|
list
|
..
|
Introduction:
Is there any Muslim who is unaware of
the fact that this age of Islam is the age of great
misfortunes? The greatest of them all, the real cause of
their decline and decay, is their utter neglect of carrying
the message and the knowledge of the truth of Islam to the
world. On the one hand, there is the Quran, the fountainhead
of spiritual knowledge, and on the other, the dry and
parched world thirsting for this knowledge, but unable to
find the water which will quench its thirst. In most parts
of the world, illumined by the new scientific learning, the
old religion has been relegated to the background and people
are in search of a new one. Europe, in particular, the
centre of material civilisation at present, is in search of
a religion and is unknowingly moving towards accepting the
principal teachings of the Quran. The need of the hour is
that Muslims should pool their resources to make Europe and
the rest of the Western world understand and admire the true
teachings of Islam and the spiritual treasures of the Quran.
But when the negligence of a people towards these matters
goes beyond its limit, the practice of God is that He sends
a person to wake them up. Accordingly, He raised among the
Muslims Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, as a mujaddid
(renovator) at the head of the fourteenth century
Hijrah so that he might show the light of Islam to a
world groping in darkness, especially the Christians who had
politically dominated the world. As he himself had said in a
Persian couplet:
"As I have been given light
for the Christian people, therefore the name Ibn Maryam
(son of Mary) has been bestowed on me."
As the great mujaddid of this
age was commissioned to reform and rectify the errors of
present-day Christianity, and to save Muslims and mankind in
general from the false doctrines of Christianity, he was
therefore also appointed as a messiah for this nation. In
his heart was engraved such a deep passion for the service
and propagation of Islam - the religion of unity and peace,
the religion of light and guidance -- that not only
did he devote himself entirely to this noble task which
Muslims had completely forgotten, but he also gathered
around him an enthusiastic band of followers who joined
hands with him in this work. But as there are thorns where
flowers grow, so, too, there are people who rise in
opposition against those who are appointed by God to help
the world. This happened in the case of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
also. A group of people stood in his way and tried to wipe
out his mission from the face of the earth. But the tree
which was planted by Allah cannot be uprooted and by the
grace of Allah it is growing well in spite of all efforts to
destroy it.
In this small book, I have gathered
all the points which relate to the claims of the Founder of
the Ahmadiyya Movement so that our Muslim brethren should
reflect on them in a cool and dispassionate manner, and see
that the path towards which he wants to direct the attention
of the Muslim ummah is the path of righteousness and
is not in any way a deviation from the religion of Islam,
even by a hair's breadth. On the other hand, all these
matters which were made a source of serious objections by
the opponents of Islam have been clarified in the light of
the Quran and the Hadith . Similarly, the fulfilment
of many of the prophecies of the Holy Prophet Muhammad
helped to increase our faith in the truth and dignity of the
Holy Prophet and that of Islam. A Muslim gains practically
in every way by accepting and joining this Movement. In some
way or other, he gets engaged in the service and propagation
of Islam and joins a party about which it has been mentioned
in the Quran:
And from among you there
should be a party who invite to good and enjoin the right
and forbid the wrong. And these are they who are
successful (3:103).
This Movement is distinguished from
others in this age. Its main objective is to lead its
followers exactly in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad.
For self-purification, there are also mujahidat
(spiritual exertions) in it, but only those mujahidat
which were taught by the Holy Prophet to his companions,
that is, to exert oneself with one's life and property for
the propagation and service of Islam. Thus this Movement is
not devoid of mujahidat, but these spiritual
exertions not only help one in the upliftment of one's soul
but also in the upliftment of the cause of Islam. In this
way, this Movement has combined together spirituality
(ruhaniyyat) and jihad or tasawwuf
(mysticism) and acquiring eternal knowledge (`ilm-i
zahiri) for the defence of Islam, for the greatest of
jihad belongs to the realm of knowledge. I have a
request to make to Muslims in general, that they should
study the history of the Movement themselves and do not pay
any attention to hearsay. Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has not claimed
to be a prophet; he is a mujaddid and a servant of
Islam. Any fair thinking person can easily decide about the
teachings of this Movement after going through the ten
conditions of bai'at (pledge of fealty) which are
quoted below:
1 That until he is laid in
his grave, he will shun all forms and shades of shirk
(polytheism).
2 That he will guard against
falsehood, fornication, evil sight and every form of sin,
evil, cruelty, dishonesty, disorder and rebellion; that
in moments of passion, he will on no account give in,
however boisterous that passion may be.
3 That without fail, he will say
his prayers five times a day as enjoined by God and His
Messenger and that, to the best of his power, he will say
his midnight prayer, will invoke Divine blessings on the
Holy Prophet, will ask forgiveness for his sins and will,
with a truly loving heart, recall God's favours and
glorify Him.
4 That he will do nothing in any
way to injure his fellow human beings in general and the
Muslims in particular - neither with the tongue nor with
the hand nor in any other way.
5 That he will show fidelity to
Allah under all circumstances - alike in prosperity and
adversity, in pleasure and pain, in time of bliss and
affliction; that he will resign himself to God under all
conditions and will cheerfully bear all hardships and
humiliations in His way; that in the hour of calamity he
will not turn his back but will step yet
onward.
6 That he will eschew observance of
evil customs or following the prompting of his lower
nature; that he will thoroughly submit to the guidance of
the Holy Quran; and that in every walk of life he will
hold the Word of God and of His Messenger as his guiding
principle.
7 That he will totally abstain from
haughtiness and will live in humility, meekness and
mildness.
8 That he will hold the honour of
religion and sympathy for Islam dearer than everything
else - dearer than his life, his wealth, his honour, his
children, his kith and kin.
9 That he will make it a rule of
his life to show sympathy towards all human beings out of
love for God and that, to the best of his power, he will
use all his God-given faculties and blessings for the
benefit of humanity.
10 That, binding himself with me
(i.e. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Founder of the Ahmadiyya
Movement in Islam), in a fraternal bond in the way of
Allah, he will obey me in everything good, and will live
up to his pledge till his death; that in this fraternal
bond he will show such sincerity as is not met with in
cases of blood relations or other worldly
connections.
Muhammad Ali
Ahmaddiya Buildings
Lahore
29 January
1918
INTRODUCTION TO THE
SECOND EDITION:
As regards the publication of
the second edition of the book, The Promised Messiah,
I could not find time to revise it and make the necessary
changes, particularly because I was extremely busy with the
translation of the shorter edition of the Quran. The book
is, therefore, a reprint of the first edition. It will
suffice here to mention a few points which I think must be
put before my Muslim brethren.
1. Assessing the
truth of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's
mission:
There are many people who are
bent on opposing Mirza Ghulam Ahmad without thinking of, or
understanding the true nature of his mission. They never
take the time to ponder whether he was beneficial or not to
the cause of Islam and Muslims in general. Remember well,
that the question of good and bad is a question of actual
facts and not one of religious beliefs and opinions. At the
moment, I do not want to discuss what the claims of Hazrat
Mirza are and whether they are in any way opposed to the
beliefs of the Ahl-i Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah. This question can
only be raised when there exists a doubt about it. When he
has declared not only once, but scores of times that his
beliefs are the same as the beliefs of the Ahl-i Sunnah, the
question of discussing these beliefs does not arise. Thus
the point at issue is only whether Hazrat Mirza has been
harmful or beneficial to the cause of Islam and the Muslim
world.
2. He did not
create dissension among Muslims:
In what ways has he been
harmful? The greatest charge attributed to him is that he
has damaged the solidarity of Islam by creating a new sect.
This is even asserted by intelligent Muslims, but they never
take the trouble to look into the facts. Did unity among
Muslims exist before him? The fact is that Muslims were
fighting against one another over things of minor
importance, thus sundering and disrupting the unity of
Islam. The condition in India was such that cases of
quarrels over the saying of Amin in a loud or low
voice were brought before the High Court. Pronouncing one
another as unbelievers (kafir) was the main
occupation of the Muslim `ulama. Where was the unity
of Islam which was damaged by Hazrat Mirza? Perhaps somebody
can lay the charge that with the appearance of Hazrat Mirza
on the scene, the differences among Muslims were further
augmented. If he had, in fact, drawn the attention of his
followers to the trivial matters over which Muslims were
already fighting, then, this new sect or new Movement should
undoubtedly be blamed for expanding the dissension among
Muslims. But in spite of this, a storm of opposition was
raised against the claims of Hazrat Mirza and pronouncements
of heresy were issued against him and a lot of his time was
wasted in clarifying his position. Still, he turned the
greater part of the activities of his followers towards
defending and propagating the message of Islam in India and
abroad. He wished the ulama were patient with him for
some time and see whether his mission was for the good of
Islam or not, and if it damaged the interest of Islam, they
would have been justified in their campaign against him, but
no one really listened to him. In spite of all that, he
produced valuable literature about Christianity and the Arya
Samaj - and this was extensively used even by his opponents
for the defence of Islam against the powerful onslaughts of
the Christians and the Arya Samajists. Another contemporary
movement among the Muslims which came into existence at the
same time was that of the Ahl-i Quran (People of the
Quran). As this movement was not based on the Quranic verse,
He sends down angels with revelation by His command on
whom He pleases of His servants (16:2), therefore all
its energy was spent on the minor internal problems in which
Muslims were already deeply engrossed. If it is said that
this movement of the Ahl-i Quran, in fact, increased the
existing dissension among Muslims, it would be nearer to the
truth. But a movement which was particularly made the target
of attacks by the ulama of Islam and did their best
to destroy it completely, was a movement which, in fact,
became the source of strengthening the cause of Islam.
Instead of entangling itself in internal skirmishes, it
stood in defence of Islam against its external foes. To say
that this Movement has enlarged the gulf of dissension among
Muslims is to close one's eyes to relevant facts. The day
all Muslim sects unite against the foes of Islam and spend
their time and energy in the defence and propagation of
Islam, as Ahmadis have done, dissension in Islam will
disappear. Hazrat Mirza revived the principle that if there
are ninety-nine signs of disbelief (kufr) in a person
and only one indication of Islam, that person should still
be considered a Muslim. This has laid down a solid
foundation for the unity of Islam. If this principle is
accepted by Muslims, it will have far-reaching effects on
them and will give back to them their lost power and
glory.
Some people, by neglecting the
distinction between sectarianism and difference of opinion,
regard all differences of opinion as an attempt at creating
disharmony and discord in Islam. The Quran says:
As for those who split up
their religion and became sects, thou hast no concern
with them (6:160).
The meaning of splitting up the unity
of religion and becoming divided into sects is obvious, but
some people have a wrong understanding of this verse. It
does not and could not mean that Muslims should not differ
with one another in any respect. It was, however, not
surprising to find differences of opinion in a nation that
was spread all over the world. The Holy Prophet had declared
difference of opinion to be a mercy for his ummah,
which shows that in difference is also hidden the secret of
the progress of the ummah. Difference only comes into
existence by the expression of an opinion which in turn
helps to clarify and improve the intellectual and mental
faculties of a person. Islam advocates unity, but unity in
the principles of religion. In other matters in Islam, there
is wide scope for differences. Becoming divided into sects
and having differences of opinion are not one and the same
thing. Sectarianism is a curse but difference of opinion is
a blessing. The companions of the Holy Prophet themselves
differed on certain questions although the Quran was
revealed in their presence, and the words of the Holy
Prophet reached their ears and they were direct recipients
of spiritual blessings from him.
3. What is
Sectarianism?:
The Kharijites 1
were the first who were responsible for the creation of
sects in Islam. There have been reports in which it has
clearly been mentioned about them that they shattered the
solidarity of Muslims, not because they differed with the
companions of the Holy Prophet on some matters, for
difference existed among the companions also, but because it
was they who started takfir (pronouncement of
unbelief) among Muslims. At that time, Hazrat `Ali and
Hazrat Mu'awiyah were engaged in a battle. The Kharijites
sided with `Ali but they demanded that `Ali should declare
Mu'awiyah and his collaborators kafirs (unbelievers)
and outside the pale of Islam. Hazrat `Ali refused to do so
and clearly said:
"They are also our brothers
who have revolted against us; we do not declare them
unbelievers or transgressors
(fasiqs).
If some thought is given to the verses
of the Quran on this point, it would be clear that Muslims
have been forbidden from two things; these are, from
becoming divided into sects and from splitting up the
religion. Both of these are the result of takfir. Any
group that declares the other to be kafir (perhaps
that group is greater in number and calls itself the
greatest group among Muslims), when it indulges in the
takfir of the professors in the Kalimah (there
is but One God and Muhammad is His Messenger), has indeed
created divisions in the ranks of Islam and has destroyed
the basis on which Muslims could unite. When the essence of
religion is confined to a few problems in which one group
differs with the other, and the principles of faith are
completely neglected, this is how the religion is split. The
result is that all one's energy is wasted on matters of
peripheral importance. The parties are so engaged in such
trivial differences that nobody cares whether the foundation
of faith itself is being destroyed. The basis of
sectarianism is, therefore, the pronouncement of unbelief
(takfir) against Muslims. The sad aspect of the story
is that when people start condemning one another over minor
differences, the strength of the nation becomes weak. Power
which ought to have been used for the progress of Islam is
frittered away in trying to decry one another.
When the Quran laid the great
foundation of Islamic brotherhood and stated: Innamal
mu'minuna ikhwatun (Verily the believers are brethren -
49:10), it did not overlook the possibility of the rise of
honest differences among Muslims. At the same place it was
pointed out that if two parties of the believers quarrel,
make peace between them (49:9). Now, both the contending
parties have been considered believers here. This is the
lesson which Muslims have forgotten today. The tolerance
which Muslims were expected to show towards the followers of
other religions should have been observed to a greater
extent among themselves. They ought to have learnt to
respect the ideas of others and to tolerate differences of
opinion among themselves. But their present condition is
such that the moment a person differs from them on any point
he is immediately declared to be an unbeliever and a
heretic. To torture and molest him in all possible ways is
regarded as a deed of great virtue. The main problem is not
that among Muslims there are people who differ in their
opinions, which is, however, one of the essential requisites
for the progress of Islam, but that Muslims cannot tolerate
honest difference of opinion. On the other hand, the
companions of the Holy Prophet showed great broadmindedness
regarding the diversity of views among
themselves.
If, however, a people differ with
other people on some matters and they prefer a different
opinion, this cannot be called sectarianism. When on account
of this difference, one brother Muslim is declared an
unbeliever and is subjected to persecution, which is
mistakenly thought to be a meritorious deed and a source of
great reward (thawab), it is then that the evils of
sectarianism take root in a society. A person is not guilty
of sectarianism when, having complete faith in the
Kalimah and the Quran as the Word of God, he
considers some of the ideas or customs and habits of Muslims
as being against the Quran and Hadith. If this is
sectarianism, then the scope for the reformation of Muslims
will be closed. The day when Muslims are delivered from the
curse of takfir, the day when they cease making plans
for destroying one another, their differences will indeed be
a blessing in disguise.
4. The importance
of little things:
Perhaps it can be said that
the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement is himself responsible
for disputes on many matters of minor importance. It should
be remembered that he has only drawn attention to problems
which in their existing forms were detrimental to the cause
of Islam on the one hand, and were becoming a source of
strength to the enemies of Islam on the other. For instance,
he has indeed laid emphasis on the question of the death of
Jesus Christ, the main reason being that Muslims, though
they denied the godhead of Jesus Christ, had inadvertently
made him an associate in some of the attributes of God. In
the struggle between Islam and Christianity, the Christian
missionaries used the unfounded beliefs of the Muslims, as a
weapon against Islam. They led many Muslims astray by
arguing that according to Muslims, Jesus Christ was alive
with his temporal body, without eating and drinking, in the
fourth heaven, and that his body had not undergone any
change, as if it were completely different from the bodies
of all other prophets. They would often compare the Prophet
Muhammad with Jesus Christ by saying that one lay in the
ground and the other was alive in heaven and that God made a
general rule for the prophets that He did not give them
bodies not eating food, nor did they abide (21:8) but that
Jesus was an exception to this rule and therefore he was a
superior being to other messengers. It was also argued that
he shared the divine attribute of being now as he ever was,
because for the last two thousand years no change had taken
place in his body. It was to eradicate this false belief
from the minds of Muslims that the Founder had to devote his
attention to this problem.
Similarly, the preposterous thought
that the Mahdi would spread Islam at the point of the
sword was another weapon which was extensively used against
Muslims. Such a belief in a way lent credence to the
allegations against Islam that it was indeed spread by the
sword. By his claims that he was the Messiah and the
Mahdi promised in the Traditions, the Founder removed
completely from the way of Islam two serious obstacles and
by so doing opened new vistas for the propagation of Islam.
He did not engage himself in the disputes in which the
Muslim `ulama at that time were completely engrossed.
On the other hand, he guided his followers towards the
liberal view that, in spite of these differences, Muslims
could still become a united body. This was the secret of his
success. He delivered Muslims from a meaningless occupation
and directed their attention to a work of real
value.
5. The advantages
of his claims:
A little consideration will
show that the points on which the Ahmadiyya Movement has
been considered harmful have, in fact, been the source of
great benefit to Muslims. The objection that a useless
discussion has sprung up about the Founder's claims of being
the Promised Messiah and the Mahdi, is the result of
a lack of serious reflection. The two so-called beliefs, one
in the temporal life of Jesus Christ and the other in a
warrior mahdi, were extremely damaging to Islam.
Their extirpation was not possible in any other way except
that God, by giving a person the names of Messiah and
mahdi, should demonstrate to the world that Islam was
neither in need of an Israelite prophet from heaven, nor of
the sword of the so-called warrior mahdi. Islam was
going to dominate the world by its sublime principles and by
its inherent spiritual powers. This was the great task for
which the Mujaddid of the fourteenth century was
raised, so that it might clear the way for the progress of
Islam in the world. The claims of the Founder, over which
Muslims are stumbling by shutting their eyes to the
pertinent facts, are, in reality, the source of real benefit
to Muslims on the one hand, and the source of protecting
Islam against the attacks of its enemies on the other. God
alone knows when the eyes of our people will open and they
will respond to the call of the person who suffered every
kind of persecution but could not bear to see that the cause
of Islam should suffer. He was considered the only champion
of Islam prior to his claims and had earned great respect in
the hearts of Muslims, something for which a worldly-minded
person would have had a great yearning. However, for the
ultimate good of Islam and Muslims, he turned his back on
this worldly honour and esteem. He did not care that he
should be respected. The only passion he had was that Islam
should be respected - that Islam and Muhammad, the Messenger
of Allah, should become dear to the world. In the love of
the Messenger of God he did not care if anyone called him a
kafir:
"After the love of God I am
intoxicated in the love of Muhammad.
If this is unbelief, by God, I am the greatest of
unbelievers."
6. The beneficial
aspects of the Ahmadiyya Movement:
As compared to the supposedly
detrimental aspect of the Ahmadiyya Movement, let us now
consider what actual benefits Muslims and Islam received at
the hands of the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement. Had he
not appeared, all the Islamic literature which his followers
have produced would not have come into existence. Neither
would there have been translations of the Quran nor other
literature in English and German and other languages. The
lost teachings and the true principles of Islam would not
have been revived nor would there have been any missions in
England, Germany and America. Europeans would not have
become Muslims, nor would the voice of Allahu Akbar
(God is the greatest) be raised in places where unbelief
once reigned. The yeoman service which Ahmadis have rendered
in defending and strengthening Islam in India and abroad
cannot be ignored by any fair-minded historian of Islam. Let
every Muslim think for himself whether or not the Ahmadiyya
Movement has been beneficial to the cause of
Islam.
As to our opponents, I will ask them a
few questions. Why are they provoked at the name of Mirza
Ghulam Ahmad and the Ahmadiyya Movement, and why are they
not disturbed at the attacks of Christian missionaries and
Arya Samajists against Islam? Why do they not take note of
the hostile forces working against Islam, and why are they
bent on annihilating a Movement that exists only for the
service of Islam ? How painful it is that a thing which is
of real value is considered to be worthless, a Movement
which stands for Islam is considered to be a thorn in the
side of Islam, and Ahmadis who have pledged themselves to
live and die for Islam are being hated by their
fellow-Muslims! This is indeed very sad but remember well
that it has been said in the Quran:
As for that which does
good to men, it tarries in the earth (13:17).
Anything which works for the good of
men is never destroyed. Ahmadiyyat stands for the good of
mankind, and therefore, it cannot be destroyed. Hence, do
not fight against the laws of God. Do not close your eyes to
plain facts. Remove the feelings of rancour and hatred from
your hearts about this Movement. Try to understand things
and learn to love the cause for which this Movement stands.
Your hatred now is not hatred against Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad, because he is dead; it is hatred against the service
of Islam. If you love this Movement, this will prove your
love only for Islam and nothing else.
7. The revival of
the defence and propagation of Islam:
I again declare that if any
person looks at the events of the last thirty years he will
realise that it is Ahmadiyyat which has created the passion
for the propagation of Islam among Muslims. Muslims were, on
the whole, embroiled in their petty disputes and had
practically no organisation for the propagation of Islam. It
was Ahmadiyyat which revived the work of the defence and
extension of Islam in the world. It was Ahmadiyyat which
carried the torch of Islam to Europe in this age. It was
Ahmadiyyat which defended Islam against the attacks of
Christian and Arya Samajist preachers. In short, towards the
preaching and propagation of Islam, on which depend the
secret of the life and success of Muslims, there was only
one community which drew the attention of Muslims, and that
community was linked with the Mujaddid (Renovator) of
this century. If the Ahmadiyya Movement had done nothing
else except arouse the passion for this protection and
propagation of Islam in the hearts of Muslims, this was a
great achievement on the part of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, to whom
Muslims ought really to have paid homage for his services.
They should have joined hands with him in this noble work.
If the followers of this small organisation, momentarily
quite insignificant when compared with the vast number of
Muslims in the world, could achieve what they have with
their limited means, what a great revolution might have been
created had Muslims unanimously supported them in their
activities. Thousands in India, Europe and other parts of
the world would have seen the light of the Quran. Now,
consider for a moment on whose shoulders lies the sin of
their not seeing the light of Islam. Of course, on the
shoulders of those who look with their own eyes at the work
which serves the interests of Islam and Muslims, but refuse
to lend a hand of co-operation. Is this not criminal
disregard and neglect as far as the service of Islam is
concerned? Alas, the plant of Islam is becoming dry before
our eyes and there is none to water it. Perhaps it sometimes
brings tears to our eyes but we lack the resolution to join
those who are trying to nourish it with their own
blood.
"O Allah, have mercy on the
nation of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on
him)."
Muhammad `Ali
Ahmadiyya Buildings
Lahore, India
23 March 1928 CE
29 Ramadhan 1346 A.H.
Footnotes:
1 Literally
means "those who went out." Kharijites were members of the
earliest of the religious sects of Islam which rose during
the time of Hazrat `Ali, the fourth Khalifah. They
were known for their fanaticism, extremist proclamations and
terrorist actions. They branded everyone who disagreed with
their point of view an infidel and outside the pale of
Islam. (SMT)
Top
footer
|
'E-mail'
this page to a friend!
|
E-mail
Us!
This website is designed,
developed and maintained by the members of:
The Lahore
Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of
Islam
(Ahmadiyya
Anjuman Isha'at-e-Islam, Lahore
-- A.A.I.I.L.)
and is being managed in the Netherlands.
The responsibility of the content
of this website lies with the respective
authors
You may print-out and spread this
literature for the propagation of Islam provided our website
[aaiil.org]
is acknowledged
|
