in our
heart, and falling upon us like a flame of fire burns away the
carnal desires and fills the heart with certainty and with a holy
feeling of love and joy, and opens the breast for receiving truths
and heavenly wisdom. If the mind does not experience these
things our worship and devotions are nothing more than lifeless
ceremonies. Every prayer, though it be for the removal of our
worldly difficulties, casts a benignant influence on our minds.
Ib first strengthens our faith and increases our Divine knowledge,
and after granting a security, openness and blissfulness to the
mind, it then dispels the gloom of our distresses and banishes

301

our cares and sorrows in one way or another. The mere utter- ^
ance of a few words does not, therefore, constitute a prayer. A
true prayer is that which has actually a magnetic power, and
after which a light descends from heaven which dissipates the
clouds of our anxieties, and grants us a peace and security of L
mind. It is true that Divine assistance is vouch-safed to us in
one of two ways after a true prayer, viz-, either the difficulty
which would crush us under its weight is altogether removed, or /
we are granted a supernatural power to bear it and then we find >
a joy and a bliss in it, and being freed from all uneasiness our
breast is opened for its reception. In both cases Divine assis-
tance does certainly come to us after a devout and sincere pra-
yer."

"Moreover, when it is admitted that the happiness, felicities
and blessings of the next world, which are expressed in the one
word "Salvation," are obtained by means of prayers, the efficacy
of prayers is also admitted ; for, if our prayer can not help us in
getting freed from adversities and in the attainment of our ob-
jects in this life, there is no reason they should effect that pur-
pose in the life to come. If prayer has no efficacy in this world, /
it is absurd to suppose that it will show its efficacy in the next.
On the other hand, if we believe in its efficacy in the next, we
cannot but admit its efficacy here, so that its manifestation in
this very life may strengthen our faith and hope in the. next,
arid we may pray with greater zeal for the blessings of the next
life."

"There should be a transformation in the prayers which you
perform daily. I see that the prayers of most men are only rnea- ^
ningless movements of the body. Their prayers are not atten-
ded with even the fearfulness and the humbleness of heart which
may be seen in their supplications after the prayers are ended,

302

It would have been much better if they had urged their entrea-
ties to God while performing their prayers, for in that case they
would have found delight and perfect joy in their prayers^ I
therefore say that, for a time, you should give up the habit of
lifting up your hands after your prayers are finished and ask of
your Divine Master whatever you^ have to ask while you are
praying) so that you may find bliss in your prayers. You should
moreover submit your petitions to God in your own language,
for in that case there would be greater fervor and enthusiasm in
your supplications. So after you have recited the Holy Quran
and the forms of prayer reported from the Holy Prophet, pray
to God in your mother-tongue, for your supplications to God
are best and most ardently expressed in that language. What
is of essential importance for you to ask of God is that you
may be delivered from sins and that God may be pleased with
you, for with sins the heart is hardened and the sinful man
is really an earthworm. Therefore our constant prayer to God
who holds all power in His hands, should be that he may release
us from sins and show us the path of His pleasure. The true
believer lives in this world as if he were a traveller on horse-
back going in a forest and stopping for a while to take rest un-
der a. tree without alighting from the horse, and continuing the
journey when relieved a little. But if a traveller were to make
a permanent abode in that forest, he must soon be torn by beasts
of prey. The true believer does not consider the world to be
his borne, and for him who does so, God does not care, for He
only loves and honors His faithful servants. It reported from
the Holy Prophet that the true believer seeks the nearness of
God by J* Jy by which are meant, deeds beyond what is in-
cumbent or obligatory upon a person. The man of world slack-
ens his pace after doing-a little bit of :good, but the true believer

303

is always anxious of adding to what he has done. By the
are meant not only supererogatory prayers, but every voluntary
addition or accession to obligatory good deeds. There is a
desire in the heart of the true believer to do more and more
good deeds, and advancing thus in goodness, he comes nearer
and nearer to God, while God also comes nearer and nearer to
him, until having completely annihilated his own self, he finds
himself under the shadow of God and is illuminated by Divine
lights. His eye then becomes the eye of God and his ear the
ear of God, for he does not go against the will of God in what
he does." .

."I. have often exhorted my followers to establish such a con-
nection, for unless all worldly conections are severed and the
heart is dead to the love of the world, the nature of the man
must remain divoid of zeal for the love of God. It has been
said that the companions of the Holy Prophet used to be so en-
grossed in their prayers that when they were ended, they could
hardly recognise one another. In fact, every true believer
should be so engrossed in his prayer. According to the Muslim
law when a man meets his companions after seperation, he must
say fil-t |* W ) "Peace be on you." In this lies the secret of
ending prayer with *JJj &** ; 3 fty* f ^ J J ."Peace be on you and
the mercy of God." When a man stands up for prayers and
begins his devotions by saying Allah-o-Akbar (God is great), he
stands in the Divine presence and is, as it were, removed into
another world being absorbed in the contemplation of Divine
Glory and Majesty. When the prayers are ended, he comes
back into this world and hence at the end he says ^^ ^ fyk JLJ )
*U'J " Peace be on you and the mercy of God." Having met
his friends after separation. But if only dull ceremonies are
gone through without realizing their deep significance, no good

364

can result;, tieremonies are shells in which fcbe're is no kernel,
and if the deep truths that underlie them are not realized, they
may turn out to be ways of destruction. It is when such truth
is realized that a true love for God is generated in the heart,
and the soul flies to God and is completely engrossed in the
contemplation of Divine glory. Every particle of the body in
that state serves and obeys God."

"There is another point worth mentioning. The Holy Pro-
phet had to depart and thus a great exemplar, the most excellent
agency that showed the path to God, had to be taken away from
the companions. So they were told: j*$ ^ *W ) ^^ ^ ^l J*
ill ) j,&xso ^i" Say if you love God, then walk in my footsteps and
God will love you." Now no one can be the beloved of God except
the upright man. To renew and increase the love of the follow-
ers for their Holy Master, they were enjoined to invoke Divine
blessings on the Holy Prophet, and this was made a part of their
prayers so that their love for the upright one should ever be on
the increase and thus lead them to uprightness. It is admit-
ted by all Muslims that spiritually the Holy Prophet lives for
ever. The Sufis say that the names of the Reformers are mani-
festations of the name of the Holy Prophet in some one or other
of its aspects. The excellences of propbethood terminated in
the perfect Guide, but their manifestation will always continue
to appear in the world through the successors of the Holy Pro-
phet till the day of judgment. I say to you truly that even now
Almighty God has raised such a one among you. Aye with His
hand He has established a dispensation and sent a Messenger,
and he it is who is speaking to you. The mercy of God has
come down upon earth : therefore pray to Him and ask for upright-
ness, and invoke the blessings of God on the Holy Prophet for
this is the only way to uprightness. Remember the beauties and

305

goodness of the Holy Prophet and pray to God that He may
raise his dignity still higher and crown his mission with still
greater success. Then will you taste the sweet fruit of the
acceptance of prayer, for there are only there ways to it; firstly,
that indicated in the verse M ) f&w. ^ j*$ ^ ^ J ^^ ^ & I J*
"Say if you love God, then follow me and God will love you"; se-
condly, that spoken of in the verse )4* 3 *^ J * ) ^ I ^.^) V. ) ^
m^j* ) " ye faithful ! pray for peace and the blessings of God
on the Holy Prophet;" and thridly, the grace of God."

"Instances of this abound in all holy books and the miracu-
lous owes its existence to a great extent to the acceptance of
prayer. What was it that happened in the sandy deserts of
Arabia? The dead were raised to life in thousands, the blind
were made to see, the dumb were made to utter words of heaven-
ly wisdom, and the depraved of long generations were clothed in
Divine morals. The whole peninsula underwent in a few days
a transformation which no eye had seen and no ear heard. Ah 1
these were the midnight prayers and deep sighs of a perfect one
.which shows tbese wonderful works whose execution by a help-
less unlearned orphan seemed an impossibility. Pour down Thy
favour?, blessings and peace upon him, God, in as great an
abundance as was his grief and anxiety for the welfare .of Thy
people, and cause the lights of Thine mercy to descend Upon
him to all eternity !"

' k It must also be borne in mind that there are four reasons
for which Almighty God has rendered prayer obligatory upon
the Muslims. Firstly, that by turning to God at all times and
in all states, we may. acquire firmness iu onr faith in the Divine
unity, for our entreaties to God are equivalent to our, confession
that He is the soul Giver of all gifts. Secondly, that on the ac-
ceptance of our prayer and the attainment of the object prayed

306

for, our faith in God may be strengthened. Thirdly, that if Di-
vine assistance comes in any other way, our knowledge and wis-:
doiii may be increased- Fourthly, that if the acceptance of. our
prayer is promised to us by means of inspiration or visions and
it comes to pass exactly in the same manner, one may advance
in Divine knowledge, and attain from knowledge to certainty,
from certainty to love and from love to a total freedom from sin,
and an entire disseverance of all connections besides our connec-
tion with God, and thus obtain the fruit of true salvation. Bub
if our objects are attained independently of prayer and a veil
hides the face of God from us, the fulfilment of our desires her
comes ultimately a source of grief and anxiety for us, and every
success which was deemed at first a pleasure becomes a sorrow
But the sight and knowledge which are granted through prayer
and the blessings which are bestowed upou us from the heavenly
treasure, never diminish or decline. On the other hand, advan-
cing day by day in Divine love and knowledge, a man will ascend
by this holy ladder of prayers to the pinnacles of bliss;"

"It is,: therefore, necessary for the seeker after truth that he
should try to obtain, in right earnest, such true faith. The
mere fact that he is a Musalman, and hates shirk and says his
prayers, is not sufficient to release him from the bondage of sin
or make him attain salvation. Only he will find true salvation
and supreme delight and perfect bliss after death who has found
in this very life the true and living light which turns a man
with all his faculties, inclinations and desires, to God, and morti-
fying all earthly desires works, a pure transformation in his soul.
And what is this true and living light ? It is nothing but
a certainty of Divine existence, and a perfect Divine know>
ledge. It is the heavenly power which with its powerful hand
draws a man out of the dangerous and dark pit of slavery to

307:

passion, and seats him in open space where there is light and
safety. Before this light is obtained, a man's virtuous deeds
are only formalities in ohedience to custom, and the slightest
trial is apt to stumble him. Without certainty a man's relation
with God cannot be clear. But the man to whom certainty
is given flows towards God like water, flies to Him faster than
the wind, burns like fire every thing foreign to God, and bears
every suffering, with patience and steadfastness like earth. It
is a sweet syrup which, as. soon as it is taken, sweetens the
whole body. It is a delicious milk ;which makes a man indiffer-
ent to the dainties of the world. But it is found only by means
of true and devout prayers in which a man completely anni-
hilates himself. It is obtained no doubt the task and narrow the
path 1 Is there any one who would undertake this task and ; seek
this path?" (Vol. Ill B. R. 1904.)

Importance of Friday Prayer.

Of all the religious obligation of a .Muslim, the most im-
portant is prayer, and of all the prayers, none is so essential to be
recited in congregations as the Juma 1 prayer. The Juma 1 is in
fact the greatest Muslim festival. The Holy Quran regards it
as a holiday. A. whole chapter of the holy book entitled the
Juma 9 has >been devoted to it. la that chapter Almighty God
commands the Muslim to quit all their worldly affairs when they
are summoned to prayer on Friday, to assemble in mosques
and to say the Juma prayers wilh due observance of all the re-
quirements of the Law.: .The person who does not act in obedi-
ence to these injunctions is regarded by the Holy Quran as
guilty of a deadly sin and almost out side the circle of

Islam. Far more stress has been laid upon attendance at the
Juma' Sermon and the Juma prayers than upon the I'd. It is

on account of this importance of the Juma' in the Muslim faith

308

that Friday has universally been observed as a holiday among
the Muslim from the very earliest time that Islam took its rise.

(Vol. I. R. R. 1902).

Who is a true Martyr.

"Bear in mind that a true martyr ( Shaheed) is not only the
man who is killed in religious cause but also the man who in
all trials and difficulties remains firm and faithful to God, and
who is ready to suffer any hardship in the path of God. Shaheed
literally means a witness and, therefore, everyone who has such
a living and certain faith in the existence of God that he may
be said to have witnessed Him and the glorious manifestation of
His power is a Sliaheed or a martyr. He believes in the exis-
tence of God and in His mighty power and control over all with
such certainty as if he had witnessed them, When the spiritual
wayfarer has reached this stage, he finds no difficulty in laying
down his iifa in the path of God: rather he feels supreme
pleasure aud bliss in it. By laying down life in the path of God
it is not meant that a person should seek an occasion to be ac^
tually murdered, What is meant is that he should prefer
pleasure of God to his own desires and interests, that is to say;,
whenever his own interests and desires clash with his duty to
God, he should willingly forsake the former. Every one should
reflect whether it is this life that he loves most or the next;
whether if he meets with any difficulty or is subjected to any
hardship in the path of God, (i. ., for righteousness* sake)
he would bear it with heart's joy, and whether if he is required
to lay down his life, he is prepared for it. This is a spiritual
stage to which it is my object to lead my disciples."

(Vol. IY R. R. 1905),

309

Preparation for the next world.

"Immediately after death a man finds himself in the other
world. At such time the man who has wasted his whole life in the
attainment of worldly de&ires and has not sought any connection
with God, finds death a bitter cup and departs from this world
in sorrow and grief. This is the beginning of his tortures because
he never made any preparation for the afterlife. It is, there-
fore, necessary that a man should not have the love of this
world in his heart, because it is the love of this world which
precludes all happiness in the next life. And since the time
when death will come is not known to any one, a man should,
therefore, always be prepared for that hour. This would keep
him in close connection with God for he would know that his
true happiness lies in the next life- This life is in fact a kind
of preparation for the next, and it is here that everything should ^
be done for comfort there. If a man makes no preparation for
the next life, the hour of death will find him entirely involved
in the cares and anxieties of this world, and hence he will ex-
perience the greatest grief and sorrow in bidding farewell to it
and will have nothing but pain and torments in the next,
because pain and torments are the result of the cares and
anxieties of this world, Death always comes suddenly and the
man of world thinks that- it has corne prematurely. This is \/
because he is not prepared for the next life, for if he had made
any preparation, he would have been ready to receive it as if it
were at the door. Hence all righteous men have taught that a
man should always take an account of his own actions, and
see whether if death carne to him just at that -moment, he was
prepared for the journey or not." (Vol. IV R. R. 1905).

310 '

They are not Muslims who refuse to believe

in the Promised Messiah although they
may pray and fast and follow other Islamic

Injunctions.

"God have mercy on the Muslims that the beliefs of rnosfc
of them are based upon errors and injustice. They read in the
Holy Quran that Jesus is dead, but still they consider him to
be alive- They also read that successors to the Holy Prophet
must be from among the Muslims, and still believe that the
Promised Messiah would be from among the Israelites. In
Bukharee and Muslim, the two authentic works on tradition,
they find that the Messiah who would appear in the last ages,
would ba from among themselves, and still want to bring Jesus
back to this world. They read in the Holy Quran that Jesus
would not come back to the world and notwithstanding this
believe that Jesus himself would come back. They read further
that no mortal can with this body of clay go up tO;heaven and
make there his abode, and still entertain the belief that Jesus
with this physical body was taken up into heaven where he has
been residing for nineteen hundred years. And holding all these
beliefs against the Holy Quran, they still call themselves Mus-
lims!"

"Those who fell into this error before I came, are excusable.
To them it is pardoned, for they were not informed of t'he truth
and were not made to understand the true meaning of the Word
of God. But such is not your case. To you every thing has been
explained and for you light has been thrown on every side
of the question. Therefore yon cannot bring forward any excuse
for sticking to this error." -

" Too many are your weakness and most of you are stran-
gers to the sweetness of faith. The weakness and errors, the

311

love of this world and the darknesss in which the Muslims are
involved naturally call for one who, being inspired from heaven,
should rise and take them by the hand. Still I am called a
dajjal. How deplorable must be the condition of a people to
whom at the critical moment in their life a dajjal is sent! How
unfortunate the nation which when standing at the brink of
destruction, is visited by. another destruction from heaven ! They /
call me accursed and a heretic, but there is nothing new in that; /
The same epithets were given to Jesus Christ and are still given
to him by the Jews. But those who will be punished in hell
for their evils, will say 1M v*} ) )/* D ) ^ ^ *u Uf )) \^ ; ^ y 5 UJ: U y
i. ., " Why see we not the men whom we numbered among the
wicked." The world has ever been an enemy to the Messengers >-
of God, for the love of the world and the love of God's
righteous prophets cannot go together. Had you too not loved
the world, you could have seen rue, but now you cannot,"

It is but excessive vanity which makes a man think that
he does not stand in need of the prophets of .God, He deceives
himself who says: "Do I not say my prayers? Do I not keep
the fasts? Do 1 not recite the formula of faith ? " He is not
aware of the true faith and of the transcendent delight which
it brings with it. Ponder over the creation of man; it is God
who has created him, but see how He has made one man an
instrument in bringing another- into existence. As in the phy-
sical birth of man, Almighty God, has established the law of a
procreator, so a spiritual father is also necessary for the spritual
birth of man. Take care, therefore, that you are not deceived
with the mere form and ceremony, the husk of Islam. Head
attentively the word of God and think . what he requires of you.
He desires you ~to attain to the stage which He has Himself
taught you to. pray for. Head the Fatiha which says :

312

j ) Vl/ j i & ) J ) ^ ^Ju^J ) la j^J ) U d* ) "Show us the right
path, the path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy
blessings." Here Almighty God enjoins you to pray five times a,
day that He may grant you the blessings which were granted
to the. prophets of God. But how can you attain those blessings
except through the prophets. Hence it is necessary that to
make you attain the stage of certainty and love, the prophets of
God should appear from time to time and re-animate the dead
faith and make you receive the promised blessings. Will you
then oppose God and fight against Him ? Will you break His
old and e&tablished law ?"

"Some people think that they do .not stand in need of the
Promised Messiah, nor is it necessary to believe in. him. They
argue that admitting that Jesus is dead, still as they are Mus-
lims and pray and fast and follow the Islamic injunctions, they
do not need tiny-one else to make them better. But this is a
fatal, terror- In the first place, how can such people call them-
selves Muslims when they do not obey Almighty ;God and His
Prophet. The command given to them respecting the Promised
Messiah was that when he should make his appearance, they
should run to him, and that though they should have to walk on
ice upon their knees still they should reach him. But how are
these orders carried out ? By saying, "We do not need the
Messiah, nor do we care for him." And those who are not sat-
isfied with indifference, go a step further and hurl at me the
most scurrilous abuses. They call me an heresiarch and a
dajjal. Anyone who injures me in any way thinks that he has
done a deed of great merit, and the one who calls me a liar be-
lieves that he has, thereby pleased Almighty God. ye people]
who were commanded to be patient and God-fearing and to
walk in probity and righteousness, who taught you to be so

313

hasty in rejecting a Messenger of God and to take in an evil
light of all his doings and words? What sign there is which
God has not manifested, and what argument which has not been
appealed to, bub you rejected every proof, and with boldness
treated the commandments of God as naught, To whom should
I liken this cunning generation. It is like the crafty man who
in open daylight shuts his eyes and says 'where is the sun.'
Thou self deceived man, open thine own eyes first and then
thou shalt see the sun.: It is easy to call a Messenger of God
an heretic, but difficult to follow him in the subtle ways of faith,
easy to call him a Dajjal but hard to enter the strait gate of
his teaching. Every one who says that he does not care for
the Promised Messiah ^ does not care for his faith, and sets at
1 naught the true purity of life, real salvation and living faith.
If such men could take a just view of things, they would find
that without the living and perfect certainty which is granted
from heaven through the holy prophets and messengers of God,
their prayers are only lifeless ceremonies and their fasting mere
starvation.'' (Vol. Ill K. B, 1904).

A Reply to those who demand Miracles or Worldly
Advantages. The Best Criterion to recognise

a true Prophet of God

"Those who impose such conditions remain devoid of true
faith. The faith which Almighty God loves best is the faith
of Abu Bakr, the faith which seeks no signs. Abu Bakr, did not
request the Holy Prophet to work any miracle. It was sufficient
for him that Arabia sorely felt the need of a Reformer, and
the righteousness and heavenly morals of the Holy Prophet
were the greatest of all miracles. No sooner he heard the claim
of the Holy Prophet than he believed in its truth. Men of Abu
Bakr's type need no signs. Those who say that they will not

314

believe unless they get such and. such a worldly advantage really
think that they are laying God under an obligation by believing
in Him. Fools that they are they do not know that it is au
obligation of God that He shows them the right path by sending
His Messenger for their guidance. Almighty God says to the
unbelievers in the Holy Quran that earth and heaven are full,
of signs if they will not but consider, and thus draws their at-
tention to the fact that they badly nee : d a Reformer. The need
of a prophet is the great sign of his truth : why should they then
seek other signs?

i ) -"What every one needs Is this that the end of his life fn
this world should find him truly faithful, and when he departs
it should be with true contentment of heart and with perfect
peace. If this end were kept. in view, such impertinent things
would not be talked of. People say such things because in their
hearts there is no fear of God, no awe of Divine majesty. If
they had known the glory and majesty of God, their hearts
would have trembled and they would have been purified of the
trangressions, evils and mischiefs in which they are involved.
Then they would have corne to God with a straight mind and
would not have imposed such crooked conditions which are only
an evidence of the crookedness of their hearts. What would
be thought of a patient who told the physician that he would
not submit to his treatment unless he promised to pay him (the
patient) a x sum of money on recovery ? Yet this is exactly
what the spiritually sick "are saying to the Divine Healer. These
people do not come to God. Their object is worldly riches. In
their hearts there is not the burning zeal and thirst for a union
with God and a turning to Him with heart and soul. What a
wonder that men should pretend that they are coming to God
while the real object hidden deep in their hearts is the attain-
ment of the riches of this world.

315

' "I say to you truly that a holy desire for union with God
cannot be combined with an impure desire for gain. You can-
not serve both God and this world, therefore serve God alone
and let this world be as a servant to ^ you; I do not look upon
anyone as -my follower till he prefers God to all wordly objects.
This is a condition whose fulfilment I require of all my disci-
ples, for people who do not raise every step for the sake of God
are; of no use. -And for the fulfilment of this condition it is
necessary that the evil desires in a man should all be brought
to naught. It is to this state that the Holy Quran refers
when it says &J ) ^ U ^ ^ \ ^c ^r&) } ^^ ^ MJ ^ 1^ uJ U, ^ U ) ^
^.yU)^ "But as to him who fears the majesty of his Lord
and refrains his soul from evil desires, his abode is paradise"
(Ixxix : 40) From the concluding words of this verse it is evi-
dent that paradise becomes a man's abode as soon as he begins
to shun all evil desires. It is, therefore, in this life that a man
begins to lead heavenly life, and this is the place which Islam
desires every man to reach (Vol. IV B, B. 1905).

The truth is that atheism is gradually and silently taking
hold of the minds of rnen and the fear of God has vanished
away. . Having eyes rnen see not, and having ears they bear
not, and having hearts they understand not, therefore the
signs of God are rejected* A study of the books, I have written,,
will show that the clearest arguments have been given in sup-
port of my claim which have never been refuted, but the hearts
are so hardened that no amount of reasoning in sufficient to con-
vince them. (Vol. Ill R. B. 1904.)

"Almighty God out of His mercy sends His Messenger
that they may point out the way to purity and freedom from,
sin, but pride, which is a most fatal disease, keeps rnen off;
from the acceptance of truth. A true believer must have,

316

therefore, no pride iu him, bub be must bave humility and meek-
ness, for these are the characteristics of the holy prophets of
God. Our Holy Prophet possessed them in an eminent degree.
One of his servants being asked how the Holy Prophet treated
him said that the Prophet served him more than he served the
Prophet." (Vol. IY R. E, 1905.)

It can be easily seen that for the acceptance of st Prophet or
a Messenger of God who appears as a Pveforrner, the only thing
about which one has to satisfy oneself, is to see that what he
teaches is true, and that there is no. deceit or! falsehood in it.
Sound- judgment-does not stand in need of a miracle for the
acceptance of truth. But as it happens that notwithstanding,
truth and correctness of a matter, men have sometimes scruples
or doubt the motive with which it is presented, or think that
the person presenting it may be the dupe of a false belief or
may really be a deceiver, or thinking him to be an ordinary
man, do not pay attention to his words, or slight him from feel-
ings of dislike or contempt, or even understanding the truth are
unable to follow the path pointed out because of their subjec-
tion to sensual passions aud carnal desires or because of the
weekness of the flesh, therefore Divine wisdom has ordained .that
those who come from Him, and are charged with a special mis-
sion for the reformation of the world, should be attended with
signs of Diviuo assistance which are manifested sometimes
in the form of God's mercy and sometimes in that of His wrath.
It is for this reason that a Prophet is called aj-i^ and a }}.& i. e. y
a giver of the glad tidings of the mercy of God and a warner
from His wrath. The signs of the first kind are meant for the
faithful who do not revolt against the commandments of God,
nor treat the Messengers of God with contempt or insult. The
clear judgment which God has given them, helps them tore-

317

cognise the true Messenger of God at once. Thus recognising
him, they are nofc deterred from accepting him by vanity or a
false position in society. Wnen they see that a Prophet has
risen at the proper time after the manner of the by gone Pro-
phets and just in time, that there is a way for his recognition as
a true Messenger of God, that he is granted Divine assistance
and walks in purity and righteousness, and that judged by the
standard of the Divine laws prevailing with respect to prophets
his words and deeds are not open to any .objection, they have no
hesitation or scruples in submitting to him. For such. Almighty
: God manifests the signs of His mercy, and being strengthened
in faith by association with a righteous servant of God, andr wit-
nessing a : holy transformation, they constantly see fresh signs of
God. Every new truth revealed by God, every subtle point dis-
'closed, every assistance granted from heaven, and every .com-
munication of a future event is for them a sign,: and on account
of the fineness of their perception, they are able do discover^ with
minuteness, every assistance which is granted by r; Almighty: <God
to His holy ones ; and thus see the subtle signs which are .bid-
den from the eyes of the masses. In apposition to these is
another class of men who have no share in the signs of mercy
displayed by God. These are the opposers of the Prophets of
God. The; people of Noah and the people of Lot did not
benefit by any sign, of mercy until they were destroyed by the
wrat.h of God, the one .by being, drowned in. a flood, and the
other by a severe shock of earthquake and by the raining down
of stones upon them.

I see that the majority of this generation resemble the
.people of Noah; Long since two signs appeared for rne on the
-heavens' in. .accordance with a prophecy handed down to later
generations Jby the descendants of. the Holy . Prophet. This

B18

prophecy was to the effect that when the Reformer of the last
ages would appear, two signs would be manifested for his sake
upon the heavens which have never, been manifested as signs
before, viz., that the moon would eclipse in the month of Earn-
zan on the first of its eclipse nights, and the sun in the same
month on the middle of its eclipse days* The tradition con-
taining this prophecy is accepted by both the Sunnis and tjie
Shiahs, and it has been written down in books for more than a
thousand years. But when it came to fulfilment in my time,

''.'.

no one paid the slightest heed to it. No one accepted me g,s
the rightful claimant upon the manifestation of this grand
sign. Nay, it made them more insolent and bolder in hurling
abuses at me, and I was called a Dajjal, a Kafir and a JSqzzab.
The mercy of God manifested a sign, but they did not be/nefiti

by it. They did not turn towards me when it was shown -a"nd

.'.-'

slighted the sign of Grod afc if it were mere trash or treated it
indifferently as if it had not been sbowm Thus their insolence
and their contempt for me continued to increase until the sign
of heaven's wrath appeared upon earth. This sign was the
plague and it appeared in accordance with the prophecies utter-
ed by the Prophets of Grod. It has been raging in this country
for several years, and all mortal efforts to check its progress
have signally failed. The appearance of the plague in the last
days is also foretold in the Holy Quran in plain words. Thus
it says )^. *> k ) & ^ J <*** j ) &

"Some time before the end, we would utterly destroy some
of the villages and visit others with severe punishment (by send-
ing down upon them a severe plague)." (xxii 5&) Similarly on
another occasion the Holy Quran says : ^ IV ;^) f^* J^J-% %
(Ar JU ) ^ l^.bjy.^ ^W ) ^) r ^ ^ ; D ) ^ X). J--J. "When-the

-S19

end shall be near* We will cause a disease germ to corne forth
to them out of the earth which will wound them,, because they
would not believe in our signs*' (xxvii 82). Both these verses
speak of plague, because it is now an established fact, although
it was not known at the time of the revelation of the Holy
Quran, that the- plague is caused by various bacteria. Almighty
God, who isvthe knower of all secrets- knew the origin of the
disease,' and hence described it in. these terms,, calling itL/*) ^J'&l^
1 , In short, when this sign of wrath :appeajed and caused a
heavy destruction in the country, then some hearts were turned
towards me, "and about 200,000 people entered .into my Bai'at
: in a very short time. And as the plague is growing more viru-
lent, more people are coming to me and accepting the truth of
rny mission. And as it appears as a sign, I do not think it will
disappear until it brings about a transformation in the lives of
many people. Thus does this land bear a resemblance to the
land of Noah, for no one believed when heaven showed its sign
of mercy, but when the sign of Divine wrath was manifested,
thousands saw their errors and were led to accept me as the Pro-
mised Messiah. The appearance of the plague was also foretold
by the former prophets, and the Gospel also tells us that a des-
tructive plague would rage in the time of the Promised Messiah,
-and also speaks of great wars in the last ages, the fulfilment of
both of which signs we are witnessing to-day with our eyes.
Repent ye then, Muslims, for do you not see how the plague
is snatching away from you your dearest friends and relatives
one by one? Turn to God that he may turn to you, for great is
the wrath of heaven and without your true repentance as de-
sired by God it would not be turned ;a way from you, (/Vol. Ill
E. B. 1904.) . ' .- .

3*20

Prophecies relating to the safety of the
Prbmised Messiah and the Two

loms.

i . C ' '

;'. T.he following prophecies are contained on pages 510 and 511 of
the Barahiq-i-Ahmadiyya (published in 1880-84):

fitrst portion of these revelations may be thus translated;'.
"Though people will not save thee from .being killed, yet .God
shall certainly save thee from being killed, though people . may
try to. take thy life.'' ; It is: indicated here that pepple would
form plots to kill me and make attempts on my life, directjy
i or ; indirectly by misrepresenting or accusing me before, the
, authorities, Jbuc al) their efforts will prove fruitless. .Now al-
though being killed in the cause of God is martyrdom for all
'. true, believers whether prophets :or. not, yet for greater ends,
Almighty ;God does no.t allow two classes of prophets to be
\i . killed .by their enemies, viz^ (1) the Prophet who is the Founder
, of a :systern, and: (2) the Prophet with whom a system is terrnin;-
.ated. Moses. and our Holy Prophet are examples of the first,
j and Jesus Christ and the Promised Messiah in? Islam examples
.of -the second class. It is for this reason that as in the Holy
Quran, Almighty God promised to the Holy Prophet the safety
of his life against. the plots of his enemies to kill ;him, in -,th(e
J words, ^r ^ 1. ^ J***l ^. 1.3 i. e^^ "And G : ad will save thee'from
the people." He has also given a similar promise of ;safety ; to
me in almost indentical words. It can be easily seen that guch

Divine protection in the .case of the first and the last Prophets
of a system is ;of the greatest importance. If the Founder of
a system is killed,- the. truth of the system is obscured and its
foundation demolished with the laying of the first brick. For
instance if Moses had been killed ^on the very day that ha went
to Pharaoh, or our Holy Prophet has been Skilled when he was
besieged by his enemies with the object of. taking away his life,
Judaism and Mam would have been nipped in the bud and
vanished from the face of the earth to be heard of no more. Di-
vine wisdom, therefore, so ordained it that notwithstanding
thousands of powerful enemies, the two prophets were saved at
the most critical moments in their lives. Similarly if the last
Prophet of a system is cut off in the -raids t of his work,: the truth
of the system will be rendered difficult of explanation. It is the
will of God that the beginning and the end of a system should
be marked with great success and, therefore, the Founder and the
Last Prophet are both specially protected by Him. Since Jesus
was the final Prophet of the Mosaic system, he was according
,to this Divine law saved from death on the cross, and the same
Divine law has again saved me from the plots of my enemies to
take, away my life. Nay, Almighty God bestowed His grace upr-
on ma to a far greater extent than upon Jesus, son of Mary,
for his enemies succeeded in fastening him to the cross, but my
enemies were hopelessly baffled in their efforts to bring the
punishment of death or any other punishment on my head by
involving me in a murder case. The first and the last Prophets
of ^system are its two boundary-walls and their destruction in-
volves the destruction of: the whole system.

There are reasons, of paramount importance for th.e protec-
tion ojf the lives of 'the two classes of Prophets referred to above,
.and for the destruction of their enemies whoever: they may be.

322

Almighty God sends them to bring about a transformation in the
world. Since the world -is their enemy, the object ^witb which
they are sent could never be -fulfilled if Almighty God; did not
ensure the safety of their lives. In every contest they are made
victorious and their enemies are brought low whatever their
number and force. The fool says, "I also am virtuous.; I also'
say prayers and keep fasts/' The Jewish priests and pharisees
thought the same, and some of them;even claimed to be the reci-
pients of Divine revelation in opposition to Jesus. Bufc -this :was
not sufficient for their protection or the destruction of Jesus;
The true and faithful servants of God have such close connection
with Hi inland are colored so deeply by His love and sincerity
to Him, that Almighty God is always on their side and His wratti
is upon those who' stand against them and wish to cut them off.
It 1 was thus that Balaam was destroyed. He had the vanity to
think that ^Moses was not better than he. But the close c'onnec^
.tion which Moses had with Almighty God cannot be adequately
described in words, and this was what the unfortunate Balsiaru
failed to see. He came in opposition to him. and was destroyed-'
nor did -his virtue benefit him in anyway; Thus it always
happens. The deep and close connection which the beloved of
.God and > His chosen and faithful servants have with Him, is not
seen by the blind world. Those 1 who have a formal piety and
whose hearts are devoid of the true love of God> stand up against
the person who has been chosen and sent by God, hut it -is really
God that they are: fighting with. It-is impossible that Almighty
God should destroy him who he has ; sent to bring about a great
transformation in the world for sake of a few ignorant men whose
piety is imperfect. If the collision of two boats be inevitable,
one. of .which contains a just monarch with his counsellers, while
the other has a: number of 'men from ttie lowest' classes^of socifety>

it Is evident that fche latter boat will be. .drowned to save , the
former, and ttre destruction of a few men when> such valuable
lives are saved wiillrbe a matter of rejoicing, not . one of regret.
Such is the Divine law with respect to those whom God sends
as His Representatives upon earth to bring men .to the right
path. Those who stand against them however virtuous, they
may regard themselves are brought to naught) because otherwise
the object: of .God in sending His apostles would altogether; fail.
If He were not to protect them and destroy -, their enemies, no
tme; worship per of God would be Mfc ; upo,n earth. Th.e world
Jpoks at the majority and. thinks the greater, number to be, in the
right, but God does not look at numbers and. appearances but at
hearts. The light of the love of God and of ; true sincerity and
faithfulness to Him which is visible in the elect of God, is. such
that I would have described it in words if I could. ;B,ut ; ; since
the world began, no Prophet of God has been able to describe
this secret, The soul of His faithful servants falls-down on the
Pi vine threshold. with a submissiveness which cannot be express
sed in words- : : . ;-. ..;. ; .. ...,.-

; After promising a safety for .me Almighty God says in the
[revelation quoted, above : "But two sheep," i. e^ two of my
.followers, "will be slaughtered," i.e., killed blameless, /'and every-
thing that qxists upon earth will ultimately pass away," : In the
sacred books,; meek and innocent man .are presented by sheep
and sometimes- by cows. In this, prophecy Almighty God has
not, used the .words that two of my followers would be martyrs,
'but has figuratively expressed the : same idea in beautiful langu-
age by .speaking of; the slaughter of two sheep. In the sheep we
find two great uses; we get fro.m,it milk to drink and flesh to
^eat. This prophecy relates to the irjartyrdom of Maul vi Abdul
JLatif- and his disciple .Abdul Bah map, and it has -been fulfilled

23 years after its publication in the Barahinri-Ahrnadiy.ya;
Maulvi Abdul Latif gave proof of bis resemblance with the sheep
in its two benefits* In the controversy which; took place at Ka-
bul, he gave to his opponents the milk of excellent, truths and
great verities, though it was rejected by them. Again with the
sacrifice of his life, he gave them his flesh and blood that .they
might eat the one and drink the other in love for him and thus
benefit by the sacrifice which he had offered for them, v They
knew well that they could not thus lay down their lives for the
beliefs which -they owned and upon which their forefathers-'diedi
They could gi ve no- instance of any one from among them having
ever shown perseverance and faithfulness. Such a sacrifice was
impossible for a man unless filled with certainty he saw the Al-
mighty God who is unseen to the people of this world; Such
blood and such flesh as were offered by Maulvi Abdul Latif will
ever continue to invite seekers after truth to themselves. , ;
The prophecy relating to these two martyrdoms is followed
by words of condolence, for Almighty God knew that their death
would be a great shock to this sect. Thus in the revelations that
follow the one translated above, Almighty God says :.. "Be not
grieved at this distress and be not sorrowful for what has befallen
you (for although you have lost two men yet God is with you,
and He will bring to you man} 7 troops for two men);; for God is
sufficient for His servant. Do you not know that; Gcd is power*
ful over everything ? And against those who are guilty of this
crime, We will produce thee as a witness on the day of judgment,
(and We will question them for what sin they kill them.) God
shall give thee thy reward, and thy Lord shall be pleased with
thee, and-shall make thy name, -i.e., Ahmad, perfect." This revela>-
tion signifies that Ahmad means one who: praises God greatly
and this description can .be true of him only upon wHom the

blessings and gifts of God are greatly; : b:estowedv. - The name
Ahmad/ wili therefore, be .made perfect when the: blessings of
G-.od are bestowed ,in, abundance upon, the holder of that name.
"Dot. not be grieved at .the fate of .these tw.o martyrs for Divine
wisdom has .ordained it, for there are many things which you
desire but; their; attainment is injurious to .you, and, there are
many things to which you are averse though.they are good for you;
and Go& knows what is for your; benefit but you know it not."
i In these revelations Almighty God givea us to, understand

O v O

that; though even a mention: of the cruelty with; which Maulvi
AbdiilLa'til was: killed, is sufficient to make one's: hair stand on
end and greater-inijustice than this has hardly been ever done,
yet his martyrdom; -will bring .about. , numerous blessings, and
Kabul will see- the fruit thai it will bear., God remained, silent
on the murder pi Aibdul Jlahmam but He will not be silent now
and serious-consequence, will issue. It is remarkable that when
3\iaulvi. 'Abdul Latif was stoned to death^ serious Cholera broke
out in Kabul and ; some of the Amir's high officials and the
wife and a son/of.'.Nsasrulla.Khan,, . who took the- foremost :p art
in bringing about .the d:eath of: Maulvi Abdul Latif r fell ^victims
to the epidemic. But this is not all. The cruelty, with which
Abdul Latif has- been killed, awaits, yet a greater punishment.
There as no instance in this age of: such innocent blood' .spilt in
this cruel m:anner, and>woe,to the man who has done it, ..for. he
has called destruction upon his ohead. Bear witness, Land of
Afghanistan, .that:on thee the cruelest deed has been done. Thou
unfortunate/Land, thou:art,'fallen from thy .Lord's eyes, for the
greatest injustice has been doae: upon thee. .: .... . :
v . A receat revelation regarding the murder: of .Maul VL .Abdul
Latif will - be found., in .'.the February: number. of; the Review
>of Beligions; under, the date : February ,9th. when he was here.

326

It runs thus &UA &yj-.) &>i JB i.e mj "Murder in 'disappointment and :
his death was awful." Both parts of this revelation are wonder-
fully true of the murder- of Maulvi Abdul Latif,. because no one
listened to his words and, therefore, he met disappointment, and'
the people were awed at his death on account of his extraordinary
perseverance and of .the signs which appeared at'his death, one
of which was a severe outbreak of cholera."

"It should also be. borne in mind that the repeated promises
of pardon, on- renunciation of faith were given to Maulvi Abdul
Latif because of his eminent position and of the reverence
shown to him in the country on account of his learning and
sanctity. Such lenience to an ordinary prisoner is not ;to be
looked for in the stern land of Kabul. It is -possible that the
Amir himself should have been sorry to sentence to death one
who was like a sun in the country, but in religious matters
the Amir is no more, than a pupet in the hand of the .Maul vies;
He feared the Maulvies on the one hand, and saw, on the other,
that Maulvi Abdul Latif was blameless, and since he. had not
the courage to oppose the judgment of the .Ulama-, he gave ex-
pression to his feelings by repeatedly asking the Akkunzada to
renounce his faith in the Promised Messiah.
The reasons which weighed most with the present Amir
as well as his late father in murdering such members of the
Ahmadiyya sect as they could lay their hands on, was the
doctrine of the illegality, of Jehad taught by it* The Amir
and his councillors were "fully aware that I had written against
Jehad in my writings and that ' my views were directly op-
posed to theirs. The late Amir Abdul Rahman was himself
the author of a pamphlet showing the necessity and legality
of Jehad. Some Punjabis of the AJil-i-hadis sect who visited
Kabul and saw the Amir, probably, informed him of the con-

327

tents of my books. On account of this difference, 'the Amir
was already biased against me and rny followers. Now Maulvi
Abdul Latif, <while. yet in prison, remarked one day that Jehad
was forbidden, and ; tfcrat the Promised Messiah taught plainly
that we should serve and propagate Islam not by means of the
sword but by establishing its truth with sound' arguments. The
presenc'e of the Amir could not deter : him from expressing his
views, for he was dauntless in the- utterance of truth though it
cost him his life. .

It is stated by some of the disciples of Maulvi Abdul Latif
that on his journey home, he very often repeated the remark
that the land of Afghanistan stood in need of his blood. I think
this remark was true. The circulation in Afghanistan of mil-
lions of hand-bills, containing arguments for the truth of my
claim-} could not have produced the effect; which is blood has
done- The drops of his blood have been cast in that land' like
seed which would soon develop into a large tree providing shelter
for thousands of birds.

When four months had elapsed, the Amir ordered Maulvi
Abdul: Latif to be brought in the public court and warned him
of the fatal consequences if he did not renounce his faith. But
Maulvi Abdul Latif repeated the firm answer that nothing could'
shake his belief. The torture which the Amir could inflict
would end, he said, with this life but he feared Him who could
inflict everlasting punishment. He further urged the Arnir that
as he knew himself to be in the right, he should be given an
occasion to hold a debate on the points of difference with the
Maulvies, and that he should be punished if he was proved to be
in error. .To this the Amir consented, and Maulvi Abdul Latif
was carried in fetters (Weighing 128 Ibs. round his waist,
and. shackles weighing 16 Ibs. on his legs.) to the place

328

appointed, for the debate. On the opposite side, were; eight
Muftis headed by Khan Mulla Khan while :a Punjabi Doctor
who was an enemy of the Ah.rnadiyya sect, acted. as ail arbit-
rator. Eight men with drawn swords in .their hands stood ovsr
the head of the prisoner. The debate was carried on in writing
and the audience was kept ignorant of the arguments' oi both
sides. It lasted from seven in the morning till about; 3 P.. M:
At the time of the later afternoons prayers; the -judgment of
heresy was declared against the Maulvi Sahib. . He was; asked
if he- believed ;in the second corning of Jesus, but he firmly denied
and stated that the Holy Quran bore testimony that Jesus ^was
dead and .that he would not come back. Upon this they abused
and;Gur8e ; d the holy man and raised, their .cries like' the chief
priests and elders of the/Jews before Pilate. He was thereupon
sent back 'to the 'gaol with^ all those heavy- fetters. The -.judg-
ment was then sent to the Amir but the papers containing the
proceedings ; of the debate were intentionally detained.. Such a
secrecy of the proceedings of the controversy is-a: clear evidence
that the Maul vies- failed to:refute the arguments:of:Maulvi Abdul
Latif,;and the consciousness of their failure was the only reason
of keeping both the public and the Amir in the dark as to the
force of his arguments. Alas for the Amir, that he passed the
3entence simply on. the judgment of the' Maulvies and did nob
care to see even -the proceedings of the debate. It was bis duty
jf he had any fear of the great and just Ruler of the: Universe
to whom he must return alone and empty-handed, to hold the
debate in his presence, for; he knew that/ its consequence would
be the death of an innocent mam Moreover, the. parties to the
debate ought to have been. treated with fairnesa:iand justice, and
placed on a platform of. equality. Was it consonent with justice
to keep Maulvi Abdul Latif in severe ^and rigorous imprisonment

for such a long time and ttien : at .the time of the debate appoint
eight men with drawn swords to stand over his head, in ordeir
'to keep him under awe and in torture and thus indirectly pre-
vent him from adducing arguments as to his truth. Nay, it was
the Amir's duty to get the proceedings of the debate printed and
^circulated among the people to convince the public that the sen-
tence was passed in true : justice, and that Maulvi Abdul Latif
failed to prove the truth of his belief regarding : the Promised
'Messiah, the prohibition of Jehad or the death of Jesus. Ah 1 !
ian innocent man was butchered like a -sheep before the Amir's
eyesy and in spite of his truth and affording proof of it, and not-
withstanding* his< firm perseverance which is granted only to the
'elect, his sacred body was chopped like mince-meat, and his
-family and children were cast into prison with great torture and
disgrace.? Is this the punishment for a difference of opinion in
religious matters among the Muslims ? -Is innocent blood thus
; to be shed ? The British Government which is regarded by the
-Amir and his Maulvies as &hafir Government gives protection
to hundreds of different sects. If this Government had adopted
the'cruel course which the Amir has taken, how many Muham-
<madans would there have been in India to-dayt? Ah ! horrible
injustice has been done under heaven in taking the life of an in-
nocent man to whose holiness and piety the whole land of Af-
ghanistan was a witness, and: that only 'for a difference of opi-
nion in certain secondary matters. This Muslim Amir is far
.worse than that Roman Governor who, when the Jews compel-
led him to confirm the sentence of death passed on a righteous
'man, washed his hands saying that he* did not see any fault
in him. The Amir was bound to question his Maulvies on what
grounds the sentence of death was passed, -and what the
-grounds were on which such difference, of opinion was to be

830

.considered amounting to heresy., . and whether such diferencefc
did not exist among the other Muslim sects, and whether
they all with the exception of one deserved to be stoned; to
death? - : . .:.;'."'.:-.''.' : -.: '

After the sentence, of death was; passed, Maulvi : Abdul
JLatif was again called into the presence of the Amir and
tol$ that the Maulvies.had adjudged him to be a .heretiCj .and
that if he did not renounce his belief, he would be put to
;deatb. But he was not to be shaken by such, threats and
he was willing 'to die. Every new ^expostulation: was rejected
by him with greater firmness, -until the ^Amir knew it> for
certain that nothing could tempt him to .give .up: his faith.
He is alsq related to have said that he would/rise; again, after
six days. ,1 think he, said so on the basis .of some Divine re-
velation which he might have received at the . time, for at
that time he had cut oS every connection with worl<J., and was
in conirnunion with the angels. What he meant .to say was
this that he would be granted 'a new. life, such as is granted
to the transformed and the righteous ones, after> six^ days, and
-befere;the Lord's day came, which was the seventh,; he would
: braised; from .'among. the dead. The Holy .Quran has also
stated that the, martyrs are not left among the dead but are
raised after their death.. Thus it .says :: ^/ ) j$ ^. &> .1^^^' ^
*fe )J*1 ^ ) 'y* ) ' $ kJ&*- "And say. not of those. who. are slain in
God >: s path that they are dead ; nay, they are living," .It was to
this that Maulvi Abdul L.atif referred when, he spoke: .of rising
after the sixth day., I also saw a vision to. the .same eSect
.about the same time., .1 saw that a talj,. graceful : and green
branch of a cypress tree was cut off from my garden, and held
in a man's hand. . Some one said that it should be planted
: near the plum tree already cut and re-grown in a land adjacent

B31

to my house* ; After this, I received the fallowing revelation : :
'"He was cut off from Kabul and came directly to us." I
thought its interpretation to be this that the blood of the
martyr fell like a seed upon the land where it was shed and
'that growing into a large fruitful tree, it would add large num-
bers to this sect Maulvi Abdul Latif has by his death set an
example to be followed by the members of this sect and of such
a'n example they stood in great need. There are those among
t-h : em who, when they have done the slightest service, think
they have done a 'great deed and laid me under an obligation,
.whereas it is a favor of God to them that He gave 1 them' power
<to do that service-, There are others who have not come 'fro me
with full strength and full sincerity-, and whose feet are not -as,
:firmly -fixed on perfect faith and true sincerity as they claim.
:Such men v are ready to bid farewell to their faith for the, love of
the world and fail in every trial. But God is to be thanked that
there are also those who, have believed with a true heart and
come to the Lord's side with true sincerity, and who. are ready
.to suffer everything for the; sake of God, But the power of
faith which has been displayed by Maulvi -Abdul Latif is still
latent in them. May God grant 1 the faith and perseverance
shown by this martyr to every member of this sect ! As long as
there are Satanic insinuations in this world's life* it is a great
hinderance to a man's perfection.- Many will come but very
few willset such an example.

Reverting i to the story of : Maulvi Abdul Latif, when
he refused to listen to all expostulations/ the Amir drew up
the judgment- with his own hands and caused it to be hung
about his neck, He then ordered his nose to be bored and a
.cord : fro be passed through the hole by ': which he was drawn

to the place of execution. While he was .carried in. this state of
torture, he was mocked; abused and cursed. The Amir with
his Muftis and Maul vies watched and enjoyed this painful sight.
When he was buried to his waist in earth, the Amir once more
approached him and gave him promise of pardon ;! on condition
tof his renunciation of -his faith, but no words could tempt him
to such a heinous d.eed as the renunciation of truthifor the sake
of a few days* comfort. Upon this there ; was again; a tumult
:amon g; the barbarous Qazis and Muftis that he was a Kafir
and should be stoned to death without .further delay. The
Amir then ordered the Chief Qazi to throw the .; first stone.
The Qazi requested/the Amir that as he was the Buler, he
should take the initiative.; But the Amir excused himself
saying that it was a matter of religion in which supreme
authority lay with the Chief Qazi. At last the first; stone
wals thrown by the Qazi which gave Maul vi Abdul Latif
a fatal wound. The next stone was thrown by the unfortu>
nate Amir, and after this there was a volley of stones from
all sides -and within, a few minutes the martyr disappeared
sin the heap of stones. Orders were then given by the Amir
for watch to be kept on his dead body because he had: said
that he would rise after the sixth day. This occurred on the
14th July 1903. : ;

The incidents that have- been related above, have been
taken from the reports, of different men, some of whom are
the opponents of this sect and who. took part in the stoning,
.while others are the Martyr's secret disciples. It is probable
that the cruelty of the Amir has not been fully repres-
ented on account of his fear* Such martyrdom was decreed
by heaven for Sliahzada Maulvi Abdul Latif. God knows

/ : .-

what requital is reserved for the tyrant for this cruel deed.

338

The Holy Quran says : " ^ j*i ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ;*" ^ ; o b ^ *5 )
^*so U; "Verily for him who comes to his Lord as a mujrim,
the punishment is hell in which, he *shall neither live nor
die." The Amir has brought himself under the verdict of the
Holy Quran contained in the verse: 6**it* U/* y> J.'.&

"Whoever shall kill a believer intentionally, his recompense
is hell ; for ever shall he abide in it ; God shall be wrathful
with him and curse him, and get ready for him a great torment."
Ah ! how great a believer was killed : one whose equal there was
none in the whole country of Afghanistan. Abdul Latif!
numerous blessings of God be upon thee for thou has shown thy

L ^

sincerity in my life. As to those of rny followers who will sur-
vive ine, I do not know what they will do.

(Vol. II B. R. 1903.)

334

The Will of the Promised Messiah.

All praise is due b God, the Lord of Worlds, and bles-
sings and peace be upon His Messenger, Muhammad, and bis
offspring and companions all. As Alrnigbty God has informed
me in various revelations following one another that time of
rny death is near, and the revelations in this respect bave been
so consecutive tbat they have shaken my very existence from
the foundations and made this life quite indifferent to me, I
bave, therefore, thought it proper that I should write down for
my friends and for such other persons as can benefit from my
teachings some words of advice. I give first the holy words of
the revelation wbicb giving me news of rny death beforehand
has led me to write these lines. The following are the revela-
tions in the Arabic, language :* ''The destined time of thy
death has drawn nigh, and We sball not leave behind tbee any
remembrance of tbine which should be a source of disgrace to
thee. Very little has remained of the time appointed for thee
by thy Lord, and We shall not leave behind tbee anything
which should be a source of disgrace to tbee* And We will
either let tbee see a part of what We threaten them with, or
and We will take thee to Ourself. Thou wilt die in such a state
that I will be pleased with thee, Thy time has come and We
will keep manifest signs after thee to show thy truth. Tbe time
tbat was promised has drawn nigh, therefore, tell abroad tbe fa-
vours of thy Lord. Verily he who walks in righteousness and is
patient, Almighty God does not bring to naught the reward of
such doers of good."

It should be remembered that Almighty God says here
that He will not leave behind me any mention of my name

*0nly the English translations of the revelations are given
throughout. (Ed. E. R.)

335

which should be a source of disgrace to me. It has a double
significance. It means in the first place that all such objec-
tions shall be refuted and brought to naught as are published
by my opponents with the intention of bringing disgrace upon
me. It also means that people who do not give up their mis-
chiefs, and do not refrain from speaking evil of me, shall be blot-
ted out of existence, and as .they perish, . their objections will
perish along with therp. After this Almighty God thus addressed
me in the Urdu language : "Very few days have remained; sor-
row will overtake all on that day. Such and such and such
things will happen and after that will come the event of thy
death. After all occurrences and wonders of nature have been
shown, will come the occurrence of your death."

Regarding the occurrences spoken of in the above revelation,
I have been informed that death will work havoc on all sides.
There will be earthquake so severe that they will present to the
eye the scene of the day of judgment, and will, as it were,
turn the earth upside down, and the lives of many wpuld be em-
bittered. But on those who repent and eschew evi.l, God will
have mercy. Every Prophet had spoken of this time, and it is
.necessary that everything should happen according as it was
foretold. But those who make their hearts upright and walk
in ways which are liked by God shall have no fear, nor grief.
Addressing me Almighty God said : "Thou art a Warner from
Me. I have sent thee that the righteous may be separated from
the wicked." And He said : "A Warner caiae into the world,
but the world did not accept him, but God shall accept him and
make clear his truth by mighty attacks. I will shower so many
blessings upon thee that kings will seek blessings from thy
clothes."*

*Had the world opened its eyes, it would have seen that I have

336
As regards the earthquake to come which will be very

V . ,

severe, God informed me and said : "Again came the spring
time t and again is the Word of God fulfilled." It is, there-
fore, necessary that a severe earthquake should yet come,
but the righteous are safe from it. Be righteous then and
walk in true piety that you may be saved. Fear God to-day
so that you may be safe from the fear oj that day. It is neces-
sary that heaven should show some thing and the earth should
manifest wonders , but those who fear God will be saved.
The Word of God says that many events will happen and

.'*- ' - "

dire calamities will descend upon earth, and some of them
will be manifested in my life and others after my death, and He
will give this dispensation some success through me and more
completely after me.

It is a Divine law> and since man was created Almighty
God has always been manifesting this law, that He assists His
Prophets aod Messengers and gives them triumph. As He
says: "God has written, 'I will surely prevail, I and My
Apostles' " (Iviii : 22). Their triumph means that as they
wish that the cause of God should prevail upon earth,

appeared in the beginning of the (Hijira) century, and almost a
quarter of the 14th century has passed away. According to pro-
phecies both the sun and the moon eclipsed in the month of
Barnzan at the time of claim, and the plague also made its
appearance and earthquakes came and more will yet come, but
woe to them who loved the world for they did not accept
me.

f The original words in the revelation is bahar. (Ed.
K. R.)

337

and none should be able to oppose it, so it is brought aboutj
and Almighty God makes evident their truth by powerful
signs. The righteousness which they wish to spread upon
earth is sown. like a seed with their hands, but it is not in
their life-time that this seed grows into a powerful tree. On.
the other hand, He sends death to them at such a time that
their mission is still in fear of failure, and thus gives an
opportunity to their opponents to laugh at them and to scorn
and abuse them. After they are thus laughed at, He mani-
fests another hand of His power, and brings means into exist-
ence by which that purpose, is completely achieved which had
been left incomplete in the first instance. In short two different
manifestations of Divine power are witnessed, one at the hands
of the Prophet himself, and the other after his death, when diffi-
culties surround the infant dispensation on all sides, and the
enemies are in the height of their power and think that the
mission of the Prophet will be wrecked and his followers des ?
troyed, when even the followers show anxiety and their
hearts fail and many .unfortunate men apostatize. It is afc
such a juncture that Almighty God manifests a second time
His mighty power and supports the cause of the tottering
mission. He, therefore, who waits patiently to the last mo,-
rnent sees this great miracle. So it happened in the time of
Abu Bakr when the death of the Holy Prophet was
thought to be premature and many ignorant dwellers in
the desert become renegades and the companions of the
Holy Prophet also became like mad men on account of great
grief. Then Almighty God made Abu Bakr to stand up, and
showed a second time the manifestation of His power. Thus
He took Islam' by the hand when it was about to fall and ful-
filled His promise which He had made in the Holy Quran :

333

"God promises those of you who believe'd and do right that He
shall give them the succession in earth as He gave the suc-
c'ession to those before them, and He shall establish for them;
their religion which He has chosen for them, and give themy
after their fear, safety in exchange" (xxiv : 55). Thus it hap-,
pened in the case of Moses who died in the way before he reached;
the goal to which he wanted to take the children of Israel, and;
on account of his untimely death and sudden departure, the*
Israelites wept for forty days. Similar was the case of Jesus,:
and even the apostles dispersed at the time of his crucifixion
one of them having apostatized.

Bear in mind then, my dear friends, that it being an estab-
lished Divine law that He shows two manifestations of His
power that He may thus bring to naught two false pleasures
of the opponents, it is not possible that He should neglect this
old law now, Be not, therefore, grieved at what I have said
and let not your hearts feel sorry, for it is necessary for you to
see a second manifestation of Divine power, and it is better
for you for it is perpetual and will not be intercepted to the
Day of Judgment. But it cannot come until I go, and when I
go, then will Almighty God send it for you and it will remain
with you for ever. Thus had Almighty God promised in the
Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya and that promise does not concern me,
but it concerns you, as He says : "And I will make those
who follow thee prevail- over those who deny thee to the Day
of Judgment." It is necessary, therefore, that you should
see the day of my departure, so that after it may come that
blessed day whose promise continues for ever. Our God is a
true and faithful God and He is true to His promise, and He
will make you witness everything that He has promised. Al-
though these are the last days of the world and many are the

339

tribulations which must come, yet it is necessary that the world
should hold all that is in it until all these prophecies are fulfil-
led. I have appeared as the power of God upon earth and I
am an embodiment of Divine power, and after me will come
others who will be manifestations of His second power. Wait,
therefore, for the manifestation of this second power and pray
for it in one body. It is necessary that the righteous in every
country should pray together, so that the other power may
descend from heaven and show you how powerful is the Lord
your God. Look upon your death as at the door, for you do
not know when the hour may come.

It is necessary that the righteous from among my followers,
whose spirits are, free from impurities should take people into
discipleship. in my name. * Almighty God wills it that all
those who inhabit different parts of the earth, the Occidentals
and the Orientals, all who possess a good nature, should be
drawn to a belief in the Unity of God and thus collected in
one faith. This is the object of God for which I have been
sent to the world. Follow this object, therefore, but with
meekness, high morals and incessant prayers, and until one
stands up with the holy spirit from God, work all in agree-
ment after me.

* Such men will be selected by the agreement of the faith-
ful. Any one, therefore, about whom forty faithful men should
agree that he is fit to accept baiat in rny name from other
people shall be entitled to do so, and he ought to make him-
self an example for others.. Almighty God has informed me
that he would raise for my followers a man from my own
offspring whom He would particularly favour with His
nearness and revelation, and truth would prosper by him
and many people would accept the truth. Wait -therefore, for

340

It is also necessary that you, should show true sympathy
and purify your souls, and thus get the blessing of the holy
spirit for without the Holy spirit true righteousness can never
be attained. After utterly forsaking all passions, walk for the
pleasure of God in a path than which no path is narrower. Be
not charmed with the enjoyments of this world for they- separate
you from God, and for the sake of God lead a life which seeing
hard. Pain in which is the pleasure of God is better than the
pleasure which is the cause of the displeasure of God. Defeat in
which is the pleasure of God is better than the victory which
brings with it the wrath of God. Forsake the things whose love
brings you nearer the wrath of God. If you come to Him with
a pure heart, He will assist you in every path and your enemy
will not be able to do you any harm. You can never attain the
pleasure of God until you forsake your own pleasures, your en-
joyments, your position, your property and your life, and in His
path meet every difficulty which brings before your eyes the
scene of death. Bat if you meet all difficulties, you will be taken
into the bosom of God like a dear child, and made heirs to the
righteous who have gone before you and the doors of every bles-
sing will be opened to you* But- there are very few who can
do it, Addressing me Almighty God said that righteousness
is a tree which should be planted in the heart, and the water
which gives nourishment to the tree of righteousness, waters the

-those days, and remember, that every one is recognised in his
own time, for before that time he may look like an. ordinary
man, or appear objectionable on account of some false impres-
sions, as every one who afterwards becomes a grown up and per-
fect man is at one time only semen or a portion of clotted blood
in the womb. . . . ...

341

whole garden. Righteousness is a root whose death brings death
upon all and whose life gives life to all. What does it benefit man
that he should assert with the mouth that he seeks God, but
should not take a step in sincerity. Remember, I say to you
truly, that the man will perish who has a leaven of worldliness
in his faith, and hell is very near the soul whose intentions are
not all for God, but some are for God and some for this world. If
there is" an atom's weight of worldliness in your object, all your
worship is in vain. It is Satan you follow in that case and
not God. Never expect that God will assist you in this condi-
tion, for you are worm of the earth in this case and you
will perish like a worm in a few days, and God will not be in
you but will be pleased to destroy you. But if yon really sub-
mit yourselves to death, then you will appear in God, and God
will be pleased with you and the house will be blessed
in which you live, and the blessings of God will descend
upon the walls of that house, and the city will be blessed in
which such a man lives. If your life and your death
and all your movements and your mildness and severity
are all for the sake of God, and you do not try your God
in every difficulty and distress, but make an advancement in
every step, then truly you will be a favourite people of God. You
are also men as I am a man, and tbe same God who is my God
is also your God. Neglect not, therefore, your powers of purity,
If you incline wholly to God, then bear in mind, and I say
ifc to you as God has directed me to say, that you will be a
chosen people of God. Make your hearts the seat of the
majesty of God, and express His unity not only with your
tongue, but also in your actions, so that God also mayJ send
down His grace and favours upon you. Shun vengeance and
show sympathy to all your fellow-beings. Walk in every

342

path of virtue, for you do not know by walking in which you
will find acceptance in the sight of God.

I bear to you these glad tidings that there is no one in the
field to contest with you the nearness of God. Every nation
is loving the world, and the world cares nothing for things
which can make a man attain the pleasure of God. There
is a unique opportunity, for those who with their whole heart
and soul will enter this gate, to show their merits and find fav-
our in the sight of God. Do not think that God will destroy
you, for you are a seed of God's hand which is sown in the
earth. Almighty God says that this seed will grow and bear
flowers and fruit and its branches will extend on all sides and
it will become a powerful. tree- Blessed is he who believes in
the Word of God, and does not fear the intermediate trials,
for trials must come that God may try you and see who is true
in his promise of bai'at and who is false. He who stumbles
at a trial cannot make the cause of God suffer any loss, and his
evil fortune would take him to hell. Better it would have been
for him if he had not been born. But all those will be victorious
and the doors of Divine blessings will be opened on them who
wait patiently till the end, though they are shaken with the earth-
quakes of calamities and the storms of difficulties, and laughed at
by the nations of the earth and hated and abhorred by the world.
Addressing me Almighty God said that I should inform my
followers that those who believe, and whose faith is not leavened
with worldliness, nor tainted with hypocrisy or weakness of heart.,
and whose faith does not fall short of any degree of obedience
and submission these are they who are the chosen people of
God, and these are they whose step is a step of sincerity.

Listen, all ye that will listen ! What is that God de-
sires of you. Only this that you should be entirely His, and

343

Dot set up with Him any other God, neither in heaven nor in
earth. Oar God is the God who is living now as He was
living before, Who speaks now as He spoke before, and Who
hears now as He heard before. It is an unfounded idea that
He hears now, but He does not speak. He speaks as He
hears; all His attributes are eternal, and none of them lies or
will ever lie idle. He is the one, without any partner, Who
has neither son nor wife. He has no like or equal, and as He
is distinguished by attributes which no one else possesses, so
there is none other who should be unique in any respect like
Him. There is none of equal rank with Him and none who
has the same attributes, and He holds all power in His hands,
Being very far He is still very near, and being near, He is still
far. He shows Himself by way of similitude to the seers, but
he has neither body nor form. He is above all, but we can-
not say that below Him there is anything else ; He is on the
arshj but we cannot say He is not on earth. He is the Master
of all the perfect attributes, the manifestation of all the
praises, the source of all beauties, the possessor of all power,
the origin of all grace, the returning place of all things, the
King of all regions, the Lord of all, Who has every perfec-
tion and is free from every fault or weakness, and to Him
is due worship from all those who are in heaven or in earth.
There, is nothing impossible with Him, and all the souls
and their faculties and all the particles of matter and their
powers are His creation, and without Him nothing can
come into existence. He manifests Himself by His own
power and might and signs, and Him we can find only through
Him. He ever manifests Himself to the righteous and shows
them the wonders of His power. It is thus that He is recog-
nised and it is thus that Elis will is known. He sees without

344

physical eyes, and hears without physical ears, and speaks
without a physical tongue. Thus does He create out of noth-
in'g. As you see that in a vision He creates a world without any
matter and shows non-existent things to be existent, such are
all the wonders of His power He is a fool who denies His power
and He is blind who is ignorant of His deep power. He does,
and can do, everything except that which is opposed to His
greatness or is against His promise. He is alone in His
person and attributes and works and powers. To attain to Him
ail doors are closed except the door which the Holy Quran
has opened. The Prophets and the scriptures that went before
it need not now be followed individually, for the prophethood
of Muhammad encompasses all prophethoods and besides it all
paths are now closed. All truths which can lead a man to God
are contained in it. Neither will any new truth come after it,
nor was there any truth before it which is not present here.
Therefore all prophethoods end with the prophethood of Holy
Prophet, and so it ought to have been, for that which has a be-
ginning has also an end. But the prophethood of Muhammad
does not fall short of any blessing at any time and has greater
blessings than all other prophethoods. To follow it is to take
the easiest way to reach God, and the blessing of Divine love
and the favor of His revelation are granted in greater abund-
ance to its follower than were ever granted to the follower of
earlier prophets. Bat its perfect follower cannot be called an
independent prophet, for this is a disrespect towards the pro-
phethood of Muhammad, he can, however, be called a pro-
phet and a follower simultaneously, for such designation does
not involve any disrespect towards the perfect prophethood of
Muhammad, but is indicative of the lustre of its blessings. *

*It must however be borne in mind that no prophet who

345

And when Divine revelation becomes frequent and certain in
the highest degree and is free from every obscurity and defect
and foretells deep secrets of the future in clear language, the
stage is then reached which is designated by the title of pro-
phethood, and this a point on which all the prophets of God
agree. It was impossible that a people of whom it had been
said that "y u are the best of people raised for the good of
the world" and who had been taught to pray frequently and
untiringly : "0 Lord show us the right path, the path of
those upon whom Thy blessings have been showered."
It was impossible that not ' a single person out of this
whole favored nation should have attained to the perfect
stage of prophethood, and all should have been deprived
of this great blessing. Had it been so, not only would the
followers of the Holy Prophet have remained blind and their
spiritual advancement been very defective and incomplete, but
in that case it would have further to be admitted that the
Holy Prophet could not communicate his blessings to his
followers and that his sanctifying power was defective- And
the prayer which the Muslims are enjoyed to repeat several
times in each of their five daily prayers, would also be useless
in that case. On the other hand, if any follower of the Holy
Prophet could have obtained prophethood independently, that

should also be a law-giver can appear after the Holy Prophet,
even from among his followers, for this door is completely
closed. Nor can there be any book after the Holy Quran
which should give new commandments or abrogate any com-
mandment'of the Holy Quran or dispense with the necessity of
following any of them, for this is the last book and its ordin-
ances must remain in force to the Day of Judgment."

346

is to 'say, without borrowing from the light of the' Holy Prophet/
the seal of prophethood in -him would have been falsified. To
guard against both these evils, Almighty God has so ordained
that the gift) of wpure, perfect and Holy Divine revelation is
granted to such of the followers of the Holy Prophet who attain
the highest stage of a complete annihilation in the prophet and
the veil which keeps him hidden from strangers is entirely re-
moved. Thus the condition of being a true follower of the Holy
Prophet is fulfilled in them in a most -perfect sense, for their
own personality entirely vanishes away, and the image of the
personality of the Holy Prophet appears in the looking-glass of
their absorption. On the other hand, they are granted a most
perfect gift of Divine revelation like the prophets of God and
thus deserve to be called prophets. .

It was in the manner pointed out here that some indivi-
duals from among the followers of the Holy Prophet gained the
title of a prophet along with that of a follower, for a prophet-
hood in their case is not independent of the prophethood of
Muhammad. A deep reflection at once reveals the fact that
their prophethocd is really the prophethood of Muhammad
which appears in a new garb. Such is the significance of the
phrases in which the Holy Prophet described the Promised
Messiah, of whom he said that he is ^ ) ur^ and ^ ^ I* )
i. e., "a Prophet of God.' 5 and, "your leader from among your-
selves." This means that he is a follower as well as a Prophet.
A. stranger (i. e^ one from among the Israelites) cannot stand
in this position. Blessed is he who understands this point
for he will not perish. Almighty God brought death upon
Jesus as He plainly says in the Holy Quran (v : 117). This
verse read with the preceeding and subsequent verses indicates
that God will ask Jesus on the day of judgment if he had told

347-

his people fro take him and his mother '-for'-two Gods-,, in reply*
to which Jesus would say that so long as he lived' in them,
he witnessed and watched what they -did, but- when God
caused him to die, he didynot know -into wha-t errors they
fell. Now the words ^y^? W- may' either be interpreted
rightly "when Thou causedst- rne to die, "-according to the unani-
mous testimony of all Arabic lexicons^ or 'anyone who 1 -likes to
persist in error may construe these words- as meaning 11 "when
Tbou tookst me up with my physical -body to heaven-" one
conclusion is evident? viz., that according to the plain interpre-
tation of this verse, Jesus would not come back into this
world, for if he came a second time before the day of judgment
and broke the cross, he could not remain ignorant of the errors
that the Christians introduced after him into his religion, and
it is impossible that Jesus, a prophet of- God, should speak
such a plain lie in Divine presence on the day of judgment
that he was not aware that the Christians had taken him and
his mother for Gods. Could a man who came back into thd
world and lived for forty years and fought with the Christians
say that he was not aware what belief the Christians held ?
This verse strongly opposes the coming back of Jesus, and,
therefore, if he was taken up alive into heaven, he must also
die there, and in that case his tomb will also be there. But this
is opposed to the plain text of the Holy Quran which says
th.-it ''therein (i. 0, in earth) shall ye live and therein shall ye
die and from it shall ye be brought forth" (vii : 24). All these
considerations show clearly that Jesus was not taken up alive
into heaven, but that his spirit went to heaven after his death*
Any belief held in opposition to this is falsified by the Holy
Quran, to go against which is a transgression.

Had I not come, a mere error in interpretation would have

348

been excusable, but wben I have made my appearance and the
plain significance of the words of the Holy Quran has been
clearly pointed out, it does not behove a true Muslim to insist on
the error. For me have appeared signs of God on heaven as well
as on earth and quarter of the century of Hejira has already ^el-
apsed, and thousands of heavenly signs have been mani-
fested, and the seventh thousand from Adam has also set in.
What hard-heartedness is it then to reject me still. Listen, I
say with a loud voice, that the signs of the God have not yet
come to an end. After that first earthquake of 4th April 1905,
which had been foretold long before, Almighty God has again
informed me that in another season of spring .another severe
earthquake would be witnessed. I cannot say whether it would
be the beginning of spring or its middle or end, for the Divine
revelation only says: " Again came the spring time and again is
the word of God fulfilled."* As the first earthquake was also felt
in spring time, therefore Almighty God has informed me that
the earthquake to come will also be in spring time which may
extend from the end of January to the end of May.

Almighty God also calls the earthquake to come " the earth-
quake of the day of judgment. ?> meaning, that it would be so
severe that it would bring the scene of the day of judgment
before one's eyes. And again He said : "For thee We will show
signs, and the building which they raise We shall cause to fall."

* I do not know whether by spring is meant the spring which
would follow this winter or any other time. It, however, appears
from the Word of God that the thing will come to pass at a
time which may be designated spring time, but God will come
secrety like one who comes in the darkness of night.

In one revelation Almighty God says : " Thy name shone
for My sake."

349

And again He said: "The earthquake came and it came with
severity. I turned the earth upside down," which means
that a severe earthquake will be felt which will devas-
tate certain parts of the earth as it was in the ti-me of Lot.
And again He said: "Verily I will come with My hosts all
of a sudden," i. e., no one would kaow of that time beforehand,
as it was in the time of Lot when people did not know anything,
and they ate and drank and were merry until they were over-
taken by a terrible earthquake. Thus, Almighty God says, will
it happen in this case, for the transgression of men have exceed-
ed all bounds and they love the world with an excessive love and
the way of God is looked upon with contempt. In another revel-
ation Almighty God said to me : "The end of lives," and again
"Thy Lord said that He would send down from heaven that
which would please thea. It is a mercy from us, .and it will
decidedly come to pass, for it is a matter which had been
ordained from the beginning." But is necessary that heavens
should hold all things until this prophecy is published among
the nations-

It should be borne in mind that this publication of the
prophecy is not meant to cause apprehension to the public, but
it aims at withholding future apprehension, so that no one should
perish in ignorance. Everything depends on intention, and our
intention is not to cause trouble to any body, but to warn men
against a trouble. Those who repent are protected when the
punishment of God comes down. But the unfortunate man
who does not forsake the company of scoffers and the abusers,
and does not shun evil and transgression, the days of his des-
truction are near, for his wantonness draws the wrath of God.

There is another point which I must state here. As I
have already said, Almighty God has informed me of my death,

350

and addressing me thus spoke of my life : "Very few days are
left;'' and We also said : "After all occurrences and wonders
of nature have been shown, will come the occurrence of your
death." In this, there is an allusion that it is necessary that it
is before my death some occurrences should take place and some
wonders of nature should appear, so that the world might be
prepared for a mighty revolution, and after that revolution
would come my death. And a place was shown to me and it
was said that would be the place of my sepulchre. I saw
an angel measuring the earth, and coming to one place he told
me that there was to be my tomb. A tomb was then shown to
me which shone more brightly than silver, and the dust of it
was all silver, and I was told that it was my tomb. And a place
was shown to me which was called "the Bahishti Maqbara,"
and it was revealed to me that in it would be the tombs of such
of the righteous from among my followers whose place is heaven.
Since then I have always been anxious that some land should
be bought for the object of making it a graveyard, but as land
in the particular site intended for this object was priced very
high, the proposal remained in pendency for a long time. Now
after the death of our friend Maulvi Abdul Karim, may God
have mercy on him when repeated revelations came also con-
cerning my own death, I thought it advisable to arrange for the
graveyard as soon as possible. For this purpose, I have given
away a piece of land belonging to myself priced at nearly a
thousand rupees, and I" pray that God may bless it and make it
Bahishti Maqbard, I also pray that this graveyard may be the
final resting-place of those of my followers who are pure in heart,
who have in reality preferred their faith to this world, who have
forsaken the world, devoted their lives to the cause of God and
brought about a pure transformation within themselves, and who

351

have shown sincerity and faithfulness like the Companions of the
Holy Prophet, Amen, Lord of the worlds !

Again I pray : "Almighty God ! make here the tombs of such
of my pure-hearted followers as have really become Thine, and
in whose objects there is no adulteration of any worldly object!
Amen, Lord of the worlds!"

Again I pray a third time : "0 my Gracious and Powerful
Lord ! Merciful and Indulgent God! Let only such have their
tombs here as have true faith in Thy Messenger and have no
hypocricy, personal object or suspicion in them, as do sincerely
all that faith and obedience require and have in their hearts
sacrificed their lives for Thy sake and in Thy path, as Thou art
pleased with, and whom Thou knowst that they are completely
lost in Thy love and have with Thy Messenger a connection of
true faithfulness, devoted love, open-heartedness, and respect.
Amen, Lord of the worlds !"

As for this graveyard, many glad tidings have been received
by me, and not only has Almighty God called it Bahishti Maq-
bara but He has also said of it that "In it has been sent down
every blessing." Therefore, Almighty God has led me by a kind
of secret revelation to impose certain conditions concerning this
graveyard, so that only those may enter into it who with their
sincerity and perfect righteousness fulfil these conditions. They
are three in number and must be fulfilled by all.

(1), The tract of land which has now been set apart for the
graveyard has been given by me as my subscription towards this
fund, but to complete the yard more land is required, which shall
have to be bought, and the price of which is estimated at B,s.
1,000. Trees shall also have to be planted in it to make it look
beautiful and a well also shall have to be sunk. To the north of
this grave yard and in the way to it is a pond where a large

352

quantity of water gathers in rainy season and renders passage
difficult during the greater part of the year, and a bride shall
have to be constructed there. These expenses are estimated at
Bs. 2,000. Thus a sum of E,s. 3,000 in all will be required for
the defrayal of expenses in connection with the completion of the
grave-yard. The first condition is, therefore, that every person
who desires to be hurried in this grave-yard, should subscribe
towards this fund so far as his means allow. This subscription
shall be accepted from such persons only and from none others.
At present] this subscription should be remitted to Maulvi Noor-
ud-Din, but if Almighty God will it, this system shall have to be
continued after the death of us all. In this case, there should be
an Anjuman which should be entrusted with the expenditure of
the money, thus collected from time to time, in the spread of
unity and in making the religion of Islam prevail in the world.

(2 ) The second condition is that only those of my follow-
ers shall be buried in this graveyard who leave by their will a
tenth of their property to be spent in the spread of Islam and
carrying the commandments of the Holy Quran to other people
in accordance with the directions of this propaganda. Every
righteous man may, if he likes, leave more than a tenth part of
his property by his will for this purpose, but not less than this<
All income from this source shall be in the charge of an Anjuman
composed of honest and learned members which will spend
it in the advancement of Islam, the publication of the Quranic
lore and theological books and the appointment of preachers
for this propaganda. It is the promise of God that He shall
make this dispensation prosper, therefore it is hoped that much
wealth would be gathered for the propagation of Islam. Every
expenditure that is included in the propagation of Islam, any
details of which are at present before the time, shall be

353

met with from this source. When one party which has the
charge of these affairs shall die, their successor shall also
have the same responsibilities and they shall fulfil their obliga-
tions in accordance with the directions of the Ahmadiyya Mis-
sion. The orphans and the poor and the new converts who have
no means of livelihood and are members of this propaganda shall
also be supported out of this income, and it will be lawful to in-
vest the property thus collected in some commercial enterprise.
Do not think that this is improbable, for it is the will of the Al-
mighty who is the Ruler of heaven and earth. I am not anxious
as to how so much property would be available and wherefrom
shall rnen come who will snow this courage by the zeal of
faith but I fear that .after our time there may be those who
having charge of these incomes may stumble on account
of the abundance of wealth and love of this world* Therefore
I pray that this propaganda may always have such trustees in
it who should work only for the sake of God. But it would be
lawful that those who have no means of subsistence should be
paid out of these funds by way of assistance.

3, The third condition is that the person who is buried in
this graveyard should be a pious rnao, shunning all that is pro-
hibited, not resorting to shirk or innovation ; in short, he
should be a true and sincere Muslim.

4. Every righteous man who has no property and who
cannot pay any subscription shall be entitled to be buried in this
graveyard if in is proved that he devoted his life to his religion
and \vas a pious man.

DIRECTIONS.

1. Everyone who in accordance with the conditions above
stated desires to make a will should, after it is executed proper-
ly, make it over to the person who is in charge of such wills

354

and should also publish it, though it shall take effect only after
his death. This is necessary because at the time of death it
becomes very difficult to execute a will. And as the days of
visitations and heavenly signs are near at hand, the person who
makes a will in time of safety is entitled to greater merit. Prop-
erty which is a permanent source of income will entitle its giver
to incessant merits.

2. Every one who lives in a place other than Qadian is
entitled to burial in this graveyard if he fulfils the above con-
ditions. In such a case his heirs should bring the body Qadian.
Any one who dies before the completion of the graveyard and its
requirements should be buried, at the place where he dies, in a
coffin which should then be brought to Qadian after every thing
is complete. But it is not proper to bring a body which has been
buried in a shrould not in a coffia.*

It should be borne in mind that it is the will of God that all
those who have a perfect faith should be buried in one place, so
that by seeing their graves future generations may strengthen
their faiths, and so that the important services they did for the
sake of God in the cause of religion should be made manifest to
all. In conclusion, we pray that Almighty God may assist every
sincere believer,- and generate in all a zeal for faith and make
their end a virtuous one. Amen I

*It would be folly to consider this graveyard and this ar-
rangement as an innovation for it is according to Divine reve-
lation and is not any man's proposal. Nor should any one think,
that any person by merely being buried in this graveyard will go
to paradise for it is not meant that this place will entitle any
one to paradise, but that only those who are entitled to paradise
will be buried here.

355

It is necessary.- that every one from among our followers into
whose hands this publication falls should circulate it among his
friends and give it a publicity so far as possible and keep it safe
for his children. The opponents should also be informed of it
with politeness. Patience should be shown at the abuse of abusers
and all should be earnestly and incessantly praying and our cry
in the end is that all praise is due to God, the Lord of worlds.
20th December, 1905. MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD.

(Vol. VR. B. 3906.)

A few Words of advice and a Grand Prophecy
that the World Should bear witness in every age.

My followers, may the Almighty God .be with you. May
He prepare you for your pilgrimage to the next world as He
prepared the companions of the Holy Prophet. The desires of
this world are all vain. Cursed is the man whose life is given up
solely to the world and woe to him who is all in all taken up with
its anxieties. Such a one in vain calls himself my follower ; he is
like the dry branch that will bear no fruit and will, therefore, be
cut off. Bat be ye of those who are blessed because they enter
with all their heart into the spirit of my teaching and are saved.
Look upon your God as One, and do not ascribe to Him any part-
ner, either in heaven or in earth. You are not forbidden to make
use of means, but he who forsakes God and trusts to his means
solely, sets up others with Him in whom should be all your
trust. Almighty God has been saying of old by the mouth of
His prophets that none will be saved except the pure in heart.
Purify yourselves therefore, and purge your hearts of spite and
hatred which is not for God- The disobedient spirit is full of
impurities but the worst of all is vanity, for it is the root from
which infidelity springs. Sympathise with your fellow-beings

356

whom you invite to a heavenly life, for how can your invitation
be true if you do them evil in this transitory life. Obey all orders
of your God with fear of heart, for you will be questioned as to
them. Let your prayers be full of humble supplications to God that
He may draw you to Himself and purify your hearts.Man is a weak
creature and he cannot get rid of evil except with Divine help.:
He has not the power to free himself from the bondage of sin,
except power be granted to him from heaven. The utterance of
a few words or a formal subscription to the faith, does not make
you a true Muslim. Islam requires you to bow down in complete
submission to the Divine threshold, so as to give a preference to
God and His commandments over everything else.

My dear friends ! know it for certain that time has reached
its end and a great change has taken place in the world. Do not
deceive yourselves, with forms and appearances, but be perfect in
the righteousness of your hearts. Make the Quran your guide
and obtain light from it in every religious matter. Bat at the
same time do not discard the traditions of the Holy Prophet as
w.aste, for they are of great importance and much labour has been
spent in their collection. But if a tradition contradicts the Qu-
ran it does not proceed from a pure source and must be thrown
away. The Quran has been handed, down to you with special
Divine protection, therefore value the pure Word of God and
give it precedence over everything else, for in this lies righteous-
ness and uprightness of heart.

It should be borne in mind that the efficacy of a preacher's
words depends upon the sanctity and Divine knowledge which he
is known to possess. Now Almighty God has furnished thou-
sands of arguments for the truth of rny claim so that all men
may know that the person who invites them to the path
of righteousness, possesses the highest Divine knowledge.

35?

As to my righteousness there is none who can lay any blame
to my charge or accuse me of fabrication, lying or cheat-
ing during my former life. Had my conduct been irnpeach-
able in the past, there would have been some ground to
assert that I was an impostor in my present claim. Bat
there is none who can assert that my former life was in any
way blamable. It is the grace of God that He gave rne the
power to walk in righteousness from my early days and for him
who thinks there is a shining argument in this. As to my claim,
full light has been thrown on every side of it. -All sorts of argu-
ments necessary for establishing the iruth of my claim have been
manifested by God. Signs have appeared for me upon heaven as
well as on earth. All the prophets from the beginning gave the
glad tidings of my advent and all those prophecies have been
fulfilled in my person. It is impossible that these manifold argu-
ments should have been manifested for an impostor. Nay, the
scriptures bear a clear testimony that the impostor is soon cut
off and disgrace is brought upon his head and he is destroyed
from the face of the earth. But my claim of having been sent by
God has been published for more than twenty-three years
as is clear from the first part of the Barahine-Ahrnadiyya. Are
these the ways of God, or has it ever occurred, that He should
not bring down His wrath upon the imprudent and wicked im-
postor who appears with a new revelation every morning which
he calls the Word of God whereas it is all his own fabrication,
and continues these arrogant assertions for the long period of 23
years ? Nay, is it possible that instead of destroying such an
arrogant blasphemer, God should bestow on him His assistance
which He gives to the righteous and show signs and fulfil pro-
phecies for him. Can any one point out any false claimant to
Messiahship before me for whom any such wonderful prophecy

358

was fulfilled as that relating to the eclipse of the San, and the
moon related in the Holy Quran and authentic traditions, or
who was raised in the beginning of the country which according
to trustworthy traditions is the time of the appearance of a true
Reformer, or who was raised with a claim to break the cross
when in was in the zenith of its power, or who was .assisted by
God in every step, or- who showed hundreds of thousand of
heavenly signs, or who was given honor and acceptance like me
on the face of the earth, or who had hundreds of prophecies ful-
filled for him, or who appeared at the appointed hour as foretold
by all the prophets, or whose prayers were accepted in the same
manner as mine are, or whose words had the efficacy to draw
men out of evil, and that Almighty God favored him with all
these blessings notwithstanding his presistent imposture during
a long period ?

It is a most certain fact that the promise which had been
given of old by the prophets of God, has now been fulfilled. It
is the fiual struggle between the Messenger of God and the
arch-fiend. This is the time and hour which was foretold by
Daniel. I came as a grace of God for the seekers after truth but
I was laughed at. Base appellations were hurled at me and I was
called a heretic and the anti-christ and I was numbered with
the wicked. But it was necessary that all this should have
happened so that the prophecy contained in the last verse of the
Fatilia should have been fulfilled. It was necessary that the

**jfc

religious leaders of tue people should have denied me and thus
acquired a resemblance with the Jewish priests. The whole
blame of my rejection by the Muslims is upon the shoulders of
their leaders who have led them astray. Not only are they
themselves falling away irorn the path of righteousness, but they
are also diverting the .ignorant people from it. What machina-

359

tions and artful Means are they devising against me, but will
they overcome God? Can they prevent the Almighty from
accomplishing His object made known to the world by the
mouth of His prophets? They themselves and all those whom
they trust are but worms in the eye of God.

Let the whole world bear witness that I prophecy in the name
of the Lord of earth and heaven that He will spread my followers in
all countries and make them overcome every other people by reasons
and arguments. The days are approaching and are very near when
the religion preached by me, will be the only religion that will be re-
garded with honor upon the face of the earth. Almighty God will
bless this religion and this system in a wonderful manner, and will
bring to naught every one who thinks of destroying it. The victory
which it will gain will be a lasting victory and its supremacy will
continue to the end Of days. It matters little if I am scorned now,
for there is no prophet who was not laughed at. It was neces-
sary that the Promised Messiah should have been laughed at,
for says the Holy Quran :

^jfcLdW ) ji U ) J^ ; ^ ^j U o ,U*J i ^.U X ; ^ b

"Alas! for the people, no Apostle cornes to them but they laugh
him to scorn." Every one that comes from God ought, therefore,
to be laughed at and scorned. But it is impossible that men
should laugh at a man who descends from heaven before their
eyes and is accompanied by hosts of angels. Every sensible
person can see from this that the descent of the Messiah from
heaven is an absurd and false theory. Bear in mind that no one
will ever descend from heaven. All those who oppose me will die,
but they will not see the Messiah coming down from heaven.
Tneir children will then pass away without witnessing the

360

descent of the son of Mary. The children of their children will
also pass away but they too will not witness such a strange sight-
Then the upholders of this theory will be confounded, for the'
time of the supremacy of the cross will have passed away and
the world will have entered a new era, but Jesus will not come
down from heaven. All sensible men will then feel an aversion
to such a belief, The third century from this day shall not have
passed away when all those who look for the descent of Jesus
from heaven, whether Christians or Muharnmadans, will be
despaired of him and will forsake the false belief which is now
so fondly cherished. Then will be there one religion in the
world and one Leader. I have been sent to sow a seed and I
have sown it. It will now grow and bear flowers and fruit in
due season. There is none who can uproot it.

My friends, do not grieve for the attacks of those who
follow, the faith of Swami Daya Nand for the pang is but
momentary which is brought about by the venornof their attacks.
They are utterly ignorant of the unity of God and utterly devoid
of spirituality. They carp at the prophets of God and abuse
them, and their great object is to heap up objections with
Satanic insinuations, but they have not the spirit which leads to
piety and righteousness. But bear in mind that no religion
which is devoid of spirituality can prosper; nay, it does not
deserve to be called a religion. The religion is dead which
has no spiritualit}?, no Divine revelation, no spirit of
faithfulness and sincerity and no heavenly magnetism, and
which cannot effect a supernatural transformation in a
man's life. Hundreds of thousands of those now living
will see with their eyes how it disappears from the face
of the earth, for it is earthly and not from heaven, and it
speaks of the things of this earth and not of those of heaven.

361

Be happy and exceedingly glad, for God is with you. If you
remain firm in your faith and sincerity, tbe angels will instruct
you in heavenly truths and you will feel . the Divine presence.
Then will, you be assisted with the holy spirit and God will be
with you in every step that you take, and no one will have the
power to vanquish you. Wait patiently for the grace of God. Be
silent when you are abused and be patient when you are beaten,
and so far as lies ID your power forbear the evil that is done to you,
so that your names might be written down upon heaven among
those that have an acceptance in the sight of God. Know it for
certain tbat God is with those who fear Him, and whose hearts
tremble because of the Divine Majesty and awe. The enemies of
such men are the enemies of God. The world does not see the rig-
hteous but God, who knows everything, sees His faithful servant
and protects him horn his enemies with his own hand. Is it
not true that if a man loves you sincerely and obeys you and
forsakes everything for your sake, you also love him and regard
him as your dearest friend? If, being men, you return love for
love, will not He, who is your Creator and Master, love you and
bestow His favours upon you ? God knows well who is His faith-
ful servant and who disloyal to Him and a lover of the world.
If you are faithful to Him as He wishes you to be, and are ready
to sacrifice all your interests for His sake, .then will the Divine
hand surely give you an eminent distinction over other people.

(Vol. II E. E. 1903.)

sea

The Message of Peace.

(This is a paper written by the promised Messiah
during the last two or three days of his life and it was intended
to be read at Lahore on 3 1st May, 1908 but the death of the
writer prevented this arrangement, and it was read on the 21st
June at the University Hall, Lahore, in a gathering of over five
thousand men including most of the respectable leaders of Hindu
and Muhammadan society, Mr. Justice P. G. Ghatterjee was in
the chair.}

my powerful God! ray beloved Guide 1 Guide us into the
path by walking in which Thy truthful and sincere servants taste
of the sweetness of union with Thee, and keep us off from ways
which are traversed by those who are moved by revenge or hatred
or the attainment of sensual desires or worldly ends. My beloved 1
countrymen all of us, whether we are Hindus or Muhamrnadans,
are, notwithstanding hundreds of differences, at one in believing
in a God who is the Creator and Lord of 'the world. Moreover,
we have a common cause not only because we are all human
beings, but also because being denizens of one and the. same
country are truly as neighbours to each other. It is, therefore,
meet that we should live as true and sincere friends and sincerely
sympathize with each other in temporal as well as religious
difficulties so that we may be as parts of one whole or members
of one body.

My dear countrymen, that religion does not deserve the
name of religion which does nob inculcate broad sympathy with
humanity in general, nor does than person deserve to be called
a human being who has not a sympathetic soul within him.
Our God has not made any invidious distinction between different

363

peoples and He is not unjust bo any. .The powers and faculties
Which He granted to the ancient people of India were also granted
to the Arabs, the Persians, the Syrians, the Chinese, the Japanese
the Europeans and the Americans. For all the earth of God
serves alike as a floor, and for the sake of all the sun, the moon
and the stars give their light and perform such other functions as
God has charged them with. All people alike derive benefit from
air, water, fire, earth and other things created by God and all
equally use the produce of the earth, its corns and its herbs, its
flowers and its fruits. These are the broad Divine morals which
give us a lesson that we should also do good to all our fellow
beings and should not havecontracted views and narrow sympathy.
My friends, know it for certain that whichever of us two people
shall not revere the Divine morals and shall make its national
character opposed to those high and pure morals shall soon be
destroyed, and not only shall that generation suffer alone but
even the children of that people shall suffer the evil consequences.
Since the world was created, the righteous of all countries have
borne testimony that there is water of life in the Divine morals,
and that the physical life of man depends on his imitating the
Divine morals which are the fountain-head of peace and safety.

The Holy Quran opens with a verse which teaches this
broad doctrine. Tne first verse of the "Opening" chapter of the
Holy Quran says : ^ W ) ^ j <dJ j^sJ ) i, e ., "All perfect and pure
attributes belong to God who is the Lord of all the worlds."
The words used here are so general that they include all the
different people, different ages and different countries. The
opening of the Holy Quran with a verse which is so broad in its
significance shows clearly that the Holy Quran refutes the
doctrine which sets limits to the vast and unlimited grace and
sustenance of God reserving the manifestation of these attributes

364

for a single people to the exclusion of all others as if the latter
were not the creation of God or as if after creating them Al-
mighty God had utterly forgotten them or thrown them away as
useless and futile things. For instance, the Jews and the
Christians to this day believe that all the Prophets and Mes-
sengers that have appeared in the world have come only from
a single branch of the great human family, viz., the Israelites,
and that God has always been so displeased with all the other
nations of the world that even finding them in errors and
ignorance, He has never cared for them in the least. Even
Jesus Christ is reported to have said that he had been sent only
for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. A claim to Divinity, if
we admit this claim in the case of Jesus for the sake of argu-
ment, is wonderfully inconsistent with narrow and contracted
views. Was Christ only the God of the Israelites, and was he
not equally the God of other people, that ht? declared himself to
have no concern about the guidance and reformation of other
people ?

In short, it is an essential doctrine of the Jewish and
Christian faiths that all the Messengers of God were raised from
among the Jews and that all the books were revealed only to
members of a single tribe. According to the Christians, further,
Divine revelation stopped with Jesus and the source of inspiration
was for ever sealed after him. Beliefs similar to these are a)so
entertained by the Arya Samaj. Like the Jews and the
Christians who regard prophecy and revelation as the sole posses-
sion of the house of Israel and consider other people unfit for
the boon, the Arya Sarnajisfcs believe that Divine revelation
never outstepped the limits of India, but that Almighty God
always chooses four risliis from the land of the Aryas and reveals
over and over again the same text of the Vedas through them

365

setting apart; always the same language Sanskrit for the expres-
sion of His will.

Thus the Jews and the Christians on the one hand, and the
Arya Samajists on the other, do not recognise Almighty God
to be the Lord of the worlds, for if such were not the case, there
is no reason that God, who is the Lord of all the worlds and of
all people and not the Lord of the Israelites or the Lord of the
Aryas alone, should have been regarded as choosing a single
people for the manifestation of His will like a biased and one-
sided man. It is, therefore, to refute this erroneous doctrine
ithat Almighty God has opened His Holy Book with the verse
quoded above. The Holy Quran is full of verses which clearly
contradict the belief that Prophets have been raised from one
-particular tribe or been sent to one particular country. It teaches
jjby the introduction of many and varied comparisons that as
^Almighty God has been providing the -physical necessities of
'every country according to its conditions and circumstances, so
'He also provided means for its spiritual training and the satis-
faction of its spiritual requisites. The Holy Qiiran says in one
iplace in the clearest words y. & U**. Ka. U ) &* ) ^ ^1 3 i. e > "There
is no people among whom a Warner has not been sent."

In fact, it 'will be admitted without any discussion that the
:true and perfect: God in whom we must- all believe is the Lord
.of the whole world. His sustenance is not limited to a particu-
lar tribe or a particular age or a particular country, but He is
the Sustainer of all people, the Lord of all ages, the King of all
places and countries, the Fountain-head of all grace, the Source
of every power, physical and spiritual, the Nourisher of all that
is created and the Supporter of all that exists. The grace of
God encompasses the whole world and encircles all people and
all ages. It was ordained thus that no one might complain and

366

say thafe Almighty God poured- down His blessings upon such and
such a people but did not granb those blessings to others, or that
such and such a people received the gifb of Divine revelation
from Him bub that others were nob favoured with ib, or bhat
Almighty G-od revealed Himself through His word and signs and
miracles in such aad such an age bub thab He remained hidden
ab obher birnes. He, bherefore, extended His bounty bo all and
did nob exclude any people from bhe all-comprehensive circle of
His grace, nor did He deprive any age of His greab blessings.

Tne Divine morals being so broad, ib behooves us bo irnibabe
bhem. Ib is wibh bhis objecb, my countrymen, bhab I now place
before you bhis shorb pamphlet entitled "The Message of Peace,"
and I pray wibh a sincere hearb bhab Alrnighby Grod may inspire
brubh into your hearts and make manifest bo you bbe sympathy
thab lies hidden within our hearts so bhab you may nob ascribe ib
bo any rnobive of self-interest- Friends, bbe nexb life remains
hidden- from bhe eyes of most people and bhab secreb is revealed
only to the few: who are dead before they die, bub bhe good or
evil bhab may be done in bhis life can be easily seen.

Every body knows bhab union can remove difficulties which
ib is hard bo remove obherwise. Ib, bherefore, behooves bhe wise
man bhab he should seek bhe blessings of union. The Hindus
and bhe Muhammadans, are bwo people living in bhis country
about whom ib is impossible bo conceive bhab the one can ab any
birne by the use of force expel bhe obher from ibs home- On bhe
other hand, the bies which unite them are so strong bhab ib is
impossible bo cub them asunder now. If one of these bwo
nabions is visibed by any general desbruction, bhe obher cannob
sband aloof and wibness bhe scene bub musb suffer wibh ibs neigh-
bour. If one of bhese bwo nabions will bry bo bring bhe obher inbo
coubempb with disdain and pride, ib shall itself be branded with

367

the same contempt;. And if one of them does not sympathise
with the other, it shall also suffer the evil consequences. If a
person belonging to one of these nations does anything Co bring
destruction upon the other, he is like the person who cuts the
branch upon which he is himself sitting. My friends, you are
all educated, and it is time that you should purge your hearts of
enmity and hatred and advance in harmony .and friendliness.
The progress which you have made should reserve to awaken your
sympathy for your countrymen and neighbours. The difficulties
one meets with in this world may be compared to a great desert
which one has to pass through at a time when the heat of the sun
is scorching, and to allay the heat and quench the thirst in this
perilous journey is needed the cold water of union and harmony.
, .My friends, I invite you to peace .at a critical time when
both nations stand urgently in need 'of peace and agreement
with each other. Many are the trials and disasters which have
been sent upon this world. Earthquakes and famine and
plague have wrought havoc, and Almighty Grod has also informed
me that if people do not repent of their evil deeds and do not
forsake evil ways, more terrible disasters. still will visit our globe,
and one disaster shall not leave us before another makes its
appearence. At length men will be in great distress and will
begin to ask as to what was going to happen. Many shall be-
come like mad men because of their sufferings. Take care of
yourselves, brethren, before those days arrive, and let the Hindus
and the Muharnmadans unite together. If one of them' is doing

o o

any wrong to the other which interferes in the union, let it at
once give up the doing of that wrong, otherwise it shall be whol-
ly responsible for the enemity and hatred between the two.

It may be said that union cannot be brought about when
religious differences are making the split larger and larger every

368

day. But the truth is fchafc.no religious difference is worth
consideration unless both sides are guided by principles of wisdom
and justice. In this case, however, the differences are sure to
be settled because with reason as our guide we can easily arrive
at a satisfactory solution. As regards the minor differences,
they need not trouble us as they do not cause any hinderanee in
the desired union. It is only when one party abuses the religious
leaders of the other or calls its sacred book as the fabrication of
man that religious differences causes wide breach and become
like an impassable gulf between the two. communities.

Besides this, the lovers of union will be glad to learn that
the teaching of the Quran is not opposed to the Yedic teachirig,
but that it is met with in some one or other of the different
schools: that accept the Vedas. For instance, though the newly
risen sect of Hinduism, called the Arya Saroaj, gives it out as
the fundamental doctrine of Hinduism, that Vedic revelation
has sealed the Divine revelation for ever, but the great Avatars
of the Hindu faith who are followed by tens of millions of the
people of this country have by their claims of being the recipients
.of Divine revelation shown the falsehood of this principle and
broken the supposed seal. An example ofi this is to be met with
in the person of the renowned Krishna who is accepted as an
avatar by vast numbers of Hindus in Bengal as well as here and
who claimed to be the recipient of Divine revelation. His
followers go so far as to consider him God in flesh, but there is
no doubt that he was the Prophet and avatar (a manifestation of
.the Divine Being) of his time and Almighty God revealed to him
-His holy word.

In the latter days of Hinduism, another example of the
same kind is to be met with in the person of Nanak whose
righteousness and sanctity have an unsullied reputation in this

369

country and whose followers are known as Sikhs and number
not less than two millions. Nanak openly claimed to be the
recipient of Divine revelation and evidence of this is met with
in the Grantb as well as in the Janam Sakhis. In one place he
says that it was revealed to him by God that Islam was a true
religion. It was for this reason that he performed a pilgrimage
to Mecca and obeyed the injunctions of the Islamic law. It is
doubtless true that miracles and signs were witnessed at his
hands, and it is equally true that he was one of the chosen and
righteous servants of God whom God had made to drink deep of
His love. He was born among the Hindus to bear witness to
the fact that Islam was a Divine religion. Any one who sees
his sacred relics at Dera Baba Nanak which bear the clearest
testimony DO his profession of the Islamic formula of faith
jjj ) J y*, ; o^sw* &JJ ) 3) J *J j 3) ? i, g ti> "There is no god but God and

Muhammad is the Apostle of God," or those at Guru Har
Sahai in the Ferozepur District among which is the Holy Quran,
shall not hesitate for a moment to declare that Nanak had,
with the help of a pure heart and a pure nature and sincere
exertions in the way of God, found out the deep secret
which remained hidden from the eyes of the Pundits. Thus
Nanak, by his claim to be the recipient of Divine revelation
and by the signs which he showed, completely refuted the
doctrine according to which no revelation can be granted after
the Vedas. It is Undoubtedly true that the person of Nanak was
an embodiment of Divine mercy for the Hindus, and he was,
as it were, the last avatar of the Hindu religion who tried hard
to purge the hearts of the Hindus of the great hatred which
they entertained against Islam, but to the great misfortune of
this country the Hindus did not avail themselves of the holy
teachings of Nanak. On the other hand, the Pundits of the

370

Hindi! religion persecuted this great -man only because he ad-
mitted the truth of the religion of Islam. He had come to bring
about a union between Hinduism and Islam but he was not
listened to. Had the Hindus acted upon his teachings, all
differences between the Hindus and the Muharnrnadaus would
have come to an end and they would have been a single nation
to-day. Ah, how sorely it grieves us that a great benefactor
came into this World and passed away but ignorant men preferred
to remain in the dark and refused to be illuminated with his
light. He, bowevei'j showed it conclusively that the door to
Divine revelation is never closed and that heavenly signs are
always manifested at the hands of His chosen servants. He
also bore witness that the enmity of Islam is the enmity of light,

My experience in this matter is the same as the experience
of those sages' of the past. I can also testify that re.velations
and inspirations of God are never intercepted, but that He speaks
even now as He spoke in the past, and that He listens to the
prayers of men in our own days as He listened in days of yore,
and that none of His perfect and holy attributes has, or shall
ever, become useless. For nearly thirty years I have been
favoured with the word of God and He has manifested hundreds of
His signs at my hands which have been witnessed by thousands
of men and published in books and papers. There is no nation
that has not witnessed a sign.

In the face of this strong and cumulative evidence, the
teaching which is attributed by the Arya Bamaj to the Vedas,
viz., that the door to Divine revelation was closed with the
revelation of the Vedas, can by no means be admitted as true or
reasonable. This doctrine has wrought another great mischief,
for it is on its basis that all other books claiming to be revelations
from God are treated ; by the Arya Samaj as fabrications of men,

871

though they can ftiHiish'muCh stronger proof ; of- their truth and
heavenly origin than' the Vedas> and though the hand of Divine
assistance and help is clearly witnessed work-ing in their support
and the supernatural signs of God bear testimony to their truth.
How can it then be said that those books are not from God
while the Yedas are t)ivine revelation ? And as the person of
God is hidden behind many screens, reason requires that He
should have manifested Himself in different countries through
different books revealed to His Prophets and Messengers chosen
from among different people so that they might easily find access
to God. It is impossible to conceive that the God who is the
Lord of the whole world, who brings out His sun upon all people
from East to West and who sends down His rain upon every
tract of land according to its needs, -the same-God should in
matters spiritual be so narrow-minded as to limit His favours
for ever to one people, one country, one language and one age.
Certainly no one with common sense will be able to realize the
logic according to which Almighty God is able to listen to and
understand the prayers of men in their different languages, but
cannot reveal His word in any language except the Vedic
Sanskrit, having as it were a strong hatred for the others. This
is a mystery which no one has been able to solve hitherto. As
for myself, I look upon the Vedas as free from all teachings
which are not only opposed to reason but also ascribe favouritism
and narrow-mindedness to the 'Divine Being. The truth is. that
when a long time passes over the revelation of a book, its fol-
lowers, eithe'r'iiitentioualiy or carelessly, from personal motives
or through ignorance, make some additions and alterations in it,
which being the' expression of their personal views give rise to
different schools and sects.

The resemblance between the Hindus and the Jews with

372

regard to their respective views concerning the scope of Divine
revelation is striking. As the Aryas believe that the revelation
of God has always been limited to certain Arya families in this
land of the Arya people and has always found expression in a
single language, the Yedic Sanskrit, which is for this reason
considered to be the Divine language, the Jews entertain similar
belief with regard to their own family and their own language
and their own books. According to the latter's belief Hebrew is
looked upon as (rod's favourite language and the Israelites His
favourite people, and any one who claims to be a Prophet of Grod,
but does not belong to their tribe and speak their language,
must be considered as a false Prophet. Remarkably striking as
this resemblance may appear, there are other sects who while
they lay claim to still older revelations have their views marked
by the same narrow-mindedness. There are, for instance, the
Zorastrians who look upon their religion as millions of years
older than the Vedas. A consideration of all these circumstances
leads us to the conclusion that the idea of limiting Divine
.revelation to one's own language is based upon ignorance and
strong prejudice against others. In early times it was very sel-
dom that one people knew much about another or one country
was acquainted with the conditions prevailing in another, and the
natural outcome of the limited means of intercourse and inter-
communication was that wherever a Prophet appeared among a
people and a book was given to them for their guidance, they
thought that they were the only recipients of Divine revelation
in the world and that true guidance was only given to them.
This belief has been the source of a great many evils, and strong
prejudice against the religious books and religious leaders of
other people ultimately developed into the severest haired and
enmity. For a long time one people remained ignoraati of an-

373

other> and one country was terra incognita for another, so much
so that the learned men of India thought the Himalaya moun-
tains to be the boundary wall of the world beyond which there
was no land inhabited by mankind. With the growth of
knowledge and the advancement of civilization in its early
stages, different people came to know something about each
other- But this time the false beliefs relating to Divine reve-
lation and the appearance of Prophets and the revelation of
sacred books had taken a deep root in the hearts of men and
every people believed from the core of their heart that their
country alone was the seat of . the manifestation of the glories
of God. As in those days, barbarous passions ruled supreme
in the heart among almost all the people, and the Reformer who
thought of uprooting an established evil usage was met with the
sword, therefore no one dared to bring about peace and union
between contending religions by cooling down blood which was
heated by the ideas of self-glorification. Gautama Buddha
tried to bring about this union. He did not believe the Yedas
to be the first and the last revelation of Divine will, nor did he
subscribe to the doctrine that Divine revelation was limited to
one country, one people and one language, and thus he dealt a
death blow to the pretensions of the Brahmans who monopolised
all connections with the Divine Being for themselves and
their country. The departure this great Reformer made from
the narrow views of his predecessors brought him face to
face with many persecutions from his opponents He was called
an agnostic and an Atheist, but he was no more an Atheist
than are the broadminded and cultured persons who reject the
Divinity of Christ because .they are unable to conceive a God
who should suffer death on the cross. Thus was Buddha mis-
represented and his opponents brought many false charges against

374

hitn and circulated false reports concerning him* At last he
was expelled from his home in India, and to this day the Hindus
affect to look with contempt upon the great success to which
the religion of Buddha attained* But as Jesus said, "A Prophet
is not without honour save in his own country and house"
(Matt- 13: 57), and Buddha also attained a marvellous success in
his mission after he had gone to another country. At present
one-third of the human race is said to own this religion, the
centre of its activity still being China and Japan, though it has
spread as far as Russia and America*

To revert to the original subject, when the followers of one
religion were ignorant of the religions prevailing in other countries,
it followed as a natural consequence that every community
depended on its own book and its own creed as the sole re-
pository of truth. The result of this dependence was that when
the inhabitants of different countries began to have intercourse
With one another and when one people came to know the creed
followed by another, each found it difficult to approve of the alien
creeds. Fancy had invested every religion with certain peculiari-
ties and excellences and it was no easy task to divest it of the
imaginary excellences which it was supposed to possess. Conse-
quently the adherents of every religion gave themselves up to
the refutation of the rival religions- The followers of Zoroaster,
for instance, affirmed that there was no religion comparable with
their creed, that prophethood was confined to the Zoroastrian
dispensation and that their scriptures were the oldest of all books
so much so that even the Yedas paled into insignificance when
compared with their scriptures in point of .antiquity. The He-
brews again were not behind any other people in claiming
peculiarities for their religious system. They want BO far as to
fix Syria as the laud where Divine Throne was laid, never to be

375

removed to any other country. Only the elect of the Jewish race
were held to be eligible for the sacred office of a Prophet, and
they were expressly forbidden to preach to other people. Revela-
tion was held' to be a gift which could be bestowed only on a
member of their own race, and if there appeared any claimant
among any other people, he could only be an impostor.

Exactly identical views prevailed among the inhabitants of
Arya Varta. According to them, Prameshwara is practically
only a Raja of their own country, a Raja who does not even
know what is happening in other parts of his dominions. The
belief is cherished with not a semblance of reason that Prarnesh-
wara has taken a fancy to the climate of India and has never
taken it in His head even to make a progress in other countries
to enquire into the condition of His wretched subjects living in
those lands, whom He has left to themselves ever since He
created them.

FrieodSj ponder and say whether such beliefs are acceptable
to reason or whether there is any thing in human nature which
responds to such doctrines. I can not see how a rational being
can believe on the one hand that God is the Lord of the whole
uninerse and assert on the other that He has withdrawn His
patronage from the whole world and that His kindness and
mercy are limited to one particular country. Is there any thing
corresponding to this in the physical world ? If not, why is His
spiritual Law then based on partiality?

If we exercise our reasoning faculties, we can judge of the
merits or demerits of a thing from its results. So judge this
question from its results. Need I tell you what must be the out-
come of insulting and reviling those holy Prophets whom millions
of men from all ranks of society hold in high reverence and
whom they think it a pride to follow. There is no community

376

bufe must have more or less tasted the fruit of this. Dear country-
men, long experience and repeated trials have proved that to
speak disrespectfully of the holy leaders of other people and to
hurl invectives at them is a poison which not only undermines
the body, but also destroys the soul and thus carries a two-fold
ruin in its wake. A country cannot enjoy peace when the dif-
ferent races inhabiting it find fault with the religious leaders of
each other, and two comrnupities cannot live in harmony with
each other when one or each of them speaks insultingly of the
spiritual guides of the other. One must have his feelings stirred
up when one hears one's Prophet or Leader openly insulted.
Particularly Muharnmadans are a people who without calling
their Holy Prophet God Or a son of God believe him to be greater
than all other righteous men that were born of a woman. So it
is in, no case possible to live on peaceful terms with a true
Muslim unless the Holy Prophet is invariably spoken of in
respectful terms.

We, the Muharnmadans, on our part, never speak disres-
pectfully of the Prophets of other people. On . the other hand,
our belief is that all the other Spiritual Leaders of people who
ever lived on this earth, who were accepted as true Prophets by
millions of men, who won the respect of a large portion of the
human race and who have been held in esteem for a long period
of time, were the true Prophets of God, the above circumstances
alone constituting a sufficient evidence of their truth with us- If
they had riot been sent by God, they would not have found ac-
ceptance with millions of men. God never grants bo others the
honour which He gives to His chosen ones. If an impostor sits
in the seat of the elect of God, he is soon brought to naught.

It is on the basis of this principle that we regard the Yeda8
as from God and believe the rishis to be holy and sacred person-

377

ages. It is true that the teachings contained in: the Yedas in
their present form have failed to make any people the worshippers
of one God, -nor were they adapted to fulfil that purpose, and the
idolaters, the fire-worshippers, the sun-worshippers, the Ganges-
worshippers, the believers in thousands of deities, the followers of
Jainism and the professors of the shakat mat, in short .all sects
of Hinduism that are to be found in India base their respective
creeds on the Vedas, the Vedas being so ambiguous that every
sect derives its doctrines from them ; yet your belief according to
the Quranic teaching is that the Vedas are not the fabrication of
man, for a human fabrication has not the power of drawing mil-
lions of men towards itself and of the firmly establishing a system

.that may endure for ages. Indeed we have not found the Vedas
teaching the worship of stones anywhere but they teem with
adoration of fire, air, water, the moon, the sun etc-, and there is
not a single verse-in them forbidding the worship of these objects.
Who should decide, then, that all the long established sect of

^Hinduism that worship the objects named above are in error and
orfcly the newborn sect of the Ayra Sarnajists is in the right ? Those

ti !

; wio worship various objects have that clear evidence of the Vedas
on their side, and Ayra Sarnajists who assert that agni (fire),
vayu, fair), jal (water,) etc., are only the names of the Divine
Being make an assertion of which there is no proof. They have
raised a question which has not yet been satisfactorily settled.
Had this point been satisfactorily settled, there was no reason
why the learned Pundits of Benares and other 'Hindu cities
should not have accepted the views of the Ayra Samajists.
Though this new sect has been exerting itself to the utmost in
disseminating its new doctrines . for the last 30 or .35 years,
yet very few Hindus fallen in with their views and the number
of the Ayra Samajists shrinks into insignificance when compared

378

with the number of the Sanatan Dharmists and followers of
other Hindu sects, and the doctrine of the Ayra Samaj seern to
have made little headway among the other sects of Hinduism.

Similarly the doctrine of the Niyoga is attributed to the
Yedas. Human nature revolts at this hateful doctrine. But, as I
have already said, we cannot believe this to be the teaching of the
Vedas. On the other hand, we are strongly disposed to believe
that such teachings were afterwards attributed to or inserted
in the Vedas from selfish motives. Yeda being a book of great
antiquity, it is very likely that various additions and alterations
were made in it by the Pundits of subsequent generations. That
millions of people have been believing it to be the Word of God
is, however, a sufficient reason of its truth, for it is impossible
that the word of an impostor should enjoy the honour which the
Yedas have enjoyed.

When we, in spite of many obstacles in our way, believe the
Yeda to be the Word of God, merely through fear of God, and
attribute the errors to be found in its teachings to subsequent
writers, why is it, then, that most savage attacks are made against
the Holy Quran which teaches unity of God from beginning to
end, which nowhere teaches the worship of tbe sun, the moon or
any other object, but on the other hand says in plain words: ^$^
^f JJ ) ail )_5 o*.^ 1 j ; *JJ $ 3 ^-0.^11 1 ^ jx^j' i) i Q^ "Do not bow in
worship before the sun, nor before the rnoon, but prostrate your-
selves before the God who created them." Besides, the Quran has
with it the testimony of old signs and fresh signs and shows the
face of God like a mirror. Why do not the Ayra Samajists, then,
deal by us we deal by them ? Why is it that the seed of discord
and enmity is sown in the land ? Can it be expected that this
will bear good fruit ? Is it fair dealing to cast stones at one who
offers flowers and to throw dung at the man who holds out milk ?

379

If, in order fco have complete peace, the Hindu gentlemen
and the Ayra Samajists are prepared to accept our Holy Prophet,
may peace and the blessings of God be upon him, as a true Prop-
het of God and give up denying and insulting him, I will be the
first man to sign an agreement to the effect that we, the members
of the Ahmadiyya sect, shall always continue to believe in the
Vedas and to speak of the Vedas and the rishis in the most respect-
ful terms and bind ourselves to pay to the Hindus a penalty of
Rs. 300,000 in case we fail to fulfil the agreement. If the
Hindus cordially wish for this peace, they should also sign a
similar agreement. This agreement will be as follows: "We
believe in Muhammad Mustafa, may peace and the blessings of
God be upon him, and regard him as a true Prophet. We will
always speak of him respectfully as a true believer should- And
if we fail to fulfil this agreement, we shall pay to the Leader of
the Ahmadiyya Movement Us- 300,000 as a penalty for breach of
agreement." The members of the Ahmadiyya sect now number
not less than four hundred thousand and the sum of Rs. 300,000
is not a large surn when we consider the number of the Ahmadis.
The Muhammadans that are outside the pale of the Ahrnadiyya
sect have no uniformity in their views and aims; they recognise
no leader whom they think themselves bound to obey. So I
cannot say whether they would join hands with us. Even I am
yet regarded by them as an infidel and an Anti-Christ, still I
hope when the Hindus make this compact with me, the other
Muhammadans will not be so foolish as to have their Holy
Prophet abused by speaking insujt/ingly of the scriptures and the
leaders of so good mannered a people. In that case, they them-
selves will be the cause of the abuse. Such a conduct being incon-
sistent with gentlemanliness and decency, I do not think the

380

other Muhammadans will permit themselves to say anything
derogatory to the honour of the Hindu scriptures and the Hindu
rishis after the compact has been made. But in order to make
the agreement strong and sure, it will he necessary that it should
be signed by at least 10,000 intelligent men on both sides.

Dear countrymen; there is nothing like peace. Let us
become one nation and one people by means of this compact.
You see how much discord there is in the land and how greatly
the country has suffered on account of this mutual refutation.
Come, and try even now how great are the blessings of mutual
approbation. This is the best means of bringing about a recon-
ciliation. To try to have peace by any other means is like
leaving alone a sore which is bright and smooth from outside, but

is inwardly full of foul and putrid matter.

I need not stop here to discuss that the disunion that is
daily increasing in thisland is not solely due to religious differences,
but that it is also due in part to worldly considerations. The
Hindus, for instance, have always been desirous of having a share
in the government of the country or of having at least their
opinion consulted on important political matters, of bringing
their grievances to the notice of the Rulers and of being admitted
to the higher posts of the administration like the Europeans.
The Muhamrnadans made the mistake of keeping aloof from the
Hindus in their endeavours to attain this object. They thought
that as they were less in number than the Hindus, it was only
the latter that were to reap the fruit of these exertions and so
they not only held themselves, aloof from the Hindus, but they
even opposed them and acted as a hinderance in their way. The
result was that the ill-feeling that already existed between them
was much aggravated. I admit that these causes have also added
to the original enmity between the two races, but I cannot believe

381

that these are the prime causes of the mutual hatred. I do not
agree with those who hold that the ill-feeling between the
Hindus and the Muhammadans is not due to religious differences,
but that it is solely due to political rivalry.

Every body can easily understand why the Muhammadans
shrink from joining with the Hindus in claiming their lawful
rights. Why did they always keep aloof from the Congress, and
why at last when they saw that the fundamental principle on
which the educated Hindus were acting was a right one, did
they actually follow the example sec by the Hindus, but not by
joining the Congress but by starting a congress of their own, the
All-India Moslem League ? How can we 'account for the fact
that though they have begun to do tbe very same thing that the
Congress has been doing, yet they have not liked to join hands
with the Hindus ? Brethren ! the real cause of this is to be
found in religion alone. If these very Hindus embrace the
Muhammadans to-day with the holy formula, 'There is no god
'but Allah, and Muhammad is His Apostle, on their lips, or if the
Muharnmadans embrace Hinduism and begin to worship agni,
j etc., according to the injunction of the Veda, bidding fare-
to Islam, all the differences that are now termed political
will at once disappear, as if they had no existence at all. This
shows that what lies at the root of the mutual hatred is religious
antagonism.. It is this religious antagonism which when carried
to extreme. has caused streams of blood to flow. My Muhamma-
dan brethren, since the Hindus look upon you as an alien people
owing to your professing a different religion, and you regard them
as an alien people for the same reason, it is impossible that your
minds should be purged of hatred, unless the real cause that lies
at the bottom of this hatred is removed'- You: may join hands
with each other for soine-time like hypocrites, but real peace and

. 382

tranquility can only be attained if you from the bottom of your
hearts accept the Vedas and the risliis as from God; and your
Hindu brethren likewise expel all malice from their hearts
and accept our Holy Prophet as a true Prophet of God. Re-
member and bear in your mind that it is this course alone which
can bring about a real union between you and the Hindus. It
will act like water and wash away all dross from your hearts. If
the time has come for the two long separated people to unite,
God will open their hearts to accept this proposal, as He has
opened ours.

But, besides the above agreement, it will be binding on us
to deal sympathetically by our Hindu brethren and invariably
treat them with kindness and fellow-feeling, We shall have to
abstain from everything that is likely to offend them, provided
it is not one of the religious duties that are obligatory on us.
So if the Hindus cordially accept our Holy Prophet as a true
Apostle of God and believe in him, the gulf which separates us
from the Hindus owing to our slaughtering the cows should also
be spanned over. It is not obligatory on us to use every thing
that we think lawful. There are many things which we think to
be lawful but which we never use. To be kind and tolerant to
our fellow-beings is an important a religious injunction as
to believe in one God, and it is not against the Law of God
to abandon an unnecessary thing for a necessary one. Believing
a thing to be lawful is quite different from using it. Eeligion
consists in abstaining from the forbidden things seeking the
pleasure of God, showing kindness and sympathy to the crea-
tures of God, believing in all the Prophets that were raised
from time to time for the reformation of the world, without
making any distinction between them, and dealing kindly by all
human beings; that is the gist of Islam. But how is it possible

383

for tils to make peace with those who unjustly and without fear
of God revile our Holy Prophet, may peace and the blessings of
God be upon him> and persist in attacking and calumniating
him ? I say truly that it is possible for us to make peace with
the snakes of the desert and the wolves of the forest, but it is
impossible to be at one with those who make vile attacks against
our Holy Prophet, whom we hold dearer than our fathers, mothers
and our own selves; May we die Muslims; we will not do a
thing which may result in the loss of faith.

Tdo not mean here to lay any unjust charge at the door of
'any particular community, nor do I intend to offend any people,
but it is with a deep sigh tbat lam compelled to say that a great
injustice is done to Islam and the Holy Quran. Islam was a
holy and peaceful religion wbich never attacked the leader of
any community, and the Quran was a Venerable book which laid
the foundation of peace among nations by accepting the Prophets
'of all nations an bonour which is not shared by any other
scripture. Regarding all the Prophets of the world, the Quran
says : ^ j**^ d \^st j ^ ^ ) ^u fi i) " Q Believers, say, { We

believe in all the Prophets of world and make no distinction
between them, accepting some and rejecting the others." If

there exists any other revealed book with such peaceful teaching,
let it be named. The Quran does not restrict the universal mercy
of God to any particular family. It accepts all the Prophets of
the house of Israel, such as Jacob, Isaac, Moses, David and Jesus
and does not call any Prophet of Persia, India or any other
country, a liar or an impostor. On the other hand, it plainly
declares that there have been Prophets among all people and in
all land and thus lays the foundation of peace among all peoples.
But it is very painful to note that Prophet of peace has been
reviled and treated with contempt by every people;

384

My dear countrymen, I have not said this to offend you and
to injure your feelings. I from very good motives wish to tell
you that those who have made it a point to abuse and attack the
Prophets of other communities as if it formed a part of their
religion are not only sinners in the sight of God for their
transgressions and for making unfounded attacks, but they are
also guilty of sowing the seed of discord and enmity between
different communities. If a person abuses another man's father
or calumniates his mother, he really attacks the honour of his
own parents, and if the person whose parents he has abused
pays him back in the same coin, the man who took the initiative
in the matter may fairly be held to be the cause of abuse and
must be regarded as the enemy of his parents 7 honour.

But mark how God teaches us manners and regard for others'
honour. He says: j ** & ) )y~# *U J ^ ^ t ^* ^ yc & ^ jj ) )^wj il
.U jj*j ) i.e., "Do not abuse the idols of the idolaters for if
you do it, they will abuse your God in return, because they do
not know God." Thus, though, according to the teaching of the
Quran, the idols have no worth at all, but God teaches the
Muslims such good manners that He enjoins upon them to
abstain even from abusing the idols and to use mild words, lest
the idol-worshippers be excited and begin to revile God, and thus
the Muhammadans themselves be the cause of having their God
abused. Compare with this the conduct of those who abuse the
great Prophet of Islam, speak of him in disgraceful terms, and
make wild and savage attacks against his honour and character.
Our Holy Prophet is held in such great honour by the Muslims
that the great monarchs of Islam come down from their thrones
when they hear his holy name and regard themselves as among
the humblest of his servants. Is not this honour from God ? To
treat with contempt one who is honoured by God is to fight witl*

385

God. Our Holy Prophet is that chosen Prophet of God to aid
whom and to show whose honour, God has shown great wonders
to the world. Is it not the hand of God that has made 200,000,000
Muhammadans prostrate themselves on his threshold ? Though
every Prophet had some proof of his truth, yet the proofs of the
truth of the Holy Prophet which the world has witnessed and is
still witnessing have no parallel in the history of any other Prophet.

When the earth becomes corrupt with sin and evil, and mis-
chief and transgression out-balance virtue, then the mercy of
God demands that a Messenger should be a raised to reform the
world. It cannot be denied that disease calls for a physician
and the Hindu gentlemen can easily understand this. They
believe that the Veda was sent when there was no flood of sin-
fulness on the earth. So when God sent a guidance at a time when
the earth was free from corruption, was it not much more necessary
that He should have raised a Reformer at a time when a strong
gale of sinfulness was blowing with great violence in every
country ? I do not think any of you is ignorant of the historical
fact that when the throne of Prophethood was graced with the
Holy Prophet, it was a period oi such darkness that no corner
of the earth was free from vice and corruption, and, as Pandit
Daya Nand himself bears witness, even in Ayra Yarta idolatry
had taken the place of God-worship and corruption had found
its way into the Vedic Dharrna.

To the corruption prevailing at the time when the Holy Pro-
phet made his appearance, Rev. Pfender, a European Missionary,
. also bears witness. He admits in his work, Mizan-ul-Haq,
that of all peoples the Christians were the most corrupt, and their
immoralities and vices were a disgrace to Christianity.

The Quran itself shows its need by saying ;^.l ^ & ^ I ^

) 3 i. e,, "both land and sea have become corrupt." This

386

means that all nations, whether civilized or uncivilized, had
become a hotbed of corruption.

Now when all testimonies show that in the days of the ap-
pearance of the Holy Prophet, of all people that lived in the east
or in the west, that peopled the land of Arya Varta or were the
denizens of the sands of Arabia, that had their abode in the
islands or were settled on the mainlands, there was none thafe
had a true relation with God and that misdeeds had corrupted the
earth, cannot an intelligent man then see that that was the time
when a great Prophet should have appeared on the stage ?

The question may be asked, what was the reformation which
that Prophet brought about. I emphatically say that this question
with regard to the Holy Prophet can be answered by a Muharn-
madan with a clearness and reasonableness with which no
Christian, Jew, or Arya can answer the question with respect to
his Prophet.

The primary object of the Holy Prophet was to reform the
Arabs. The Arabs were then in such a degraded state that they
could hardly be called men. There was no evil but was to be
found in them and there was no form of shirk but prevailed among
them. Thieving and dacoity formed their business and the
murder of a human being was with them like the trampling under
foot of an ant. They killed orphans to appropriate their property
and buried their daughters alive under the ground. They took
pride in adultery and openly spoke of indecent things in their
poems, which were immoral in the highest degree. Drinking
prevailed to such an extent that no house was free from it,
and in gambling they beau every other people. In short
of, they were a disgrace even to the beasts and the snakes
of the desert.

But when the Holy Prophet rose to regenerate these people

38?

and when he devoted his whole attention to the purifying of their
hearts and cast his holy influence on them, he worked such a
transformation among them in a few days that from their savage
state they rose to be men and from the stage of men they
advanced to the stage of civilzation and thus progressing step
by step they became godly men and finally they were so annihil-
ated in the love of God that they bore every pain with the
utmost resignation. They were subjected to various kinds of
tortures, whips were lashed at them with great cruelty, they were
made to lie on burning sand, they were put in fettere, deprived
of food and drink for days until they were almost at the doors of
death, but they only stepped forward at every affliction. Many
had their children slaughtered before their eyes, many were
hanged by the neck in the presence of their children, but a
contemplation of the steadfastness with which they laid down
their lives draws tears from the eyes. What was it which drew
them so powerfully towards Islam and worked such a change in
them that they threw themselves on the threshold of a man who
once walked about in the streets of Mecca, a poor, solitary and
helpless man ? It was the hand of God that was controlling
their hearts; it was the spiritual attraction of the Holy Prophet
which raised them from the depths of degradation to the sublime
heights above.

The wonder is that before they embraced Islam, most of
them were the mortal enemies of the Holy Prophet and were
thirsty of his blood. I cannot see there could be a greater
miracle than that a poor, helpless and solitary man should have
thus purged their hearts from malice and should have so drawn
them towards himself that cast away their costly ropes and
having donned sackcloth presented themselves before him like
humble servants.

388

Some thoughtless men bring the charge of Jehad against
Islam and assert that all these men were compelled to accept
Islam by dint of sword. These men have passed all limits in
their injustice and in concealing the truth. Alas, why is it that
they intentionally turn their face from the real facts. Our Holy
Prophet did not appear in Arabia as a King so that it might be
supposed that as he had with him kingly majesty and power,
therefore the people flocked to his standard in order to save their
lives. It was as a poor, helpless and lonely man that he began to
preach tbeUnity of God and his own Prophethood. What sword had
he then, the fear of which caused the man to adopt his religion?
If they did not accept his religion of their own. free will, the
forces of which king were summoned and whose aid was sought
to compel them to adopt the religion ? seekers after truth,
know it for certain that these charges are fabricated by those
who are great enemies of Islam. Consult history. Our Holy
Prophet was that orphan boy whose father passed away shortly
after his birth and whose mother also died when he was yet a
child of a few months old. Then the child, who had with him
the protecting hand of God, grew up under the care of God un-
supported by man. During the days of his orphanage and
helplessness, he even watched the sheep of some persons. He
had no guardian except God. He was twenty-five years old, but
not even any of his uncles gave his daughter in marriage to him,
for apparently. he had no means to support his family. He was
quite illiterate and knew no trade or profession. When he
attained the age of forty, his heart was at once drawn towards
God. There was a cave, named Him, at the distance of a few
miles from Mecca. He went to that cave alone, hid himself
there and worshipped God. He was thus one day secretly
occupied in Divine contemplation, when God manifested Himself

389

to him and said : "The world has abandoned the path of God
and the earth has become corrupt with sin, so I appoint you as
My Apostle that you may warn the people and invite them to
God before Divine punishment should overtake them." This
message filled him with fear and he humbly said in reply that
he was an illiterate person. Then God opened his heart and
filled his breast with Divine wisdom and spiritual knowledge
and illuminated his heart. His holy spiritual power attracted
the lowly and the humble people towards him and they became
his devoted servants but the great and the haughty girt up their
loins to oppose him until at last they even determined to put
him to death. Many of his followers, both male and female,
were killed and at last the house of the Holy Prophet himself
was besieged. But who can destroy a man whom God wishes
to save ? God sent His Word to the Holy Prophet informing
him of the intentions of his enemies, bidding him to leave the
city and promising him His assistances at every step. The
Holy Prophet, accordingly left the city in the company of
Abu Bakr and the two hid themselves in a cave, called Thaur,
where they stayed for two nights. The enemy pursued them
by following their footsteps and tracked them would go no
further saying either they were in the cave or they had
accended to the heavens. But who can encompass the wonders
of the Divine power ? God so showed His power that in a
single night the spider covered the whole mouth of the cave
with its web and a pigeon made its nest at the mouth of the
cavern and laid its eggs there. So when the tracker persuaded
men to go into the cave, an old man among them cried : " This
man is a fool. This web was at the mouth of the cave even be-
fore Muhammad was born." Hearing this all dispersed and no
body cared to examine the interior of the cave.

390

After this, the Holy Prophet escaped to Medina, where most
men accepted him. This infuriated the Meccans still more, and
they were sorry to lose their victim. Thenceforth all their efforts
were concentrated on bringing about the annihilation of the Holy
Prophet. The small band of Meccans who had accepted the
Holy Prophet had also left their native city to seek protection in
other lands and some of them had sought shelter under the King
of Abyssinia. The few that remained in Mecca, being too poor
to migrate, were bitterly persecuted and their cries of pain are
even referred to in the Quran.

The cruelties that the Meccans perpetrated on the poor
Muslims exceeded all limits. They began to murder poor women
and tender orphans. Some women were killed so ruthlessly that
they were tied by their legs to two camels which were made to
run into opposite directions and thus the poor women were torn
in two pieces.

When the barbarities of the inhuman infidels reached this
limit, God, who at last takes pity on His people sent His word
to the Holy Prophet saying that the cries of the oppressed had
reached Him, that the faithful were now permitted to take up
arms against the oppressors that those who had smitten the
innocent with sword should perish by the sword, but that the
faithful were not permitted to transgress for God did not like
the transgressors.

This is the truth about the Islamic Jehad, but it has been
most cruelly misrepresented. God is indeed tolerant, but when
the mischief of a people exceeds all limits, God does not leave
the oppressors without punishment and Himself brings into
existence the means of their destruction. I do not know who
told our opponents that Islam was propagated by means of
sword. God says in the Quran, ^ *J ) ^ * ) / 2) i. e ^

391

"There is no compulsion in the religion of Islam." This being
the commandment of God in His Holy Book, who was it who
gave orders to exercise compulsion? And what means were
there to constrain men to accept the faith? Does compulsion
create in the compelled that devotion and steadfastness with
which the followers of the Holy Prophet fought against over-
whelming odds without receiving any salary? When they num-
bered two or three hundreds they fought against thousands, and
when they numbered thousands they defeated millions- To
protect Islam from the attacks of the enemy, they allowed their
heads to be cut off like sheep. They bore testimony to the truth
of Islam with their blood. They had so great a passion to spread
the Unity of God in the world that they went to the deserts of
Africa undergoing severe privations to preach the Unity of God
there. Then suffering all sorts of trouble they went to China,
not as warriors but as humble preachers, and their preaching
was blessed with such good results that millions of men profes-
sed the faith, Then they came to India, clad like dervishes in
sackcloth, delivered their message to the natives of Arya Varta
so that many of them embraced Islam. And on the west they
carried their message of the Unity of God to the farthest end of
Europe. Say truly, was that the work of men who were driven
into Islam at the point of the sword and who though professing
to be believers were still infidels at their heart ? Nay that was
the work of men whose hearts were full of the light of faith and
in whose hearts the love of God reigned supreme. What is the
teaching of Islam ? The chief object of Islam is to establish
the Unity and majesty of God on earth, to extirpate shirk and
to weld all nations into one people by bringing about a religious
union among them. All other religions and all other prophets
had their attention confined only to one people and one country.

392

If they taught any morals, their object only was that their own
people alone should possess those morals. Jesus, for instance,
plainly paid that his mission was confined to the house of Israel,
and when a woman who was not from the Israelites approached
him saying 'Have mercy on me, Lord/ he repulsed her
saying, 'I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel,' and when she again humbly approached him with the
same request, he again rejected her with the answer, 'It is not
meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.' But
our Holy Prophet never said that he was sent only to the Arabs.
On the other hand, and Quran says: <*U ) J ^j ^J J ^r ^ ) V. ' ^ J*
**$& fi ) i.e., Say, Prophet, to the people, 'lam

sent to the whole world'." But it should be remembered that
Jesus cannot be blamed for having thus coldly repelled the
woman for the time then .was not yet ripe for a universal guid-
ance and Jesus was accordingly commanded to confine his preach-
ing to the Israelites and to have nothing to do with others.
So, as I have said above, the moral precepts of Jesus were only
addressed to the Jews. The law of Moses laid emphasis on tooth
for tooth and eye for eye, and the object of this teaching was to
establish justice among the Jews and to check them from trans-
gression, because they, owing to their having lived in slavery for
400 years, had become hard-hearted and mean, and injustice
formed the chief trait of their character. Similarly in the time
of Jesus, God's wisdom demanded that the over-strictness with
which the Jews had come to punish every offender should be
remedied by enjoining upon them leniency and mercy and BO
Jesus laid great stress on forgiveness. Hence the moral teaching
contained in the Gospel was only addressed to the Jews and
Jesus had no concern with any other people.

393

The truth is that the moral teaching of Jesus is nofc only
not based on universal sympathy, for while it sympathises with
the offender, it does not sympathise with the offended, but it is
also conspicuous by another serious defect. As the law of Moses
goes to one extreme by laying too much emphasis on retaliation,
the teaching of Jesus goes to the other extreme by enjoining
forgiveness and pardon of the offender in all cases. These codes
do not aim at the development of all branches of the human tree.
The Pentateuch nourishes one branch while the Gospel confines
itself to the development of the other branch, both being cons-
picuous by the absence of moderation in their teachings. As ifc
is not expedient to punish the offender in every case, similarly
it is inconsistent with a proper culture of all the human faculties
to forgive on all occasions- It is for this reason that the Quran
rejects both the extreme teachings and follows the golden mean
by saying. *U ) ^ * &> ^ # ) j ^'* c ^ U&* <&** *&~ * ^ i* -,
the punishment of an evil should be proportionate to the evil
done, as the law of Moses teaches, and the teaching of forgiveness
as given in the Gospel should be followed only when it is produc-
tive of good results and when the offender is likely to profit by
forgiveness and to reform himself. Otherwise the law to be
followed is that which ie given in the Pentateuch.

(Vol. VII. K. K. 1908;

394
The object of the Promised Messiah's Advent.

In a manuscript note found in his papers after his death,
the Promised Messiah thus describes the object of his advent:

"In my statements one will not find even a single word
against the British Government. We are grateful to this Govern-
ment, for it has given us peace and security. As to my claim, I
deem it necessary to state this much that I have not arrogated to
myself this office, but have been chosen by God so that I may
remove errors and false impressions, clear up complicated prob-
lems, and reveal the light of Islam to ocher nations. It should
be borne in rnind that the disgusting picture of Islam
which is being presented by our opponents is not the true picture
of Islam. On the other hand, it is a brilliant diamond every
corner of which is bright with lustre. It is like a big castle
which is illuminated by a large number of lamps, so that each
window reveals a different lamp. It is not only on one side
that we see the heavenly light of Islam; its eternal lamps are
visible on all sides. The teaching of Islam are a lamp; its
spiritual power is a lamp; the signs of divine assistance
accompanying it are each a lamp, and the person that comes
from God to show its truth is also a lamp. A great part of my
life has been spent in the study of the scriptures of different
people and I say truly that I have not found the teaching of any
other religion on a par with those of Islam, whether those teach-
ing pertain to the articles of belief, morals, domestic economy,
political administration, or virtuous deeds. I do not say this
because I am a Muslim, but because truth compels me to bear
this testimony. And this testimony of mine does not come too
late, but it is given at a time when the different religions of the
world are matched against on other in deadly contest. I arn
informed that this contest is destined to end in the victory of

395

Islam. It is nob the things of this Earth that I speak of, because
I arn not of this Earth. I say only what God has put in my
mouth. The people of this Earth may be thinking that Chirsti-
anity or Buddhism will be future religion of the world, but they
are mistaken. It should be remembered that nothing happens
on this Earch until it is decreed on heaven. So ths God of
heaven informs me that at last the religion of Islam will conquer
the hearts. In this contest for religion, I am commanded by
God to sound a note of warning for all seekers after truth. I am
like a man who gives notice of a band of raiders that intend to
attack a village unawares* He who hearkens to his voice saves
his property from the ravages of the robbers, but he who turns
a deaf ear to his warning is plundered. There are two classes of
robbers in our time. There are some of them that attack us from
without, and there are others that attack us from within, but
only he is robbed who does not put this property in a secure
place. To-day the only place where one's property of faith will
be safe from the hands of the robbers is a knowledge of the excel-
lences, the spiritual power and the living miracles of Islam and a
recognition of the man that has been deputed to act as the shep-
herd of the flock of Islam. The old wolf is still living, it is not
dead, and it will certainly carry away the sheep which goes
astray from the flock.

''0 servants of God, you know that when rain does not fall
for a long time and a long draught sets in, the result is that
even the wells begin to dry in the end. So just as in the physi-
cal world rain from heaven stirs up the waters of the earth, simi-
larly in the spiritual world the heavenly water (viz., Divine reve-
lation,) refreshes the wits of man. And this age stood in urgent
need of this spiritual water.

396

"t have been sent by God jasfc in the time of need, when
tnany people of this age had become like the Jews of old. They
have not ouly abandoned righteousness, but have, like the Jews
of the days of Jesus, become the enemies of truth. Consequently
God has correspondingly called me Messiah. It is not only I
that called the people of this age towards rne, but the age also
called me." (Vol. XI. R. R. 1912.)

Why a Prophet of God needed at the present age ?

Who can then breathe life into this dead world of ours ?
Who can bring back to this earth the faith that has departed
from it? The mere preaching of a book will not do. None but
a Prophet can regenerate this earth. Prophets have breathed life
into dead humanity in the past and if the world is to be regener-
ated now, it must be regenerated by a Prophet. Tnat Prophet
has already appeared. It was Ahmad of Qadian. He showed
thousands of signs, which brought conviction to those who
witnessed and pondered over them. But this is not all* Many
of his powerful prophecies still await fulfilment. They are
prophecies whose fulfilment will be witnessed not by the people
of a single country, but by the inhabitants of all lands. When
the world will study these prophecies and their wonderful fulfil-
ment, and when it will ponder over the numerous heavenly signs
which God showed in his favour, it will see God and the result
will be that a transformation will be wrought in the beliefs and
religious ideas of men and the outcome of all this will be the
setting in of a millennium of peace and righteousness on the
earth. That millennium has already set in but only a keen eye
can discern the moon of the first night.

397

He came with another weapon. The greatest evil to-day is
the pernicious doctrine that the son of Mary is the Son of God
or God Himself. A large portion of the human race holds this
doctrine and strenuous efforts are being made to convert the whole
'pagan* world to this belief. In short this setting up of the son
of a woman as God is the most malignant cancer that is eating
into the frame of the human race and it was to root out this
cancer that the promised Messiah came into this world. He
gave powerful arguments to show not only that Jesus did not
die on the cross, but was alive when he was taken down from the
accursed tree, but that he died natural death and lies buried in
the Khan Yar Street, Srinagar. This is a truth which the world
will soon recognise and then will be sounded the death-knell of
Christianity. These things may appear to be wonderful, but now
God has willed that an end should be put to the worship of
Jesus as God and nothing can thwart the will of God. It is
impossible to reform Christendom as long as it holds to the
belief that Jesus was God or the Son of God. The purpose of
Ahrnad's advent was to bring Jesus down to the level of ordinary
mortal's and accomplished the object of his advent by pointing
out the grave in which the supposed God of the Christians has
lain buried for the last 1900 years. God has ordained that the
tomb of Jesus should also prove the grave of Christianity. The
supposed death and the so-called resurrection of Jesus constitute
the beam on which Christianity rests and it must fall as soon as
the beam is removed. It can not survive the beam for a single
day. Let not the reader think that Christianity will take a long
time to fall. It does not take its stand on any solid ground. The
whole fabric of Cnristianity, stupendous as it is, rests on a very
frail support, vix t the supposed events of the death and resur-
rection of Jesus. As soon as it is shown that Jesus was not

398

dead when be-i was taken down horn tbe- ! cir@ss' f and-tfaaV he left
his bomb because he was" alive whem he wa/sl'aid-ih i-t, 'Christianity
will cease to exist. Those who will give ven a slight conside-
ration to the evidence >given in these pages from -time -to time
will have no'hesitation in admitting that the so-called death and
resurrection of Jesus and* bis subsequent ascent into the heavens
are only myths devoid of all truth and that the fact is that Jesus
did not die on the cross. "

When the world will see the hollowness of the foundation on
which Chirstianity stands, it will at once renounce it and belie-
ving in the true, living God, the God of Islam, it will begin to
follow the-pure teachings of Islam, <- Then will be ushered. an era
of righteousness and peace. The world that has so long adored
the false deity of the Christians will eagerly welcome the truth
and will zealously follow it.

In short, the present condition of Christendom called for a
Prophet. The world was so sunk in error and vice that none
but a Prophet could regenerate it. It has ever been a law of
God to raise a Prophet when vice and error have corrupted the
world and it was in accordance with that law that He raised
Ahmad in the present age. The very fact that the present age
sorely needed a Prophet is an evidence of his truth. God spoke
to him as He spoke to the Prophets of old and aided him in every
undertaking as He aided His former Messengers. He preached
that law had been completed in Islam and that all truths were
embodied in the Holy. Quran and that, therefore, every one who
wished to follow the true and perfect faith should follow the
religion of the Holy Prophet of Islam (may peace and the bless-
ings of God be upon him). He taught that all the spiritual
.blessings could be obtained by following the Holy Quran, which
was now the only Book for the guidance of mankind and offered

399

'himself 'as a ( n example of how one'co'tild a^tai'n'tfre hih6st 'spiri-
tual 'blessings by following the teachings of the Holy Prophet '6f
Isfarn (may' peace and the blessings of God be upon him), He was
a Prophet because he being inspired by God r published hundreds

> " , Vi - ' "~ ! ?~ " '".' ' ^

of prophecies which came out true and his .revelations contain

t A ' , , ; .* ~"y ' .1

many more prophecies which pertain to both near and distant
future so that even those who have 1 not seen him may see bis
truth by witnessing the fulfilment of his mighty prophecies pub-
lished beforehand. He, by his advent, established the t'ruth no ; b
only of the Holy Prophet of Islam (may peace and' the blessings
of God be upon him) but also of all the Prophets of God, so God
raised a Prophet in this age, so that by seeing the truth of his
revelations, the world may also believe in the truth of the former
Prophets. Nay,, God raised him to reveal His own hidden face
to the world. If God spoke in the past, many had begun to ask
themselves, why is it that His voice is not heard to-day ? So God
spoke to him, revealed to him many secrets of the future and
gave him many powerful prophecies, so that the world, by seeing
the fulfilment of these prophecies, may know that God does
exist and that He still speaks as He spoke in days gone by, to
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Zoroaster, Buddha, Krishna Confucius,
and lastly to Muhammad, the greatest Prophet that the world
ever saw (may peace and the blessings of God be upon them
all). God chose a follower of Islam to be the recipient of His
new revelations so that the world may know that .to-day the
only religion by which one can attain salvation is Islam. This
Prophet exposed the errors into which the followers of all
religions, the Muslims not excepted, had fallen and thus invited
the world to accept the true faith of Islam. He has dealt blows to
Christianity which it can not survive and the propaganda started
by this Prophet is, with the grace of God, destined to make Islam

400

victorious over all other religions of the world. Let no body despise
it on account of its smallness, for are not all beginnings small?

(YOLXR. R. 1911).

The Promised Messiah as Moon of the Prophets
as well as Sun of the Prophets

ID one of his revelations, Ahmad was very aptly described
as > ty* 2) ) jj^i 5 > (M $ ) j*'i The Moon of the Prophets as well as
the Sun of the Prophets." He was the Moon of the Prophets,
because as the Moon receives her light, from the Sun similarly
Ahmad received his light from the Holy Prophet of Arabia, may
peace and the blessings of God be upon him. And he was the
Sun of the Prophets, because as the Sun makes other bodies shine,
similarly his personality made manifest to the world the truth of
other Prophets. The truth of the former Prophets had become
obscure in the eyes of the world and serious doubts begun to be
expressed as to the genuineness of their claims. Their miracles were
openly denied and the wonderful works wrought by them were re-
garded as no better than myths. God saw this and He sent Ahmad
as a Prophet in this age and demonstrated his truth by powerful
signs and wonderful prophecies, so that the world, by witnessing
with their own eyes the truth of the Prophet of their age, might
also see the truth of the former Prophets, Ahmad could not be
a Sun to other Prophets, unless his own truth had become as
clear as the midday Sun. So God showed many a mighty signs
of his truth and established his claims by means of hundreds of
powerful prophecies and when his truth shone like the meridian sun,
he became the Sun of the Prophets, inasmuch as his personality
made manifest the truth of the former Prophets. Thus he was
both the Moon and the Sun of the Prophets.

(YOL XIII R. R. 1914).

401

One of the earliest prophecies of the
Promised Messiah and its wonderful

fulfilment

The Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya, the first work of Ahmad, which
was published as far back as the year 1880, is a repository of his
revelations which teem with wonderful prophecies, The book
was written by Ahmad at a time when he led a solitary life in
his village and was unknown to the world at large. It was
printed in a Press at Amritsar, the proprietor of which was a
Christian gentleman Rev. Bajab AH by name. Ahmad had not
a single disciple at that time and used to go in person to Amrit-
sar to correct the proofs of his book. One of the revelations
contained in the book runs thus
j l!ij ) -&S1./* ji (3-ib j U/* j> ^ b o^sx/* ^j$ b ^ jj^ ^ ( & j> j ^s ^ &( + } ^

"Walk on the earth with a joyous and lively gait, for the
time has now drawn nigh and the foot of the Muhammadees is
established on a lofty and steadfast tower."

Commenting on this revelation, Ahmad says, in the fifth
part of the Barahin-i-Alima&iyya, written in 1905 and published
in 1908

u By the word Muhammadees in the above revelation are
meant the Musalmans belonging to the Ahrnadiyya Movement,
for according to another revelation published in the Barahin-i-
Ahmadiyya, the other sects which are called Mussalmans must
decline day by day, Such must also be the case with the sects
that are outside Islam. This is clearly told in the Word of God
contained in the' Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya< It runs thus

'0 Jesus, 1 will cause thee to die a natural death, and will
raise thee toward Myself and will free thee from the charges of
those that believe not, and will place those who follow thee above
those who believe not, until the day of Resurrection. 5 ' In this
revelation, the name Jesus is applied to me, and by the words
'Those who follow thee aie meant my followers. In the Holy
Quran, this prophecy pertains to Jesus, son of Mary, and the
words 'those who believe not' refer to the Jews, who, in fulfilment
of the prophecy, went on decreasing day by day. By revealing
the same verse with reference to me and my followers, God
means to indicate that it has been decreed that all those that
are outside of this sect shall go on decreasing day by day and
all other sects of Islam shall also diminish, i. e , they shall either
join this sect or go on lessening. In short, the opponents of this
sect shall meet with the same fate which the Jews met in time
past, and this sect shall excel all both in numbers and the power
of its faith. The fulfilment of this prophecy has already begun
in an extraordinary way, for at the time of the publication of this
prophecy in the Baraliin-i-Alimadiyya } I led a life of complete
obscurity and could not claim even a single follower, while, by
the grace of God, my followers are now numbered by hundreds
of thousands. The sect is progressing by leaps and bounds and
the causes of this are the heavenly visitations which have made
this land a prey to death. The revelation following it is : 'The
Holy Prophet Muhammad is the chief of the prophets ' The next
revelation says: 'God will set right all thy affairs and will grant
to thee all thy desires.' These are very important prophecies, for
they were made at a time when no affair of mine was right and no

403

desire of mine had been attained.- Now during the 25 years that
have elapsed since, so many desires of mine have been attained
that it is difficult to count them. God has made this wilduerness,
Qadian, the assembling place of nations, so that men of different
countries gather together here. And He did such works as no
human being could foresee. Hundreds of thousands of men
have accepted me so that my followers are now to be found in
every nook and corner of this country. This is not all. The,
seed has also been sown in Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Persia,
Europe, America &G , and many men from these parts of the
world have joined the Ahmadiyya sect. It is hoped that the
time is drawing near nay, the time is fast approaching when
the people of the forenamed countries and continents shall have
full share of this heavenly light- The backs of our ignorant
enemies who called themselves Maulavies have been broken and
they have failed to defeat the heaven's purpose by their intrigues,
plots and strategems. Now they have despaired of bringing to
naught this Movement and everything which they sought to
destroy has been set right. Bo God be praised for this."

(Vol. XI R. R. 1912)

464

A new year's call to Christendom.

In the name of God, the Munificent;, the Generous. We
praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His prophet.

A Call to Truth.

"Tell them that if God had begotten a son then I should
have been the first to worship him."

This appeal is addressed to the ministers of the Christian
Churches in all humility and respect. Truly, if Jesus Christ
(peace be on him) were really the Son of God or God Himself,
then I should have been the first to worship him and to proclaim
his godhood in all the land. And though I might have suffered
harm and met with death, or been killed or torn to pieces for his
sake, still I would not have desisted from calling the people to
him and proclaiming his godhood. But, my dear ones may
God have mercy on you and open your eyes know you for cer-
tain that Jesus (peace be on him) was not God. He was only a
prophet and nothing more than a prophet. And I swear by God's
Omnipotence that I bear such a true love for him as is never
possible for you to experience, and the glory in which I see him,
it can never be yours to discern. There is not a shade of doubt
that he was one of the beloved and approved prophets of God,
one of those upon whom a special blessing decends from God,
one who is purified by God's own hand. But never was he a God
or the Son of God. I say not this from myself, but from God,
the Master of the Earth and the Heaven, who has manifested
Himself to me and made me the Promised Messiah of the latter
days- He has spoken to me saying that the truth is that Jesus
Son of Mary was neither God nor the Son of God. He has
spoken to rue saying that the prophet who caihe with the Quran
and invited men to Islam was a true prophet and that it is he at

405

whose feet lies salvation, and that without obedience to him never,
never can any soul attain to any spiritual illumination. And
when my God made manifest to me the rank, the dignity and the
greatness of that prophet a thrill came over me and a shaking
fell on my body, for while men had exceeded the proper bounds
in their praise of Jesus, so much so, that they had made him a
God, they had failed to recognise the dignity of the other Holy
Prophet in the measure it ought to have been recognised, and
have failed to this day to realise the proper height of his great-
ness. He was the one prophet who planted the seed of mono-
theism in so effective a way that to this day it has not again
been lost. He was the one prophet who came at a time when
the whole world had gon.e astray and left it when like a sea he
had flooded the earth with the truth of the Unity of God. He is
the one prophet on whose behalf, God in all ages has been manifest-
ing His jealousy and showing thousands of miracles and signs to
corroborate his truth. Similarly, in this age God's jealousy has
been awakened and awakened more than in any previous age,
because now the said Holy Prophet has been much traduced. He
has accordingly sent me as the Promised Messiah, so that I may
bear witness to the world regarding the truth of that prophet. If
my claim were unsupported by evidence, I were surely an impos-
tor. But God, by His signs, has born witness to my truth, such,
that from the East to the West and from the North to the South,
the like of them can not be found. The dictates of justice and
godfearingness, therefore, require that men should accept me and
all my teachings. God has shown such signs in proof of my truth
that if the same had been shown to those people who in former
days met with death by fire and flood and storm, they might
have escaped their doom. But to what should I liken the people
of this age ? They are like that wretch who has eyes but would

406

not see^ who has ears but would not hear, who possesses intelli-
gence but would not understand. I weep for them and they
smile at me. I offer them the water of life, while they cast fire
at rne. God has manifested Himself to me not by His words
.alone, but also by His works. He has shone upon me and has
manifested and will manifest, for my sake, such works as are
never manifested for any, save that he is a recipient of special
favour. Men abandoned me but God accepted me. Who is there
who can rival me in producing such signs ? I have been made
manifest so that God may be made manifest through me. He
was like a hidden treasure, but now by sending me He has resol-
ved to seal the mouths of the atheists and disbelievers who denied
His existence. But to you, dear ones, who seek the true God, I
bear the glad tidings that the true God is He, Who revealed the
Quran, Who has shone upon me and is ever with me.

Ye, Ministers of the Christian Churches !

I adjure you in the name of that God, Who sent down Jesus
the Christ, and remind you of and .adjure you by that love which
you claim to bear to him, whom you call Jesus Christ, the son
of Mary, that you for once do carefully go through my book
"The Haqiqat-ul-Wahi," letter by letter from beginning to end.
And should any learned man, in good faith, ask for the book and
vouch that he would carefully study the same from beginning to
end then I am prepared to send the book to him free of cost.
And if the book fails to bring him conviction then I entertain
every hope that God would show him some other sign, because
He has promised that He would fulfill His signs upon this age.
And with this I conclude and pray that God may be with those

who seek truth Amen. Their humble servant,

MIBZA GHULAM AHMAD,
20th March, 1897. Qadian, Dist. Gurdaspur,

Note: IPor further information, write to Khalifatul Masih, Qadian, Punjab, India.

40?

Ahmad's Teachings to his Followers.

(Translated from Urdu by Molvie Rahim
Bakhsh, Saheb M. A.)

He who wishes to become a follower of mine must embrace
the religion of Islam and follow the Book of Allah, the Holy
Quran, and the ritual of our leader, the best of men, He must
believe in Allah the Benevolent and the Merciful and His Holy
Prophet. He must believe in the day of Judgment, the day of
Resurrection, Heaven and Hell. He must promise and profess
that he would never wish for any other religion except Islam
and that he would live out in his life this religion which is the
religion of nature and that he would stick to the Book of Allah
the Omniscient, and that he would mould his life so as to act
upon the Sunnat and the Quran and whatever was practised by
a majority of the dignified Sahaba. He who leaves all these
three gives himself up to the flames of hell ; his end shall be
ruin and destruction.

Know ye brothers! that true faith is never realised but with
good actions and the fear of Q-od. So he who leaves such actions
intentionally and out of vanity is held faithless in the sight of
the Almighty. Fear God, brothers ! and hasten towards good
actions and shun the evil deeds before you die.

Let not the beauty and freshness of this world delude you
and let not tbe brilliancy and splendour of this house make you
vain and proud, for it is a mirage and its end is destruction. Its
sweetness is bitterness. Its profit is loss. And those who seek its
grandeur are like the target of a lance; and those who wish for
its greatness are like one pricked by a thorn. And he who falls
upon its wealth, gets himself away from the first principles of

408

goodness. And be who reaches its top, strays from the right
path. Surely its light is darkness and its help is tyranny. So
incline ye not towards it body and soul; for it drowns its swimmer
and is worse than a flood- And aim ye not at it with the inten-
tion of a zealous person, void of religion. Make it but a servant
in the cause of religion and not a friend. And covet not much
that ye be the wealthiest of men, the richest and the most pros-
perous. And forget not ye the portion of your religion or ye shall
get not a jot of a ray. Of a certainty has the world devoured
your fathers and the fathers of your fathers. How can then ye
expect that it would leave you and your wives and your children?

And out of the grudge of the self make ye not an enemy of
any one as do the foolish.

Prefer religion to the world, and be ye nob like those who
fear men and not Allah and follow their own passion and forget
His will. They. seek honour in the eyes of worldly men and that
is no honour but disgrace,

Ye are the. witness of Allah so hide not .the witness. Tell
His creatures that the fire is blazing and they should beware of
it; countries are being destroyed with pests and they should not
approach them. Surely the world is a valley full of trees and its
tigers are wild and furious; wander ye not therefore in its ways.
And prevent ye your passions from their boldness and impudance.
Purge your souls and whiten them like silver and leave them not
unless they be washed of all dirt and filth. And verily he who
has purified his soul has succeeded, and he who has defiled it
has failed. And depend not ye upon the Baiat (simple initiation
ceremony) without being pure and pious ; ye are like a girl who
is married too early and possesses nothing except her natural
equipment. And seek not ye the fountain of heavenly knowledge
from those who are not given the eye of sagacity. And- stick ye

409

to me as do fcbe blossoms to a tree that ye may develop from a

blossom to a fruit.

Purge ye your souls from all sorts of ill-will and bitter
hatred. And break ye not your words after ye have made a
covenant, And be ye not slaves to your passions after ye have
made them your slaves. And be ye of those devotees of Allah
who do not perjure when they swear, who do not remain hypo-
crites when they agree with any one and who do not abuse after
having loved any one. Follow ye not the dictates of Satan the
accursed. Disobey ye not your Creator and your Sustainer, the
Benevolent though ye die of :pain and torment. To Allah be ye
more obedient than shadows and purer than pure water. And
admonish ye with actions and not with words. Hold your tongues.
Purge your hearts. Turn ye to your Imam when ye quarrel with
each other, and when he decides your case be satisfied with it
and leave off all enmity. And if ye be not satisfied, ye believe
then with tongues and not with hearts- Fear ye, therefore, lest
your labours should come to naught on account of your persis-
tance in sin. Wake ye up that ye might not go astray from the
right path after being led to it. Live ye for your Creator and

Sustainer.

(Vol. XVI R. E. 19J 7.)

The Grand Mystery underlying: the
unusual birth of Jesus Christ

(By Sahebzada Mirza Bashir Ahmad Saheb M. A.)

Of the many favours and blessings of God upon mankind,
prophethood is undoubtedly the best and the highest. It is a
favour not only to the one who directly receives it from on high,
but also to those people among whom some one is raised to this

410

! V !

1 ' :. I, ! ' - i \ .

exajted nank. ds it not simply grand to have one among us who
enjoys 'close i communion with the Maker of. the earth and the
heavens and receives ,His powerful and soothing word ? No
earthly greatness can .compare with this blessing of God. The
world of to-day can little realise the beauty, the charm, the fasci-
nation, of having, a .prophet of God moving among the people-
Imagine, if you can, dear readers, ,the pleasure of becoming the
chosen people of God who is the King of kings and with whom>
nothing is impossible. But no. The world of to-day is dead ^dead
without any apparent signs of life. Ask us what is the charm of
having a prophet, of God among us; for with us these feelings are
not, dead We have seen a prophet of God with our own eyes,
we have heard his words, we have lived with him, and have felt
the pleasure of loving and being loved in return. Even now as
I pen these words, his figure glides before my eyes and sends a
thrill of pleasure through my frame. I see a srnile playing on
his ; beautiful lips. By Heaven, I do see all this with my eyes.
Great indeed was the bliss when Ahmad, the Prophet of God,

moved among us. He .talked to us of the great love of God and
! spoke to us kind words of encouragement and sympathy. We
felt as if we lived in a new world. Under his holy influence we
began to actually feel the presence of God among us. Ahmad
watched over us like a father and we resigned ourselves to him
like dutiful sons. But those happy days are gone. He lies buried
under a heap of earth and we are left to fight our way alone
through the hostile elements of the world- But to return to the
subject. As I have already said, prophethood is the greatest
favour of God in this world. Whenever God wants to make some
people His chosen favourites, He opens the door of prophethood
to them just as He did to the children of Israel- He first raised
among the Israelites Moses who gave them a law. After Moses

4-11

t * .

He raised among them prophet' after prophet to keep, .them in the

ways of religion and truth But the Israelites repeatedly angered
their Lord Who> however, out of His mercy, pardoned them and
d'id not withdraw His blessing from them.* Again and again did
they rebel, and again and again did He pardon them, but with a
warning that if they persisted in their evil course they would lose
His favour. But the hard-hearted Jews did not mend their con-
duct ; they stunk to their evil practices. God raised among them
His prophets to show them His favours, but they turned against
these very p'rophets and began to put them to serious troubles.
This was going too far. So far ; God had generally connived at
their wicked deeds, and if He ever punished : them, the punish-
ment did not appear in the form of the withdrawal of the blessing
of prophethood. But now He meant to do this. First He raised
among them John who was the son of Zechariah. This John was
born to Zechariah when the latter was too old and infirm to be-
get a child. His wife too was apparently quite barren. Thus all
the worldly means for the birth of a child were missing. But
Zechariah prayed to his God to bless him with a male child; and
God granted his supplications. So John was born, but as already
stated, he was born under such circumstances that he can hardly
be attributed to the house of Israel, for though born of Israelite
parents his birth -was in the form of a miracle which had taken
place under the special bounty of the Almighty God. This was
the first step in the transference of prophethood from the house
of Israel, for John, though to all appearance an Israelite, was not
a true Israelite, as already explained. T-tie first step was taken
and the Jews were given a forewarning of the impending change.
But they stuck to -their old ways. The warning was thrown to
the winds. Then followed the second and the last step in the
act of transference. Christ was born of a woman who had never

412

'known a man. Mary was indeed an Israelite, but the line of
family is 'determined by the father and not by the mother,
fence the laws of society cannot call Jesus Christ an Israelite
though at the same time it cannot be denied that he was strongly
related to the house of Israel: for was not his mother an Israelite?
Thus though Christ was not really an Israelite; yet in the absence
of a father he may with some truth belong to the Israelite stock,
But with all this, feeble as the relation of John was with the
Israelites, that of Jesus, Christ was feebler still* .

Now by making Christ His Prophet, God meant to show the
rebellious Jews, that the hour of the complete transference of
prophethood from them was fast approaching. The second step
was already taken and an open warning was given. But woe
to the stiff-necked Jews, who heeded not this change, bub turned
a deaf ear to the warnings of the Lord. Had they repented
and turned penitent, they would have been allowed to bask
in the, sunshine of Divine favour a little longer. .But their
doom was sealed. Him who was a living warning of God, but
who would have proved their deliverer had they listened to him,
they rejected. Nay, they did more. They fastened him on a
cross and resolved upon putting him to an accursed death. This
heinous act on their part filled the cup of their iniquity to over-
flowing and their knell was sounded ; the next prophet was a son
of Ishmael..

The Quran has very beautifully described this gradual
process of the transference of prophethood. from the Israelites in
Sura Mariarn where the births of John and Jesus Christ) are
mentioned in their natural order with, all the necessary details,
a careful study of which reveals the sublime mystery underlying
the unusual birth ; of Jesus the Christ. .......

; . ... ,,.'.,. (VoK .XVI B, R. 1917)

Jewish Massacres.

One hundred and forty thousand Jews killed in the Ukraine
in the last February/ June pograrns. Why? Merely because
they were not Christians. Who were the murderers ? The meek
lambs of Jesus ! I wonder why the Universal Sympathisers of
Europe and America are not stirred :up over this atrocity as they
are on exaggerated stories of the so-called Armenian Massacres.
They say Islam was spread with sword. Now pray what has
Christianity been spread with among the Jews living right in the
centre of Christian , civilization* Look and consider 140,000
: Jews men, women and children<r-massacred by the Christians.
And this is not the only occurrence,, but a chain of such messac-
res goes back tbrough centuries and centuries ever since the Jews
/began to pour into, European countries. Poor Jew he is suffering
. all this for crucifying one, Christ and denying the other (Muha-
mmad, the Master-Messiah) and here has appeared another
Messiah from Allah--"Ahmad" of India Will they believe him
to get blessed ; once more ?. I hope they will. In the story of
the Jews is a great Lesson for the Moslems of the age. Do not
reject your Messiah, , my brethren, but welcome him and save
your future generations from everlasting havoc. 500 more slain,
and Ukraine, a scene of renewed Death and Destruction, was
reported on August 1, 1921.

(THE MUSLIM SUN RISE.)

k . ' *. J. r

A Message for the Sikhs,

(By Moulvie Sher All Saheb B, A,)

As the Promised Messiah was to be raised in the latter days
as a Messenger of God to the followers of all religions, God gave
the glad tidings of his advent to the holy Founders of all the

414:

revealed religions and we find prophecies about his advent in the
sacred writings of all the principal religions of the world. Thus
we have prophecies about him in the sacred writings of the
Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindoos and Buddhists.

We also find that besides the holy founders of the great
religions of the world, other saints also predicted his advent, and
among the latter may be mentioned the well-known names of
Shah Niamatullah Wali of Delhi arid Hazrat Baba Nanak of the
Punjab. I will discuss here the prophecy of the latter for the
benefit of the Sikh Community of the Punjab who pirofess to be
his followers. But before- 1 come to Baba Nanak's prophecy, I
may point out here that he was not the founder of a new religion
but was only a follower of Islam, as Ahmad, the Promised
Messiah, proved conclusively from his life, practice and teachings.
Baba Nariak declared Islam to be the only true religion, and the
Holy Quran to be the only book which deserved to be follow-
ed and he not only exhorted his disciples to follow the Holy
Prophet of Arabia, (May peace and blessings of God be upon
him,) but himself accepted him as a true prophet of God and acted
upon his teachings. A few sayings of Baba Nanak from the sacred
writings of the Sikhs will leave no doubt as to his being a Muslim.
He is reported to have said.

.^_JU J 1) t>*:sv/* J *3 I

) J.' *> ) o <_ )

"Recite the Kalima of God, adding to it the name of Muha-

mmad, who was the beloved of God and sacrificed his very self

for God." (Bhai Bala's Janam Sakhi, p. 141.) Herein he

. exhorts others: to believe in the well-known Muslim formula of

faith : "T.here.is'no God but Allah and Muhammad is His-Mes-

415

senger." In Janam Sakhi Kalan, the. oldest of the Jannm
Sakhis, we find the following words of Hazrat Nanak :

"The Torahy the Psalms, the Infil, ' and the Vedas have
been read and seen. There remains the only 'Book, 7 the Quran,
which can serve as a perfect guidance for men in this age of
iniquity." - : ;

Again, he says,

'** Say the five daily prayersy and read, the Book, the Quran.

The tomb is calling thee, says Nanak, and thou wilt have to give

up eating and drinking" (The G-aranth Ad Sri Rag Muhallah I ? )

As to Baba Nanak's practice of the Islamic teachings, the

'following few quotations from Sikh Scriptures will suffice :-

Janam Sakhi Kalan, the oldest Janam Sakhi, says on p. ; 203,

! line 25. ; :

"Nanak put his fingers into his ears ; and recited ; the Azan
(the Muslim call to prayer)." Speaking of Nanak's pilgrimage to
Mecca, Gurdasji says in, his well-known book the War an on
p. 13, line 2,:

J IAJ j^j'lw Uf* > b b

"Then Baba went to Mecca, having put, on blue clothes, as
is the custom with Muslim dervishes?. He had a staff .in .bis hand
and the Quran under his arms and he also took with him a jug

416

for performing Wuzu (ablutions for prayers) and ! a prayer-carpet.
He went and satin the Mosque where the pilgrims perform their
pilgrimage-" We further learn -from ; Bhai .Bala ; s Janain Sakhi
that Baba Nanak went on pilgrimage , to -/Mecca on receiving a
command from God, for on page 130 of that book we, are told that
he received the following revelation from Goc|:- , .

AS* fr jjo Q>/ JJ^ OjAflAx^JJ U-^.j .

" Nanak, perform the pilgrimage to the sacred Mecca and
Medinah."

Baba Nanak not only ^twice .undertook ,the arduous journey
to Mecca under very trying conditions, 'but 'also performed other
religions exercises peculiar to the Muslims, such as Cliilla which
he performed at certain Muslim shrines in the .Punjab A living
proof of his being a Muslim is to t>e found m- his Ghola which is
still preserved by the Sikhs at Dera If aba Nanak as a sacred relic
of their holy Master. This Chqla, was worn by Baba Nanak in
'his life-time, and on that Ghola he had written some of the ver-
ses of the Holy Quran and the Muslim declaration of faith _which
runs as follows: .. .. . .

"I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and } I bear
witness that Muhammad is a servant of God and His Messenger."
Among the Quranic verses on the Ghola, wefind the following:

r ;,u~ J j *IJ uk ^ jj] ^ i

"Verilly the true religion with God is Islam."
In ehort, there is no doubt as .to Baba Nanak being a true
Muslim. He was not only a Muslim but. one of the Muslim
saints, and like many other Muslim saints he, under divine ins-
pirationj foretold the ^advent of the Promised Messiah. "

In Bhai Bala's Janam Satilii we meet with the following
.prophecy:

417

j ' MaMana' asked-, 4 '' WiH there ev^er -appear one like unto: Guru
Bhagat Kabeer.?;"

' Then Guru Nanak replied, "0 Mardana ! there will appear
a land-own'er; He will come after one hundred years have passed.
Itis trust will be in the One God."

Then Mardana asked, "At what place and in what country
will he appear? "

Guruji replied "0 Mardana ! he will appear in the Parganah
of Batala. Hear, Mardana ! the holy ones of God are of one
type but he (the Promised one), will be greater than even Kabeer."
Saying these things to Mardana, Gurujee proceeded towards
Mount Sinai.

' Such is the prophecy which we find recorded in the Sikh
sa'cred literature, and we earnestly invite to it the serious atten-
tion of the Sikh Community. The , Guru not .only foretold, the
appearance of a holy man in general words, but also gave definite
particulars about the place from which he was to rise and the
class he was to belong to. He also told that his advent was not
near at hand and that it was to be expected in the period which
was to follow the first hundred years after him. Though Baba
Nanak did not give the exact date of the appearance of the Pro-
mised one, yet he indicated this much at least that he was nob
to appear in the first century after him but in the period that
was to come after that 1 century. He also pointed out that the
Promised one/was to be much greater than the man than whom,

i according to Mardana, ,no man coming in after years could be
greater. The ; Baba further, stated .that God was to be the only
support of; the Promised one; in, other words, he was not to come

with any worldly glory or with, any political power, and the only
means of his advancement was to be divine help.

'foejoice, Sikhs ! for the prophecy of your 'Guru has-been
clearly fulfilled. In the very Pargana of Batala there appeared
a holy man a prophet of God J who came > from the^very class
which your Guru had named, the class of - landowners. He did
not come with any worldly glory or political power. His sole
trust was in God and it. was God>who helped him and made his
work a grand success. My Sikh brethren, come, hastening to
Qadian, in the Batala Tahsil, for. it was here that the Promised
one, made his appearance, ; Come and visit the scene of the ful-
filment of your holy Guru's wonderful prophecy. It was truly a
wonderful prophecy and certainly it came from Divine Source.
You are a simpl-e, plain people, and God gave you a simple, plain,
prophecy for your guidance. So hasten to profit by it, if you
truly esteem the ! utterances of your holy Guru. Here is a good
chance for you not 'only to accept a true Messenger of God, bub
also'to proclaim to t'he world the righteousness of your revered
Master.. The fulfilment of this prophecy furnishes you with an
excellent instrument to demonstrate to the world the fact that
your Guru was really a holy man who enjoyed communion with
God, for who else but God could communicate such a deep secret
to him in such clear words? Rejoice then, Khalsa, and accept
the Promised Messenger of' God who appeared ; in the Batala
Tahsil in 'accordance with the prophecy of your Guru.

In the Granfh we come across another prophecy of Guru
Nanak. It speaks of the death of Lekh Bam who was murdered
at Lahore in March, 1897, in fulfilment of a remarkable prophecy
of the Promised Messiah. That was a great sign of the Promised
Messiah and when it was witnessed, his followers sent him hearty
congratulations from all sides, many of them coming to Qadian
to offer him their heartfelt congratulations in person, The pro-
phecy in the Granth further states that the Promised one will be

7l#;(J.estifi) and that^he, will ,})e raised. for the wbole^world. ,The

, followiag are,the original words of Baba Nanak 'as recorded in

the fyqnth, the most Sacred Book of the Sikhs : ' :

*"^

"He cut off the head of the enemy and was the Isa (Jesus)
oj t,h,e v whole mankind- Then angels rained down flowers from
heaven and all men offered their congratulations and all men

' ' ' - ' . ' : ' . : ''' I '' .:'. : ; , ' ' . ' (

declared, ''Blessed be he who is the distroyer of the wicked and
the friend of the poor." '

It is curious that many of the prbphecies about the Promised
Messenger describe him as the destroyer of the wicked and 'the
patron of the lowly. For instance, the Promised Krishna has'
been described as J ^. ; & ; i.e.\ the destroyer of the swiiie and the
nourisber of the cows. Strange to say that besides the heavy
death roll of humanity, due to various visitations, most of those 1
who stood up against him have already fallen victims to the wrath
of God while those who accepted him and offered their submission

to him in all humility have received spiritual nourishment under

'.'"" '':.' -'' '.; . '....;.-',

his ,tende,r care. . .

, r lt is hardly necessary for me now to draw the attention of
my Sikh friends to their duty. They profess to love their Guru
and claim to be his followers. Their Guru being inspired by God,
prophesied. the advent of a holy man in the Pargana of Batala.
,He was to belong to the. class "of "land-owners and his sole trust
was to be in God. He was to be the Isa for the whole world and
one of his .signs was to be the murder of an enemy upon which
,he was to receive congratulations from all quarters." That holy
, man, .that Isa, was no other than Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
of Qadiap, T : ahsi] Batala, and it is the duty of every true : follower

420

of Guru' Nanak to accept the Promised one and enter into his fold*
If he fails to do this, he is f.alse in his claim to be a ftfllbwer of
Guru Nanak .arid will be palled to account for rejecting' the

* ^ ' ' ^ ** *s j -' * . ',-.>" r * ,. f.

Heavenly messenger who not only himself established his truth
by mighty signs but abouc whom prophecies were to be found in
the previous Scriptures prophecies which have aH been clearly
fulfilled. ,

The fulfilment of Guru Nanak's prophecy is a sign nt only
for the Sikhs but also for all lovers of truth. It is plain that only
could reveal such a deep secret in such clear words to Baba Nanak
and the fact that the prophecy uttered by the Baba has been
clearly fulfilled by the advent of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed is
a clear proof of the latter's truth and consequently every seeker
after truth is bound to accept him. .

Our Sikh friends and all lovers of truth must bear in mind
the purpose for which prophecies are made with regard to the ad-
vent of Divine messengers in times to come. The purpose of
these prophecies is that they may serve as guides and enable
men to accept the messenger of God when he makes his appear-
ance. Are our Sikh friends of opinion that it was to no purpose
that their holy Guru prophesied about the appearanc'e of a holy
man from among the Zarnindars of the Pargana 'of Batala ? If
it was not a purposeless prophecy, is it not their duty to accept
the Promised Messiah in whom their Guru's prophecies were so
remarkably fulfilled ? My Sikh friends! Ye are a valiant people
and all valiant people should be lovers of truth. They should
fear no body in accepting the truth. Should I not then hope
that when this truth has been revealed to you and when you
come to know that Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian
came in fulfilment of a remarkable prophecy of your Gurii, you
will boldly step forward to accept the Promised Messiah ' as-your

421

holy Guru? , I; wait -to -see' haw many of you: .will respond to the
invitation to accep_t the truth. , (Vol. XVII J B. B. 1919.)

What will be the outcome of this?

(By Molvie.Sher Ali Saheb B, A.)

That the present age has witnessed and is .still witnessing
extraordinary occurrences is too apparent a fact to escape the
: notice pfran.y observer. Great .things. are happening on all sides.
, Etnpire;S ; are vanishing,;: thrones are crashing and; nations are go-
ring to pieces. The -world has bpen .laid waste with wars, earth-

- D' ' - ' C > --> -..-. i . . ;.... . . ~ : . i : ' , ' . . . ... i' : : ' .

quakes, pestilences, famines, massacres, and other, disasters too

J. 1 ' * ' t -*..-.. . , i * * a . ,t -..'.' . ' ' ' . . .

v numerous to cpunt.. The .foundations of society are tumbling
r -into the dust an4.cbaos an,d; confusion reign everywhere. The
whole world is in the melting-pot.^ ,. Now the question, naturally
ar/ises, what will be the outcome of this ? , The Christian editor
- of the Harvest Field truly remarked in the February issue, of .that
(periodical that the extraordinary . things which were happening
-;pn the face of the earth were .not without a purpose and that all
, thoughtful men bad come tq realise that God had spme ; great pur-
. Fposfl. .to fulfil. While considering .what that purpose can be, we
; . must remember that all these occurrences did not come without
a warning. Before there was any sign of these occurrences, Go.d,
in accordance with His old unchangeable law and in fulfilment
of the prophecies announced by all the great prophets of the
world, sent His Messenger, Ahrnad, who with a clarion note,
.forewarn-ed the whole mankind, of the disasters that were in store
, fqr the : presen.t generation. Our readers know well some of these
prophecies a.nd tney also know how clearly they have been ful-
filled. So we, need not repeat them here. In. the very first book
of his, the Barahin-i-Ahmadiyya, .published about 40 years ago,
he published ; )&he fpllpwing relevation : - ^

If ^,5^ tU '-i t*- cJ f ^ ^ jiw. , '_,- f j 3 j i_ j 3 ; ) K <_/ J

. .... .

V ' . -, - , . . . " , . -..-.'

" A Warner came in the world, but the world accepted him
not. Godj however, will accept him and show his truth by
mighty attacks.'/

These mighty attacks, foretold about forty years ago, have
been shaking the earth for the past twenty years. The outbreak
of plague in India, particularly in the Punjab, was the first
mighty attack. It was followed by others and as time advanced
the threatened attacks came in larger and - larger numbers and
continued to gain both in volume and intensity. These mighty
attacks have shaken the earth to its very foundations, but the
end is not yet in sight. They say the war" is over, but the end
of the war hag brought no peace to the earth. Before it was
over, other kinds of- war began and different parts of the earth
are being rapidly affected* by them. In short, in accordance with
Ahmad's prophecy, many mighty attacks have already been made
and there are many which are still being made. Thus Ahmad' s
prophecy, published about 40 years ago, has been clearly fulfilled-
.Why these mighty attacks have been and are still being made is
also clear from the words of the prophecy. They have been made
in order to show the truth of Ahmad So the only answer to the
question, what will be the outcome of this, is that the truth of
Ahmad will at last be generally recognised. He will come to be
recognised as a true Messenger of God and the truth which Ah-
mad preached viz.^ there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is
His Holy Prophet will find general-acceptance. This may take
years to come about, but that will be: the final result. Changes
are rapidly taking place so that a^new order of things may take
the place of the old one. The Messenger of God did not come in

433

vain. It is the will of God that Islam should spread throughout
the world and all that is occurring in the world is preparatory to
the spread of Islam,. Things are moving rapidly so that the
final goal may soon be reached; Soon there will be a new heaven
and a new-earth. The promised Messiah came to introduces
new era and the great changes that are occurring on all sides are
meant to help; to usher in the new era. :We are now at the gate-
way of the Millennium. That Ahmad 's advent was to result in
the evolution ;ol a new heaven and a new earth was revaaled to
Ahmad, about 30 years ago. 1 Ahmad .describes that memorable
-vision of his 'in the following words (vide the Ainali-Kamalat-i-

Islam.) ' v-. ' ';-. ";: : ;, : . ..- . . ::::; ;

"I saw in a vision that I was myself God, I firmly believed
that I was He and I had no will, no thought, and no action of my
own. I became like ayes.se:l with a hole or like some thing which
.is taken into the bosom of something else and is so completely
hidden in the latter that not a trace of it is visible- In the mean-
while I saw that the Spirit of God encompassed me and having
encircl'ed me hid my person in His own so thai there remained
not a particle of mine and I found that my limbs had become
the limbs of God, my eye had become the eye of God, my
ears had become His ears c and. my tongue had become His
tongue. My Lord seized me and He seized me in a way
that I was utterly lost in it and I saw that His power and
mightiness and divinity were .surging within me. My heart
became the camp of divine Majesty and my self was completely
crushed by divine power. So there remained neither I nor any
desire of mine. My own edifice was demolished and its place was
taken by the edifice of the Lord of :, the worlds. Divinity
overwhelmed me and I was, drawn towards Him from head to the
nails. Then I became a kerne-1 without a crust- an,d an oil without

any dregs. My self" was separated; from me an - d;I ; became .like/a

' thing which is not visible or like a drop which is mixed. with :the

; wat : ers : of a -'river and is -lost therein. la that condition, I did not

know what I was before and what was my person; Divinity

permeated -my sinews and. muscles; and my. own person was

completely lost. Allah employe'd all my limbs in His service

: and laid' hold of me 1 with the greatest possible firmness so that il

1 was completly lost in His grasp. I believed then -'that my limbs

'were not mine but G-od's and I thought that *ny individuality

; had ceased to exist and that ; my identity was losfy that I had no

-partner and no one to oppose my will. God entered:into my person;

and my anger and my meekness, my displeasure and my kindness,

my movements arid my rest were all His, and in that : condition

I was saying: : ' ' -- ; ;

.j.j 3 - 3
" We desire a new system, a new heaven, and a new earth!"

.Sbi.I first created heaven and earth .en masse ^without any
order-or division. Then, in accordance with divine .will, I .pro-
duced order and division and,,! saw that I was able to .create
them. :Then I created the lowest heaven and said,,

; . ;.: : XW;U>)4w jJ ]. +. U^J ( ) .U.j (j ). . . ,

' "Verily, we have decked the lowest heaven with- lights."

Then I said, "Now We will create man from the particles
drawn from clay." Then I was transferred from a state of trance
to that of receiving divine revelation and my tongue was made to
repeat the following words :~

: . ,3 Jj ' ,. M> J , f ^ Ui 1! ) : U*U U U J, f v^. jUUL ) ^ J O J j ]

| " J ^? Vf ' ' ' -- " I -, :

"I willed that I might have a vicegerent. So . I created
Adam- We made man of the goodliest fabric."

425

/ .The above .vision -contained a prophecy of the new era which
was to have, as it;Were, a>new race .with a ; pew Adam i-t is hardly
necessary for me /to warn the reader ,against ; a literal interpreta-
tion of the, vision. It^clid notinean that Ahmad was to become
Jiteually God and w-as to create literally a new heaven and a new
eartib. It only represents in a symbplical form the final, stage of
spiritual progress to jwhich Ahmad had risen without actually
becoming God. He had attained to that ultimate stage in which
ipne .at'tains to;perfect spirituail union with : God, when one has
<no;d0sire or intention of Jiis own., when one's will becomes i^en-
.tic;al:)with Gro.d's will and, when one ? s actions and ; desires are
/really God % actions and, desires. . The creation pf a ; new; .-heaven
iand a new earth by Abmad meant that as -a result -of Ahmad's
; advent, .a complete change will come over the world and a new
era will dawn^upder such altered conditions that one will be per-
fectly justified in saying that there was now a new earth .and a
?new heaven. That ne,w earth and that new heaven are now in
.the process of formation in accordance with Ahmad's prophecies
,an<3 as a result of; his advent, and Ahmad's vision published in
1892 is. now being fulfilled, There is to be not only a new earth
.buti also a new heaven ; for now men will come to have such
-knowledge of things heavenly as they had never before and men
will enjoy^heavenly : blessings in abundance as a consequence of
<their acceptance of Ahmad.

It will not be out of place to give here an extract from a

.let.ter of our. present Head wbich he wrote to his predecessor,

Hazrat Maulawi Noor-ud-Din, the first successor of the Promised

Messiah, from Mecca where he had gone on pilgrimage in the

/year 1931. As ; the letter contained an important prophecy,

; Hazrat Khalifatul-iMasih I, ^ caused, it to be.published in a local

, paper, the Badr, dated the 9th January 1912 Vol. XII, No. 27.

Qae part of the prophecy related to the recent . worldwide war.
This has been clearly fulfilled. The second part pointed out the
great purpose which the war and other momentous ehanges:which j
were to take place on earth were destined; to work out, and as
one-part of the vision has turned out to be true, it may well be
etpected that the other part will also be fulfilled in due time.
Hazrat Mirza Bashirvud*DeeTi Mahmud Ahmady our present
head) wrote to bis-master saying^ ? :; > -

. " I have been praying for the betterment; of the condition of
Islam during all my journey. About 10 days ago.. ...-.;.; ;.<;.Ul saw
'myself with Mir Sahib (Hazrat Mir Nasir -Nawab) and m'other.
I heard the sound of loud thunder in the- heavens and there was
such: great noise as is produced by ; the' continuous roaring of
guns. ; Intense darkness prevailed 'though at certain intervals
there were occasional: spells of lights : After this awful state - of
things there' appeared a light in the heavens and the words La
ildha illallahu Muliammadur-Itasul'iil-iillali, 'There is n@ God
but Al-lab, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God* were written
on the heavens in bold and bright characters. I asked Mir Sahib
whether he saw the words and lie replied in the negative. I told
him that -these words were written in the heavens. Then some*
body said something in a loud voice the purport of which was:---
" Great changes are taking place in the heavens, the result of
which will be good for you." God knows best. May He have
Mercy on Islam ! -

The above vision was shown to Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din
Mahmud Ahmad in response to his prayers for the betterment of
the condition of Islam ; and- its spread in the world. He was told
that great changes were to come to pass which were all- meant
for the good of Islam. The great thunders in the heavens and
the prevalence of darkness with-theoceasionals intervals of light

427

pointed to the great war that was about to shake the world to its
very foundations. The presence of Hazrab M-ir ?N:asir Nawab and
of the -mother- of the faithful pointed to .the :hel'p<;of God, .for the
root *}& which is common Lbo the names- oi^ bobk means * help.'
There was nob to be war only but other momenbous.changes. were
also to come feo pass, for the voice of the crier said that ; great;
changes were being made in the heavens, Everything that occurs
on earbh is ordained in heaven and therefore great changes in the 1
heavens meant great changes on the earth and -these? changes
were all meant for the good of Islam, Their ultimate result was
to be the spread of Islam :on earbh. : The greab balema was" to be
written on bhe -heavens, i. &, the; truth of Islam was to: shine out
in full glory and was: to become patent to aH. As the part of the
vision,, which -refers to the ;war aQdrt.be great changes: that, -are
occurring subsequently- to the: war,: has: been clearly fulfilled,
there can be no doubt as to the ; truth of the other part which
speaks of the general recognition of the truth of Islam and its
prevalence on the face of the earth. : The vision also indicabed
thab bhe thundering of bhe guns and the^ greab changes would
occur ab a birne r when he^himself was bo ;be ;ab bhe helm of the
boab of Islam. The: presence of Hazrab: Mir Lvasir Nawab Nusrat
Jahan Begurn with bhe seer of bhe dream , of .meanb bhab. when
bhere would be darkness on earbh and thundering of guns in- the
heavens, God's help would be with him. The . crier also, said
"Greab changes are occurring on bhe face of bhe earth the result
of which will 'be-good for ybu." This indicabed bhab bhe seer was
personally concerned. in-bhe^ful-filrnenb of .bhe vision. And strange
bo say no sooner did Hazrab Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmad bake the reins of Milafat- (which -was on bhe 13fch .of
March 1914) than bhe greab war began in accordance with the
vision. Wibh his accession to- bhe hhilafat; perparabions began

to : be made for the great changes which were to be- followed 'by
the re'establishment of the truth of Islam, and now as everything
'else -has come to pass exactly in accordance with'fthe vision, -the
'general recognition of the truth of Islam and its -pre valence on
earth is sure to follow as a necessary concomitant, for it cannoj
be that a part of the vision -should turn but to be [true whila
-another of its parts should fail. (Vol. XVIII E. B. 1919*)

. ' ' ' " i : '.'' ' ' I { ' .''.'<

Why is all this Tribulation?

I wish' to' draw the attention ^of the gentile reader to a -most
important subject, viz'., the critical condition of the world. The
great world wide war whidh has resulted in the ruin and desolar
tion of many western countries is at last over. The Great
.German Empire which rose tovthe zenitb of its power and glory,
is shattered into pieces. Russia,- the largest :of all the European
States, is turned upside down. Turkey, of which the very name
once used to strike terror 'into the hearts f joi ;nations, is -being
wiped out of the face of the earth. No :dbubt the Allies have
scored a very glorious and triumphant victory, but their material
'resources have been exhausted. This is not all. In the other
countries of the world, plague,- pestilence and various other dis-
astrous and fatal diseases have long worked havoc by carrying
away millions of human beings. Frequent shocks of ruinous earth-
quakes have shaken the earth to its very foundations. Direful
floods and tornados have caused famines of awful nature. There
are disorders arid disturbances oh all -sides and the whole world,
is passing through a tribulation the like iof which it. has nevqr
seen before. Does not- ail this: call for a^n explanation?

Let us see if we can arrive at a satisfactory solution of the
problem.

- It ha's been aft immutable law of GodJrom times immemorial
that whenever, men fall a prey to sin and iniquity, whenever men
sink into the depths .g>f ', moral .degradation, .whenever, they are
tnvolved'injhe cinarnerian darkness of irreligion, whenever.. they
are plunged, into, the .crassest ignorance and whenever they
forsake God and give themselves up to worldly { pleasures, , God
raises a prophet. He confers upon -him guidance .and wisdom,
spiritual water and divine light so that he may direct the seekers
after truth, and -searcher, for guidance, .and slake the thirst of the
morally thirsty and enlighten the hearts of the ignorant. Again
whenever tha Divine Messenger -makes his appearance and calls
people t;Q enter; into his holy flock and thereby obey God, the
majority ; G)f men, far from responding to his call, mock at him. and
take up; cudgels against him. By ; doing so men incur the dis-
pleasure of God and excite, His indignation. .Then Hi.s wrath in
the : :shape ; of dire icalamities falls; upon the people. History of
religion corroborates it and the Bible, the Quran and all .other
scriptures testify to it. .Pharao and his mighty followers were
destroyed because .they not only turned a deaf ear to Moses' call
but bitterly persecuted him and -his followers. God sent des-
tructive flood which deluged the country of Noah because the
people to whom the : prophet was sent .not only laughed him to
scorn but harassed him in every way they could. Hundreds of
instances, can be multiplied to illustrate the same fact.

Thus it is as clear as meridian sun that God'sends a prophet
for the guidance of mankind and on account of the heedlessness
to his call, and the injustice done to. him by the people, and on
account of their , wicked deeds God pours forth upon them vials
of His wrath.; The advent of a Divine Messenger is always followed
by visitations. and not visitations by the advent of a Divine Ke-
former. So says the history of religion. It is to this law that

430
the holy (Duran refers when it says : " And We sent Messengers

, ! ' ' J *. ' ' ' ..... O ;

to peoples' before thee and afflicted the people with famine and
disease that they might become humble," -(vi, 43). Again, ''And,
"V^e raised not a Prophet in any place .but seized the people thereof
with famine and disease that the people might become humble.'- 7 '
(vii, 96). - ,,.'... : . . . 1

It. goes without saying that the people of < this age .are wholly
engrossed in worldliness. and have turned their back upon God;
They are. farther from the path of God.' Atheism and materialism^
reign everywhere. Corruption and vice run rampant, -True faith
has altogether :been .obliterated from the surface of the globe,

.Should not have .God. raised. a Prophet at:this time of need
as He used to do in the days of yore ? And should He have been
so unjust as to send visitations without, sending a. Warner ?; Did
Se violate His unchangeable law? No, He is not unjust, He is
not one to violate His law- .He is most merciful and most truth-
ful. He has sent a Prophet, Ahmad of Qadian, in -fulfilment of
the prophecies of all the great prophets of the world, This Jholy
Prophet prophesied about the visitations and calamities long be^
fore they came upon the world. . One of these prophecies was
published in the Beview of Religions for October 1906, under the
hbadings "A Prophecy that all men should know."

It runs as follows :

"Bear in mind that Almighty God has informed me of earth--
quakes in general. Know it for certain, then ,that as earthquakes
have come in America, "Europe, .and Africa in accordance with
my former prophecies, more will yet occur in diverse places some
of which would be so severe that the destruction wrought by
them will be unparalleled- in the world's history and will remind
one of the destruction of the day of the judgment. Death wijl
make such havoc that streams of blood will flow. In fact, so great

will be the destruction on the earth's surface as the world has
not witnessed before. Many places shall be turned up side down
and they would present such scenes of devastation that one
would think, they had never been inhabited. Other calamities
of a terrible nature from earth as well as heaven will come upon
men so that the wise men will be convinced of their extraordinari-
ness. Then will men m great bewilderness 'begin to ask what
was going to happen. Many shall behaved and many shall be
destroyed. ' The days are near, nay, they are at the doors when
the world shall see an' unparalleled scene of devastation, Not
only will great earthquakes come but other calamities from
heaven and earth will also visit the -earth. . All this will be
brought about because men have forsaken God and with all then 1
soul they are bent low upon the world. Had. I not come, these
calamities would also have been put off for a while but with my
appearance the secret designs of the wrath of God have been
made manifest for He says that 'Punishment is not Sent upon a
people until a Messenger is raised. 7 Those who show fear before
the calamity comes'shall be shown mercy.

"Do you think that you can be saved by your own plans ?
That cannot be. Do not think that severe earthquakes have come
in distant places in America, and your country is safe, for I see
greater distress is in store for you. Thou: Europe! art not safe,
nor Thou Asia ! And ye that dwell in islands, no selfmade
Deity will assist you on that day. I see cities falling down, and
I find inhabited places in ruin. The Omnipotent God has kept
silence for a long time, while detestable deeds were done in His
sight, but now He will show His face with great awe. Let him
who has ears hear that time is not distant. I strove hard to
gather men under the protection of God, but it is necessary that
the writing of fate should be fulfilled. I say to you truly that

432

the turn of this countryjs drawing near. The? days, of Noah will
you again witness, and the scene of Lot's land you will see with
/your vown e.yes. -. But~<God is slow in sending His wrath, Repent
that mercy may be shown to you. He, who forsakes God is a
wormj and not a man, and, he who does not fear Him is dead,
not living."

Everybody with even a grain of common sense can bear
witness to the truth of this mighty prophecy. But most of the
people have not paid heed to the call of the Prophet of the age
and thereby disobeyed God and provoked His wrath. It is why
God has sent visitations upon the world.

Now will ye, my gentle readers, still be in the lap of sleep !
Do ye like to grope in the dark ! Awake ! Awake ! Hasten to the
Divine Messenger. He will clear your heart of all dress and
purify your souls. He will v lead you along the path* of divinity
and enable ?yoii to reach your destination. . So Awake ! ;Awake !
Or know it for certain/ that the door of heaven wiU be barred
against you. '" (Vol. XX R. R. 1921.)

'433

Orie of the Prophecies concerning

* " > ' : ' : " - ' ! ' . ^ - - . .

The promised Messiah's Promised Son.

Almighty God has informed me that He would
raise for my followers a man from my own off-
spring whom He would particularly favour with
His nearness and revelation, and truth Would
prosper by him and many people would accept
the truth. Wait, therefore, for those days^ and

".'.'"-'':' ' . " ' - < ' ' ' . . . . . ." .

remember, that every one is recognised in his
. own time, for before tjia/t time he may Ipok like
; an ordinary man, or appear objectionable on

account of some false impressions, as every one
'who afterwards becomes a grown up arid perfect

man is at one time only semen or a portion of

clotted blood in the womb.

(Vol. VR R. 1906)

(The Prophecy has been fulfilled in the person
ot Hazrat Mirza Rashir-ud-Diri Mahmud Ahmad,

i - .''.'.

son of and Second successor to the Promised Mes-
, siah who is the present Holy Leader of the Ahma-
diyya Movement. A, A.)

Our leader's appeal to the Iradtein

Mussulmans.

i , - *. .

(An Extract from the Non-co-operation and Islam, by Hazrat
Mirza Bashir-ud- Din Mahmu d A hm ad, Second Successor
: of the Promised Messiah and Head of 'the
Ahmadiyy a Community.)

MY DEAR GOOTTRYMEN,. - -.-.:. ; : :..... ....

-No form of non -co- > operation is perm rssiblemnder the present
ci rcu m stances an d- n Q t onl y i t is not . obi i gaiory agai n s t the Bri tish
Government, it is the height of injustice to declare it to be even
lawful according to the precepts of Islam. If any person should
calmly -think over the; matter, he would be driven to the conclu-
sion both i>y the force of aKguments' an'd the evidence of facts
that- the present agitation is rnerefy " the outcome of selfish
motives. . For he would see at a glance that all this excitement
which is ascribed to a jealous love for Islam has occurred only
when material interests are threatened and that when the very
spirit and essence of Islam are to -be- protected against the attacks
of the enemy/there is no display of any enthusiasm and no mani-
festation of indignation. Nay, the majority of those who are
participating in the. non-co-operation movement are men who are
utterly indifferent to the real commandments of Islam and do
not have for them even as much regard as they have for the
words^of a mere acquaintance, alt-hough the real thing is Islam
and the temporal power or authority is only a subservient thing.
When the Muslims wielded no temporal power, there was nothing
lacking in the glory of Islam and- when they attained that power,
it added nothing to its beauty. Islam is itself beautiful and a
Muslim is blessed in -his own person. "Neither Islam stands in

435

need of wortdly s posvei5,nortdoe8 the Muslim hunger for jfc.; .The
beauty of Islam lies in its excellences and the power of the Mus-
lim lies in his heart, . Hence the kingdom of this world is not
essential for Islam or for the Muslirn, .The good things of. this
life are J ike servants to him .which present themselves Jbefore
him at his call and they Jreep. away from him only until Islam
has proved to the world ifcsj intrinsic worth and the Muslim the
strength of his faith. Hence there need be no anxiety about these
things if Islam and the Muslims do exist. The real thing to'feel
anxious abputfis tbatjslam should disappear,! that truth should
be obliteratedjjtha-t faith should Jbe. lost^and that thelight which
showed the face. of > the; Belayed: One should. go out. ; A Muslim
does not -sorrow for the world ; he sorrows ;for his religion. The
forgetting of one precept of Islam is to him more painful than
the cessation* oj the ; shouts of .- victory? an< ^ : the - closing of one
door of access to 0od causes him far .greater, .uneasiness than the
turning of all the successes of his 1 ifce into failures. If the efface-
ment of faith: and )the weakening : of Islam cause; a person no
pain, it is: a proof, of thejfact'that his heart is full of the, love of
this world and that he has forsaken hjsiGod. And such inxieed
is the case of the, present day Musjsalmans. The edifice -of Islam
was completely demolished ;before tbeir ey es,.b.u tithe sight ;caus.ed
no pain to their hearts; The so called Mussalmans abandoned
the commandments; of Islam one by one but their heart did not
ache, The true principles of Islam were forsaken, nay they were
mocked at, but the Mus,salrnans instead of feeling any pain only
enjoyed the fun* . In short, there is ; no form of disgracing the
religion but the Mussalmans-have been, guilty of it, and that in a
joyous spirit, -with cheer on their laces and with a s_rnile on .their
lips, until Islam became like a dead body from which all Jile had
departed^ Qr like a ruined building, the very debris qf which was

436

removed by the people and the ., needy carried -.away the very
bricks -which formed its foundation and the wild animals made
their abode in its ruins. Nay it became like the: carcass of an
animal which its owners h-ad cast out of their homes and when
the strangers passed .by- it they covered their faces yet not a

-single Mussalman grew sad at this they continued their life oi
enjoyment and luxury. There was no sign of grieton their eye-
brows and .there was no trace of sorrow in their eyes. Thej
shlugged their shoulders and said with an air of -indifference that
if Islam was a hindrance to their ambitions and aspirations it
might perish and that there should be no interference with their

; enjoyment and pleasure. But when God in order to open then
eyes snatched' from their hands the thing which was not worth
even a-straw compared with Islam and with which they had

'played as one* p.l ays with a. .toy and broke it intopieces and threw
it away, they all with one voice began to cry and lament and
they cried so much that the very heavens resounded with the

' wailing. Is not this sufficient to open their eyes ? Do they re-
quire ; some other evidence to show that they are not the servants
of God but the slaves of their own desires? .Where was theii
love for Islam when thousands of professed Mussalmans who were

-born in Muslim homes, went over in troops to the forces of the
enemy which were engaged in bombarding, the fortress of Islam,

' and added to their strength. Why did not their tongues and theii
hands move -at that time and why did not their blood boil .5
Have not the names of God and the Holy Prophet (May peace
and the blessings of God be upon him!) even -as much value as
Mesopotamia or Syria,? Their hearts were wounded when
Europe inflicted wrongs . on the Turks but when outrageous
attack were made on the Holy Prophet (May peace and the

: blessings of God be. upon him) their hearts were not movediu

437

the leasts They -forget the saying of the Holy Prophet the
Prophet whom they : profess to love so much and to whose regard
and b6nour : they ascribe their present perturbance which is to
the eiffeet that if one succeeds in guiding even a single person to
truth, it is more blessed than the possession of beards of animals..
But in the case of the present day Mussalmans, to say nothing
ofrguiding any person to truth, they made no attempt even to
save tbeir own co-religionists from being led astray. They are
now so much, troubled at the loss of one or two territories but
they lost hundreds of thousands of spiritual 1-ands without feel--
ing any pain. Would that their eyes had opened even now and
they had realised r that it is not the love of God and His Holy ?
Prophet butrthe love of this world-winch had filled their hearts!
^To-day college students are-being persuaded .to leave their .eolle-.
ges and apparently great sympathyjs b,ein.g. shown towards them^
but why were they neglected before ? Now when Advocates of,
non-co-operation wished to boycott the colleges,, .they firs ; t -oi> all
thought) of the students and their "love" for them drew them
to college. halls. But- when they openly denied the existence

i '

of Grod, had abandoned prayers and thought fasting to .be a

' . ' . V . i

penalty and the pilgrimage to be a; waste of time and money
why did not their love for them burst forth into activity and
why did it not occur to them to argue with them and lead
them to the right path ? Was it not. so because at that time
they were of no service to them and now they can be of great
help to them in. their propoganda?. .

I know that this /writing of ;mine will be resented by the
advocates of non-co-operation and thei-r. duped ones will also
express their anger .thereat, but my sympathy for them compels
me to tell'them the truth. .Truth is an extremely bitter thing
,and it ; is not unoften that . a man is- afraid to speak the truth even

438

;

to himself. But we have devoted bur lives to this purpose and we
have taken upon ourselves the burden of guiding men to truth.
We do hot care for the' opposition or enmity of 'any ? rrian. The
doctor never gives up the treatment of a ; pa f tient because
of the crossness of the latter, so we also can'not : 'cease our work
and have not despaired of the reformation of bur brethren.
My dear fellow country men! I do not ask you : tb give up your
efforts to get the error which the Allies have committ r ed'rectifiedi
What I mean to tell you is 'simply this that you should look into'
your own selves and see that you are labouring under a delusion;
What you think to be love of Gbd is only the spirit of emulation
which is raging in ybur minds in iinitatioh of European peoples.
If there was the love of Islam in your hearts why did it not dis-

j - ...

pla^ itself at the time when Islam itself -was being attacked and
why did you riot even now try to bring the Mussalmans nearer,
to Islam and to infuse into them faith in, si-fid love 1 for,- God or-
make them adopt Islamic manners and morals? What I say to
you is simply this, your exertions for every object raust be: pro-
portibriat'e to its importance. If you get the kingdom of this world, :
but ".'you have not Islam with you, theri What is the use of thatf
kingdom? Your exertions for Islam which is your real goal must
be greater than your exertions for the attainment of earthly
Government, and whatever effort you may make for tfbe latter
object must be in conformity, and ' not at variance with the
principles of Islam. It is true that unless a cause is given a
religious colour, it is difficult to secure for it the active sympathy
of the people of India, but is it right to employ unlawful means-
to attain a good object ? The end justifies the means may be the
precept' of Europe, but' this is not the teaching of Islam. !

'My dear brethren a thoughtful person never : forgets a lesson
and a wise man never loses sight of -a'-' precedent that serves as a

439

warning. At this crisis, think over the fact that .615 .years before
this the Islamic: power received a blow which was far severer
than the present one. Now. there does exist at least, a semb-
lance of a Muslim empire, but at that time not a trace of it re-
mained. What weapon was it which proved serviceable at that
time and how was the problem, solved ? A remedy that has already
been tried with success, has a prior right to be resorted to when ;

* '" " .

the same kind of disease breaks out again. Remember when, the
Turks completely demolished the edifice of the Abbaside Caliph-
ate and when there was none among the .Mussalrnans. to oppose
the numberless hordes of the enemy, and when the. holy places,
of Islam were without protection and lit the tender mercy of the
barbarians what was the remedy which our forefathers employed
on that occasion and whether it was employed with success or
failure? If you do not remember what was the course which our
forefathers followed at that time and if . you have forgotton that
lesson, I may. tell you that.it -was with the weapon of mutual
friendship and love and not with that .of non-co-operation that
they attacked the enemy. At last they succeeded in destroying
infidelity and out of its flesh and blood they prepared a new body
for Islam and rthe spirit of Islam when breathed into that body
again began to enchant the whole .world by its charm.. The
course adopted by the Ulatna of that age . (who were far more
learned than the Maulavis of the present day .and the correctness
of whose view was testified to ; by the success which crowned
their efforts) was that they made their way into the courts and
assemblies of. the Turks^ with- the determination to conquer the
hearts of their conquerors. The result was .that the grandson of
that very king who had destroyed the Muslim power at Baghdad
and who had dyed the ear.th with the blood of 18,00,000 Mussal-
mans, himself became a slave of Islam and having entered the

440

fold of tbe worshippers of the One True God, became the founder
of a new Muslim power, the traces of which have been oblitera-
ted partially by the present war. Why is it 'that the old remedy
is not used on the present occasion, but .quite the opposite way
is being followed? When the Musslamans of that age saved
Islam by the means of co-operation;and mutual friendship, why
is it that non-co-operation is being preached in these days?
Does any body ever abandon a well-tried remedy ? Is it Islam
that has now lost the power of conquering the hearts of .the
conquerors and making slaves of them, or is it you who have
lost the light of faith which your forefathers possessed? Their
words touched the hearts of men, while yours are utterly ineffec-
tive. Why is it that they converted a foe into a friend by means
of love, while you are seeking to turn- a friend into a foe by
means of your hostility or at least (to take your point of view)
you are trying to turn an enemy into a greater enemy ?

Don't you see how you are groping in the darkness, having
abandoned the right path? In the first place, you have taken a
non-Muslim as your leader, in preference to your own religious
guides and theologians. Has Islam fallen so low that there can-
not be found among its followers a single soul able to steer the
boat safely out of this whirpool to the haven of success?
Is not there in the God of Islam even>so much jealousy for His
religion that in these critical days He should raise a man who
should be a disciple and a follower of the Holy Prophet (may
peace and the blessings of God be upon him 1) and who : should
guide the Mussalmans to the way which leads to success?
You have been led astrary by your own importance. At first
you held the Holy Prophet to be under a debt ;to Jesus of
Nazareth and now you lay him under an obligation to Mr. Gandhi;
If it is true that you will attain your object in a year or two

441

through aoarOQ-operabioa, then it follows that Islam will get its
$'ew life through Mr.. Gandhi and thus (God forbid) .the sacred
head of the Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of God
be upon him!) shall ever remain bent before Mr. Gandhi for the
Jatter's favour, to bim; for Mr.. Gandhi has . received .nothing
from the Holy Prophet^ while the Holy Prophet will ; get every-
thing from>Mr.-Gandhi. 'Would that you had destroyed yourselves
ibefore the thought occurred to you.. Mr. Gandhi may be .an. earn-
est [political leader, but one cannot help expressing /astonishment
,and regret at your : taking him for a guide ' in a. matter OD which
[according tp you depends the life and, death of Islam and ; which
iyou regard >as a -religious duty of .paramount importance. .Have
.you not already experienced God's:, jealousy as the result of your
'assigning to Jesus* of Nazareth the position of a benefactor of the
Holy Proph'Bt \ (may peace and; ? the ; blessings of God be upon

him !)? God's Messiah tojd. you times without number not to be
so unjust as to believe that an outside prophet would come to
reform Islam and thus occupy .the position of a benefactor to the

^Holy-Prophet (may peace and the, blessings of God be upon

him O^a belief which involved an insult to .the Hqly Prophet and
,-an undue exaltation of an outsider. You: have already, tasted, the
.fruit of your conduct and will yet taste more of it. When, you
.exalted Christ over the Holy .Prophet (may peace and the blessings
of God be upon him,!) why .should not God have, exalted the
Christians over you ? You> did not listen to the voice of the
Promised Messiah, and you have seen at last how painful is the
chastisement of God. You made the Holy Prophet (may peace
and the blessings of .God he. upon him,!) bend his. neck before
Jesus,. by according to the latter the position of a.benefactor to
the former and the result is that God has made you bend your
necks before the Christians everywhere- So whatever is- happening

442

is the result, of ybtir : own misdeeds, i f t is -lilie fruit of- insuHihg'th'e
Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of God be upon him!).
Now you are going to commit another mistake; you are going to
lay the Holy Prophet (may peace arid the blessings of God be
upon him!) under an obligation to Mr. Gandhi. Jesus was after
all a prophet but the man whom you have now taken as your
religious guide is not even a believer. -So the fruit of this latter
insult to the Holy Prophet (may peace and the blessings of God
be upon him) will even be more bitter. If you do not desist from
this course you wold have to live, as a punishment of this crime,
in even 'humbler servitude to Mr. Gandhi's community, than
that in which you allege you are held by the Christians. You
have time to repent and mend your course even now. The deli-
verer of the people of the Holy Prophet (may peace and the
blessings of God be upon him!) can rise only from among his
followers, one, that is, who will ever be proud to call himself the
slave of the Holy Prophet.

Let not the thought cross your mind that you had already
practised co-operatian and had even rubbed foreheads of humility
on the threshold of the British Government' and that there was
no prospect of your gaining .anything from that door, that you
had served them like slaves^ that you had even flattered them,
had entreated and prayed to them and that, to tell the truth, you
had even worshipped them, but the result was that they made
you cut the throats of your brethern with your own hands and
that afterwards they forsook you also and pushed you into that
very pit which they had made you dig.

I admit the correctness of your' statement. You indeed
acted in the way you describe and they have given you the
reward which you say they have given you. But you know that
deeds are judged by the motive of the doer. Did you do all this

44$:-

for tb-e g'lory of' Islam and -for, r thte: advancement jof its ^causef
You did flatter them? but you did < so in order to fill your own
pockets, to secure titles, to get employments, and to win false
honours. You>did pay visits to them and did express your love
for them, but did you do so in order to win : their hearts for
Islam?. ..You visited them to. get from: them certificates and
testimonials of their ; pleasure* You did ; express your love for
them, but it was because you were ) thirsty : fbr their kind lo.oks.
Yciu regarded their smile as the -key to all barred doors and you
thought their looks to be more blessed then -the; looks of God.
You did rubjyour ;foreh : eads:for hours :and hours nay, you rub-
bed yur nose to an -extent that the nose itself .was mbbed out
of existence; 'but by : so doing youionly pro v.ed. that your
profession : to be the worshippers of the One: iGod was
only a lip-profession and: that really you were worshippers of
lucre and you do not refrain from doing even the meanest .things
for the sake of worldly gain and that you are evenrready to for-
sake : God for the sake of money. You received education in their
colleges and learnt their, language, but .did you learn it with a
view to deliver to them the message; of truth . in their own
language, to try to remove the 'doubts that :lurked in their minds,
to apprise them of the beauties of Islam and to co.nvey to them
the message of the Holy Prophet? .No,; you learnt the language
so that you might be able to. beg their favours in more eloquent
form and might sing their praises in their own tongue. Why did
you learn their language? Did you do so to serve the Holy
Quran ? No, on the contrary, after- learning .trie/language you
forgot the Word of; God; and- you turned your back on God's book.
Berkeley, Kant^and SpencerLbecameiyQur favourites. Instead of
employing the language for 'the propagation of .-the sayings of the
Holy Prophet (may peacei..aiid:th.eb]essings of God be upon him!),

444'

you- forgot the very names of Bukhari
of Darwin, Huxley and 1 James were every; moment on -ybur Hjps.
You may 'say -.that this -was due to -the English education being
defective. But I say this was rather due -to the>unwbrthiness: of
your <owri motives. y lf you had cherished love- for God and lot His
Holy Messenger, if you had yourselves: understood Islam, : ! would
ybu not haye dtine sometihingJto prevent -the light of; faith m the
rninds of your children ;frorn being- extinguished ? If you had
turned 'even a little 'attention to this matter, could darkness hay;e

-stood' before' light ? Gome, I 'may show you r Abmady children

-who attend the same Colleges as your chil'dren do, -read with thie
s r ame professors, study the: same- books; and :appear in the .'Samfe
examihation8,'but their hearts are full of the light of faith!.- They
believe in the Holy Qdran not because their o fathers beMeved in

^it, but because they have themselves read it and have -found it -tp
be true. They do 'not look upon- it :as something^ to ; sWear by, but

-as the door: through which one may find access to God. They dp
not keep it shut, they read it intelligently; They are in} -the

-'hdbit of saying prayers, and observing fasts.- They r do:not deny
'the efficacy of prayers, but look upon it as the prop- of lif e : . . ; In

short; Islam is the rule of their lives, love; of Gbd ; is the soul of
their bbdres, His rernernbTance their food, and ev;ery word of the
Brophet is 'dear to their hearts. Sb the condition 6f your children
is n;0t really due to any defect' in the" colleges, 1 or the courses of
study or 'the universities, this is 'the outcome of your, own negl'i-
.gence and carelessness. ' ./

"'; T'o revert to the subject proper. 1- admit that you tendered
active military service, ;fought bravely,: kilj'ed this Turks and dyed
the battfe field with their ;blbod; 'But did you" do" so for Clod's
sake ? Did you do this because it was God's cbrLmand to

'* Naines of the two most euthen tic 'collections of thV sayings' of the Holy Prophet/

445;

- authorities? Did 1 you not say when you were being enlisted
that you were ; turning Itafirs and were selling;your souls to the
devil for a paltry sum of money.- For every little service you
pestered your officers with petitions for lands- and titles. Indeed
you did succeed, to some extent, in attaining the object for which
you rendered services.-' You won titles, secured employments
and got- jagirs and medals. In -short you reached- your goaK
What other right have 'you on the strength of which you ask the
British to grant amnesty to the Turks ? Did they not know that
from the religious .point of view you hated the war and that you
had enlisted merely to get posts or rewards or out of a desire to
please the Government or to win titles and estates? There might
be honourable exceptions but. such was the case with the majority
of the people. And when they /knew that you were sacrificing
your religious .beliefs (erroneous as they were) for the sake of
worldly advantages, how could they be favourably impressed by
the teachings of Islam and how could your co-operation with
them bring them nearer to, it ?

So it is wrong to say that you have tried co-operation and
bave found it to be injurious. You have seen the evil result not
of co-operation but of your .evil motives. . If you had visited the
authorities in order ,to bring home to them the beauties of Islam,
if you had testified to the wholesome influence of the teachings
ol. Islam, by your honest and sincere dealings, had spoken to them
about the excellences of Islam whenever such an opportunity
offered itself and if instead of worshipping them you had drawn
their .attention to the one trueGod,ithey were not so stonehearted
as not be^moved. They are men after all and have the capacity
to appreciate 'beauty. ; When their eyes .were, dazzled by seeing a
prophet, will not: their eyes be filled, with light when they will
see ttie face , of God Himself ?. When.J.esus. Christ fascinated

them, will ; not the Holy- Prophet < win their Hearts ?, Certainly he
will* But what is needed is this that eyery o&e, of you should first

'* .*-j i-

purge his heart of all impure motives, should, become a servant qf.
Qod, and a devoted follower of Islam and a propagator thereof
and at. the same time have friendly relations with the Rulers, to
the fullest extent. : The ,day may come when the word of God
may fee fulfilled and he who is your, enemy to-day may be your
friend and a devoted follower of . Islam to-morrow in the same
way in which the Turks who laid' waste the city of Baghdad and
completely destroyed: the Abbaside > Caliphate, became devoted
followers of Islam as a result of the friendly-relations of .your
forefathers. , .-.>'.>..:.: : ;.'/; .-,-. .:. .', /. --;;;-....:.-."

You, are angry that these people, having availed themselves
of .your negligence have entered your house.- But a, Muslim is a
lion. Is a lion sorry when his prey enters his den ? Does he try
to turn it put ol his den or does -he .wish to make a prey of it ?
When the Turks, having availed themselves; of the negligence of
your forefathers entered Mesopotamia, the latter did not turn
them .out by resorting to non-co-operation, but captivated them
by friendship and love. . Whyido you not do the same ?i If you:
are sincere, in your* faith, then every man that comes in :your way
is, a prey to you. Indeed it is;; regrettable -that the game has
dared to cross your path,. but now that be has come> you must
benefit by this circumstance and should give up your negligence^
for the future. , .-?. /. ; ; :

You are angry because the Holy; Land : has .gone out -of jour)
hand. But you do jnofi open the Holy Quran: from which: it
appears that the. Holy Land cannot come : into, your hands-by;
means of non-co-operationj and that in ; order . to get it you must
become worshipppers- of God. And; you do not read :che Psalms
to which reference has been made inv-the Holy Quran and where;

it is said in clear words -that, when the -Holy Land goes into>the
hands of other people, you should not fret and be angry on that
account and should not :give way to excitement, lest in the heat
of ,; the, moment, you may do some evil, but you should wait
patiently until God Himself should come to your assistance.
Bernember, therefore,, these prophecies and try to become God's
true servants by prostrating yourselves before -Him, so that He
may remove your troubles and do not at this critical time,
provoke; His anger by distorting the teachings of the Holy
Quran/ Him^who was sent as an angekof mercy to spread peace
on earth, represent not to the enemy-as a fiery giant. Restrain
rebellious spirits from mischief and trusting in the purifying
power of the- Holy rQuran force ^your :way into the people who are
now denying the truth o Islam, so- that they may take light
from it. . . .-,; .':. '--;:" -':': / :.: =:. '- .{ ; .....-.... .
. Don't think?:. -that ; these people , will be reformed by ; your
keeping away from them. Hostility shuts the eyes of man and
enmity blinds him. Sow not the seed of enmity and discord,
but work in the spirit of love and friendship, Let not despair
approach you, for a trumpet has vbeen sounded by God, v a trum.-
pec of glad tidings and happy news, a trumpet of victory for
Islam, the .same trumpet which has been sounded from time to
time in ages gone by the trumpet, which whenever it was blown
spirred up eormnotiions : on earth. .The soul of the Holy Prophet
(may peace aud the blessings of God be upon him) having seen
the degradediconditioQ of Islam, has drawn the favour of God
which has appeared 011 the .earth in . the - form of the Promised
Messiah, So despair not of the victory of Islam.. Islam is bound
to be victorious.; Only take care of yourselves .lest by engaging':
yourselves in other things, you ;may deprive: yourselves of that
blessing of God tor which the world waited for thirteen centuries

and to the bearer -of Which the Holy Prophet (May peace and
the 'blessings of God ; be upon : him) sent his greetings. ^ 5

And our last cry ig that all praise is due to Allah, the' L : ofd ;
of the worlds. (Non-co-operation & : Islam.) -)

'"'. :"". . ,! ". ' > :. ;.'-... '/;. .- . .; : ' ';;',-

Some Revelations Relating to the
Future whfc^

(A n extract 'from" A present to. H. R. Hi tjie-: E^ce, af\ Wales" ,

by Hazrat Mirzd Bashirtud-Qin MahmtydfAhm.ad,. ; .

r {Second Successor of the Promised Messiah and. A ,..-..>,.

,'. - - Leader* of the Ahmadia Community ) -. . ; ;

""'. Exalted Prince ! after relating some of the miracles of the i
Promised Messiah I wish to reproduce- some of his prophecies
which have not yet been fulfilled. - '

Another prophecy of his concernirig Russia is that the
Government of that country would in the end vest in the hands;
of the Ahmadees. = . >

Other prophecies are that

His (Ahmad's) Movement will spread rapidly in Bukhara/
not very long hence. '.

The greater portion of the people of Europe will become^
Muslims and will believe in him. i

All other religions will give place to Islam and Ahmadiyyat,
and will in the end almost cease to exist. Tbe Earth shall be
inherited by his followers, and the followers of other religions
shall be few in number and shall occupy humble positions.
i For the future guidance of the world, God shall raise a. man-
from; atriong his progeny, who will complete his work. >

Monarchs and Princes shall believe in him aad shall seek
blessfings-from his clothes. ;

All Go^ernment^thaM way of the

progress an<l spread of, his Movement apd, who shall refuse to
submit to him shall be cut off, and their names shall be wiped
off the face of the earth.

God shall establish truth, justice, and love on earth through
him , and there sh al 1 te established a perman enV relation between
-man and his Creator ; and the wicked shall leave their trans-
gressions ; afcd virtue shall reign supreme; and man sbalUrealise
the object of his creation;, and the object of the advent , of -Muha-
mmad ^ (peace and blessings of ; Gofl be,uppn him ! ) who was a
Prophet of ,such eminence that , the Promised Messiah with all
the glory that God gave : him and which the world has witnessed,
and will witness, was only ;,a servant and a (Jisciple of. his, shall
be fulfilled. .-

' ' * _-'-:/.-

Blessed are those that believe in; these signs and make their

. : - . . O. .- f :.-..

jpeace,with God and save themselves from His wrath. ..... .- ,. .

;(A Present to 'H; R./H. the Prince of Wales.)

; J

Conditions of BaFat

(Initiation f into the i Ahmadiyya Movement.)

1 '"' The man who accepts Baiat should firmly make up la is ''mind: 4 --

Firstly, that up to the day of his death he will abstain- from
Shirk, i. e. t settiug up equals to God.'

Secondly, that' he will keep away from falsehood, adultery,
looking at women other than near relatives, cruelty, dishonesty,
riot and rebellion, and in short, every kind of evil : and ; will not
allow himself to be carried away by his passions, however 'strong
they may be. ' ' ; !

\ Th i rd ly .," that h e. w i 1 1 p ray five t i rn es a d ay wi t h 6u t f ai 1 ,
according to the cornmands'of Allah and His Apostle, and to the
best of his ability will : try to offer his Tahajjud prayers (prayer
of the latter part of the night), to invoke the blessings of God
(Darud) upon His Prophet, to ask pardon for his sins and the
help of God: and that- remembering the blessings of God he will
always praise .Him*

Fourthly, that he will in no way harm God's creatures
generally and Moslems particularly under the influence of his
passions neither with his hands, nor with his tongue, nor by
any other means. '''-

Fifthly, that in every state of sorrow or pleasure, prosperity
or adversity felicity or misfortune, he will prove himself faithful
to God and that in every condition he will accept the decree of
God and in this way he will ready to bear every kind of insult
and pain. At the time of any misfortune he will never turn
away from Him but rather he will advance further.

451

Sixthly, that he will not follow vulgar customs and will
abstain from evil inclinations and that be will completely submit
to the authority of the Holy Quran and that he will make the
sayings of God and H.is v Apost.le the, guiding principle of his life.

Seventhly, that ; he will fully give up pride and haughtiness and
wilJ pass his days with humility, lowliness, courtesy and meekness.

; Eightlyj;that.he will consider religion, the dignity^ of religion
and the well-being of Islam dearer than life, wealth and children

-CJ '' ! .'.. i -'

and in .short dearer than everything .else.

, Ninthly, that he will be, for Goid's .sake .showing sympathy
with ,the creatures of Allah and to the best. of his power he will
use his ; natural abilities for the welfare of- Godi's creatures.

Tenthly, that he will .establish a brotherhood with me (t,,ha
Promised Messiah) on condition of obeying me in everything good
and keep it up, to the. day of ; .his death and this relationship will
be of such a, high .order that itS; ; example ( will not be, found in any
worldly relationship either of blood relations or of servant and
master. ; ,

The articles ;of faith of the Ahmadiyya :

1. God is one and nobody is or can be his co-sharer in -His
self, attributes, names or worship, '

2- The Angels exist.

3. God has been sending from time immemorial His Apostles
in every country and nation for the guidance of His/creatures
and we .believe in every one of them whose names have been
mentioned in the Holy .Quran individually and in the rest col-
lectivelyv

....... " ' ' ' ' ' ' '...it-. -< ... , ; . ,

4. Our Book is the :Holy Quran and our Proph.et is Moham-
mad (peace be, upon hi i,q,), ; . and he.is th^ ,ea[ of .Pcophe.t.s _, ;

5. The door of inspiration has il ways been> and will al ways
be open and no aUribufrVof 1 God ever beconaes useless. As<Ue
used to hold communion with 'His good servants^ so* He does
even now and will continue to do up to the end of the worlds

6. This is our firm faith 'that divine decree (taqdir) as-enun-
eiated by the Holy Quran is correct and' that God listens to< and
accepts the prayers of His creatures and great deeds are 'achieved
by means of : prayer. ^ ! - ^

7. We believe in the rising -'.61 the hutnaii beings after -their
death and also we fi rniely believe that the 'Heaven and the Hell
as described by the Quran aftd^the Traditions exist arid -that on
the day o'f Resurrection bur Prophet Mohammad peace^be on him
will be the intercessor/ ; "'

8. We firmly believe that 'the man abdut whom prophecies
have been made by the old Prophets' under-diffeifeBt names and of
whom the Hoi y Quran speaks in Jtbe verse *He it ' is who raised a
Prpphet among the Meccans.,..,.,' and among others of them who
have not yet overtaken them" as the second advent of Mohammad
and whom our Lord Mohammad calls Messiah the Prophet and
the Mahdi ^(the man) is Hassrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of
Qadian and besides him nobody is the Promised Messiah.

9. It is our firm belief that the Holy Quran is a perfect
Book and that no new law will be required till the day of Kesur-
rection and that our Lord Mohammad possesses collectively all
the qualities of all the Prophets and that after him none can, far
from gaining any spiritual eminence, even become a true believer
except by complete obedie'nce to nirn. We, riot for a moment,
believe that any old Prophet will come to this place a second
time, because in that we will have to admit some defect in the
spiritual powers of our Lord Mohammadbut we. believe among
his followers Reformers have appeared and will continue to

appear vvith spiritual knowledge of a yeryJij^Jb^order-, Not only
.this, but a man can even. gain,,,prophethood by tbe belp of our
lyord Mohammad's spiritual powers. But no Prophet with a new
.book or having been appointed direct will t ever, come ; for in this
.case it would be an insult to the perfect -prophethood of our
Lord .and this is the meaqing of the seal of Prophets and in this
.sense.the, Lord has; on the one hand said "There is no prophet^.,
.an independent prophet with a new Law) after me," and. on the
jOther>hand has called the corning Messiah, a Prophet of God,
.10,, t According to ; this we believe that a man the Promised
Messiah,--has gained- prophethood in spite of his being a follower
of our Lord. We believe in the miracles of the Prophets which
in the words of the Quran are called signs of God and this is our
.firm faith that God for the manifestation of His glory and for
proving the truth of His Apostles has beenj through His servants,
showing signs which .are beyond the power of human beings*

The duties of the Ahmadiyya Community,

The Ahmadiyya community is neither an Anjuman nor is it
a religion. But the meaning of the Ahmadiyya Movement is
this that it is a body of Muslims that having recognised the
Promised Messiah as a means of guidance have accepted the true
Islam which was given to the world through our Lord Moham-
mad and who have accepted all the claims of the last Messenger
of God viz., the Promised Messiah. Hence the obligations of the
Ahmadis are the same as have been fixed by the Holy Quran for a
Muslim and which have been sanctioned by the usage and practice
of our Lord Mohammad and his Companions. Hence acting
upon the laws of the Quran, the practices and sayings of the
Prophet is a distinct duty o.f every Ahrnadi. But since Islam
considers the proclamation of the truth as one of .the important

:454

duties of a &rusliTn'and it has been considered as one of the disin>
guishiug features of the : Moslems that they ask the people to do
good and prohibit from doing evil a duty the performance of
which made the Muslims so successful in the beginning, hence
the Promised Messiah has laid much stress upon this point and
has made it obligatory for the members of the Community that
; they should send a part of their income to Qadian for this "pur 4 -
pose. This money is spent for the propagation of Islam on the
lines fixed by the Promised Messiah. Hence every Ahmadi
should make it- a rule for himself to send a part of his income for
the furtherance of the objects of the Movement. The amount of
this contribution has not been fixed but left to be determined by
the love and zeal of a man for the Movement. Be the sum
small or great, it is obligatory on every Ahmadi to help the
Movement With his mite. Some friends spend one tenth and
even more of their income for the help of their religion.

The Management of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

As has been the custom of God from timeHmmemqrial that
He starts a line of successors for rooking after the welfare of the
community which is prepared by the Messengers of God, so in
this age too he has started a line of successors. Without it no
progress is possible, for a disorganised body is incapable of per-
forming anything great. Henoe for ihe purpose of keeping the
community united, and for using its potentialities collectively
for the welfare of Islam a line of successors has been started.

This is our firm conviction, as it is also mentioned in chapter
xxiv, 55, that successors are appointed by God. Hence it is the
duty of every Ahmadi, as long as it pleases God fco favour us with

this blessing, accept . the.Baiab of the (Jaliphs one after another.

455

A'll the hew cohverfcs- should also enter into the Baiat of the
successors to the Promised Messiah or their representatives. But
if any man for any reason cannot personally come to Qadian he
-may' also enter into the Baiat by means of letter. At present
; there are 2 Anjumans (a) Sadr-Anjuman Ahmadiyya, (b) Anju-
man Taraqqi Islarn> under the KhalifatulMasih for carrying
on the work of the Movement. The Sadr-Ahjuraa r n Ahmadiyya
according to the instructions of the Promised Messiah 'and in

i " i

consultation with the Kbalifatul Masih looks after the executive
and educational necessities of the Community. Among some of
the most important duties of the Anjurnan is looking after the
comforts of the guests who'corne to Qadian, maintaining schools
for the secular and religious instruction of the community, carry-
ing out the instructions contained in the Will of the Promised
Messiah and conducting the Review of Religions. But as the
propagation of Islam requires special attention, hence the Anju-
rnan Taraqqi Islam busies itself with this work. Those friends

> .\ iLU'. .: ;'""'' '. ; ' " '

who send their contributions generally point out how much is to
be given to the Sadr-Anjuman and how much is to be allotted to
Taraqqi Iblarn. As zakat (legal alms) should be kept in the
Bait-ul-Mal (the Treasury) so everyone on whom zakat is
compulsory sends it to Qadian. It is collected by the Anjurnan
Taraqqi Islam and spent according to the instructions of the succes-
sor to the Promised Messiah. As it is necessary for the progress of
the Movement to keep in touch with the centre, hence according to
the instructions of the Promised Messiah an Annual Gathering of
the Community is held by the end of the month of December every
year. This gathering is attended by the members of the com-
munity from every part of the country. In these meetings means
are devised for strengthening the faith of the Ahmadiyya com-

46B

m unity and for enlarging its mission- work* This -should be
attended by every member of the Community. Besides, friends
should also from time to time try to come to Qadian and should
write letters to the Khalifatul Masih (successor to the Promised
Messiah) every now and then for in this way the Khalifatul
Masih feels an inclination to pray for the writer, arid besides the
welfare of the different members of the Community also becomes
known. The first Khalifa of the Promised Messiah was the late

Hazrat Maulavi Noorruddhi Sahib and the present Khalifa is
Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Man mud Ahmad Sahib.

Some instructions for the new Ahmadis.

Si'nce the Promised Messiah was a Messenger of God and
the denying of the Apostles of God is a dangerous boldness and
deprives a man of faith, hence according to the Quran, the
Traditions of the seal of Prophets and the sayings of the Promised
Messiah, it is the duty of every Ahmadi that he should pray
under the leadership of Ahmadi Imarns only. But in those places
where Ahmadi Imams cannot be found, he should offer his pray-
ers alone and should pray to God to give him a Jammat or
Society of his own, because a true believer can never remain
alone. Similarly, it has been prohibited that Ahamadis should
give their daughters to marriage to non-Ahmadis, for wives are
generally influenced by their husbands and thus it is making
a soul apostate. Likewise, Ahmadis should not attend the funerl
service of non-Ahmadis, for it would amount to interceding with
God for a man who has proved himself an enemy by denying and
opposing the Promised Messiah.

461

"Shall an Ahmadi say hi s prayer^
with a non=Ahmadi as Imam"?

(Taken from' the diaries of the Promised Messiah
published in th& periodicals of Qadian.)

On a question being pub on tbe 20th February 1901 as to
why he had forbidden His followers to say prayers in the lead of
a hon-Ahinadi Imam, the Promised Messiah replied:

;"The people who have rnistrustecl us from the very out-set
and are thoughtlessly indifferent to the afflictions to which this
Movement has been subjected^ have not acted piously, and Allah
says in Bis Book: Vi #u*J ) &* ^ J Jw. ^ J (i- e. He accepts the
prayers of the pious- only). This is the reason why you have
been enjoined not to say your prayers with an Imam whose
prayers do not come to the degree where, prayers are accepted.
It has always been held by the divine Doctors that whosoever
opposes the truth is gradually deprived of the light of faith. He
who does not believe in Muhammad, peace be on his soul J is an
unbeliever (Kafir) hut he who rejects the Mahdi and the Promised
Messiah shall also be deprived of the light of faith. The result
is the same in both cases. Ic begins with opposition which
developes into estrangement and which in turn is followed by
blind enmity which results in the total loss .of faith. This is -not
a thing to be lightly passed over. It concerns the most impor-
tant question of faibh and- salvation. My rejection means, the
rejection of the commands of God, and of; the injuctions of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad, May Allah's blessings be upon him.
He who rejects me really regards Allah as (God forbid) a liar for
he sees that not only Islam is being attacked externally, but in-
ternally also the followers of Islam have become very corrupt,
yet Allah in spite of His promise "Verily We have sent down the

462

law and We are; its protector" ( '.&'$ 'H ** ^ h /^ '! w j> ^ IJ
has done nothing to .bring about a reformation. Outwardly he
believes in the word of Allah that He will be raising (Caliphs)
successors to the Holy Prophet among the Muslims as he raised
successors to Moses among the Jews, but as he believes that Allah
has raised no Caliph in the present age he impliedly charges
Allah with the violation of His promise. Not only that but he
denies even the similarity of the Islamic with the Mosaic des-
pensation as given in the Quran, to keep up which it was quite
essential that as a Messiah had appeared in the former so was a
Meseiah to, appear in the latter in the beginning of the 14th
century. Similarly, he' will, have to reject the. verse ^ ^/i ;*> F 3
^ ) jfls\b U (And He has raised a Messenger among others who have
not yet joined them i.e- the Muslims of the early, period) which
speaks of the second advent of the Prophet, Mohammad, peace
be upon him. In this way he disavows many verses of the Quran.
But I declare positively that he will have to forsake the Holy
Book 'altogether. Consider then the consequences of not believing
in ine. I do not say it of myself, I solemnly declare it as a truth
that my rejection implies the renouncing of the whole of the
Quran. He (the disbeliever in me) . may not confess it verbally
but his action speaks for itself. One of my revelations refers to
; the point which is ^_&* \* ) 3 ^^ &** I i.e. My rejection necessita-
tes the rejection of Allah and to accept me is to confirm one's
beliefs in Allah: and His. existence. Again my rejection means
the rejection of the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself, and there-
fore before one should venture to reject me one should seriously
consider whom he is going to reject. The question arises "How
could my rejection mean the rejection of the Holy Prophet,
Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him ?" The Holy
Prophet foretold that the close of every century would witness

463

the advent of a Reformer and in case iny claim is rejected it will
have to be admitted that the promiae has not been fulfilled.
Another of his sayings recorded in- the traditions, pfv f* ^ Jj i e.
An Imam shall appear from among you, is also falsified. His
annunciation of the appearance of a Mahdi and Messiah at the
time of the spread of the religion of the Cross also comes to
nothing because though the religion of the Gross has spread all

o o o

over the world, yet the Promised Reformer has not, according to
the belief of the rejector of my claims, made his appearance. Do
not his actions believe his professions? Again I say it explicitly
that my rejection is not an easy thing. He who calls rne an
infidel himself becomes so. He who calls me a, forsaker of the
Holy Quran and of the sayings of the Holy Prophet will himself
become the forsaker. I am the confirmer of the law of Islam
and one who has appeared according to what was written in the
scriptures. I arn not one who has gone astray. I am the Mahdi,
the guided one. I arn not an infidel. I am first of those who
believe and are Muslims ; and whatever I say has been revealed
to me. Whosoever, therefore, believeth in Allah, in the Holy
Book, and in the Holy Prophet must hold his tongue when he
hears my claims from rne. But for him who is impertinent
and insolant, there is no remedy ; Allah alone will deal
with him.

On the 26bh July 1902, the talk turned on the subject of
the Abrnadis following the Jead of a non-Ahrnadi in their
prayers in the course of which the Promised Messiah enjoined
upon his followers the virtue of patience under trials, and strictly
forbade them to conjoin their prayers with the non-Ahrnadis.
"Therein lies the secret of your success," said the Promised
Messiah emphatically "Even the worldly-minded forbear to see
each other for many days if there arises some misfeeling or
enmity between them- Your displeasure and separation are for
Allah's sake. If you get mixed up, you will be refused the special
favours of God. The virtuous prosper when they keep aloof."

; On the 10th September 1901 Syed Abdullah an Arab (of
Najaf ) who was to leave Qadian for his own country, inquired of
the Promised Messiah whether he should follow the lead of a
non-A.hmadi. who was ignorant of the claims and teachings of the
Promised Messiah The latter replied " Tell them 'of the word

464

of Allah revealed to me. If they accept and believe, you can
pray along with them ; otherwise, not."

The gentleman 8aid again that his countrymen were hot
tempered and were of the Shia Sect.

The Promised Messiah said "Submit yourself to Allah who
befriends him whose accounts with Him are clear- Tue Holy
Book shows that they who believe not and reject are doomed
and it is not therefore meet that any of my followers should
conjoin his prayers with them. Can a living man say his prayers
with the dead ? Remember then that as Allah has informed me
it is unlawful (hardm\ absolutely unlawful (qatai hardm\ for you
to say your prayers in the lead of him who calls me a kafir or
rejects me (mukazzib) or who is in suspence (mutaraddid) Your
Imam must be from amongst you, and this is what a saying of
the Holy Prophet given in the Bukharee teaches OQ the point.
The actual words are f&* ^ I* ) i. e. when the Promised Messiah
will appear, you will have to leave the different sects and your
Imam, will be one of you. Would you like to be held guilty before
Allah, and be deprived of the fruits of your deeds and you be
ignorant all the. while? Whosoever believes in me submits wil-
lingly to what I say, holds me as the last arbiter and turns to me
for decision on every disputed point. But he who does not
believe in me from the sincerity of his heart, is puffed up with
vanity and self-conceit. Know of him therefore that he is not
of me, for he does not pay any regard to what Allah has said to
me. He, therefore, finds no favour with Allah."

On the 10th January 1903 Khan Mohd A jab Khan of Zaida
N. W. Frontier Province, said "Sometimes we meet people who
are quite ignorant of your claims. Can we follow the lead of such
people in our prayers?."

The Promised Messiah replied, " I know of no such place
where my claims and teachings are unknown ; and if there be
such a people, put your creed before them. If they accept it
they are of you and you can say your prayers along with them ;
otherwise not. In that case, say your prayers by yourself.
Allah wants to create a people seperate from those who be-
lieve Him not ; why then ruix up deliberately with those from
whom He likes to keep you apart."

457

Form for Initiation intb the Ahmadiyya

Movement,

To - ' ' --.--.

HAZRAT KHALIFATUL MASIH II

MIBZA BASHIR-UDDIN AHMAD SAHIB,

MOST REVEREND SIB, .

Peace be with yon. I have gone through the conditions of
Baiatj the Articles of Faith, the duties of Ahmadis and General
Instructions, arid have accepted them. I having filled up the
subjoined form send it to you and pray that my Baiat may be
accepted.

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. He is one,
having no partner, and Mohammad is the servant and Messenger
of God*

I son of enter the

Ahmadiyya Movement at the hands of MAHMUDand ask pardon
for all my sins. In future I. will try my best to guard myself
against all kinds of sins. I will never set up equals to God and
will give precedence to my religion before all worldly considera-
tions. I will try my best to act upon all the laws of Islam, I will
always try to learn, teach or hear the Holy Quran and the Tradi-
tions. I will consider the propagation of Jslarn as the first of
my duties. I will obey you in everything good that you will tell
me. 1 consider our Lord Mohammad (peace be upon him) to be
the seal of Prophets and belive in all the claims of the Promised
Messiah.

v* j ) v y ) 5

I beg pardon from Allah
to Him. I beg pardon from A|

J> y\ JJ ) yJXJ )) ^ (f J jj

) U

3 U

. . I .

>C Ij

my Lord I have wronj
sins. Pray forgive my sins and]

rny Lord I have
sins. Pray forgive my sins and

my Lord I have wrong
sins. Pray forgive my sins a
Thee. .Amen 1 Amen !

Signature.

Address.

458

Jlah my Lord for all my sins and turn
rpm Allah ray Lord ann turn to Him.

c li . w jj ^yc J

)

s wronged my soul and I confess all my
ins and there is no forgiver except Thee.

i wronged my soul and I confess all my
ins and there is no forgiver except Thee.

3 wronged my soul and I confess all. my
sins and there is no forgiver except

MISSI
PAG

SING

(S)

465

Extracts from the Hoi

other Scriptu

The Almighty God declare
His Perfect and Chose]

This day have I perfected your E.eli
iompleted My favours upon you and cho;
>f Islam.

The Almighty God commanc
should follow no other Reli

And he who seeks other than Islam
lot be accepted of him ,'iud he shall be ii
osers.

Mahommad Peace and Bles
him is the Prophet of G
Nations of the

Say thou " ye people I am the
til.

Thou art only a Warner and a Dire

And We have not sent thee but as

Mahommad Peace and Ble

on him says

" I am sent for the whole World
pere sent to particular tribes" (Masnad c

Holy Quran and
iptures.

glares that Islam is
Jhosen Religion.

ur Religion for you and have
nd chosen for you the Religion
(Chapter V, Verse 5).

imands that every one
Religion but Islam.

Islam for a Religion it shall
all be in the Hereafter of the

III : 79.

Blessings of Goci be on
t of God for all the
:he World.

n the Apostle of God to you

VII: 166.

1 a Director unto every Nation.

XIII: 8.

but as a mercy to the Worlds.

XXI: 107.

d Blessings of God be
says :

World while previous Prophets
asnad of Imam Ahmed Hambal.)

466

Jesus, son of Mary Peace and Blessings of God

be on him says : -

"I am nob sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of
Israel. " Matt. 16, 24.

"I 'have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear
now. How be it when he the spirit of Truth is come, he will
guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself but
whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak. St. John 16: 12-13.

"For we know in a part and we prophecy in part. But
when that which is Perfect is come then that which is in part
shall be done away". Corinthians. 13 : 9 10

Misconceptions Concerning Jesus Son of Mary,
Peace and Blessings of God be on him.

Infidels now are they who say "God is the Messiah, son of
Mary", since the Messiah said Children of Israel worship God
my Lord, and your Lord. Yerily, whoso joins (anything) with
God, God has forbidden him the Paradise, and his aboode is the
Fire, and there is not for the wrong doers any helper. They
surely are Infidels who say "God is the third of three" for there
is no god but one : and if they refrain not from what they say a
grievous 'chastisement shall light on such of them as are Infidels,
Will they not therefore, be turned unto God, and ask pardon of
Him? since God is Forgiving Merciful. The Messiah, * son of
Mary is no other than an Apostle : already have there passed be-
fore him Apostles, and bis mother was a truthful woman: they
both ate food- See how we explain to them the signs, and then
see, how they turn aside Y : 76 to 79.

And whoso from amongst them (the Prophets) says I an>
God besides Him, We will reward him with Hell. ' XXI: 29

467

: They say! "The Merciful has gotten offspring. Now have
ye done a monstrous thing ! Almost might the very heavens be
rent thereat and the earth cleave asunder and mountains fall
down in fragments, that they ascribe a son to God when it be-
seemeth not the Merciful to beget a son. Verily there is none
in the heavens and in the earth but shall approach the Merciful
as a servant. XIX : 91 to 94.

And that it may warn those who say, "God has begotten a
Son." No knowledge of this have either they or their fathers.
A grievous saying to come out of their mouth. They speak no
other than a lie. XVIII : 3, 4-

Verily the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of
Adam; He created him of dust, then said to him, Be, and he
was. The truth of thy Lord, so be not thou of those who doubt.

Ill, 52.

(The Christians admit that Jesus son of Mary peace be on
him used to worship on the Hill of Olives, and the Gospels say
that the prayed to God saying "0 my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou
wilt " (Math. 26-39) Lake 22 41 (Mark 14-35) again "0 my God,
my God, why hast Thou forsaken me " (Matt. 27-46) again on
one occasion he has said to a person who called him good "Why
callest thou me good? There is none good but One, that is
God." (Matt. 19: 16, 17). Then how absurd it is to believe in
hirn as God or as the Son of God, or a Third of God!

He is spoken in the Old and New Testaments as son of
God but there is no peculiarity in this, as the Gracious God
sometimes metaphorically uses such expressions e..g. Adam son
of God (Luke 3-38) Abraham, the eldest son of God (Jeremia 9)
Solomon, son of God (Chron 22-9) all the Apostles sons of God
(John 3-2) all men sons of God (Matt. 6-6, 18.)

468

Metaphorical Verses revealed to the Holy Prophet
Mahommad peace and blessings of God be on him.

-4

Verily those who swear allegiance to thee, they really swear
allegiance to God the hand of God is over their hands.

XLVIII : 10.

And it was not ye who slew them, but God slew them ; and
thou didst not cast (the gravels into their eyes) when thou didst
cast, but God cast it. VIII : 10.

The Holy Prophet Mahornrnad Peace and blessings of God
be on him says "Whoever has seen me, seen God."

The Holy Quran declares that Jesus son of

Mary peace be on him is dead and

refutes the false belief concerning

his Personal Second Advent.

The Messiah, son of Mary is no other than an Apostle
certainly already have there passed away before him apostles.

The above vetsepioves the death of all the apostles before
the Messiah, son of Mary peace be on- all of them. V : 79.

Mohammad is no other than an Apostle, certainly already
have there passed away before him apostles. Ill: 143.

(The above verse proves the death of all the apostles includ-
ing Jesus son of Mary who was the immediate predecessor of
Mohammad peace be on all of them.)

On the earth ye shall live and on the earth ye shall die.

VII : 23.

Does not this verse refute the belief tlw.t Jesus Peace be on
him is living on heavens for the past 1900 years ?

And those whom ye call on beside God create nothing but
themselves are created. Dead without life. And they cannot
perceive when they shall be raised. XVI: 20 to 22.

4B9

The above "Verse conclusively proves that all those who are
called on as deity beside God are dead without life, and the verse
is.specially applicable 'to Jesus son of Mary Peace be, on him as
he is called on as a deity beside God by hundreds of millions of his
followers throughout the world hence the Almighty God has classed
him as one of those who are dead without life,)

And when God shall say (on the Judgment Day) Jesus
son of Mary didst thou say to men, take me and my mother for
two gods beside God ? He shall, say, glory to Thee; It is not for
me to say what I have no right to, If I had said it, Thou wouldst
have known it ; Thou knowest what is in me, but I know not
what is in Thee; verily Thou art the Knower of secrets- I spoke
not to them but what Thou didst bid me-Serve God my Lord
and your Lord ; and I was a witness of their actions as long as I
was among them, but when thou caused me to die, Thou
wast the ivatcher over them;, and Thou art the witness of all
things. V: 116, 117.

(The above verses not only prove the death of Jesus son of
Mary Peace be on him but also of his non return to this world for
a second time. Because if he was the same person who was to
come to this world for a second time before the Judgment Day
to break the cross, he could not remain ignorant of the errors
that the Christians introduced after him into his religion and it
is impossible that Jesus Peace be on him a Prophet of God should
speak such a plain lie in Divine presence on the Day of Judgment
that he was not aware that the Christians had taken him and
his mother for gods- Could a man who came back into the
world and lived for 40 years and fought with the Christians say

that he was not aware what belief the -Christians held?

. This verse strongly opposes his second coming to this world.

470

Traditions.

Bukhari relates an authentic tradition of the Holy Prophet
Mahomad Peace and blessings of God beon him which runs thus: 1
On the Day of Besurrection, some of my followers shall be brought
to the left. I will say these are my companions. It will be
replied, Thou knoweth not what innovations they introduced
after thee. Then I will utter the same words as the righteous ser-
vant Jesus son of Mary did "and I was a witness of their actions,
as long as I was among them, but when Thou caused me to die
Thou wast the watcher over them; and Thou art the witness of all
things. 11

(2) There is no one that now lives, but shall have died by
the expiration of these one hundred years.

(3) If Jesus and Moses had been alive, they would not have
but followed, me.

(4) Verily Jesus son of Mary, lived 120 years.

(5) Why are you afraid of the death of your Prophet, has
there been living any Prophet previous tome that I be with you?

The A /mighty God Promises to send His Messengers
to the People from among themselves (not from Heaven,)

Children of Adam, verily there shall come to you Apos-
tles from among yourselves narrating to you .My signs VII -34.

company of Jinn and men did there not come to you
Apostles from among yourselves relating to you My signs and war-
ning you of the meeting of this your Day ? VI : 130.

Do ye wonder that there has come to you an admonition
from your Lord by a man from among yourselves^ that he may
warn you and that ye may have mercy ? VII : 62.

God promises those who believe from among you and act
righteously that He shall make them successors in the earth as
He made those successors who preceded them- XXIV : 55.

471

Ay! They wonder that there has corne to them a Warner
.from among themselves and the disbelievers say " This is a thing
marvellous ! " L : 2.

And those who disbelieve shall be driven to Hell in troops,
Until when they come to it, the doors shall be opened and its
keepers shall say to them '* Did not there come to you apostles
from amongst you to recite to you the signs of your Lord to
warn jrott of this Day ? " XXXIX: 71.

Notwithstanding such clear Words of God the present gene-
ration expect the Promised Messiah from heaven though they
are fully aware of the fate of the Jews who had the same wrong
belief that the Promised Elijah would descend for them from
heaven when it is an established law and unalterable decree of
God to raise His Messengers from among the people themselves
and He has also clearly warned that " Thou shalt not find in the
course of God any change." XXXY : 42.

It is the hereditary custom of the people of every
age to disbelieve the Messengers of God when-
ever they are raised from among them.

"We have already sent Apostles before thee amongst ancient
nations and there came no Apostles to them but, they laughed
him to scorn. . XV : 10.

Nay, they say, it is the medley of dreams; nay he has forged
it, nay he is a poet, let him corne to us with a sign as (the Prop-
hets) qf old were sent. None of the cities believed which We
destroyed, will they then believe? XXI: 5, 6.

And We have not sent to any city a Warner but the opulent
thereof said verily we in what you are sent do disbelieve.

XXXIV : 33.

472

And they marvel that there has come to them a Warner
from among themselves and the infidels say '' This is a sorcerer
a liar." XXXIII ; 3.

. So when there came to them their Apostles with evidences
they exulted in what they had of knowledge, and there en.co.m--
passed them what they did laugh at. XL: 83.,

Is it he whom God has sent as Apostle? XXV : 41

And they said, a mortal from among ourselves a single man,
shall we follow him ? Yerily then surely in error and madness
we will be !

Is the admonition revealed to him from amongst as ? Nay
he is an impostor and braggart.

To-morrow shall they know who is the impostor the bragg-
art. LIY : 24 to 26,

Every one has to pass a trial of recognising
the Divine Messenger of the time.

The Apostles We sent as Messengers of glad tidings and
warnings,' so that the people might not have an argument (of
excuse) against God after the Apostles. IV: 163.

Yerily We received the covenant of the Children of Israel
and We sent to them Apostles ; whenever an Apostle came to
them with what their souls liked not, they accused some of impos-
ture and intended to slay others. And they imagined that there
will be no trial wherefore they became blind and deaf. Y: 70, 71.

And We have already destroyed generations before you when
they did wrong, and there came to them apostles with evidences
and they would not believe. Thus reward W T e the criminal people.

Then We made you successors in the earth after them, that
We may see how ye act. X; 14. 15.

He (Pbaroah) asked " But what is the condition of the past
generations? He (Moses peace be on him) replied "The knowledge

473

thereof is with my Lord in the book of decrees. My Lord erreth
not, nor forgetteh. XX: 5 1,52.

Do the people think that they shall be left alone on the say-
ing u We believe" and they shall not be tried? When We did try
those who preceded them. Therefore God will mark tbose who
are sincere and mark the liars. XXIX: 1,2.

Is it not an example to tbem, how many generations We
have destroyed before them, in whose dwellings they do walk?
Truly herein are signs ; will they not then hear ? XXXII : 26.

Traditions.

The Holy Prophet Mahornad, Peace and blessings of God
be on him says :

Verily God shall raise for my followers at the beginning of
every century a man wbo shall revive their religion for them.

He wbo dies without recognising the Imam-e Zaman (i. e.
the Spiritual leader of the time) certainly perishes in a death of
ignorance.

The man who died without the Spiritual Leader certainly
perisbed in ignorance ; and he wbo refused to obey him sball have
no argument (for bis salvation) on the Judgment Day.

Four men will offer tbeir excuses on the Day of Resurrection.
Firstly the deaf wbo hears nothing. Secondly the insane, thirdly
the old decrepit and fourthly the still born.

The deaf will say, my Lord Islam came and I heard nothing;
the insane will say, Islam came and I was pelted by boys ; the
old person will say, Islam came and I understood nothing; the
still born will say, my Lord no Apostle of thine came to me.
God will exact a contract of obedience from them and then order
them to go to Hell. I swear by Him in whose hands is the life of

474

Mahomad, if they had gone towards Hell, it might have become
cold and peace for them.

(The Divine Trial that rests on every Non-Muslim is to
relinquish his ancestral religion and accept the true religion of
Islam in the sarnei manner the Divine Trial on every Muslim is
to relinquish his ancestral sect and accept the true sect of Islam
established by His Messenger who is raised by Him in the begin-
ning of every century for the revival of His chosen religion.
Besides which the Holy Prophet Mahornad Peace and bles-
sings of God be on him has condemned all the remaining Sects
of Islam as Hellish.

The Divine Messenger raised in the beginning of this (the
fourteenth) century of Hejira is Hazrat Mirza Gularn Ahmed of
Qadian Punjab India.)

Veritable Infidels are those who seek to make
a distinction between the Apostles of God.

Yerily those who disbelieve in God and His Apostles and
seek to make a distinction between God and His Apostles and

say "some we believe and some we believe not" and desire to
take a middle way. These they are veritable infidels and We
have prepared for the infidels a shameful torment.

And those who believe in God and in His apostles and
make, no distinction between any of them, to those in the end will
He will give them their reward. IV: 149 150.

The Jews say that they-believe in God and all His Prophets
from Adam downwards except Jesus and Mahomad (Peace and
blessings of God be on them) and the Christians say that
they disbelieve none except the latter but the Almighty
God by this verse condemns both the Jews and the
Christians as veritable infidels because mere lip belief in God

475 '

and His former Prophets has no value unless the Prophet of tke
time is believed in and obeyed,

; Beware 1 The turn of trial has now come upon the present
generation to recognise the Prophet of their time.

The Almighty God has raised in these days Hazrat Mirza
Gulam Ahmad the Promised Messiah and Mahdi Peace and
Blessings of God be on him as His Prophet for all the nations of
the world as prophesied by their respective Prophets. He ap-
peared at Qadian (India) at the appointed time with thousands
of signs, proofs and testimonies.

Blessed is he who believes in him but he who disbelieves
him and degrades him by seeking a distinction between him
and other Messengers of God as per the hereditary custom of the
preceding nations shall meet the same fate as per the verse
quoted above.

HYPOCRITES.

Besides the believers and the disbelievers these is another class
of men which invariably spring up along with the supporters and
opposers whenever a Messenger of God is raised. They are the
Hypocrites who stir up disturbance and show feebleness of faith
and when remonstrated with, put forward, lame excuses Their
life is all along one of^mean compromises, now associating them-
selves with the believers and then identifying themselves with the
Leaders of the disbelievers- Concerning them the Holy Quran
says :

Give glad tidings to the Hypocrites that for them is a pain-
ful tormeuti. Those who take the disbelievers for patrons besides
the faithful, do they seek honour with them ? IV: 137-138.

But the honour is for God and His Apostles and the Believers,
but the Hypocriies do not know. LXIII: 8.

4?6

t'hey (the Hypocrites) desire that ye shotild become infidel^
as they are infidels and that ye should be alikei Therefore
take not frdm among them patrons until they fly for the religion
of God; IV: 91.

believers take not the disbelievers patrons besides the
faithful; Do ye desire to make for God and evident argument
against you?

"Verily the Hypocrites shall be in the lowest depths of fire,
and thou shalt not find for them a helper except those who turn
and amend and hold fast to God and are sincere in their religion
to God; those shall be with the faithful and in the end God will
give the Faithful a magnificient reward. IV : 144-145.

On the Day the Hypocrites, both men and women, shall
say to those who believe; 'Look towards us that we may take
some of your light" It shall be said " Go ye back behind you
and seek a light " There will be struck between them a wall with
a gate, within which shall be the Mercy and the outer side of it
has the torment before it. They shall cry to them "Were we
not with you?" They shall say "Yes but ye led yourselves
into temptation, cherished (vain) hopes and ye doubted, and your
wishes deceived you concerning God.

On thafc Day, therefore no ransom shall be taken from you
nor from tbose who disbelieve ; Your abode is the fire ; it is your
patron and wretched the journey thither. L VII : 13-14.

Hast thou not seen those who take for patrons the people
upon whom is the wrath of God; they are neither of your party
nor of theirs ; and they swear to lie knowingly-

God has prepared for them a severe torment; verily, evil is
what they do. They make a cloak of their faith, and thus
become an obstacle in the way of God ; therefore a shameful tor-
ment awaiteth them.

477

Not at all shall their wealth or their .children avail them
aught, against God; these are the fellows of the Fire, they shall be
therein for ever.

On the day, when God shall raise them all, they will swear
to Him as they swear to you, thinking it will avail them to some
extent. Are not they verily, yes they the liars? LVIII 15 to 19.

Believers take not for patrons a people upon whom is the
w.rath of God. LX: 13.

Tradition.

The Holy Prophet Mahomad Peace and blessings of God
be on Him says :

You will find a double faced person (a Hypocrite) to be
amongst the worst people with God on the Day of Judgment, he
who goes to one people with one face and to another people with
another.

Obey the Summoner of God. If he is a False

Prophet he shall bear his sin and

shall be destroyed.

Hereafter shall Guidance come unto you from Me. Then
whoso follows My Guidance shall not err nor be wretched. But
whoso turns away from My Admonition, his truly shall be a life
of misery. And We will gather him on the Day of Judgment
blind. XX : 122, 123, 124.

our people obey the Summoner of God and believe in Him,
that He may padrori your sins and deliver you from the painful
torment. XLVI : 30.

And who is more iniquitous than him who forgeth a lie
against God, while he is called to Islam (i e., total resignation to
Him)? LXI: 7.

478

Do they say he has forged it ? say if I have forged it, on me
be my sin and I am clear of what ye do sin. XI: 35.

Say if I err I err only against myself. XXXIV: 49.

And a believer of the Family of Pharoah who had concealed
his faith, said "Will you kill a man for that he says rny Lord is
God and he has certainly come to you with evidences from your
Lord? If he be a liar then on him is his lie, and if he is truthful
there shall befall you something of what he threatens you, verily
God does not direct him to success who is a sinner and liar- XL: 29.

And who is more iniquitous than him who invents a lie
against God or calls His signs lie; Verily He does not allow the
iniquitous to prosper. VI: 21.

Had he (The Prophet) forged some discourses concerning Us,
truly We would have seized him by the right hand and would
have surely cut his jugular vein then none of you could be a
defence for him. LXIX: 45-48.

Bible.

Any prophet who shows miracles but invites to unknown
gods is a false prophet and shall be killed. Deut 13 1 to 5.

A Prayer from the Holy Quran.

our Lord, verily we have heard the voice of one that cal-
led. He called us to faith (saying) "Believe in your Lord" and
we have believed.

our Lord, pardon us our sios, and expiate from us our
evil works, and cause us to die wifch the righteous. Ill: 190, 191.

Therefore give glad tidings to My servants, who hearken the
words and follow the best of it. These are they whom God has
guided, and these are they who have hearts. XXXIX : 19.

479

Carelessness towards the Warnings.

Their account draws near to the people, yet in carelessness
they turn aside.

There comes not to them a fresh reminder from their Lord
but they only hear it to make a play of it ; Their hearts set on
lusts. XXI : 1, 2, 3.

And the sure promise draws near; and lo ! they stare* the
eyes of those who believe not, (and they shall say)

woe to us ! we have been in carelessness of this ! Ay we
have been wrong doers. XXI : 97.

And when Our signs are recited to him, he turns back dis-
dainfully, as though he heard them not as if in his two ears were
heaviness; so give him glad tidings of a painful torment.

XXXI: 6,

And it shall be said, ''Today We will forget as you did for-
get the meeting of this your Day, and your abode is the Fire
and ye shall have no helpers.

That is for that ye took the signs of God for a jest, and the
life of this world deceived you, so this Day they shall not be
taken out of it and they shall not be received back into favor.

XLY:33 34.

Fate of those who disbelieve the Divine

Messengers*

Verily God has cursed the disbelievers and has prepared for
them the blaze, For ever therein and ever; they shall not find
a patron nor a helper. On the Day their faces shall be rolled in
the Fire: they shall say, would that we had obeyed the Apostle
and they shall say, our Lord, Verily we have obeyed our
chiefs and our great men and they have led us astray from the
way. XXXIII: 6466.

480

And those who disbelieve for them is the Fire of Hell, it
is not decreed them to die, nor shall their torment be made
light to them, thus We reward every disbeliever.

And they shall shriek out therein "0 our Lord take us out,
we will do good, not what we have been doing." (God shall
reply) "Did We not give you an age that whoso would mind could
mind and there came to you a Warner, so taste ye; there is nob
for the wrong doers any helper". XXXV: 3335.

And those in Fire shall say to the keepers of Hell, call upon
your Lord that He may remit us one day from the torment.
They shall say "Did not there come to you apostles with
evidences? They shall say "Yes" They shall then say "Pray,
but the prayer of the disbelievers ends in failure" XL: 52-53.

Whenever a troop (of disbelievers) shall be thrown into it
(Hell) its keepers shall ask them "Did not a Warner come to
you?" They shall say, "Yes a Warner did come to us charged
with warnings but we called him a liar and said God has sent
down nothing: Ye are in nothing but a vast delusion" and they
shall say "if we had only listened and had sense, we had not
been among the people of the Blaze." Then will they confess
their sins but away away with the fellows of the burning fire.

LXVil: 8-11.

Little, therefore, let them laugh and much let them weep,
as the reward of what they earned. IX: 83.

And never pray for any of them who dies and never stand
on his grave. Yerily they disbelieved God aud His Apostle
and died in wickedness. IX: 85.

Thou shall not find a people who believe in God and the
Day of the Hereafter, loving him who opposes God and His
Apostle, although they be their father or their sons or their

481

brothers or their nearest kin ; these are the men in whose heart
God has inscribed the faith and has strengthened them with a
spirit from Him LVIII : 22.

Warn, therefore, for the warning is profitable, he that
feareth God will receive the warning, and the most reprobate
will turn aside, who shall be exposed to the terrible Fire, in
which he shall neither die and shall nor live. LXXXVIII : 913.

482

CORRECTIONS

1
1

101

103

116

119

122

132

136

Line.

15
12

8
28

15
17
16
30
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10

5
23

1
20

24
20
25
25
16
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8
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31

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242
243
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296

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483
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367
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419
432
440
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The Te^chln^ of Tslm

HAZRAt MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD

The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and Founder

of the Ahmadiyya Movement, Qadian.

This book deals with the following five fundamental doctri-
nes of religion from the Muslim point of view^:

(1) The physical, moral and spiritual condition of man.
(2) the state of man in the after life, (3) the real object of the
existence of man and the means of its attainment, (4) the effect
of actions in the present life and the life to come, (5) the sourc-
es of Divine knowledge.

Opinions.

Late Count Tolstoy expressed the following opinion on one of
its parts ; " I approved very much two articles. How to get
rid of ' Sin' and 'Life to come.' The idea is very profound and
very true."

Theosophical Book Notes : "The best and most attractive
presentation of the faith of Muhammad which we have yet come

across."

The Indian Spectator: "An exposition of the teachings

of the Koran in a very attractive form ...there is nothing

disputatious and nothing which is not druwn direct from the
Koran."

The English Mail : " A summary of really Islamic ideas."
The Indian Review : "A very entertaining and~ pleasant

reading, lucid, comprehensive and philosophical evokes

admiration. The book deserves to be in the hands of every
Muhammadan student and also in the libraries of those who
wish to know something of Muhammadan religion."

485

the Spiritual Journal, Boston : Pure Gospel.'

The Bristol Times and Mirror . "Clearly it is DO ordinary
person who thus addresses himself to the West."

The Muslim Review: ''The reader will meet with raany
true, profound, original and inspiring ideas which would interest
the Muslims and Non-Muslims alike. Strongly commended/'

The Scotsman : " Sure of a welcome by students of com-
parative religion."

(No English knowing Muslim should be with-
out a copy of this valuable book,)

Price 140 or i sh. 8 d. net.

English Translation of the Holy Quran.

With original Arabic Text; English Transliteration and
copious explanatory notes and comments most valuable work
in 30 Parts.

First Part Ready Price Rs. 2 OP 4 sh.

The Review of Religions.

The chief monthly Organ of the Ahmadiyya Movement
which deals with the Islamic and Non-Islamic questions and
has proved invaluable not only as a help to the educated Muslim
to understand his religion aright but also as giving reliable first
hand information to Non-Muslims.

Annual Subscription Es- 6 or 8 sh.

The above can be had from THE MANAGES,

" Review of Religions, "

QADIAN, Punjab.

486

The Moslem Sunrise.

A Quarterly Organ of THE AHMADTA MOVEMENT published
in America by DR. MtiM MUHAMMAD SADIQ B. PHIL, A S. P-,
F. P. C. LONDON F. G. CHEOM M. R. A- B.

Annual Subscription $ 1-00 (ENGLAND 5/- INDIA Rs. 5/-)
27. LA BELLE AVE HIGHLAND PABK MICH, U- S. A.

also from Qadian, Punjab, India.

THE AL-BUSHRA.

. .

A Weekly Organ of THE AHMADIA MOVEMENT,

Published in English by
GHOUDHBY GnuLAk MOHOTVTMAD, B. A.
Annual Subscription Rsi 9/- .

Foreign ,, Rs 12/- Qadian^ Punjab , India.

THE MESSAGE,

A Weekly Organ of THE AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT,

Published in English and Tamil.
Annual Subscription Rs. 3/-

Apply : THE MANAGER, THE MESSAGE,

30, Shorts Road, Colombo> (CEYLON),

REVUE DE ISLAMIC.

A Fortnightly Organ of the AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT?,

Published in French by

T&E ANJUMAN-E-AHMADIYYA,

Rose Hill, Mauritius.

487

The following useful books can be had from the Manager. " Book Depot
Ta'lif-o-Isha'at " Qadian, Punjab, India :

Rs, A. P.

1. Teachings of Islam, a philosophical discussion of the

teachings of the Holy Quran, by the Promised Messiah,

pp. 196 (bound) ... ... ...140

2. Ahmad and his Teachings, selections from the writings of

the Promised Messiah, pp. 500 (bound) 4th Edition. 300

3. Ahmad, the Messenger of the Latter Days, a brief account

of the life of the Promised Messiah, by Hazrat Mirza
Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, second successor of the
Promised Messiah, pp. 68. ... ... ...080

4. A Present to H. R. H. the Prince of Wales by second suc-

cessor to the Promised Messiah. (Bound) ... 3 4 o

Do. (Unbound) ... ... 2 o o

Do. Urdu Edition. ... i 10 o

5. A Present to Kings, an epistle to H. E. H. the Nizam of*

Hyderabad, by the second successor of the Promised
Messiah, explaining the need and object of the Ahmadi-
yya Movement, pp. 89 ... ... ...080

6. Non-Co-operation and Islam, by Hazrat Khalifatul

Masih II ... ... ... ... i 2 o

7. Islam and other Faiths, by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din

Mahmud Ahmad, second successor of the Promised
Messiah, pp. 42. ... ... ...060

8. The Future of Turkey, by Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II. ... o 40

9. Islam versus Civilization by Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih II. o 2 o
10. The Turkish Peace and the Muslims' Duty, by Hazrat

Khalifat-ul- Masih II. ... ... ...040

ii The Message of Peace, a way to bring about peace bet-
ween Hindus and Muslims, the last writing of the
Promised Messiah, pp. 36. ... ... ...020

12. The Will of the Promised Messiah, a prophecy of his

death and directions for his followers, by the Promised
Messiah, pp. 32. ... ... ...020

13. Extracts from the Holy Quran beautifully arranged under

important headings. ... (bound) ... i 8 o

14. What the Ahmadiyya Movement has done for the Govern-

ment, by M. Slier Ali,-B. A., pp. 20. ... ... 020

15. What distinguishes Ahmadees from Non-Ahmadees, by

M. Sher Ali, B. A., pp. u. ... ... 020

16. The Islamic Mode of Worship '.illustrated.) ... ...080

17. The Imam of the age with a reward of Rs. 10000 ...040
1 8. How to achieve true success. ... ... ooa o 2 o

3558.70253

UNIVERSITY OFCHCAGO

20 581 275

BP195

691630

Claims and teachings.