The Holy Qur’an, upon which The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam was based.

Translated from Urdu by
Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan

THIRD QUESTION

The Object of Man’s Life and the Means of its Attainment

Different people, being short-sighted and lacking high resolve, appoint different purposes for their lives and limit themselves to worldly goals and ambitions. But the purpose that God Almighty has appointed for man in His Holy Word is as follows: I have created men and jinn so that they may know Me and worship Me^[1]. Thus, the true purpose of man’s life is the worship of God, His understanding and complete devotion to Him.

It is obvious that man is not in a position to appoint the purpose of his own life, for he does not come into the world of his own accord, nor will he depart therefrom of his own will. He is a creature and the One Who created him and invested him with better and higher faculties than those of all other animals, has also appointed a purpose for his life. Whether anyone penetrates it or not, the purpose of man’s creation without a doubt, is the worship and the understanding of God and complete devotion to Him. At another place, God Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an, that the religion which provides true understanding of God and prescribes His true worship is Islam.^[2] Islam is inherent in man’s nature and man has been created in accord with Islam. That is the everlasting faith.^[3] This means that God has desired that man should devote himself to His worship and obedience and love, with all his faculties. That is why He has bestowed on man all the faculties that are appropriate for Islam.

These verses have a very wide meaning, a part of which we have set out in the third part of the answer to the first question. Here we wish to state briefly that the true purpose of the internal and external limbs and faculties that have been bestowed on man, is the understanding of God and His worship and His love. That is why, despite occupying himself with diverse projects in this life, man does not find his true welfare except in God. Having had great wealth, having held a high office, having become a great merchant, having ruled a great kingdom, having been known as a great philosopher, in the end he departs from all these involvements with great regret. His heart constantly rebukes him on his total preoccupation with worldly affairs, and his conscience never approves his cunning and deceit and illicit activities. An intelligent person can appreciate this problem in this way also, that the purpose of everything is to be determined by its highest performance, beyond which its faculties cannot operate. For instance, the highest function of a bullock is ploughing or irrigation or transportation. Its faculties are not adapted to anything else. Therefore, the purpose of a bullock’s life is just these three things. It has no power to do anything else. But when we look into the faculties of man and try to discover what their highest reach is, we find that he seeks after God, the Exalted. He desires to become so devoted to God that he should keep nothing as his own, and all that is his should become God’s. He shares with the other animals his natural urge towards eating, sleeping etc. In industry some animals are far ahead of him. Indeed, the bees extracting the essence of different types of flowers produce such excellent honey, that man has not yet been able to match them. It is obvious, therefore, that the highest reach of man’s faculties is to meet God, the Exalted. Thus, the true purpose of his life is that the window of his heart should open towards God.

Means of the Attainment of Man’s Purpose

It may be asked how can this purpose be achieved and through what means can a person find God? The very first means of achieving this goal is to recognise God Almighty correctly and to believe in the True God. For if the very first step is not right, for instance, if a person believes in a bird, or an animal, or in the elements, or in the issue of a human being, as god, there can be no hope of his treading along the straight path in his further progress towards God. The True God helps His seekers, but how can a dead god help the dead? In this context God the Glorious has set forth an excellent illustration: Unto Him alone is the true prayer, as He has the power to do all things. Those on whom they call beside Him, do not respond to them at all. Their case is like that of one who stretches forth his hand towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. The prayers of those who are unaware of the True God are but a delusion.^[4]

The second means is to be informed of the perfect beauty of God Almighty; for the heart is naturally drawn to beauty, the observation of which generates love in the heart. God’s Beauty is His Unity and His Greatness and His Majesty and His other attributes, as the Holy Qur’an has said that God is One in His being and His attributes and His glory. He has no partner. All are dependent upon Him. He bestows life on every particle. He is the source of grace for everything, and is not in need of grace from any. He is neither a son nor a father, for He has no equal and no one is like unto Him.^[5] The Qur’an repeatedly draws attention to God’s Greatness and Grandeur, and thus impresses upon the minds of men that only such a God can be the desired objective of the heart, and not any dead or weak or pitiless or powerless being.

The third means of approach to God is knowledge of His Beneficence; for beauty and beneficence are the two incentives of love. The beneficent attributes of God are summed up in Surah Fatihah as follows: God creates His servants from nothing, out of perfect Beneficence and His Providence is available to them all the time.^[6] He is the support of everything and every type of His Beneficence has been manifested for His creatures. His Benevolence is without limit as He has said that if you try to count the bounties of Allah you will not be able to number them.^[7]

The fourth means of achieving the true purpose of life appointed by God Almighty is supplication, as He has said: call on Me, I shall respond to you.^[8] We are repeatedly urged to supplicate so that we should find God, not through our power but through God’s power.

The fifth means of achieving the purpose of life appointed by God Almighty, is striving in His cause; that is to say, we should seek God by spending our wealth in His cause, and by employing all our faculties in furthering His cause, and by laying down our lives in His cause, and by employing our reason in His cause; as He has said to strive in His way with your wealth and your lives and with all your faculties: Whatever We have bestowed upon you of intelligence and knowledge and understanding and art, employ it in Our cause. We surely guide along Our ways those who strive after Us.^[9]

The sixth means of achieving this purpose has been described as steadfastness, meaning that a seeker should not get tired or disheartened and should not be afraid of being tried, as God has said that – upon those who affirm – God is our Lord, and turn away from false gods and are steadfast, remain firm under trials and calamities, descend angels, reassuring them: Fear not nor grieve, and be filled with happiness; and rejoice that you have inherited the joy that you had been promised. We are your friends in this life and in the hereafter.^[10] These verses indicate that steadfastness wins the Pleasure of God Almighty. It is true, as has been said, that steadfastness is more than a miracle. The perfection of steadfastness is that when one is encircled by calamities and life and honour and good name are all in peril in the cause of Allah, and no means of comfort are available, so much so, that even visions and dreams and revelation are suspended by God as a trial, and one is left helpless among terrible dangers, at such a time one should not lose heart nor retreat like a coward, nor let one’s faithfulness be put in doubt in the least. One should not let one’s sincerity and perseverance be weakened, one should be pleased with one’s disgrace; one should be reconciled to death; one should not wait for a friend to lend one his support in order to keep one firm; nor seek glad tidings from God because of the severity of the trial. One should stand straight and firm despite one’s helplessness and weakness, and lack of comfort from any direction. Come what may, one should present oneself for sacrifice and should be completely reconciled to divine decrees, and one should exhibit no restlessness nor utter any complaint, right till the end of the trial. This is the steadfastness which leads to God. This is the perfume of which still reaches us from the dust of Messengers and Prophets and Faithful ones and Martyrs.

This is also indicated in the following supplication: Guide us along the path of steadfastness, the path that attracts Thy bounties and favours and by treading along which one wins Thy pleasure.^[11] Another verse also indicates the same: Lord, send down on us steadfastness in this time of trial and cause us to die in a state of submission to Thee’^[12] It should be realised that at a time of misfortunes and hardships, God Almighty causes a light to descend upon the hearts of those He loves; by being strengthened with this light they face those misfortunes with great serenity; and out of the sweetness of faith they kiss the chains that fetter them. When a godly person is afflicted and the signs of death become manifest, he does not start a contention with his Beneficent Lord, that he might be delivered from that condition, inasmuch as to persist in a supplication for security in such a condition means fighting God’s Decree and is inconsistent with complete submission. A true lover goes further forward under misfortunes and holding life as nothing at such a time, and saying goodbye to it, submits completely to the Will of God and seeks only His Pleasure. Concerning such people God Almighty has said that he whom God loves offers his life in the cause of God in return for God’s Pleasure.^[13] Such people win the compassion of God. This is the spirit of steadfastness through which one meets God. Let him who will understand.

The seventh means of achieving the purpose of life is to keep company with the righteous, and to observe their perfect example. One of the needs for the advent of prophets is that man naturally desires a perfect example, and such an example fosters zeal and promotes high resolve. He who does not follow an example becomes slothful and is led astray. This is indicated by Allah, the Glorious, in the verse about keeping company with the righteous^[14]; and in the verse about guiding us along the path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy favours.^[15] You should keep company with the righteous and learn the ways of those who have been the recipients of grace before you.

The eighth means of achieving the purpose of life are visions and true dreams and revelation. As the path that leads to God Almighty is a difficult one, and is studded with misfortunes and hardships, and it is possible that a person might go astray while treading along this unfamiliar, path and might begin to despair and stop going forward, the Mercy of God desires to keep comforting him and encouraging him and augmenting his zeal and eagerness. So it is His way that from time to time He comforts such people with His Word and His revelation, and makes it manifest to them that He is with them. Thus, they are strengthened and go forward eagerly on this journey. He has said that the Holy Qur’an has set forth several other means for the achievement of the purpose of life, but we refrain from setting them down here out of consideration of time.^[16]

ENDNOTES

1. And I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me. (Ch.51:V.57)
2. Surely, the true religion with Allah is Islam (complete submission). (Ch.3:V.20)
3. Follow the nature made by Allah— the nature in which He has created Mankind… That is the right religion. (Ch.30:V.31)
4. Unto Him is the true prayer. And those on whom they call beside Him answer them not at all, except as he is answered who stretches forth his two hands toward water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. And the prayer of the disbelievers is but a thing wasted. (Ch.13:V.15)
5. Say, ‘He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Independent and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.’ (Ch.112:Vs.2-5)
6. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, The Gracious, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. (Ch.1:Vs.2-4)
7. And if you try to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to number them. (Ch.14:V.35)
8. ‘Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer. (Ch.40:V.61)
9. Strive with your property and your persons in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if only you knew. (Ch.9:V.41)
10. As for those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, the angels descend on them, saying: ‘Fear you not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised. ‘We are your friends in this life and in the Hereafter. (Ch.41:Vs.31-32)
11. Guide us in the right path—The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessings (Ch.1:V.6-7)
12. Our Lord, pour forth upon us steadfastness and cause us to die resigned unto You. (Ch.7:V.127)
13. And of men there is he who would sell himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Compassionate to His servants. (Ch.2:V.208)
14. Be with the truthful. (Ch.9:V.119)
15. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessings (Ch.1:V.7)
16. For them are glad tidings in the present life and also in the Hereafter (Ch.10:V.65)

We have already explained that the word Kafur has been used in this verse for the reason that the Arabic word Kafara means suppression and covering up. This is an indication that these people have quaffed the cup of cutting asunder from the world and turning to God with such sincerity, that their love of the world has become quite cold. It is well-known that all passions originate in the heart, and when the heart withdraws altogether from all undesirable fancies and never reverts to them at all, these passions begin to decline until they disappear altogether; that is what is conveyed in this verse, that is to say, that such people draw far away from the passions of self, and incline so completely towards God that their hearts become cold to worldly pursuits, and their passions are suppressed as camphor suppresses poisonous matter. Then it is said: They will be given to drink therein of a cup tempered with ginger. The Arabic word for ginger (Zanjabil) is a compound of Zana’ and Jabal. Zana’ in Arabic idiom means ascending and Jabal means a mountain, thus Zana’ Jabal means: He ascended the mountain.

It should be remembered that after a person recovers from a poisonous disease he passes through two stages before he is restored to full health and strength. The first stage is when the poisonous matter is completely overcome and dangerous tendencies are reformed, and poisonous conditions are safely averted and the attack of the fatal upsurge is completely suppressed; but the limbs are still weak, strength is lacking and the patient treads wearily. The second stage is when the patient is restored to full health and his body achieves full strength, and he feels that he can climb hills and run along the heights. This condition is achieved in the third stage concerning which God Almighty has said, that godly people of the highest rank drink of cups that are flavoured with ginger; that is to say, that arriving at the full strength of their spiritual condition they can climb high mountains; meaning that they carry out great projects and make great sacrifices in the cause of God.

The Effect of Ginger

It should be remembered that one of the qualities of ginger is that it strengthens the system and relieves dysentery and warms it up so that a person becomes capable, as it were, of climbing a mountain. By placing camphor and ginger in juxtaposition it is intended to convey that when a person moves from a condition of subordination to his passions towards virtue, the first reaction is that the poisonous matter from which he suffers are suppressed and the surge of passions begins to subside, as camphor suppresses poisonous matter. That is why it is found useful in the treatment of cholera and typhoid. When poisonous matter is completely suppressed and the patient recovers his health to a degree in which he still feels weak, the second stage is that he derives strength from a drink flavoured with ginger. In spiritual terms, this drink is the manifestation of Divine beauty, which is the nourishment of the soul. When he derives strength from this manifestation he is enabled to climb high mountains, that is to say, he performs such surprisingly difficult feats in the cause of God, that no one whose heart is not inspired by the warmth of love can perform. In these verses, God Almighty has employed two Arabic terms to illustrate these two conditions; one term is camphor, which means suppression, and the other is ginger, which means climbing.

These are the two conditions, which are encountered by seekers after God. [The Qur’an states] that for the disbelievers who have no inclination towards accepting the truth, we have prepared chains and collars for the neck, and the burning sensation of a blazing fire.1 This means that for those who reject the truth and have no inclination towards accepting it, God has prepared chains and collars and a blazing fire. The meaning is that those who do not seek God with a true heart suffer a severe reaction. They are so involved with the world as if their feet are secured by chains, and they bend down so much towards worldly pursuits, as if there are collars round their necks which do not permit them to lift their eyes towards heaven. They have a burning desire for the things of the world: property, authority, domination, wealth, etc. As God Almighty finds them unworthy and committed to undesirable pursuits, He inflicts them with these three sufferings. This is an indication that every human action is followed by a corresponding action on the part of God. For instance, when a person closes all the doors and windows of his room, his action is followed by a Divine action whereby the room becomes dark. All the inevitable consequences of our actions that have been appointed by God Almighty under the law of nature are all God’s actions, inasmuch as He is the Cause of causes. For instance, if a person swallow’s poison, his action would be followed by the Divine action that he would suffer death. In the same way if a person acts in some improper way which attracts an infectious disease, his action would be followed by the Divine action that he would be afflicted with that disease.

Thus, as we observe clearly that in our worldly life, there is an inevitable result for every action of ours, and that result is the act of God Almighty. The same law operates in religious matters also. For instance, it is said that in consequence of the full striving of a person in seeking God, the inevitable act of God is to guide him along the ways that lead to Him.2 As a contrast it is said: When they deviated from the right course and did not desire to tread along the straight path, the Divine action followed in that their hearts were made perverse.3 To illustrate this even more clearly it is said: He who remains blind in this life will be blind in the hereafter also, and even more astray.4 This is an indication that the virtuous see God in this very life and they behold their True Beloved in this world. The purport of this verse is that the foundation of the heavenly life is laid in this very world, and that the root of hellish blindness is also the vile and blind life of this world. Then it is said: Give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteously, that for them there are gardens beneath which rivers flow.5 In this verse, God Almighty has described faith as a garden beneath which rivers flow, and has thus indicated that faith is related to righteous action, as a garden is related to the water of the river or stream. As a garden cannot flourish without water, faith cannot survive without righteous action. If there is faith but no righteous action that faith is vain; and if there are actions but not faith, the actions are mere show or display.

The reality of the Islamic paradise is that it is a reflection of the faith and actions of a person in this life, and is not something that will be bestowed upon a person from outside. A person’s paradise is developed inside him and everyone’s paradise is his faith and his righteous actions, the delight of which begins to be tasted in this very life, and one perceives the hidden gardens and streams of faith and righteous action which will become concretely manifest in the hereafter. God’s holy teaching instructs us that pure and perfect and firm faith in God, His attributes and His designs, is a beautiful garden of fruit trees, and righteous actions are the streams that irrigate the garden. The Holy Qur’an says that a word of faith that is free from every extreme defect and falsehood and vanity, and is perfect in every way is like a tree, which is free from every defect.6 The root of that tree is firm in the earth and its branches spread into heaven. It brings forth its fruit at all times and at no time are its branches without fruit. Thus, it will be seen that God Almighty has described a word of faith as a tree that bears fruit at all times, and has set forth three of its characteristics.

The first is that its root, that is to say, its true meaning should be firm in the earth, meaning that its truth and reality should be acceptable to human nature and conscience.

Its second characteristic is that its branches should spread out into heaven, meaning that it should be supported by reason and should be in accord with the heavenly law of nature which is the work of God. In other words, the law of nature should furnish arguments in support of its correctness and truth, and those arguments should be beyond the reach of criticism.

Its third characteristic should be that its fruit should be permanent and unlimited, that is to say, the blessings and effects of acting upon it should continue to be manifested at all times, and should not cease to be manifested after a period. Then it is said:

The case of an evil word is like that of an evil tree, which is uprooted from the earth and has no stability; meaning that human nature rejects it and it cannot be established by reason, nor the law of nature or human conscience.7 It has no more stability than an idle tale.

As the Holy Qur’an has said that the trees of true faith will appear in the hereafter as grapes and pomegranates and other good fruits, in the same way the evil tree of faithlessness is called Zaqqum, as is said: Are the gardens of paradise better entertainment or the tree Zaqqum which We have made a means of trial for the wrongdoers? It is a tree that springs forth from the root of hell, that is to say, it grows out of arrogance and self-esteem. Its fruit is, as if it were, the heads of Satan, meaning that he who eats it would be ruined.8 Then it is said: The tree of Zaqqum is the food of the deliberately sinful. It will boil in their bellies like molten copper. The sinful one will be commanded: Now suffer this, thou who didst hold thyself mighty and noble.9 This is a wrathful expression meaning that if he had not been arrogant and had not turned away from the truth out of pride and a false notion of his dignity, he would not have had to suffer in this fashion. This verse indicates that the word Zaqqum is compounded of Zuq, meaning taste it, and Am, which is formed by the first and last letters of the remaining portion of the verse.10

Thus, God Almighty has described the words of faith uttered in this life as the trees of paradise. In the same way He has described the words of faithlessness uttered in this life as the tree of hell, which He has called Zaqqum, and has thus indicated that the root of paradise and of hell is laid in this very life. At another place hell is described as a fire, the source of which is the wrath of God and which is kindled by sin and overcomes the heart.11 This is an indication that at the root of this fire are the sorrows and grief’s and torments which afflict the heart. All spiritual torments arise in the heart and then envelop the whole body. At another place it is said: That the fuel of the fire of hell, which keeps it blazing, is of two types.12 One, those men who turn away from God and worship other things, or who require their own worship; as is said: False deities and their worshippers will all be thrown into hell.13 The second type of fuel of hell is the idols. If there had been no false gods and no idols, nor any worshippers of these, there would have been no hell. All these verses show that in the Holy Word of God, heaven and hell are not like the physical world. Their source is spiritual, though it is true that in the hereafter they will take on concrete forms, and yet they will not belong to this world.

Means of Establishing a Perfect Spiritual Relationship with God

The method of establishing a perfect spiritual relationship with God that the Holy Qur’an teaches us is Islam, meaning devoting one’s whole life to the cause of God and being occupied with the supplications which we have been taught in Surah Fatihah [opening Chapter of the Holy Qur’an]. This is the essence of Islam. Complete surrender to God and the supplication taught in Surah Fatihah, are the only methods of meeting God and drinking the water of true salvation. This is the only method that the law of nature has appointed for man’s highest exaltation and for his meeting the Divine. Those alone find God who enter into the spiritual fire of Islam and continue occupied with the supplication set out in Surah Fatihah.

Islam is the blazing fire that burns up our life, and consuming our false deities, presents the sacrifice of our life and our property and our honour, to our Holy God. Entering it, we drink the water of a new life and all our spiritual faculties establish such a relationship with God as subsists between kindred. A fire leaps up from our inside like lightning, and another fire descends upon us from above. By the meeting of these two flames all our passions and our love for anything besides God are totally consumed and we become dead vis-à-vis our previous life. This condition is named Islam in the Holy Qur’an. Through our complete surrender to the will of God our passions are killed, and through supplication we acquire new life. This second life is signalised by the receipt of revelation. Arriving at this stage is interpreted as meeting with God, in other words beholding God. At this stage, a person establishes a relationship with God by virtue of which he becomes as if he were beholding God, and he is invested with power and all his senses and his inner faculties are illumined, and he feels the strong pull of a holy life. At this stage, God becomes his eye with which he sees, and becomes his tongue with which he speaks, and becomes his hand with which he assaults his enemy, and becomes his ear with which he hears, and becomes his feet with which he walks. This stage is referred to in the verse: Allah’s hand is above their hands.14 In the same way it is said that: it was not thou who didst throw, but it was Allah Who threw.15

In short, at this stage there is perfect union with God and His holy Will pervades the soul thoroughly, and the moral power that had previously been weak becomes firm like a mountain, and reason and intelligence are sharpened to the extreme.16 This is the meaning of the verse; at this stage the streams of love for and devotion to Him surge up in such a manner that to die in the cause of God and to endure thousands of torments for His sake, and to become disgraced in His path, become as easy as breaking a small straw. One is pulled towards God without knowing who is pulling. One is carried about by a hidden hand, and to do God’s Will becomes the purpose of one’s life. At this stage God appears very close, as He has said: We are closer to him than his jugular vein.17 In this condition the lower relationships of a person fall away from him, as ripe fruit falls away automatically from the branch of a tree. His relationship with God deepens, and he draws far away from all creation and is honoured with the word and converse of God. The doors of access to this stage are as widely open today as they were at any time, and Divine Grace still bestows this bounty upon those who seek it, as He did before. But this is not achieved by the mere exercise of the tongue, and this door is not opened by vain talk and boasts. There are many who seek but there are few who find. Why is that so? It is because this stage demands true earnestness and true sacrifice. Mere words mean nothing in this context. To step faithfully onto the fire from which other people run away is the first requirement of this path. Boasts avail nothing; what is needed is practical zeal and earnestness. In this context God, the Glorious, has said: When my servants enquire from thee concerning me, tell them I am close. I respond to the call of the supplicant when he calls on me. So should they seek me through their supplications and have firm faith in me, that they may be rightly guided.18

Continues in the next edition

1.  Verily, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains and iron-collars and a blazing Fire. (Ch.76:V.5)

2.   And as for those who strive in our path—we will surely guide them in Our ways… (Ch.29:V.70)

3.   …So when they deviated from the right course, Allah caused their hearts to deviate… (Ch.61:V.6)

4.  But whoso is blind in this world will be blind in the Hereafter, and even more astray from the way. (Ch.17:V.73)

 5.  And give glad tidings to those who believe and do good works, that for them are Gardens beneath which flow streams… (Ch.2:V.26)

 6.  Dost thou not see how Allah sets forth the similitude of a good word? It is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches reach into heaven. It brings forth its fruit at all times. (Ch.14:Vs.25-26)

7.  The case of an evil word is like that of an evil tree, which is uprooted from above the earth and has no stability.(Ch.14:V.27)

 8.  Is that better as an entertainment, or the tree of Zaqqum? Verily We have made it a trial for the wrongdoers. It is a tree that springs forth in the bottom of Hell; The fruit thereof is as though it were the heads of serpents. (Ch.37:Vs.63-66)

 9.  Verily, the tree of Zaqqum. Will be the food of the sinful, Like molten copper, it will boil in their bellies, like the boiling of scalding water……‘Taste it! You did consider yourself the mighty, the honourable. (Ch.44:Vs.44-47, 50)

10.  You did consider yourself the mighty, the honourable. (Ch.44:V.50)

 11.  It is Allah’s kindled fire, Which rises over the hearts. (Ch.104:Vs.7-8)

 12.  …whose fuel is men and stones… (Ch.2:V.25)

 13.  ‘Surely, you and that which you worship beside Allah are the fuel of Hell… (Ch.21:V.99)

 14.  The hand of Allah is over their hands… (Ch.48:V.11)

15.  …And you threw not when you did throw, but it was Allah Who threw… (Ch.8:V.18)

 16.  …and whom He has strengthened with inspiration from Himself… (Ch.58:V.23)

17.  …and we are nearer to him than even his jugular vein. (Ch.50:V.17)

18.  And when My servants ask you about Me, say: ‘I am near. I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to me. So they should hearken to me and believe in me, that they may follow the right way.’ (Ch.2:V.187)

The topic of Iqamatus Salat, the observance of Prayer, is based on just two words, yet its subject matter entails a diverse ocean of wisdom and understanding. These two words encompass a fundamental commandment of Allah the Exalted; in fact, they entail the purpose for mankind’s creation and the means of acquiring this purpose. The first injunction for mankind mentioned in the Holy Qur’an is to worship Allah. Islam has made it compulsory for Muslims to observe a specified form of worship, called Salat, one of the five pillars of Islam and a fundamental requirement of faith. The topic of Iqamatus Salat possesses a major significance in the life of a Muslim. It has been made the responsibility of every Muslim that he firmly acts upon this commandment, enlightening himself with its true understanding and fulfilling this purpose of his life, when he hears the call,

And thou, O soul at peace! Return to thy Lord well pleased with Him and He well pleased with thee. So enter thou among my chosen servants, and enter thou My garden. (The Holy Qur’an, Ch.89:Vs.28-31)

Significance of Prayer

The entire Holy Qur’an is full of the emphatic mention of prayer. Prayer possesses central significance in the prophetic Traditions, the Sunnah, and there is abundant mention of prayer in the Hadith of the Holy Prophet^(saw) as well. Benefitting from all three of these means of guidance, and becoming saturated by that fountain of knowledge and understanding, the beautiful manner in which the Promised Messiah^(as), the Imam of the Age, has mentioned prayer is a faith-inspiring exposition and one that should be pondered.

The Promised Messiah^(as) has stated:

‘In reality, Salat is but a name for plunging into a fire, and after plunging into a fire of Divine love and fear of Allah, to burn one’s being and burn everything except Allah; and it is but a name for such a state wherein God, and only God remains in sight; and man progresses to such a state wherein he speaks when God wishes, and walks when God wishes; the whole of his moving or remaining still, his performing an action or abandoning an action begins to conform to Allah’s will; and the ego is annihilated.’¹

‘Prayer does not imply that prayer which is observed by the common people as a mere tradition, rather, prayer is that by which the heart of man is tendered, and falls before the Divine threshold becoming so immersed that it begins to melt.’²

Then he states:

‘What is prayer? It is a supplication, which is humbly implored with Tasbih [glorifying Allah], Tahmid [praising Allah], Taqdis [proclaiming His Holiness], Istighfar [seeking His forgiveness] and Durud [invoking blessings on the Holy Prophet^(saw)].’³

Furthermore, the Promised Messiah^(as) writes:

‘What is prayer? It is to present one’s humility and supplications and weaknesses before God and to desire the fulfilment of needs from Him; at times, to stand before Him respectfully, to pay homage to His magnificence and fulfil his commandments; at times, to fall before him in prostration with complete humility and modesty, to implore one’s needs from Him – this is Prayer. Just like a beggar, to praise Allah saying, ‘You are like so and you are like such and such’. To express His magnificence and majesty and inducing His mercy, then imploring of Him.’⁴

He states:

‘A prayer in which there is no humility, no attraction towards God the Exalted, no weeping supplication before God the Exalted, is in itself a deficient prayer. Prayer is that in which one feels pleasure in supplication. Stand before God the Exalted with such attention that a state of emotion over-comes you, as if an individual is detained in a dreadful lawsuit and a verdict of imprisonment or hanging is to be announced. What is his state before the judge? Similarly, one should stand before Allah with a fearful heart. A prayer in which the heart is at one place, while the thoughts are somewhere else, and the mouth says something, is a curse, which is thrown back in the face of man, and is not accepted…True prayer is that which feels pleasurable. It is this very prayer, in the description of which, it has been said that prayer is the spiritual apex – Mi‘raj – of a believer. Prayer is the means of spiritual progress for a believer.’ ⁵

Significance of Observing Prayer

The observance of prayer is a fundamental pillar of Islam, the fulfilment of which is obligatory upon every true Muslim. In the beginning of the Holy Qur’an, Allah says that true believing and virtuous people are those who possess the attribute of Yuqimunas-Salat, who observe Prayer (Ch2:V.4). Later on in the Qur’an, Allah emphatically states:

… observe Prayer, and be not of those who associate partners with God.⁶

On the day of resurrection, when the wrongdoers will be asked what led them to Hell, their answer shall be:

… ‘We were not of those who offered Prayers,’⁷

In the sight of Allah the Exalted, beloved and accepted worshippers are those:

…who are constant in their Prayer⁸

Who are humble in their Prayers,⁹

And those who are strict in their observance of Prayer.¹⁰

Consistency in prayer, humility in prayer, and the safeguarding of prayers are the fundamental pillars of Iqamatus Salat. Similarly, the offering of prayer in congregation and its timely observance, and the fulfilment of all the conditions with firm assiduousness are essential for the fulfilment of Iqamatus Salat. Regarding the consideration of time, the Qur’an states:

… verily prayer is enjoined on the believers to be performed at fixed hours.¹¹

With regards to the safeguarding of prayer, Allah the Almighty’s commandment is:

Watch over Prayers, and the middle Prayer, and stand before Allah submissively.¹²

In other words, the more engagements to which one is tied, the greater the significance becomes of observing prayers on time. Abandoning all other engagements, granting precedence to the prayer and assembling for its observance on time is in actuality the true meaning of Iqamatus Salat. This shall be the apparent expression of the oath which every Ahmadi Muslim, by the grace of God, undertakes, namely that ‘I shall give precedence to my faith over all worldly affairs.’

It is mentioned in Hadith: “One who does not offer his prayers intentionally has committed infidelity.” And in another Hadith: “On the day of resurrection, the first thing one shall be called to account for is the prayer”¹³. Elsewhere in the Hadith it is mentioned that the thing which separates a believer from an infidel is the observance of prayer. Furthermore, it is stated: “Salat is the pillar of religion”

In other words Salat is the foundation of Islam, without which the edifice of faith cannot remain erect.

The books of the Promised Messiah^(as) are replete with resounding instructions pertinent to the observance of prayer. For entrance into the Community, in the ten conditions of Bai‘at (Initiation), formulated by the Promised Messiah^(as), the third condition states that every individual who does Bai‘at:

‘Shall regularly offer the five daily Prayers in accordance with the commandments of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw)’

Then the Promised Messiah^(as) writes:

‘One who does not assiduously offer the five daily prayers is not from my community.’¹⁴

Then he states:

‘Prayer is the right of Allah; fulfil it well…Even if the entire house is destroyed, let it be, but do not discard the prayer. The Holy Qur’an speaks of two paradises, one of which is the paradise of this world, which is the Prayer.’¹⁵

True Meaning of Iqamatus Salat

The idiom used in the Holy Qur’an for the observance of prayer is Iqamatus Salat. This phraseology has not been used in the Holy Qur’an merely once or twice; rather, it has been used forty seven times, by which one can fathom its significance and greatness. The word ‘Iqamah’ is a complete and eloquent word that houses a world of meanings. In Tafsir-e-Kabir, Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-Ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad^(ra), Second Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, has mentioned various meanings of Iqamatus Salah:

1. Regular Observance of Prayer

‘The meaning of Iqamatus Salat is to observe prayer regularly because the meaning of Qama ‘alal amri means to remain constant in something. Therefore, the meaning of Yuqimunas-Salat would be that ‘they do not intermit in offering their prayers’. A prayer wherein there is an intermittence is not considered true prayer in Islam, because prayer is not of temporary deeds, rather, it is considered a complete deed if there is no intermittence from the first prayer after repentance or after reaching an age of maturity, until the last prayer before one’s demise. All the prayers of those people who tend to miss their prayers in between are rejected. Therefore, it is the obligation of every Muslim that when he reaches an age of maturity, or when Allah enables him to do so, from that time until his demise, he should not miss a single prayer, because prayer is equivalent to meeting Allah, and he who refrains from meeting his beloved, passes a judgement contrary to his so-called claim of love by himself.’¹⁶

2. Observance Along with the Fulfilment of all Requirements

‘The second meaning of Iqamah is of equilibrium and rectitude, i.e., the virtuous offer their prayers according to its apparent conditions, and do not break the rules set for it. For example, in a state of health or in the availability of water, they offer their prayers after performing Wudhu’ (ablution), and even then, they perform their Wudhu’ properly according to the conditions set by the Shari‘ah. Similarly, they offer their prayers at the appointed time, and perform the actions of Qiyam, Ruku‘, Sajdah and Qa‘dah correctly. They recite the appointed passages and prayers upon their proper place properly and correctly. Therefore, they pay consideration to all the apparent conditions and fulfil them properly.

At this place, it should be remembered that although the Shari‘ah states that the prayer should be offered with its set conditions, this does not mean that when the fulfilment of these conditions is not possible in extreme circumstances, one should abandon the prayer altogether. The prayer itself is in any case precedent to the conditions. If someone does not have clean clothes, he may offer his prayers in dirty clothes, and especially, to abandon the prayer on the basis of suspicion is completely illogical…Until the fulfilment of the conditions is possible, to disregard them is sin. However, when it is impossible to fulfil the conditions, to abandon prayer due to their unavailability is a sin, and such a man shall not be considered excused, rather, one who abandons the prayer.’¹⁷

3. To Erect a Falling Prayer

‘The third meaning of Iqamah is to erect something, i.e., the worshipper does not let his prayer fall. They remain forever adamant in offering their prayer correctly and as per the stipulated conditions. If in his prayer someone…is assailed by thoughts of difficulty, he should not be dismayed, and should not consider his prayers useless, because Allah the Exalted only expects sacrifice from his servant to the extent of his capacity. Therefore, those worshippers, whose thoughts remain dispersed, if they continue to try and beautify their prayers and remain attentive, they will be striving to erect their prayer whenever it is falling. Allah the Exalted shall not waste their prayers, rather, He shall accept them, and shall include one who endeavours to erect his prayer among the virtuous.’¹⁸

4. To Encourage and Motivate others for Prayer

‘Another meaning of Yuqimunas-Salat is that the virtuous encourage others to pray, because one manner in which to erect something is to make it common and to encourage others to it. Therefore, the virtuous who act upon Yuqimunas-Salat are those who in addition to praying themselves, keep instructing others to pray as well, and make those who are negligent prompt and vigilant.’

5. Prayer in Congregation

‘Wherever the Holy Qur’an has enjoined prayer, it has instructed for prayer to be offered in congregation. Nowhere is it ordered that one simply offers prayers alone. It is evident therefore that prayer in congregation is a significant principle of faith, rather, the Holy Qur’an…states that prayer is only observed correctly if offered in congregation, unless there is an uncontrollable restraint. As such, an individual who abandons prayer in congregation, except in the case that he is ill, out of town, or other Muslims are not present, even if he offers his prayer at home, it shall not be accepted, and he shall be considered as one who abandons the prayer.’

In the Holy Qur’an…the actual instruction is that the compulsory prayers be offered in congregation, and prayer in solitude is permitted only under extreme circumstances. If one cannot offer the prayers standing, he is permitted to do so whilst sitting. However, just as if someone who possesses the ability to stand and pray but does so whilst sitting, he shall be considered a sinner, similarly, one who can offer the prayer in congregation, but does not offer his prayer in congregation, he too shall be considered a sinner.’¹⁹

6. To offer Prayer with Complete Attention, Togetherness, and Vigilance

‘Another meaning of Yuqimunas-Salat is also that the prayer be offered in a lively manner and with vigilance, because thoughts are dispersed as a result of laziness and negligence, and the essence of prayer is lost.’²⁰

An Important Matter

With regards to Iqamatus Salat, it should be remembered that for a Muslim to observe prayer on his own is not sufficient, rather, prayer must be established as a communal worship, and this system should continue generation after generation. This issue is so important that Allah the Exalted especially instructed his beloved Holy Messenger^(saw):

And enjoin Prayer on thy people, and be constant therein…²¹

It should be remembered that every individual who attributes himself to the Holy Prophet^(saw) and makes a claim of love and devotion to him, is included in this injunction. To continually instruct members of the household to offer prayer is a responsibility and a quality which is greatly liked by Allah the Exalted. Whilst alluding to Hadhrat Abraham^(as), Allah the Almighty states:

He used to enjoin Prayer and almsgiving on his people, and he was well-pleasing to his Lord.²²

It is necessary to keep this aspect of Iqamatus Salat in consideration, for it is the means of securing a good family and good children.

A Beautiful Prayer

Iqamatus Salat is such an excellent quality and so very necessary for a true Muslim, that the prayer which Hadhrat Abraham^(as) offered for this purpose, was so liked by Allah the Blessed and Exalted, that He made it a part of the Holy Qur’an, thus preserving it for all eternity. In this manner a message has been given to every individual of the Muslim Ummah (Community) that if you wish to acquire the Muqam-e-Ibrahim (the lofty status of Abraham) in your worship, if you wish to attain the Muqam-e-Mahmud (the highly commended status) , then it is incumbent that you fasten this Abrahamic prayer to your soul. Moreover, not only should a Muslim adopt Iqamatus Salat in his own life, but wish and pray for the same in the lives of one’s future generations as well. What a beautiful prayer it is, which has been taught to us:

My Lord make me observe Prayer, and my children too. Our Lord! Do accept my prayer. Our Lord, grant forgiveness to me and to my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning will take place.’²³

A Few Points of Wisdom

I present two points of profound wisdom from the Promised Messiah^(as) that shed further light on the topic under discussion. Firstly, in order for a Muslim to establish his prayer, sacrifice is necessary. The strictness and discipline inflicted upon the soul also becomes a means of reward and blessings. The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

‘Opposing the self is also a form of worship. When man is sleeping, he desires to sleep more, but he opposes the self, and goes to the Mosque. This opposition is also worthy of reward.”²⁴

Secondly, in a youthful age when one’s health is good and the body is strong, one should especially pay attention to worship. The Promised Messiah^(as) states:

‘If he spent this period (i.e., the period of his youth) in the worship of Allah, the reformation of the self, and obedience to God, the fruit which he shall reap is that in his old age, when he shall be unable to perform any worship, and inactivity and tardiness shall overcome him, the angels shall continue to record the same prayer, fasting, Tahajjud (pre-dawn Prayer), etc., which he used to offer in his youth. And this is the grace of Allah, that despite the fact that he is unable to perform deeds, God considers him exempt, and the same deeds are recorded in his account.”²⁵

Seven Stages in the Spiritual Journey of the Observance of Prayer

There are seven stages in the spiritual journey of the observance of prayer. The right of the establishment of prayer can fully be offered only after one passes through these stages. Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad^(ra) has elaborated upon this exquisite topic in a remarkable manner. He states:

‘The first stage, below which there is no stage whatsoever, is that man offers his five daily prayers regularly. A Muslim who offers his five daily prayers and does not break in between, acquires the lowest level of faith.

The second stage in prayer is that all five prayers are offered at the stipulated time. When one offers his five daily prayers on time, he steps to the second ladder of faith.

The third stage is that the prayer be offered in congregation. By the congregational observance of prayer, man steps to the third ladder of faith.

The fourth stage is that man observes the prayer whilst understanding its meaning. An individual who does not know the translation of prayer, should learn the translation and observe prayers. Moreover, one who does know the translation, should offer the prayer slowly, until he understands that he has done justice to the prayer.

Then, the fifth stage is that man becomes fully engrossed in the prayer. Just as one plunges into water, man should plunge into his prayer, until he acquires one of the two ranks: either that he is seeing God, or if not, he firmly believes that God the Exalted is seeing him.

After this, the sixth stage of belief is that an individual offers the Nawafil (Voluntary Prayers). One who offers the Nawafil expresses to God the Exalted, that he has offered his obligation, but he has not yet become satisfied by them, and he says, ‘O God, it is my desire to remain in Your royal court beyond the times of obligation.’

The seventh stage of belief is that man not only offers his five daily prayers and observes the Nawafil, but also prays Tahajjud (Late night/pre-dawn prayer) during the night. These are the seven stages by which prayer is deemed complete.

Hence, it is necessary for an individual to attain these seven stages. It is the responsibility of every individual that he observes prayer on time. It is the responsibility of every individual that he observes the prayer in congregation. It is the responsibility of every individual that he observes the prayer whilst understanding it, and after learning its translation. It is the responsibility of every individual that in addition to the obligatory prayer timings, he offers the Nawafil during the night and day……Then every individual should offer his obligatory and supereroga-tory (Nawafil) prayers with such assiduousness that even his nights become days. Similarly, one should try to acquire the greatest possible advantage from the supplications of Tahajjud. Until and unless one does not safeguard his prayers in this manner, for one to think that one can please God is nothing more than a fallacy.’²⁶

Curing Insipidity in Prayer

When alluding to the topic of Iqamatus Salat, the question can arise that if one finds no pleasure in offering the prayers, how can one habituate oneself to it? The answer has been provided most beautifully by the Promised Messiah^(as):

‘Whenever such a state persists that the love and pleasure which was once felt in prayer no longer remains, one should not tire, and should not be dismayed and lose strength but should be concerned as to how this lost wealth can be reacquired, and the cure is Taubah, Istighfar (repentance) and supplication. One should not abandon prayer due to insipidity, rather, should increase prayer even further. Just as when an alcoholic is not intoxicated, he does not abandon drinking, but drinks more and more, until finally, he experiences pleasure and satisfaction; likewise, someone who feels insipidity in prayer, should offer prayer in further abundance, and it is not appropriate to tire. Ultimately a state of pleasure shall come about through that very insipidity.

Look at how deep one must dig into the earth to acquire water; those who tire are left deprived, while those who do not, ultimately acquire it. Therefore, in order to attain that pleasure Istighfar, an abundance of prayer and supplication, readiness, and steadfastness are necessary.’²⁷

The Promised Messiah^(as) has not only prescribed supplication in order to acquire pleasure and attention in prayer, but has also taught the specified words which are to be prayed:

‘One should supplicate before Allah the Exalted in extreme emotion and passion, saying that just as You have endowed us with the various pleasures of fruits and other things, let me once taste the pleasure of prayer and worship as well.’ ²⁸

In other words, one should supplicate in the following words:

‘O God, I receive the pleasures of this world everyday; grant me the pleasurable taste of worship once as well.’

Then he states that one should stand in every Rak‘ah of the prayer and supplicate in the following words:

‘O Allah the Exalted, the Omnipotent, the Possessor of Majesty, I am a sinner, and the poison of sin has affected my veins to such an extent that I am devoid of emotion and attention in prayer. Forgive me my sins with Thy blessing and grace, and forgive me my lapses, and soften my heart, and place Your greatness and Your fear, and Your love in my heart, so that my hard-heartedness may be dispelled, and I am granted attention in my prayer.’²⁹

Then the Promised Messiah^(as) states that one should pray in the following words:

‘O Allah, you see how blind and lacking of sight I am, and at this time I am in a complete state of death. I am aware that soon hereafter, I shall receive my calling, and will return to you. At that time, there shall be none who will be able to stop me. My heart is blind and ignorant. Send down such a flame of light upon it, as your love and attraction are developed in it. Bless me such as I am not raised without sight, and do not become amongst the blind.

He said: When a man supplicates in such a way with continuity, he shall see that such a time will come when something of heaven will descend upon his insipid prayer, which shall produce emotion.’³⁰

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^(aba) on the subject of Iqamatus Salat

Ever since the initial stages of his appointment to the exalted status of Khilafat, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad^(aba), Khalifatul Masih V, Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, has repeatedly laid stress on supplication, worship and especially Iqamatus Salat. I present two of these instructions as a reminder:

“Worship Allah the Exalted, and worship him as is His right. Do not associate anyone with Him. During the timings of prayer, as is His instruction, keep your full attention towards the prayers. Your engagements or other excuses should not become a hindrance in your offering prayers. Do not leave your prayers because of your work, rather, leave your work for the prayers. This is also a form of hidden Shirk (associating partners with God), because if you leave your prayers because of your work this means that your worldly engagements are more dear to you than the worship of your God.”

Then he states:

“Every individual who wishes to become a worshipping servant of Allah the Exalted – wishes to acquire His nearness, wishes to purify himself and his future generations, wishes to save himself from the onslaughts of Satan – there is only one method, and that is, pay attention to worship, and the most important aspect of this is the congregational prayer.”³¹

Model of the Holy Prophet^(saw) in Iqamatus Salat

Thus far a brief exposition on the details of Iqamatus Salat has been provided. Now let us see the actual examples of Iqamatus Salat in the real world. The personality, which the Creator of the universe, Allah, has presented as a perfect model is that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw). The Holy Prophet^(saw) fulfilled the right of Iqamatus Salat so beautifully that Allah testified that his prayers, his worship, his living and dying, were all for His sake, the Lord of all the worlds, and even the enemies of the Holy Prophet^(saw) publicly announced ‘Ashiqa Muhammadun Rabbahu, that Muhammad^(saw) has fallen in love with his Lord! The Holy Prophet^(saw) has stated, “O People! I like three things from this world, but I tell you that Qurratu ‘aini fis-salat that the delight and pleasure of my eyes is in the observance of prayer.”

In Iqamatus Salat, the perfect example of the Holy Prophet^(saw) is spread throughout his life. The system of congregational prayer began since the inception of Islam, after which, throughout the whole of his life, the Holy Prophet^(saw) did not let any lapse interfere in this obligation, whether in a state of travel or residence, health or illness, or in a state of war or peace. In a state of travel, the Prophet^(saw) would stop the travelling caravan and shorten or combine the prayers. In the case of rain, he would also offer his prayers upon his ride, and would not let any excuse interfere with observing prayer.

On one occasion the Holy Prophet^(saw) was severely wounded after falling off a horse. It was impossible for him to offer his prayers while standing, but the Holy Prophet^(saw) did not like that he should miss the congregational prayer, and led the prayer while sitting.³² At the Battle of Badr, the supplications which the Holy Prophet^(saw) made in a small pavilion, to this day, warm the hearts. The state of his engrossment was such as his mantle would fall off his back again and again, but this worshipper of the One God was above all that, and remained engaged in his invocations. In the Battle of Uhud, the Holy Prophet^(saw) was weakened by severe wounds. He was also grieved by the martyrdom of seventy of his Companions, yet the Holy Prophet^(saw) offered his prayers in congregation even on that day, as per his  custom. Due to the engagements of war during the Battle of Ahzab, when the Zuhr (Noon Prayer) and ‘Asr (Afternoon Prayer) prayers could not be offered on time and the sun declined, due to his exceeding love for Iqamatus Salat, the expression which spontaneously came to the blessed lips of the Holy Prophet^(saw) was that, Allah destroy this enemy, due to whom a delay has occurred in our prayers.³³

Another aspect of Iqmatus Salat is fear and humility. This magnificence was at its peak in the prayers of the Holy Prophet^(saw). With eyes of perception, just observe the young man who would abandon the attractions, beauty and pleasure of this world, and retire to the cave of Hira’ in complete solitude to find pleasure of heart in worship. In the darkness of night he would enlighten the rays of spirituality with his worship and would strain his soul. Someone asked Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra), the blessed wife of the Holy Prophet^(saw), to narrate the state of the Holy Prophet^(saw)’s prayer. She responded:

“Where shall I find the words to describe the beauty and length of those prayers?”³⁴

The Holy Prophet^(saw) would stand in prayer for so long that his blessed feet would become swollen. When someone suggested that he take rest, he responded saying, “Shall I not be a thankful servant to my Lord?” The state of his prostrations to Allah were also something to behold. The narrator relates that the state of the Holy Prophet^(saw) in prostration was like a pot fervently boiling upon the stove, or like two millstones in a grinder hitting each other. To think of this causes the body to tremble and the following supplication comes from the heart:

“The emotion that existed in the supplications of Muhammad^(saw), if only a glitter of it were granted to my prostrations as well.”

Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra) was the dearest and most beloved wife of the Holy Prophet^(saw). She narrates: One night, when I woke up, I noticed the Holy Prophet^(saw) was not in bed. I thought, perhaps he had gone to the house of another wife. As I looked here and there, I found the Holy Prophet^(saw) had left his comfort and bed, and was on the ground, prostrating at some distance and was engaged in supplications. Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra) states: When I saw this, I was very disappointed at myself and I said to myself, O ‘A’ishah^(ra), what thoughts are you preoccupied with, whereas look at the state in which the Messenger of Allah is in³⁵. In another narration it is mentioned that she found the Prophet^(saw) prostrating in a nearby graveyard in the darkness of the night.

Hadhrat ‘A’ishah^(ra) mentions another incident: One night the Holy Prophet^(saw) came to my house. That night, it was my turn for the Holy Prophet^(saw) to spend the night with me. When the Holy Prophet^(saw) entered the quilt in the cold night of winter, he said, “O ‘A’ishah! Do you permit me to spend this night in the worship of Allah?” I responded, “I desire your happiness, I happily grant you permission.” Therefore, the Holy Prophet^(saw) immediately stood up, performed his Wudhu’ and began to offer prayer, and he spent the whole night in worship and invocations, until his place of prostration became wet with tears³⁶.

With regards to prayer, the attachment and interest of the Holy Prophet^(saw) was such as even in his final illness, he was suffering from a severe temperature, and was drifting in and out of a state consciousness. In anxiety, he would ask again and again, “Is it time for prayer?” He was told that the companions were waiting for him in the mosque. In order to decrease the severity of his temperature he asked that cold water be put on his body, and as he got up to go to the mosque, he fell into a state of unconsciousness again. Upon regaining consciousness, he once again asked about the prayer. He was told that the companions were waiting in the mosque. He had cold water put on his body again. The temperature fell to some extent, but he became unconscious again. Afterwards, when his state became a bit better, he placed both hands on two Companions and went to the mosque in such a state that his feet were being dragged behind him. The Holy Prophet^(saw) led the prayers sitting beside Hadhrat Abu Bakr^(ra) (later to become the First Khalifa of Islam) and thus set such an example of Iqamatus Salat that it shall remain unparalleled until the end of time.

Model of the Promised Messiah^(as) in Iqamatus Salat

Let us study the state of Iqamatus Salat in the blessed life of the Promised Messiah^(as) in light of only a few examples. The most luminous aspect of the life of the Promised Messiah^(as) was his love of Allah. The whole of his life was absorbed in this very love and the observance of worship and prayer was his spiritual food. His observance of prayer in congregation was unparalleled. In the days of his youth, he was referred to as a Masitar, i.e., one whose time is primarily spent in the mosque engaged in worship. Hadhrat Pir Sirajul Haq Nu‘mani^(ra) writes: I presented myself before the Promised Messiah^(as) in 1882 and remained in his presence until a few months prior to his demise. I always found the Promised Messiah^(as) compliant to the observance of congregational prayer³⁷. It is narrated by Hadhrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq^(ra) that two or three years prior to the demise of the Promised Messiah^(as), whenever the Promised Messiah^(as) could not come out for the Maghrib (evening prayer) and ‘Isha (night Prayer) he would gather the women and children in the home and offer the prayers in congregation³⁸. In his early days, the Promised Messiah^(as) would keep Hafiz Mu‘inuddin with him for the mere purpose that in this way, he would receive the opportunity to offer prayer in congregation. During the law-suits that he faced, the Promised Messiah^(as) never missed a prayer. He would seek permission from the court and offer his prayers on time.

The Companions of the Promised Messiah^(as) have described a wonderful image of the prayers of the Promised Messiah^(as). There is a narration of Hafiz Hamid ‘Ali that the Promised Messiah^(as) would offer his prayers with great preoccupation and interest. He would repeat the words Ihdinas-siratal mustaqim (Guide us in the straight path) very often and would repeat the words Ya hayyu ya qayyumu birahmatika astaghith (O Living and Self Sustaining Allah, I beseech Thy Mercy). He would repeat these words again and again with great emotion and passion as if someone asking for something of his superior, and weeping, asking for his desired item again and again. Generally, his prostrations before Allah in prayer were very lengthy and at times it seemed that he would melt and flow away in his emotions.

Another description of the prayer and supplication of the Promised Messiah^(as) is found in a narration of Hadhrat Maulawi ‘Abdul Karim Sialkoti. He narrates that it was the days when the plague was rampant in the Punjab and people were falling prey to this disease. This was the plague which had been manifested as a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah^(as), but due to his love for mankind, he was engaged in prayer for them. The manner in which the Promised Messiah^(as) was praying astounded Maulawi Sahib and he said:

“There was such grief and emotion in this prayer of the Promised Messiah^(as) that the heart of the listener melted, and the Promised Messiah^(as) was weeping before the Divine threshold in such pain just as a woman in childbirth. Upon listening more attentively, I noticed that the Promised Messiah^(as) was praying for the salvation of mankind from the punishment of the plague. The Promised Messiah^(as) was saying, ‘If these people are destroyed in this chastisement, who shall worship you³⁹?’”

In addition to Tahajjud, the Promised Messiah^(as) would sit in complete seclusion for the worship of Allah during a part of the day. In his last years, when he had the Baitul Du‘a built, he would shut the door and sit inside for about two hours and engage himself in the worship of Allah. Many a time, in search of seclusion, he would go out and would sit and worship his Lord in seclusion.

Another aspect of Iqamatus Salat is that when the time for prayer arrives, it should be given precedence over all other engagements. I present a beautiful example of this from the life of the Promised Messiah^(as). Hadhrat Sayyidah Nusrat Jahan Begum Sahibah^(ra), the blessed wife of the Promised Messiah^(as), states that the Promised Messiah^(as) said to her:

‘Once, I travelled for a law-suit. Other cases were being dealt with, while I waited under a tree outside. Since it was time for prayer, I began to offer my prayer right there. However, during my prayer I began to hear my name being summoned by the court, but I continued praying. When I completed my prayer, I noticed an attendant of the court standing next to me. As soon as I completed it, he said, ‘Mirza Sahib! Congratulations, you have won the case.’⁴⁰

Despite being in severe pain and illness, the Promised Messiah^(as) always paid due regard to Iqamatus Salat. I present one example of this. The Promised Messiah^(as) was authoring a book called Nurul Haq in response to a book written by a Christian. Only four or five pages had been written when the Promised Messiah^(as) was struck with a severe headache. The pain increased so much that the Promised Messiah^(as) could not come to the mosque for three days. On the fourth day, after feeling slightly better, he came for the Fajr (morning) prayer and offered the congregational prayer with great difficulty whilst sitting. The state of his illness was such that the Promised Messiah^(as) was heavily perspiring, and he was so weak that after the prayer he could not even sit any longer, and lay down in the mosque⁴¹.

The great care of the Promised Messiah^(as) regarding the issue of Iqmatus Salat reminds us of the perfect example of the Holy Prophet^(saw) at every step. The soul is entranced to see how this true servant followed his Master, the Holy Prophet^(saw) at every step. Furthermore, his state is such, that after fulfilling his responsibility of worship to the maximum limits of his capacity, he still feels embarrassment and shame. There is an incident in the era of the Promised Messiah^(as) when a dancer, who was invited to a non-Muslim’s home for a wedding, sang and danced all night long. When the Promised Messiah^(as) was informed of this, he enquired, “Why don’t you find out how much this poor lady earned for the night?” It was discovered that she earned five rupees. When the Promised Messiah^(as) came to his Companions the next morning, he said:

“I was embarrassed all night long that this lady worked so hard for a mere five rupees. We receive thousands and thousands, nay, countless gifts and rewards from our benefactor and protector, Allah the Exalted and we still do not work as hard. Similarly, when I hear the security guard at night, I become embarrassed that he watches guard all night long for a mere four or five rupees a month. He does not even rest during the shorter nights, he does not care about the cold or rain. On the other hand, some of us sleep so negligently in comparison to him. Man should do justice to himself in his own heart.”⁴²

The final action of this blessed individual was prayer. In his last moments the Promised Messiah^(as) became very weak. Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^(ra), his son, describes these last few moments:

“When the time for morning prayer arrived…[The Promised Messiah^(as)] asked in a faint voice, ‘Is it time for prayer?’ A servant responded, ‘Yes Hudhur, it is time.’ Upon hearing this, the Promised Messiah^(as) touched the sides of his bed, to perform Tayyamum (an alternative for ablution when water is unavailable) and intended for prayer whilst lying, but fell unconscious. When he regained his consciousness he enquired again, ‘Is it time for prayer?’ It was said that, ‘Yes Hudhur, it is time.’ Then he intended for prayer again and offered his prayer whilst lying there.”⁴³

Conclusion

This point is especially worthy of remembrance, that there is a very close relationship between Iqamatus Salat and the institution of Khilafat. In the Ayat-ul-Istikhlaf, by stating Ya‘budunani la yushrikuna bi shai’a (“They will worship Me, and they will not associate anything with Me” – Ch.24 V.56), Allah has promised the believers that through the blessings of Khilafat they shall observe their worship merely for the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. The community of believers, under the shade of Khilafat shall become a community of worshippers, and every individual of this community shall be an exemplary model of the divine injunction of Iqamatus Salat. This is why they shall receive a reward for standing firm upon the wholehearted unity of Allah the Exalted.

Today, God has placed the crown of Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah upon this community and it is we who have been granted this great reward. Therefore, O lovers and devotees of Khilafat! Come, let us express our gratitude for this divine blessing and let us express our attachment, loyalty and obedience to Khilafat-e-Ahmadiyyah by leaving this assembly with a resolute intention that we shall apply the divine order of Iqamatus Salat upon ourselves in such a manner that every aspect of this topic holds true to our personalities. May prayer become our soul food. May prayer become the delight of our eyes and may our hearts find pleasure in prayer. May Allah make it so that we stand firm on this oath with a true heart, firm determination and true loyalty such as every one of our prayers falls true to every level of Iqamatus Salat. May we remain alive with lively and life-giving prayers, and may we hand over our lives to our Lord whilst offering such acceptable prayers.

References

1 Malfuzat, Vol.10, pp.314

2. Malfuzat, Vol.5, pp.402-403

3. Kishti-e-Nuh, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.19, pp.65

4. Tafsir Masih-e-Mau‘ud, Vol.3, pp.612, published in Rabwah, new edition

5. Malfuzat, Vol.5, pp.44-45

6. Holy Qur’an, Ch 30:V.32

7. Holy Qur’an, Ch 74:V.44

8. Holy Qur’an, Ch 70:V.24

9. Holy Qur’an, Ch 23:V. 3

10. Holy Qur’an, Ch 70:V.35

11. Holy Qur’an, Ch 4:V. 104

12. Holy Qur’an, Ch 2:V.239

13. Al-Nisa’i

14. Kishti-e-Nuh, pp.19, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.19

15. Malfuzat, Vol.2, pp.370

16. Tafsir Kabir, Vol.1, pp.104

17 Tafsir Kabir, Vol.1, pp.104

18 Tafsir Kabir, Vol.1, pp.105

19. Tafsir Kabir, Vol.1, pp.105-106

20. Tafsir Kabir, Vol.1, pp.106

21. Ch 19:V.56

22 Ch 19:V.56

23. Ch 14: Vs.41-42

24. Malfuzat, Vol.2, pp.552, new edition

25. Malfuzat, Vol.4, pp.199 – footnote, new edition

26. Tafsir Kabir, Vol.2, pp.135-136

27. Malfuzat, Vol.5, p.432

28. Malfuzat, Vol.1, pp.163

29. Fatawa Hadhrat Masih Mau‘ud, pp.37, published in 1935

30. Malfuzat, Vol.2, pp.616, new edition

31. Al-Fazl International London, 28 January 2005

32. Bukhari

33. Bukhari

34. Bukhari, Kitabus Saum

35. Al-Nisa’i

36. Suyuti

37. Tadhkiratul Mahdi, pp.70

38. Speech at Jalsa Salana, 1930

39. Sirat Masih-e-Mau‘ud, Vol.3, pp.395

40. Siratul Mahdi, Vol.1, pp.15

41. Tadhkiratul Mahdi, pp.48-49

42. Al-Fazl, 16 August 1998

43. Silsilah Ahmadiyyah, pp.182

Final part of series of extracts from Victory of Islam, an English rendering of the Urdu Fateh-e-Islam, written by the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as).

The fourth branch of this Dispensation is the correspondence written both by the ‘seekers after truth’ or by the antagonists. It is estimated that during the past years, over ninety thousand letters must have been received and duly responded to, except those that were considered to be worthless or unimportant. This work also continues unabated. During each month about three hundred to seven hundred letters are received and replied to. In some months the number may reach a thousand.

The fifth branch of this great project established under the express inspiration and revelation of God is the widening of the circle of devotees and of those who take the Oath of Initiation (Bai’at) at my hand. At the time of the establishment of this Dispensation, God spoke to me saying: The world is engulfed in a storm of misguidance. During this storm, you should construct this ark. He who embarks on the ark will be saved from drowning. Death would await those who continue to reject.

And He said: Anyone who slips his hand into your hand in allegiance, slips it not into your hand but rather into the Hand of God.

And again God the Almighty gave me glad tidings by saying: I will cause you to die and then raise you to Myself. But your true followers and devotees will always excel those who rejected you, till the Day of Judgement.

These are the five branches of this Dispensation established by God with His own hand. A person with a superficial perception might consider the writing and printing of books to be the only important project of this Dispensation, and consider the other branches as unimportant and worthless. But in the sight of God, all these branches are obligatory. The great reform which God intends to initiate cannot be accomplished without the coordination of these five branches.

However, the success of the project is entirely dependent upon the extraordinary support and singular blessing of God. He alone is sufficient for its triumphant completion. It is His heartening promises which grant tranquillity and respite. But it is also under His instructions and incentive that the attention of the Muslims is invited towards monetary assistance. This appeal is in keeping with the practice of all the earlier Prophets of God who appealed for such assistance from their followers in times of distress. It is solely for this purpose, that I launch this appeal…

…O ye Muslims, who are the surviving vestiges and descendants of resolute and noble believers! Do not rush towards the rejection and distrust of this appeal, rather, dread that epidemic which is fast spreading around you. A multitude has already been snared in its treachery. Do you notice the ferocity of the attempts to wipe out the religion of Islam? Is it not equally incumbent upon you as well to strive in this cause? The religion of Islam is not man-made that it could suffer desolation through the intrigues of man. But woe to those who are engrossed in attempts at its extermination!

Alas! Muslims have enough to spend upon their wives and children, enough to squander upon personal lavishness, but for Islam their pockets are empty. Ye sluggish and lethargic ones, woe unto you! You do not possess the ability to strengthen the religion of Islam and demonstrate its miraculous powers, yet you fail to accept with gratitude this Divine Dispensation which has been established by God to manifest the dazzling truth of Islam.

Today, Islam is likened unto a light that has been caged in a chest or to a sweet fountain that has been concealed by twigs and leaves. That is why Islam is in decline and its beautiful face is shrouded from the world. Its enchanting silhouette cannot be seen. It was vital for the Muslims to liberate Islam from this confinement at all costs. Not to speak of financial sacrifices alone, if so needed, they should have shed their blood like the pouring of water. But they failed to do that. They are still engrossed in their ignorance, saying, ‘Are the previous books not sufficient?’ They are oblivious to the fact that to combat new intrigues, fresh techniques have to be devised.

At the onset of every spiritual gloom, Prophets, Messengers and Reformers have been coming to the world. At the time of their advent, were the previous books not already present? Brothers! It is therefore essential that at the spread of darkness, a heavenly light must descend from heavens.

As earlier mentioned in this book, God gives glad tidings to the faithful in Surah Al-Qadr that His Prophet and His revelation descended from the heaven during the period of ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’ (The Night of Decree). Every Guide and Reformer who is commissioned by God always appears during the Night of Decree.

Do you understand what is meant by the Night of Decree? The Night of Decree or the ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’ is the name of a night when spiritual darkness reaches its ultimate gloom. That gloom, metaphorically, demands a light from heaven for its dissipation. This night is symbolically called the Night of Decree. In fact, it is not a night but a period, referred to as a ‘night’ because of its intense darkness.

One thousand months is the approximate life span of a human being. It is also a period after which normal human senses cease to function. The elapse of a period of one thousand months, following the demise of a Prophet or his spiritual successor, also signals the commencement of a ‘night’ of darkness. This ‘night’ triggers a fervour in the heavens and the seeds of the birth of one or more reformers is stealthily sown. Thus, such a reformer or reformers prepare to emerge at the head of the new century. The following verse is also an indication by God towards this phenomenon:

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. (Ch. 97:V.4)

Meaning that anyone who perceives the blessings of this Night of Decree, or anyone who benefits from the company of the Reformer of the age, is better than an eighty-year-old man who failed to behold this blessed time. Even if he witnessed a single moment of this blessed era, it was better than his past one thousand months. Why is that moment better? Because during that period, in support of the Reformer, the angels of God and the ‘Ruh-ul-Qudus’ (Holy Spirit) descend from the heavens. They manifest themselves upon the hearts of the faithful for the purpose of unveiling the path to guidance. They remain fully engaged in this endeavour until the gloom of delinquency vanishes, ushering in a dawn of piety.

Now O Muslims! Ponder over these verses and observe how God praises that blessed period in which, at the hour of need, a Reformer is sent unto the world. Would you not acknowledge the value of this period? Would you view with ridicule and taunt the covenants of God Almighty?

So, O Muslims who have been granted affluence, listen! I convey the message to you that it is obligatory for you to wholeheartedly support this Divinely inspired reformatory Dispensation. You should hasten to do justice to this scheme after considering, with absolute sincerity, all its aspects…

…Who is my companion? Who is dear to me? He who recognises my station. Who recognises me? Only he who is firmly convinced that I have been sent by God.

He who accepts me in the same way as those sent earlier are accepted. The world cannot accept me for I am not of this world. But those whose inherent nature has been gifted with a portion of the knowledge of the other domain are accepting me and will continue to accept me. He who forsakes me indeed forsakes Him Who sent me. He who is grafted onto me is grafted onto Him from Whom I have come. I hold a lamp in my hand. Any person who comes to me will certainly partake of the light of this lamp. But those who flee as a result of delusion and distrust will be thrown into darkness. I am the invincible citadel of this age. Only he who enters therein will be secure from the scourge of swindlers, crooks and ferocious beasts. But he who prefers to stay away from my periphery, will confront death from all directions! Even his corpse will not be secure.

Who is it who enters my citadel? Only he who discards all vice and instead embraces the path of rectitude. He who gives up the path of crookedness and treads along the path of truthfulness. He who cuts asunder from the bondage of Satan and becomes an obedient servant of God. Everyone who does that is of me and I am of him.

But only he succeeds in accomplishing this feat who is placed by God the Almighty, under the shadow of a Muzakki (Purifier). He then stamps out under his feet the hell of his ego. The fire within him is quenched and cooled as if there had never been any fire. Then he begins to accomplish brisk spiritual progress till the spirit of God Almighty dwells in him. And as a result of a remarkable Divine phenomenon, God, the Lord of the worlds, firmly establishes Himself upon his heart. Thus, his old individuality is incinerated and he is accorded a new and purified temperament. For him, God Almighty becomes a new God, establishing a fresh and unique attachment with him. He is bestowed in this very world with all the immaculate blessings of a blissful life.

At this juncture, I cannot refrain from expressing my intense gratitude to the Almighty God, Who out of His Grace and Mercy never left me alone. Those who developed a bond of brotherhood with me by joining this Community that was established by God with His own Hand, are imbued with a unique tint of love and devotion. Such spiritual souls satiated with sincerity that are granted to me, were not acquired by any act of diligence on my part, but entirely due to the distinctive blessing of God.

First of all, I experience an immense fervour in my heart for the mention of a spiritual brother whose name Nur-ud-Din (The Brilliance of Faith) is synonymous with his brilliant services. I have always cast wistful looks at some of the religious services which he renders with his lawful earnings for the propagation of Islam. Alas! If only I too could perform such services. The portrayal of the unlimited power and authority of God comes to mind, when I ponder at the intensity of his devotion towards Islam. I marvel at how God attracts people towards His cause. He stands resolute and ever ready to sacrifice all the wealth and property at his disposal in obedience to God and His Prophet. It is my conviction which is based upon experience and not upon mere optimistic speculation that, not to speak of wealth alone, he is even ready to sacrifice his honour and life for my sake. Had I permitted, he would have given up everything and come to live with me here. Thus, he would be physically close to me, as he is spiritually close already…

…At this point, I consider it appropriate to state that all who have entered into the covenant of Bai‘at are not such that I could express a good opinion about them. Instead, I view some of them as the dry branches of a tree, whom my God, Who is my Guardian, will one day sever from me and hurl into the pile of firewood. There are others who showed a certain amount of devotion and sincerity in the beginning but have now become indifferent. They have lost the glow of warmth and enthusiasm associated with loving disciples. Indeed, the intrigues of Bal’am are all that remains in them. They are likened to rotten teeth, waiting to be extracted and trampled upon. They became exhausted with fatigue. This corrupted world clenched them in the snare of its deception. I say this with conviction that very soon they will be cut off from me, except such among them whom God chooses to save afresh with His own Hand. There are those, of course, whom God has permanently handed over to me. They are indeed the evergreen branches of the tree of my being. I shall, Insha Allah (God willing), write about them on another occasion.

It would be appropriate here to dispel the conceited views of some wealthy people who deem themselves as having offered rich sacrifices in the cause of God, while they are extremely reluctant to spend their wealth on the right cause whenever it arises. They say that had they been born in the period of a true man sent from God for the rejuvenation of faith, they would have come forward to help him and even be ready to be sacrificed for him, but what can they do in an age rampant with swindlers and cheats?

But let it be clear to you that a person has already been sent in support of the faith but you failed to recognise him. He is among you and it is he who is addressing you now. But there are heavy veils covering your eyes. If your hearts are in search of truth it should not be difficult to verify the claim of one who professes to be in communion with God. Come to him. Stay in his company for two or three weeks, if Allah so wills, you may also witness blessings being showered upon him and many a spiritual light which descends upon him. It is he who seeks who finds. He who knocks, it is for him that the door is opened. If you lament the absence of the sun after having locked yourself up in a dark closet with your eyes shut, then your moaning will be in vain.

O ye who are bereft of clear vision! Open the door of your closet and remove the covering from your eyes so that you may not only see the sun but may also bask in its light.

Some claim that the founding of Anjumans [Organisations] and the opening of schools is sufficient to promote the cause of faith. But they fail to understand what faith is, nor do they understand the ultimate objective of our creation or what the means of achieving such objectives are. They should realise that the ultimate goal of this life is to attain a true and certain bond with God – such as would sever our ties with relations based on animal instincts. The paths leading to such certainty and conviction cannot be attained through human deliberations and schemes. Human devices and philosophies are of no avail. Rather, in the times of darkness, this light always descends from the heavens through His chosen servants. He who comes from heaven, it is only he who can lead you to heaven.

Therefore, O ye who are buried in pits of darkness and those who are held in the claws of doubt and suspicion and are slaves of selfish desires! Do not pride over the mere title or legacy of Islam. Do not consider that the formation of syndicates and schools are the answer for your true solace, genuine welfare and ultimate success. Basically, these things are useful and can be regarded as the initial steps, but they are very far off from the final objective. These exercises may generate some intellectual ingenuity, astuteness, intelligence or debate. They may help a person to be called a ‘sage’ or a ‘renowned scholar’. It is also possible that a long and sustained schooling might result in the partial achievement of the ultimate objective. But (as the Persian saying goes)

Before the arrival of the antidote from Iraq, the snake-bitten victim may succumb to the venom.

Therefore, wake up and be vigilant! Lest you stumble and find yourself in a state of apostasy and disbelief as you traverse the final journey to the hereafter. Know for certain that salvation in the hereafter does not entirely depend on the acquisition of conventional knowledge. The manifestation of a Heavenly light is essential for the removal of the dirt of scepticism and lack of conviction. It is indeed necessary for the negation of the fire of sensual obsession. It draws man towards sincere love, true affection and obedience to God. If you confer with your conscience, it is bound to respond by saying that you do not possess that genuine satisfaction and inherent tranquillity that is essential for the instantaneous spiritual transformation. Therefore, how unfortunate that you do not possess even a minute fraction of the keenness and enthusiasm for the publication of literature pertaining to this Divine scheme that you possess for the printing of works of mere customary sayings and knowledge. Generally, your life is devoted towards such pursuits as have had little relevance towards the uplift of faith, or are of little significance and very remote from the ultimate objective. If you were equipped with such sensibilities and wisdom as stop only at the essential scheme of things, then you would not rest until you had reached that ultimate objective.

O humankind! You are created for the recognition, and the consequent obedience to and love of your true Creator, the One alone who is truly worthy of worship. Therefore, until the ultimate and final purpose of your creation does not fully dawn upon you, you remain very remote from true salvation. If you are candid, you could be attesting to your own internal state that instead of the worship of God, a gigantic idol of materialism permanently dwells within you, before which you prostrate a thousand times each second! You are so engrossed in the affairs of the world that you do not have the leisure of glancing at anything else. Do you ever think about the ultimate and final end of this creation? Where are the characteristics of justice? Where is your integrity? Where are the qualities of truthfulness, sympathy, honesty and humility towards which the Qur’an beckons you?

Even during the years gone by, it never ever occurred to you that we indeed have a Creator. Have you ever thought of your obligations towards Him? The plain truth is that you never developed any concern, link or affiliation with the God of ultimate existence. Even the very mention of His name is cumbersome upon you. Although in your worldly affairs and concerns, you exhibit extraordinary wisdom and solemnity, yet your proficiency, your deep and far reaching insight end at the fringes of this worldliness, and you cannot visualise in the least that which belongs to the other world, the world your souls are created to inhabit eternally. But in your entire life you have never even once reflected on the hereafter, the happiness of which is permanent and assured beyond a shadow of doubt.

How unfortunate that you are sitting absolutely unaware of the most important issue that matters in life, and your eyes are completely shut to it, while day and night you are madly engaged in lustful pursuits which are of matters only transient and are fit only to be forgotten. You are fully aware that, without doubt, an instant will finally come which will suddenly terminate your life and all that you yearned for. But this is a peculiar type of callousness because of which, despite having complete knowledge, you continue to waste your entire time in worldly quests. And your pursuit of materialism is not confined only to lawful means; you do not stop short of employing falsehood, deceit and even the ruthless murder of truth to gain your objectives.

Despite all these ignominious crimes, which are rampant in you, you continue to assert that there was no need for Divine Light or a Divine Commission. In fact you nurture an extreme animosity towards it. You have looked down with contempt at this Heavenly Dispensation of God, so much so that if you ever mention these things, you do it with words full of foul language with eyebrows drawn with arrogance and upturned noses. You insistently demand to know how you can reach the stage of certainty that this institution is from God. I have just answered this question: this tree can be recognised by its fruit and this luminary moon can be recognised by its light. Now it is up to you either to accept it or reject it and again it lies with you to remember my admonitions or wipe them out from your memories.

The qualities of a person are not appreciated during his lifetime, my dear ones.

You will remember my admonitions after I am no more.

Address delivered by Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad(ra), Khalifatul Masih II, Second Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community at Jammu, Kashmir

(Translated by S. Niaz). Adapted from The Review of Religions, 1930 edition

Some friends have expressed to me a desire that, for the benefit of those who have not as yet joined the Ahmadiyya Movement, I should in a short speech, say something which may help seekers after truth and enable them to come to a decision. The ways of God always have a purpose behind them. When I found that I could not proceed on my journey, I was afraid that this forced stay would mean the wasting of a great deal of time. But out of this unavoidable delay, God has created an opportunity of saying a few words which perchance may show the light of Divine guidance to some among you who are anxious to arrive at the truth.

To my way of thinking, it is not the purpose and aim of religion to create dissensions and discord. Its aim, on the contrary, is to purify and elevate human nature. If the creation of strife, conflicts and collisions was the thing aimed at, there was scarcely any need for God to create and develop such a noble institution for that purpose, because the desired result would have worked itself out through Satan and the forces of evil which it symbolises. Religion, the noblest and the loftiest of all human institutions, has been brought into being by Almighty God for another purpose, which befits it and is in complete accord with the nature of this spiritual institution. That purpose is the development of the spirit of concord and sympathetic and loving service to each other.

It is an established fact of history that the Holy Prophet^(saw) spent the prime of his life in the service and betterment of the lot of his countrymen. Keeping this cardinal fact of his life history in view, no sane man can, for a moment, enter­tain the idea that such a man could, in his ripe old age, stand up to create dissensions among his countrymen. There is an incident in the Holy Prophet^(saw)’s life, the deep significance of which has generally been overlooked by historians. This incident occurred during the Battle of Uhud. After the Holy Prophet^(saw) was wounded in that battle, and for a moment the enemy began to hope and some of the Muslims began to fear that, God forbid, the Holy Prophet^(saw) had been killed, Abu Sufian, who was in command of the enemy forces, began to shout: “Where is Muhammad? Where is Abu Bakr? and Where is ‘Umar?” meaning thereby that they had all been killed in battle and that the victory of the Makkans was complete. Hadhrat ‘Umar^(ra) thereupon was about to open his lips in order to reply, when the Holy Prophet^(saw) stopped him and asked him to desist from making any rejoinder in answer to Abu Sufian’s taunting remarks about himself (the Holy Prophet). But in his exultation, the Makkan chief began to glorify aloud his favourite idol, the Hubal. The Holy Prophet^(saw) could no longer control himself then, and looking towards his com­panions said: “Why don’t you answer back by saying ‘God is most High and Exalted!’?” This complete disregard of what people might say about his person shows clearly that he was not aiming at making a name for himself, but was striving only that God’s name might be glorified by His creatures. In light of evidence of this kind, I can never entertain the idea that the Holy Prophet^(saw) ever strove to win a name for himself, or that the religion founded by him encourages its followers to make points of religion the basis of quarrels and dissensions.

I therefore urge Ahmadis and the Muslims of all the different sects not to make their religious differences a source of dissensions and discord between them, but to divest themselves of all prejudices and strive to attain the Truth through careful and diligent study.

The time at my disposal is very short as after a while I am to resume my journey. Certain questions have been passed on to me by some friends from among the audience, but I am sure that you will yourself see that it is impossible for me to answer them all in the limited time at my disposal. I will, therefore, draw your attention to one point of basic and fundamental importance, a proper grasp of which will enable you yourselves to supply the answers to the various questions. This basic point is the boundless love, far transcending any other love which humanity knows of in quality and depth, which Almighty God has for mankind. All the world religions are unanimously agreed upon this point and they all assert that, if there is a God Who has created us and created the world we live in for our benefit, it follows from the very nature of things that His love for mankind must, necessarily, be far more deep and abiding than the love of parents for their children. Similarly, it is admitted by all kinds and shades of religious opinion that His solicitude to show us the light of Divine guidance is greater than the desire of parents to keep their children from falling into evil ways. Some time ago I read a book by an American atheist. In the introduction the author addresses himself to Christians and asks them to explain why God, if there is any, is not doing anything to save the present-day groping humanity from running headlong to its destruction. It is, he says, unimaginable and incomprehensible that a God who has created a marvellous world of beauty, full of objects of practical and beneficial utility, all for the benefit of man, should at the same time be so indifferent to the ultimate evil destiny which, unaided by any celestial light, man is sure to work out for himself. If I try to poison myself, he says, my parents and friends catch hold of my wrists and snatch the fatal dose out of my hands. But when I fall into evil ways, how is it that God, who loves me more than either my friends or my parents, makes no move calculated to check me in my degradation? It may be urged against me, he continues, that I am fallen too low for God to be so solicitous for my salvation and that He has cut me off from His Divine grace, just as parents so often let a rebellious child work out his own ruin. This, he says, may be true in my case and perhaps in that of a few others, but it cannot be true in the case of all the millions and millions of Christians. In their mental outlook, their daily conduct and behaviour they are all like me, he says. How is it then that there is not a single individual who can honestly and boldly stand up before the world and say that he is in clear and tangible contact and communion with God – a relationship which others also may be able to see ?

Here is the true and inner nature of man speaking. When I read this passage in the book, I felt a rush of ethereal joy in my heart. Indeed, I said to myself, Christianity cannot satisfy the yearnings of a soul such as this, but Islam can satisfy this desire and bring peace and content­ment. The Almighty God says in the Holy Qur’an, Verily, those who strive to find the paths of Our pleasure, We, without a doubt, reveal and show these unto them; i.e., turn to God like that and pray to Him that you did not want to follow this religion or that, merely because your parents and your forefathers had held those views before you, but that you wanted to believe in and practise a religion that may, in His sight, be the real religion of Truth, and that He may, out of His boundless mercy and beneficence, Himself guide you to such a religion. Your prayers, I can assure you from personal experience, will not remain unheard and unanswered.

I have just said that I can assure you from personal experience that your prayers will not be wasted. As a matter of fact there are many people whom I know – from among Muslims as well as non-Muslims – who have adopted this course, and to their deep and infinite joy met with signal success. If there are any among you to whom reasoned arguments have failed to bring conviction, or if there be any among you who have not the capacity, the means, or the opportunity to study all the different religions and arrive at the Truth by comparison, they should turn to God, and their supplications will most surely be heard and answered, provided these prayers are heartfelt, earnest and persistent enough to merit an answer.

Sura Al-Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the Holy Qur’an, which I recited just now, is a prayer that is not meant for the exclusive use of Muslims; non-Muslims as well can derive equal benefit from it. It teaches us what things to pray for and moreover tells us the way and the words in which we should offer our prayers, i.e., to offer supplications to be guided on to, and to be given the strength of purpose and perseverance to pursue the right path – the path of those who have merited Divine favours and blessings, and not the path of those who for their misdeeds drew the wrath of God upon themselves.

I would, therefore, once again, impress it upon you that if you desire to be guided on to the right path, you should, once and for all, shed all prejudices, wrench your minds free from the influence of old accepted traditions, religious ideas, opinions and beliefs, turn to God alone for the solution of this vital problem and leave yourselves entirely in His hands. After bringing your minds to this state of complete absence of any bias or inclination in favour of either this or that sect or religion, you should beseech and implore Almighty God to dispel the surrounding gloom and “those who set their hearts upon coming unto Us, We show them the way and make it possible for them to achieve their object.”

In these days, the number of different religions and different sects is so large that it is some task even to count them all. Situated in these circumstances, there is no way out of the bewildering labyrinth of paths and by-paths for an honest seeker after truth, except that he should kneel deep in heartfelt prayer and ask to be led out of the vast maze.

An incident in the life of a great Sufi is full of a signifi­cant lesson in this respect. It is said that when one of the Sufi’s disciples was about to leave him at the end of his studies, the Sufi asked him what he would do if Satan or the Evil Spirit appeared in his way and blocked further progress. The disciple said that he would try to overcome him and drive him away. The Sufi thereupon said, “But suppose Satan runs away for a time but comes back to the attack a little while later, what would you do in that case?” The disciple again answered that he would again fight and try to drive him away. Said the Sufi, “Suppose he runs away a second time, but returns yet again?” “ I will fight him again,” said the disciple, “and try to drive him away a third time.” “But,” said the Sufi, “don’t you realise that in this way the whole of your life will be spent in fighting the Devil, and that all your time being taken up by that struggle, you will have no chance of making any progress towards your goal!” The disciple thereupon realised the truth of this remark and humbly begged to be told what he should do.

The Sufi then asked him another question. “What would you do,” he asked, “if, on going to see a friend at his house, you found that his dog would not let you enter?” The disciple said that he would drive away the dog, but if he found that he was unable to do that, he would call out to his friend to hold back the dog, so that he might be able to enter. “Exactly,” said the Sufi, “and the best way to fight the Devil is very much the same. When you find your way blocked by him, call out to the Benefactor and Friend that you are going to see to call the dog away – when that is done you will be able to enter in peace.”

In my opinion, therefore, the best, the easiest and the surest way to find out the Truth is to turn wholeheartedly to God and pour out one’s perplexities before Him. If you do so it will enable you to see and recognise the spark of divine light wherever it is. Remember and always bear in mind that God Who is our Creator, Who is the Sustainer of all forms of life upon earth, Who, in His boundless mercy and love, does not neglect even the meanest worm that crawls in the dust, is your greatest well-wisher and benefactor. He is the root, the essence and the converging point of all kinds of Truth and He is the source of all true guidance. If you will knock at His door in true humility of spirit and with the deep honest anguish of your soul, yearning and craving to be let into His august presence, you will never have to wait long before the avenues leading unto Him are clearly pointed out to you and the doors flung open for you to enter as soon as you may. This prescription can be tried by everyone no matter what his religion or his creed may be, and, I assure you most solemnly, it will be found to be equally efficacious and beneficial in every case. If I try to prove the validity and truth of my views by seasoned systematic reasoning and logical arguments, it is just possible that I may be able to produce an impression upon you and you may even begin to be favourably inclined towards my views.

But suppose someone else comes to you after I am gone, and by logical reasoning and arguments tries to prove that I was wrong, the chances would, in many cases, be about equal that he also may succeed in making an impression. There being so many divergent views on points of religion, and there being so many gifted speakers and debaters, the issue is likely to be confused more than ever if the decision is to be arrived at through reasoning and arguments alone – I have, therefore, invited your attention to a method of arriving at the Truth in which the decision will be made by Almighty God Himself. This is the way I chose for myself once very early in my life, and this is the way that I would choose again if I were looking for guidance in this sense.

But, as there are temperaments which look for logical reasoning and arguments in everything, and as, if anything is capable of being proved in this way, the truth of the true religion ought to be capable of being so proved, I take this opportunity to draw your attention to some of the points. It is our firm conviction (and I am sure you will agree that I am not exaggerating things in any way) that the deterioration of Muslims as Muslims has of late reached the lowest level to which any people could sink. On the religious side, their individual or national lives show no trace of the influence of Islam as an ethical and social force controlling and regu­lating the actions of their daily lives. They are, no doubt, still called Muslims, but there is no sign left of genuine belief in Islam and of the desire to act upon its principles. Whatever there is, is no more than a blind acceptance of certain traditions and ceremonials, which in many cases in themselves are openly in conflict with the essence of Islam. Now Islam, as we all know, is the religion about which God has said in the Holy Qur’an that it is the final Law, the final religion, and the Qur’an is the last book that will ever be revealed for the guidance of mankind. It stands to reason in these circumstances that God will not suffer Muslims to stray away from the path of His pleasure, or on account of their foolishness, suffer them to let the beauties of Islam become covered up by and be hidden under the dust of time. The advent of a reformer – of some Ma’mur (appointed) and Mursal (one sent) – to re-establish Islam once again upon earth, and in the heart of Muslims, had therefore become absolutely indispensable. Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian^(as) stood up at this juncture and claimed that he had been raised by God as the Promised Messiah, the Ma’mur, the Mursal and the Mahdi of the age for the regeneration of Islam, for shielding it from the attacks of its enemies, for the refutation of those charges which are brought against it and for the purpose of presenting it once again to the world in its original purity and glory.

Accordingly, we see that it was through Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as) that the long-standing charge of Islam’s expansion and growth through use of force, which had been con­tinuously urged against it for centuries was first, but forever, clearly and forcibly refuted. The Promised Messiah^(as) proved to the world that the growth of Islam was not due to the sword but to a potent spiritual magnetism that the Holy Prophet^(saw) exerted upon all those who came in contact with him – a magnetism that transformed the innermost essence of one’s being, a magnetism which purified and elevated. The argument which the Promised Messiah^(as) made use of in order to prove this truth cut at the root of this malicious lie from two sides. On the one hand, the Promised Messiah^(as) proved that the idea of compulsion in religious matters is not only alien but runs counter to the spirit and teachings of Islam and that it has been strongly and clearly denounced, and on the other, he declared that God had ordained that Islam should overshadow all other religions a second time and that the mission for which he had been sent was the regeneration of Islam and the deliverance of humanity from sin and iniquity through its wide portals. He called upon the world to take note of the fact that he had no armed forces at his command and that Islam would make rapid progress all the same, thus estab­lishing the fact that the truth of its teachings did not stand in need of a sword for its propagation. The weapon which the Holy Prophet^(saw) made use of was of a far different nature, and, in order to demonstrate this truth, God raised a Mes­senger from among the followers of the Holy Prophet^(saw) who used the same weapon with equal success once again so that the world may understand that, what a disciple and a follower can do, the same can certainly be accomplished by the teacher and Master as well.

The Holy Prophet^(saw) was our teacher and we also believe that he was the greatest and the best teacher that mankind has known or ever will know. This, of course, means that by following his guidance we can reach all those heights which some other people attained to before our time by following the guidance of other Masters; that moreover through the superior excellence of the teachings of that Master Prophet we can soar even higher. Otherwise his superiority over the other prophets has no meaning because it is in no way a qualification to be proud of in a teacher to say that none of his pupils has ever got or ever can get beyond the matriculation standard. We believe that by acting upon the Holy Prophet’s teachings one can rise to the highest spiritual eminence, even the exalted rank of prophethood not being excepted. The words, The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Blessings occurring in Surah Al-Fatihah, have been further made clear in the Holy Qur’an by the verse:

And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger of His shall be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His blessings, namely, the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs, and the Righteous. And excellent companions are these.

(Ch.4:V.70)

In this verse, the people upon whom God has showered His blessings have been divided under four heads: Nabi [Prophet], Siddeeq [Truthful], Shaheed [Martyr], Salih [Righteous one]. Studying these two verses together we cannot but arrive at the conclusion that one can rise to any of these four spiritual ranks by following in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw).

On account of a lack of true understanding of the meaning of this verse, some people say that the word occurring here is Ma‘a [(with)], which shows that it is possible to rise up to that point only which may enable us to be counted as being merely “in the company of prophets,” and that the word Ma‘a shows that we cannot actually rise to the rank of Prophethood. But it ought to be borne in mind that the word Ma‘a does not govern the word Nabiyyeen (prophets) alone; it governs the other three ranks as well, so that if we understand it to mean as saying that the utmost that we can aspire to is to be regarded as being “in the company of” prophets we will have to accept the same meaning of the word when it is used with Siddeeqeen, Shuhada and Saliheen. In this case the verse would mean that there can be no Siddeeq or Shaheed or Salih among the followers of the Holy Prophet; that the highest spiritual excellence that Muslims can aspire to attain is to be regarded as being in the company of Siddeeqeen, Shuhada and Saliheen. But it is obvious that this cannot be the true meaning of this verse. We therefore cannot but take the word Ma‘a to have been used in the sense of Min [(from among)], particularly when we find that this is not the only place in which Ma‘a has been used in the sense of Min. There are other places as well in the Holy Qur’an where the word has been used in the sense of Min, i.e., to be counted one of the number in a class or group. For instance we read in the Holy Qur’an, Tawaffana ma‘a-l abrar, a prayer which means: O God! Let death come to us at a time when we are among i.e. included in the blessed group of the truly righteous persons. It should be noted here that the word Ma‘a in this verse can never mean “to be merely in the company of,” because in that case the verse would mean: “O God! whenever you cause any righteous men to die, make us die along with them,” which obviously is quite meaningless.

Therefore it is quite right to say that the rank of prophethood can be acquired by following in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw). But it should be remembered here that although the Nubuwwah [Prophethood] of a Nabi (prophet) who rises to this rank by following the guidance of the Holy Prophet^(saw) will be as real as that of the other prophets who preceded the Prophet of Arabia, when such a prophet will come to be con­sidered from the aspect of his relationship with Prophet Muhammad^(saw) he will be regarded only as an Ummati, i.e., as one of his followers, because such a prophet will have risen to this rank solely by following the example of Muhammad^(saw). The rising to the rank of prophethood in this sense of anyone from among the followers of the Holy Prophet^(saw) is not at all derogatory to him. There is a saying of the Holy Prophet^(saw) which runs as follows: “If the prophets Moses^(as) and Jesus^(as) had been alive in my time they would have had to follow my teachings.” It becomes clear from this that it is in no sense derogatory for one prophet to have another prophet among his followers.

Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^(as), although he claimed to be a prophet, was nevertheless proud to number himself among the followers and disciples of the Holy Prophet^(saw). For instance, he says in one of his poems,

‘Although the performance of miracles has become extinct in these days, come you here, for you will see it among the servants (disciples) of the Prophet Muhammad^(saw).’

Again he says in another place :

‘After the love of God, I am lost in the wine of love for the Prophet of Arabia; if this be kufr (heresy) then by God I am the greatest Kafir (heretic)!’

The deep, overwhelming love which the Promised Messiah^(as) had for the Holy Prophet^(saw) and his sense of sincere thankfulness and gratitude was so intense and strong that the Promised Messiah^(as) has written a number of ecstatic poems in the Holy Prophet^(saw)’s praise. In contrast, the poems of the kind written by Muslims before him read hopelessly meaningless and insipid. The poems which were written before the Promised Messiah^(as) in praise of the Holy Prophet^(saw) no doubt deal at great length with the physical charm of the Holy Prophet^(saw), but that is all that they accomplish; of the marvellous beauties of spiritual excellence which Prophet Muhammad^(saw) combined in his person there is no mention at all. The poems of the Promised Messiah^(as), on the other hand, dwell with a loving fondness upon those qualities and traits of his character which make the Holy Prophet^(saw) stand out with such clear conspicuousness and raise him so high above the others in the blessed assemblage of spiritual reformers and teachers of mankind. These poems, while they reveal an extraordinary depth of insight and understanding and an overwhelming admiration and appreciation of the unparalleled greatness of the Holy Prophet^(saw), possessed by their writer – an appreciation which would be impossible without the strong and intimate bond that unites the disciple with his master – they at the same time tell us, in a language glowing with the fire of deep and boundless devotion, of the sense of exultation and pride which the Promised Messiah^(as) felt in having Prophet Muhammad^(saw) as his lord and master. But words cannot give an adequate idea of this comparison. This can only be realised by actually studying these poems.

A gentleman once asked me why the poems written by Muslim poets in praise of the Holy Prophet^(saw) always dwelt at such length only on the physical aspects of the charms of his personality (such as the beauty of his features and his casting no shadow when walking in the sun, etc.), without making any mention of those qualities which matter far more than the outward physical appearance of a person. I must confess that I felt ashamed of this obvious drawback in these poems and advised him to study the poems written by the Promised Messiah^(as).

To sum up, the writings of the Promised Messiah^(as) bespeak clearly the love which he had for Islam. Nobody who should read them once would imagine for an instant that such a man could advance any claim which in any way should take away the slightest fraction from the dignity of the Prophet Muhammad^(saw). Can it be possible that on the one hand he should try to detract from his dignity and on the other strive to glorify him in so enthusiastic and glowing a language?

In the end I once again advise you to seek guidance from Almighty God Himself in this matter of vital importance. In order to do this you should have recourse to prayer that is offered in all humility and earnestness. May God enable you as well as myself to pursue the right path – the path which, by winning His pleasure, ultimately leads to Him.

THE ESSENCE OF ISLAM
This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah(as), Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a summary of his exposition of four outstanding topics: ISLAM; ALLAH, THE EXALTED; THE HOLY PROPHET(saw) and THE HOLY QUR’AN. The original compilation, in Urdu, from which these extracts have been translated into English, was collated with great care and diligence by Syed Daud Ahmad Sahib(ru). The English rendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan(ra), and is quoted from The Essence of Islam, Volume 3. All references throughout, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an.

Though different people, on account of their short-sightedness or lack of courage, appoint various types of objectives for their lives and stop short at worldly purposes and desires, yet the purpose that God Almighty has specified in His Holy Word is:

I have created jinn and men so that they should worship me. (Ch.51:V.57)

According to this verse the true purpose of human life is the worship and understanding of God Almighty and devotion to Him. It is obvious that it is not open to man that he should himself appoint the purpose of his life by his own authority inasmuch as man does not arrive in the world of his own will, nor will he depart from this world of his own will. He is a created being and He Who created him and bestowed upon him better and higher faculties than those bestowed upon other animates, has appointed a purpose for his life. Whether anyone comprehends that purpose or not, without doubt the purpose of man’s creation is the worship and understanding of God Almighty and to lose himself in Him (Islami Usul ki Philosophy; Now printed in Ruhani Khaza’in (London, 1984), Vol. 10, p100).

We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to undertake it and were afraid of it. But man undertook it. Indeed he is capable of forcing himself to obey, disregardful of consequences. (Ch.33:V.73)

This means that the Divine Trust, by which are meant the love of God and complete obedience to Him, was offered to the angels and the whole of creation and the mountains, all apparently full of strength, but they all refused to undertake it, being afraid of its grandeur. But man undertook it for he possessed two qualities, that he could force himself in the cause of God Almighty and could advance so far in love of Him as to forget altogether everything else (Taudheeh Maram, pp27-28).

The real purpose of all the external and internal limbs and faculties that have been bestowed on man is understanding and worship and love of God. That is why, despite a thousand occupations, man does not find his true well-being except in God Almighty. Having acquired great wealth, or achieved high office, or having become a great merchant, or having acquired governing authority, or become a great philosopher, he departs in the end from these worldly involvements with a sense of frustration. His heart rebukes him all the time about his deep concern with the world and his conscience never approves his wiles and deceits and wrongful actions. This problem can be appreciated in another way. The purpose of the creation of a thing is determined by its highest achievement beyond which its faculties cannot rise. For instance, the highest a bullock is capable of is ploughing, or irrigation, or transportation, and therefore these are the purposes of its life and it cannot rise above them. But when we take stock of man’s faculties and powers to discover his highest capacity, we find that he is invested with the faculty of seeking after God so much so, that he desires that he should become so devoted to God’s love that he should have nothing of his own and that everything should become God’s. He shares his natural needs like food and drink and rest with other animates, and in industry some animals are ahead of him; for instance, the bees produce such excellent honey from every type of flower that man has so far not been able to compete with them. It is clear, therefore, that the highest capacity of man is meeting with God Almighty and thus the true purpose of his life is that the window of his heart should open towards God.

How To Achieve The Purpose Of Life

The question is how, and through what means, can man achieve this purpose? The principal means for achieving this purpose is the correct recognition of and faith in the True God. If this first step is wrongly taken and a person sets up a bird, or an animal, or any of the elements, or a human being as his god, it cannot be expected that his subsequent steps would be taken along the straight path. The True God helps His seekers; but that which is dead cannot help the dead. As the Holy Qur’an says:

Unto Him is the true prayer. Those on whom they call beside Him, do not respond to them at all. Their case is like that of one who stretches forth his hands towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. The prayer of the disbelievers is but a delusion. (Ch.13:V.15)

Second Means

The second means of achieving the true purpose of life is to become aware of the perfect beauty of God Almighty, for beauty is something that naturally attracts the hearts and generates love. The beauty of God Almighty is His Unity and His Greatness and His other attributes, as the Holy Qur’an says:

Proclaim: He is Allah, the Single; Allah, the Self-Existing and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him. (Ch.112:Vs.2-5)

This means that in His Being and His attributes and His Glory, God is One without associate. All are dependent upon Him and every particle derives its life from Him. He is the Source of grace for everything and receives no grace from anything. He is neither a son nor a father for none is equal to Him. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly draws attention to God’s perfection and greatness and points out that such God is the Besought of all hearts and not one who is dead or weak or lacks mercy or power.

Third Means

The third means of achieving the purpose of life is to become aware of the benevolence of God Almighty, for love is generated by beauty and benevolence. The benevolent attributes of God Almighty are set forth briefly in Surah Fatihah [(Opening Chapter)], where it is said:

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. (Ch.1:Vs.2-4)

It is obvious that the perfection of benevolence consists in that God Almighty created His servants from nothing and thereafter His Providence was bestowed upon them and He became the support of everything, and all types of His mercy were manifested for His servants. His benevolence is without limit and beyond count as is repeatedly set forth in the Holy Qur’an, as, for instance:

…If you try to number the bounties of Allah, you will not be able to count them… (Ch14:V.35)

Fourth Means

The fourth means of achieving the true purpose is Prayer, as is said: Call on Me, I shall respond to you (Ch.40:V.61). There is repeated urge towards Prayer, so that man should achieve his purpose not through his own power, but through God’s power.

Fifth Means

The fifth means of achieving the purpose of life is striving in the cause of Allah with one’s property and one’s faculties and one’s life and one’s reason, as is it said:

…Strive in the cause of Allah with your properties and your lives… (Ch.9:V.41);

and it is said:

…They spend out of whatsoever We have bestowed upon them (Ch.2:V.4);

and it is said:

Those who strive after Us shall We guide along the paths that lead to Us… (Ch.29:V.70)

Sixth Means

The sixth means for achieving the purpose of life is steadfastness; that is to say, that a seeker should not become tired and should not be daunted by trials, as it is said:

On them who affirm: Our Lord is Allah; and then remain steadfast, angels descend, re-assuring them: Fear not, nor grieve, and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised. We are your friends in this life and in the hereafter… (Ch.41:Vs.31-32)

This is an indication that the pleasure of God Almighty is won through steadfastness. It is true that steadfastness is more than a miracle. Steadfastness is that one should find oneself surrounded on all sides by calamities and one should find one’s life and honour in danger and nothing comforting should be available, so much so, that God Almighty should stop comforting visions and dreams and revelation and should leave one in the midst of terrifying fears, but that at such a time, one should not abandon courage and should not step back like a coward and should not let one’s fidelity be weakened. One’s sincerity and loyalty should not be shaken, one should be pleased with the humiliation, one should be reconciled to death, one should not await the support of a friend, one should not seek glad tidings from God, because of one’s delicate situation, and one should stand up straight despite helplessness and weakness and the lack of every comfort. One should stretch forth one’s neck, saying: Whatever is to happen, let it happen; one should face courageously whatever has been determined and one should not be impatient nor complain till the trial is completed. This is the steadfastness through which one wins God. This is that the perfume of which is given forth by the dust of Messengers, Prophets, Siddiqs [(Truthful persons)] and martyrs. This is indicated in the prayer:

Guide us along the straight path, the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy favours… (Ch.1:Vs.6-7)

meaning, show us the path of steadfastness by treading along which one wins Thy bounties and favours and with which Thou art pleased. This is also indicated in another verse:

…Our Lord pour down upon us steadfastness and cause us to die in a state of submission to Thee (Ch.7:V.127)

meaning, Lord: at this time of trial send down upon our hearts the comfort that should make us steadfast and do Thou so ordain that we should die in a state of submission to Thee. At the time of trials and misfortune, God Almighty causes a light to descend upon the hearts of those who are dear to Him, being strengthened by which they face misfortunes calmly and, out of the sweetness of their faith, they kiss the chains that are put round their feet in His cause. When calamities descend upon a man of God and signs of death appear, he does not contend with his Lord that He might be safeguarded against them, inasmuch as to persist at such a time in supplications for security amounts to fighting God Almighty and is contrary to complete submission. A true lover advances forward at a time of calamity and holding life as nothing, and saying goodbye to love of it, submits himself completely to the will of his Lord and seeks only His pleasure. Concerning such people, God, the Glorious, says:

Of the people there are those who dedicate themselves to seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Most Compassionate towards such devoted servants. (Ch.2:V.208)

That is the spirit of steadfastness through which one meets God.

Seventh means

The seventh means of achieving the purpose of life is keeping company with the righteous and to follow their example. One of the needs of the advent of Prophets is that man naturally seeks a perfect example, for it fosters eagerness and resolve. He who does not follow a good example becomes slothful and goes astray. This is indicated in the verse:

…Keep company with the righteous (Ch.9:V.119)

and:

The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy favours… (Ch.1:V.7)

Eighth Means

The eighth means of achieving the purpose of life are pure visions and dreams and revelation from God Almighty. To travel towards God is to tread upon a very delicate path that is attended by diverse types of calamities and sufferings. It is possible that a person may be overtaken by forgetfulness in pursuing this unfamiliar path or may give up hope and should abandon further advance. Therefore, the mercy of God Almighty seeks to comfort him in his progress in this journey and strengthen his heart and to uphold his resolve and to increase his eagerness. Thus it is God’s way that from time to time He comforts those who are voyaging along this path with His revelation and manifests to them that He is with them. Thus strengthened, they perform this journey with great eagerness. He has said:

For them are glad tidings in this world and in the hereafter… (Ch.10:V.65)

There are several other means for achieving the purpose of life which the Holy Qur’an has set out, but considerations of space forbid us setting them out here (Islami Usul ki Philosophy; Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 10, pp101-108).

A question is raised that God Almighty being Gracious and Benevolent, His direction that man should worship Him is for the benefit of man and not that it adds in any way to God’s honour. It is true that through the worship of God man’s own welfare is intended, yet the Rabubiyyat [(Providence)] of God Almighty demands that avoiding evil and devoting himself to His worship and obedience, he should achieve his good fortune. If he does not wish to follow that path His wrath is aroused not for His own sake, but for his sake and He subjects him to diverse types of warnings and admonitions. If he still does not take heed, he is consumed in the fire of rejection and of despair. It is not permissible that anyone should say to Him: Why do You bother about what would harm me or benefit me? Why do You admonish us and send revealed Books and punish us? If we worship You, it would be for our own good and if we do not worship You, we shall suffer loss. Why should You worry? Should anyone say that, and indeed if the whole world and all mankind were to supplicate Him that He should spare them His admonitions and commandments and revealed Books, and that they do not desire paradise, but would be content with this world and should be left for ever to it, that they do not desire the great bounties of the hereafter, that He should not interfere with their actions and should abstain from planning rewards and punishments for them and should not concern Himself with their benefit or their loss, their supplication would not be granted even if they continued to submit it throughout their lives crying and weeping. It is not enough that a person is free and worships God for his own benefit and that Permeshwar has no concern with it, but the Glory and Greatness of God demand that man should carry out the worship of God and should follow the ways of goodness. His Godhead naturally demands that the signs of servitude should be manifested before Him and His perfection demands that man should humble himself in His presence. That is the reason why in the end His chastisement overtakes the disobedient and the vicious and those who persist in wrong-doing. His Blessed Being has eternally possessed the power to award reward and impose punishment; otherwise, he would not occupy Himself to award good recompense to the virtuous and ill recompense to the vicious. Were it not for His attribute of awarding recompense, He would have kept silent and abstained altogether from bestowing recompense. Therefore, though it is true that the harm or benefit of man’s actions reverts to him and the greatness and kingdom of God Almighty are neither increased nor decreased thereby, yet it is true and is a firm verity that His attribute of Rabubiyyat demands that His servants should be firmly established in their position of His worshippers, and that if anyone should raise his head in the slightest degree out of arrogance, his head be immediately smashed. In short, there is a demand in God’s Being for the manifestation of His Greatness, His Godhead, His Supremacy, His Glory and His Kingdom, and recompense and the requirement of obedience and servitude and worship are the consequences of that very demand. For the manifestation of His Rabubiyyat and Godhead, He has created this variegated world. Had His Being been free from this desire of manifestation, why should He have addressed Himself to creation at all? Who had coerced Him that He should create the universe and by establishing a relationship between souls and bodies should make this world the manifestation of His wonderful powers? He must have possessed a power of determination that moved Him to the creation of the universe. There are indications in His Holy Word, the Qur’an, which show that God Almighty created the universe so that He should be recognised through His attribute of creation, and after creation He showered His mercy and benevolence upon the world so that He should be recognised through His mercy and benevolence. In the same way, He instituted punishment and reward so that His attributes of retribution and bounty might be recognised. After death, He will raise up mankind again so that He might be recognised as All-Powerful. His purpose in all His wonderful works is that He should be recognised. Thus, by the creation of the world and by the system of recompense, what is desired is the understanding of God, which is the essence of worship. This proves that God Almighty Himself demands that His creatures should attain His understanding, the perfect reality of which is known through worship. As a beauteous one on account of the perfection of his beauty desires to display it, so God Almighty, Who possesses to perfection the reality of beauty, desires that His excellences should be disclosed to people. This proves that God Almighty demands worship, which is the basis and means of recognition from His servants, and His supremacy attends to the destruction of one who opposes His desire and denies His worship and turns away from it. If you reflect over the world and observe carefully that which God Almighty has hitherto meted out to rebels and non-believers, and that which He has always done to the faithless ones and the wrong-doers, you would realise that without doubt it is an established verity that God Almighty, by the demand of His Being, loves goodness and hates evil and is at enmity with it. He desires that people should discard vice and should adopt goodness, and though goodness or evil, which man practises, does not in any way interfere with God’s kingdom, yet that is His demand. It is thus obvious that if God Almighty has not created the souls, He has no right to demand from any soul why it does not render to Him that perfect worship that is due to its Creator (Surma Chashm Arya (Qadian, 1886); Now published in Ruhani Khaza’in, Volume 2 (London, 1984), pp.215-220).

We present below the transcript of part of a Question and Answer session with Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(ru), fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, recorded at Cologne, Germany on the 21st August 1996.

Transcribed by Amatul Hadi Ahmad

Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ru), fourth Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community

Questioner: There are many people who have no inner peace. What does Islam say about this?

Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad^(ru):
The idea of ‘inner peace’ is something which is not properly defined. Unless it is well-defined you cannot attempt to attain it. Peace is a concept which differs among the different schools of philosophies. For instance, the Yogic peace has a different meaning. It only means that by exercise or by delving deeper into one’s soul, a person finds himself to be without any agitation. So, the absence of agitation in man’s desires is called peace. A similar concept of peace is found in Buddhism as well as in some other Chinese religions. For instance, in Taoism, peace means delving deeper into one’s own soul until one strikes the fountain-head of truth. So what is called Buddha in Buddhism is called Tao in Taoism, which means truth that is found in every nature – so when you reach truth, you reach peace. This is a different view about peace which is found in various oriental religions. However, in the major divinely revealed religions of the world, which are Judaism, Christianity and, at the end, Islam, peace is not just one dimensional or [an] individual concept. Peace is, first, to be at rest with one’s own desires and ambitions and having a balance, which is an internal affair, and then, secondly, to have peace with the world around and to assure everyone that one poses no threat of danger to them – ‘no danger will emanate from me in the other’s direction’. It is this wider concept of peace which you find in major religions. In this concept of peace, no one can be at peace with himself until he is also at peace with his neighbours and with others. This is also the concept of peace in Islam.

In Islam the concept of peace is two-fold. Firstly, to be at peace with God and then, secondly, to be at peace with oneself and with the rest of the world.

The concept of peace in Islam is the most comprehensive of all the religions and philosophies that I have just mentioned and the key to it lies in the fact that in Islam the word ‘peace’ does not only mean to be at rest or to have a compromise of a perfect understanding with the rest of the world. It also means submission. The meaning of this one single word has two aspects. One is peace as ordinarily understood and the other is peace in the sense of submission. So, according to the Qur’anic concept of peace, no peace on earth can ever be conceived, not to mention established, by human effort. It cannot even be conceived theoretically without man finding God, the Creator, without recog-nising the hand of the Creator universally at work in nature. So, once man recognises his Creator then the second step is to be at peace with Him and this peace has this dual meaning: Firstly, you are not to do anything which creates a distance between you and the Creator, and secondly, submission. So, both these meanings join hands at this stage. Submission to the will of God is the only means of attaining peace with God and this is a declaration which is proven by human experience. It has a profound wisdom which is universally experienced by man. If children are at peace with their parents, it is impossible for them to defy their orders and wishes and yet be at peace. Hence, if you delve deeper into the meaning of peace you will realise that ultimately the meaning of peace is submission. If you submit to the authority or the will or the desire of someone so completely that nothing in you is at war with the desire, will, or the way of life or the style of someone whom you love, (you will be at peace with that person). Unless you do this, you can’t get peace. So in Islam the journey to peace begins with the attainment of peace with your Lord the Creator and for this you must understand his attributes. We must know what He is and this in Islam cannot be achieved through delving deeper into yourself because you can make many mistakes. If there is a God, He has to be an external reality. If He is an external reality, then He must introduce himself to man and that is what actually happened in all the divine religions – it was God who revealed himself to mankind. It was never man or woman who by his/her own efforts reached God, without help from God. First this much should be understood. I will then come to the latter part of the concept of peace, peace within a person and peace between people.

The questioner has asked a very profound question and to give a brief answer is extremely difficult. So I am trying to build the answer little by little, in different sections. I hope you will bear with me and understand that your question needs to be answered logically, in detail, with regard to its various aspects. First of all, I return to the idea of finding peace with God. Why is this essential? Why is it that no peace can be established without returning to God? God is the ultimate reality Who has created human beings according to His own attributes and peace means a complete balance between man’s attributes and the attributes of God. When there is no friction in any aspect of human behaviour caused by being at variance with God’s attributes, this then is the ultimate peace. No other definition of peace can hold good but this one which can be explained and demonstrated at length but I am trying to make the answer brief and that is why I have just claimed it. If you think deeper on this question, I am sure you will agree with this claim that man’s attributes can only find peace when they find themselves at one with God’s attributes. Whenever the two join, they become alive and there is peace. Whenever they are at war, there is friction, and there is disturbance, psychological as well as otherwise. It is the disturbance created within humans which causes all the disturbances in human relation-ships with each other and in the international relationships between people and between states.

I can explain this by demonstrating to you how man’s attributes can become at one with God’s attributes. But what do I mean by that? Everybody knows that in almost all religions, God is defined alike in His attributes, alike in almost all religions. They differ with each other in other things, but the concept of God is expressed as perfect goodness. No flaw can be attributed to God’s attribute or behavioural conduct, in the concept of God in any religion. All tell universally that God is True. All claim universally that God is Just. All claim, without variance, that God is Compassionate, Merciful, Forgiving. Now, these are the attributes that I had in mind when I said human attributes must come at one with God’s attributes and there you can never be mistaken about peace. Let’s begin with truth.

Only when man becomes true can he find peace with himself; otherwise he will claim to be something while deep inside he knows he is not that something. There will always be contradiction between man and his soul as long as he is not true. So, truth is the most important fundamental first step towards peace and this is the meaning of becoming like God. You cannot be God but you can imitate God in all the good attributes of God which we have also received from God as His creation and when you become true to yourself only then will you be able to become true to your children, your husband, your wife, your relatives and your society and when you enlarge the role of this single factor then nations can become true to each other. Even if you were to forget about all the other attributes of God, if you were just true, then you will realise that the peace within you is not a confined, isolated experience of a person within himself. The moment he reaches peace through imitating God, he is immediately introduced as a true servant, as a humble creature of God. He is introduced as such, through his attributes, to all his surroundings, whether someone is related to him or not. If someone is true he will be identified as a godly person by all whether they believe in God or do not believe in God because the attribute of truth is in itself a godly character. Even the atheists accept truth – they know it is good. So to be godlike but in humility, to try to achieve His attributes is the only passage to peace which can be advised and which does not become a confined experience within man. It becomes a universally shared experience between people in the same society and between people of different nations.

Again, I will emphasise that this is the only formula for creating universality in man. Without creating universality in man it is impossible to dream of peace and this universality can only be achieved through the image of God which is universal. Through Him, man can achieve such charac-teristics as are universally loved so that the human community, the human race, can become a single species if the human race submits to the will of God and becomes or attempts to become like God. Herein meet the two different meanings of peace, that is, peace in the ordinary sense, and peace in the sense of submission.

VIP Reception in Honour of
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad
(Khalifatul Masih V)

The following is an address given at the Taj Residency Hotel, Ernakulam, Kerala on 30 November 2008.

Assalamu ‘Alaikum Warahmatullah to all the respected and honourable guests.

First of all I would like to thank all the distinguished guests, who with an open heart and kindness have joined us here today. By doing so you have fulfilled the humanly bond of friendship and have shown that you hold in high regard the sentiments of others. India is a vast country where people belonging to different casts and religions abide, and for the survival of the nation it is important to respect the feelings and sentiments of each other.

Today the world consists of people belonging to different religions and the founders of those religions have all taught their followers to worship the one God and discharge the rights owed to Him and His creation. About 1400 years ago, God Almighty sent the Holy Prophet^(saw) and the law revealed to him in the form of the Holy Qur’an. About this law-bearing book, God Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an:

Verily We ourselves have sent down this exhortation and most surely We will be its Guardian. (Ch.15:V10)

Hence, to this day the Holy Qur’an is still in its purest form with no alteration to it. Several Orientalists have also attested to this fact. This book was revealed to the Holy Prophet^(saw) 1400 years ago, as I have said, and upon reflection over it we come to know that it comprehends a wide range of subjects. Where it confirms the coming of the prophets in various nations, it also verifies their true teachings. It teaches man how to discharge the rights owed to one another, on what conditions war is permitted, and to what extent war should be fought. It also informs us about the inventions that are to be expected in the future ­– that is, today’s inventions – how trade should be done, and so on just to name a few.

If one observes the Holy Qur’an critically, its teachings can be summarised into two main areas. One, recognition of our Creator, and secondly, discharging the rights owed to His creation. Even though some critics do not understand some teachings of the Holy Qur’an, or do not believe in them, they do, however, admit to its originality. To understand the Holy Qur’an properly one needs determination and purity of heart. Since the advent of Islam, the Holy Qur’an has been explained to people by the Holy Prophet^(saw) himself, who taught it to his companions; then after him, other pious people also studied, understood and explained it to others for decades.

We also believe that in every century, God Almighty has sent reformers amongst Muslims, and these were responsible for spreading the true teachings and message of Islam to all, be it Muslim or Non-Muslim. Some of such reformers came to the Indian sub-continent. Then in 1889, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, from Qadian in Indian, claimed to be the reformer and the Messiah and Mahdi who was to appear in the fourteenth century, as was prophesied by the Holy Prophet^(saw).

We Ahmadis, believing in his claim, belong to his community and accept him to be the Messiah and Mahdi who was to unite all people, both Muslims and Non-Muslims, under the One God, so that religious differences would be removed from the world, and so that people would start to realise the purpose of their creation as taught by all prophets, and that is discharging the rights owed to their Creator, and discharging the rights owed to one another.

The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, the Masih-e-Mau’ood^(as), also announced that the purpose of his advent was to strengthen the bond between man and his Creator and secondly to draw man’s attention towards discharging the rights owed to God’s creation. He taught that man should come closer to his Creator by worshipping Him and must discharge the rights owed to one another in order to remove all grievances and religious disputes that arise amongst people. He also mentioned that these were in accordance with the Qur’anic teachings. Here one should note that God sometimes speaks metaphorically, which becomes difficult for people to comprehend. Therefore God sends messengers into the world to explain and convey God’s message to them which had been revealed to the Prophets in the past. According to our belief, Hadhrat Masih-e-Mau’ood^(as) is that special reformer whom God Almighty sent in this age to convey God’s message to us.

I will now briefly elaborate on what the Holy Qur’an teaches us regarding the establishment of peace in the society and the discharging of each other’s rights. We Ahmadis try to ensure that we always abide by these teachings and share it with others so that the world becomes a haven of peace, love and harmony. Muslims have been commanded to abstain from evil and adopt virtue and righteousness. To this effect it is stated in the Holy Qur’an:

You are the best people raised for the good of mankind. You enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in Allah. (Ch.3:V.111)

Hence, people who believe in the Holy Qur’an have been advised to show integrity in all their endeavours and work to promote goodness and righteousness within their societies. But before one can counsel others towards such ways, one must practice what one preaches. You cannot counsel others if you do not follow the path of righteousness yourself. If all people who claim to be righteous abided by this principal then their counsel would be effective; they would be considered valued members of the society. Others would respect them, give importance to what they say, and obey them since they understand that this person is adopting such an approach not for his own good but with the welfare of others at heart. He exercises extreme justice in his dealings and when enjoining others to abstain from evil and adopt virtue, he also expects this from his dear ones.

How (are we) to establish justice and promote peace, love and brotherhood in society? The Holy Qur’an says:

And when you speak observe justice, even if the person concerned be a relative, and fulfil the covenant of Allah. (Ch.6:V.153)

Justice requires that even if you have to give evidence against your dear ones then do so. Today, when we take a closer look around us, we observe that most of the disputes and causes of dissention amongst people are due to not observing proper justice. We only think of our vested interests, or that of our dear ones, without considering the fact that the others might be hurt by our actions; and once grievances develop it becomes difficult to eliminate them.

In terms of international relations, the level of justice we are expected to show is commanded by the following words in the Holy Qur’an:

O ye who believe! Be steadfast in the cause of Allah, bearing witness in equity. And let not a people’s enmity incite you to act otherwise than with justice. Be always just, that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah; surely Allah is aware of what you do. (Ch.5:V.9)

This is the high standard of justice to be established in society. To remove all enmities and dissention from the world we have to show justice to such an extent that a people’s enmity should not cause us to act otherwise than with justice.

When God Almighty has said that He is All-Knowing and All-Hearing, then for the person with the fear of God in his heart, this is a grave matter, because one can pull the wool over someone’s eyes but cannot deceive God. You can go against your agreements with people and deceive them, but God knows what is apparent and what is hidden in our hearts. So we cannot act cleverly before Him. God Almighty has commanded us to always behave justly, keeping the fear of Allah in mind, and to discharge the rights owed to one another with the fear of God in one’s heart. When you make agreements with your enemies, do so with purity of heart, and with the intention of establishing justice in the world. And one who believes in God should remember that God is watchful over all that one does. This beautiful teaching helps us in removing all enmities from the society.

I will now give an example of how the Holy Prophet^(saw) practised justice in his everyday life. It is narrated that once a Jew came before the Holy Prophet^(saw) with the complaint that a companion of the Holy Prophet^(saw) had failed to return the four dirham, the currency of that time, he owed the Jew, and the time for settlement had been exceeded. The Holy Prophet^(saw) called the companion and asked him whether that was the case, to which the companion answered in the affirmative. The Holy Prophet^(saw) asked him to return the money, to which the companion said he had no money at present and would return it as soon as he had it. The Holy Prophet^(saw) again said, return the money. The companion again replied he did not have it. This went on three times, after which the companion was forced by the Holy Prophet^(saw) to repay the money. He then went to the market, sold the clothes he was wearing for four dirhams, placed his headdress over his body, and returned the money to the Jew. This is how the Holy Prophet^(saw) guided his followers to fulfil their agreements and show justice so that peace and justice could prevail in society.

This Qur’anic teaching, and the Holy Prophet’s^(saw) action has shown Muslims the right path to follow. Today, opponents of Islam criticise it for using force and say it is extremist in nature; however, this allegation is totally unfounded. Islam is a religion of peace, love and harmony. In its history, if ever wars were fought, then they were because they were initiated by the enemy. Even in such wars, the Holy Prophet^(saw) always expected justice to be carried out. He always ordered his companions that no child, no woman, and no old or weak one were to be harmed. No religious leader belonging to any religion, living peacefully in his house of worship was to be hurt. Even trees were not to be felled in enmity.

Wars were only between one army and the other. What more beautiful and virtuous action shown like this by the Holy Prophet^(saw) can you expect from someone? In comparison, when you see wars fought today, it is the innocent civilians and inhabitants of cities and towns who are affected. It is the innocent and weak members of society who come under the fire of this cruel bombardment. Islam never teaches such cruelty. Alas! Today this beautiful teaching is being ignored and misconstrued by some Muslim groups, consequently defaming the name of Islam.

In this day and age we believe in the Imam of this Age, the Messiah and Mahdi, who taught us that under the prevailing circumstances Jihad must be with the pen, by reforming yourself and spreading the message of peace, not the sword. The Jihad of the sword is now not permitted. We must only concentrate on drawing people towards Islam’s beautiful teachings.

The Founder of the community was then succeeded by the institution of Khilafat, which has been established to continue the work of representing Islam’s true teachings and ensuring that people are guided towards the right path through reformation and moral training. According to our belief, based on Qur’anic teachings, there is no compulsion in religion. Everyone is free to profess the religion of his choice, but one does not have the right to degrade other religions or their founders. This is against the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. We have been commanded to respect the feelings of others and draw man towards the worship of his Creator so as to spread peace, love, and harmony in society.

Today, quite a number of people are in the selfish pursuit of seeking the fulfilment of their vested interests, without giving a thought towards discharging the rights due to others. If we do not recognise our Creator and discharge the due rights to one another, the world will be lead to a terrible disaster the effects of which will be seen for years to come and the future generations will blame us for this. It is my fervent prayer that we safeguard ourselves and our generation from such destruction. Once again, I thank you all for having listened to me patiently, may Allah bless you all. Thank you.

The following is the address by Hadhrat Khalifatul Masih V delivered at the reception held on the inauguration of Baitul Afiyyat (Sheffield) on 8 November 2008.

All the honourable guests,  peace and blessings of God be upon you all.

First of all, I would like to thank all our respected guests, who have come here on the auspicious occasion of the inauguration of this mosque.

By doing so you have all shown your friendship, illustrated great courage and given proof of your care for humanity. What the world requires most of all is tolerance. As the world draws closer and a global village begins to emerge, there is a need to replace hatred and malice with love, affection and forbearance. One should be sensitive to the feelings of others and there should be respect and reverence for each other’s faith. Attention needs to be drawn towards discharging the rights of each other.

If these qualities do not emerge, then despite the world coming together, it will be further divided and its drawing closer will prove to be a curse rather than being a source of pride. Therefore, it is very praiseworthy that you have respected our feelings by participating today. These are the avenues that will lead to love, kindness and tolerance and take us all the way up to the pinnacle of humanity.

My prayer is that this function today offers a means of consolidating love, affection and tolerance and proves to be a milestone for the development of these qualities. As for how far we understand this concept and adhere to these principles, permit me, please, to clarify.

The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, has taught us that there were two purposes of his coming.

One was to bring man closer to God, the Creator, and the other was to draw the attention of mankind towards discharging the rights of God’s Creation. He said that discharging the rights of others selflessly was a very difficult task. However, he further stated that after joining his community it is obligatory upon Ahmadis to fulfil these duties.

Our slogan of ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ is based on this teaching, namely, that if malice and hatred are present then due rights cannot be upheld. So while this mosque, which, by the way, is called Bait-ul-’Aafiyat, as I have mentioned earlier, that is a house of peace, tranquillity and safety, draws our attention towards the worship of Allah, it also continues to impress upon us the obligation to serve and safeguard the rights of His Creation. As a result of observing these rights, love, affection and peace will further develop.

We, therefore, try to live within these parameters, whose outer boundaries are guarded against those who usurp the rights of others and spread hatred. This discipline is supervised by the Khalifa of the time. Whosoever tries to exceed the limits causes himself harm.

We claim that everything we do is for the sake of God Almighty. And God Almighty is very kind to His Creation. The majority of the world does not fulfil the rights of its Creator, but even so God Almighty does not seek revenge. This does not mean that God does not exist, as it is said by some schools of thoughts. Nor does it lead to the question, which is: If someone does not exist, how can he take revenge? Allah says in the Holy Quran that if He starts punishing people immediately, they go astray, then not only man but all living creatures in the universe will be eliminated. The following verse throws more light on it. The Qur’an says:

And if Allah were to punish men for their wrongdoing, He would not leave thereon a living creature, but He gives them respite till an appointed term… (Ch.16: V.62)

So we believe in that God Who does not punish the moment a wrong is committed. Were He to punish instantly, He could easily terminate or withdraw the resources upon which we are dependant.

Upon reflection we will realise that our lives and what we eat are dependent upon a wide array of things, ranging from small bacteria to livestock, even the total life in the earth.

If these did not exist then we could not obtain vegetables or crops, nor would we get milk to drink. According to our beliefs, some persons are punished in this world, whilst others are punished in the Hereafter. But God’s Mercy encompasses all things. (Ch.7: V.157)

When Allah the Almighty is so merciful towards His Creation then what right do people have not to show mercy to their fellow beings and not treat them with kindness? It is our duty to try and bring man closer to God. But as for those who do not accept these teachings, we should not erect walls of hatred between them and us, for that is not our purpose.

In the Holy Qur’an, God Almighty has instructed us that There should be no compulsion in religion. (Ch.2: V.257) When each person is free to adopt any religion, there can be no reason for any hatred.

It is our duty to mention the beauties of Islam and spread this message far and wide because this too is one of the duties owed to man, that is to say, that whatever you find good for yourself, you should try and invite others to join you in the same. Nevertheless, if anyone does not accept your invitation, relations should continue as before. This is the beautiful teaching that we try to spread.

The Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who we believe to be the Promised Messiah (peace be on him) and who, according to our belief and faith, was sent to gather all religions under the name of one God, says:

‘Our Community should become exemplary. Whosoever in our Community shows a poor example or displays weakness in his deeds and beliefs is cruel.”

We must always demonstrate such examples that are liked both by God Almighty and by the holy persons who are sent by Him. Therefore, if a thought arises in anyone’s mind that because of this Muslim mosque the peace in this area will be destroyed, he or she should not worry. From this mosque, God Willing, a beacon of light will shine forth, from which, according to the Commandments of God, love and peace will spread.

God Almighty says in the Qur’an:

Verily, Allah enjoins justice, and the doing of good to others; and giving like kindred; and forbids indecency, and manifest evil, and wrongful transgression. He admonished you that you may take heed. (Ch.16: V.91)

In this verse we have been commanded to adopt three values and to abstain from three evils. If we ponder over them, we will find that these are the qualities that lead to love and affection and that prevent chaos and disorder in society. Every just person will surely accept that the comprehensiveness of this verse is unparalleled elsewhere.

The first point a true Muslim has been enjoined to act upon, is justice. Justice is not limited to one’s family and friends, nor is it limited to one’s fellow country-men, nor to those of a like faith. We have been commanded to act with justice even towards an enemy who has been most cruel.

If you look at the early history of Islam you discover that many Muslims were killed; some were even tied to two camels that were then driven in opposite directions, thereby rending their bodies apart.

This cruel treatment was inflicted on both men and women. Furthermore, Muslims were prevented from even worshipping in the Ka’abah, the most sacred House of Allah. Indeed, so many cruelties and tortures were inflicted upon the Muslims by the non-believers of Makkah that there is no time to recount all of the incidents here.

In spite of all this, when the Muslims rose to power they were commanded not to let a people’s enmity incite them to act otherwise than with justice because justice was the preferred way of God Almighty. If today some Muslims do not rise up to these standards, it is not the fault of the teachings of Islam but a folly on the part of such Muslims.

Because they have accepted the Imam of the age, members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community strive to attain these high standards. Our community strives towards a justice that removes misunderstandings and grudges, and draws attention to the importance of preserving the rights of one another.

Another quality (mentioned in the verse I just quoted) is to not only act with justice but to do good unto others. Justice requires that punishment should always be proportionate to the crime. If a criminal has shown enmity towards you, you should not cause his retribution to be excessive. In any case where someone has caused you injury, and you think that by not punishing the individual you would be able to reform him, then you should forgive, for that would be better. The real objective is reformation, rather than seeking revenge, for, after all, the true purpose is that the person should recognise his mistake and should not repeat it in the future.

How did the Holy Prophet Muhammad^(saw) do good to others? Well, he not only forgave those who were extremely cruel but he went so far as to assist them in their businesses and trade. For instance, some were given thousands of sheep, and that was not because they had become Muslim; on the contrary, they were given the assistance whilst they were still non-Muslims.

This is the standard of good works that can establish peace in society and can end enmities. And this becomes apparent from the next commandment, which is ‘giving like kindred’.

When somebody does good to someone else he should not follow it up by reminding him of his past favours. Furthermore, treating the cruel as though they were your kindred is even more virtuous than the doing of good alone.

The best example of how to treat one’s kindred, is the example of how a mother treats her child. A good mother serves her child continuously but never reminds her child of her favours. When she cares for her children, she is not doing it with the intention that when the children grow up she will force them to look after her by reminding them of how much or what she did for them during their childhood. In fact, she cares out of love and compassion.

No matter what race, religion or nationality a mother belongs to, she continues to bear the same feelings of love for her children. Hence, this is the relation one man should have with others and this is the feeling one must hold for others. Only then will enmities be converted into friendship. Only then will peace and security in societies prevail. And only then will the world be saved from a catastrophic war.

God Almighty widens the circle of His Mercy for such people who have this love for their fellow human beings and they are saved from natural and seasonal disasters.

Having mentioned these three good deeds, God Almighty has pointed out three evils. The three good deeds can only be developed when a person abstains from the three evils. The first of the three evils mentioned is ‘fahshaa’. This is an Arabic word. The meaning of this word is an evil that is known only to he who commits it.

If we reflect, then we will see that there are many evils that man commits that he alone knows about whilst he continues to appear pure in the sight of others. However, we have been commanded that in order to maintain peace to a high standard we should save our-selves from such evils that only we ourselves know about.

The second evil that we have been warned against is ‘munkar’, which means an evil that outwardly causes no harm but upsets people. And the third evil is ‘baghyi’ which means an evil that is both internally and externally manifest and that causes harm and grief to people. So unless these three evils are removed, a person cannot perform the good deeds required to establish peace and love in society.

This, in brief, is the teaching which I said is to be expected from a true Muslim. This mosque of ours has been built for the worship of One God and to perpetuate these principles amongst Ahmadi Muslims, so that the people around us come to know the true teachings of Islam. And when Ahmadis raise the slogan of ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ it is raised in this spirit. I assure all of you that my words are echoed by each and every true Ahmadi. To try and make the world become a haven of peace is our duty. It is our responsibility to make the world recognise its Creator. The purpose of our creation is the worship of God. The world can have no fear from those who hold such an objective.

At the end of the verse which I presented before you, it is stated ‘that you may take heed’ and these words mean that a person must always remember that he owes an obligation to God Almighty and to God’s creatures as well.

You must acquire the good deeds that I mentioned earlier and abandon the evils pointed out and strive to discharge these rights. Only then will you be known as rightly guided. Only then will you be considered to be true servants of God and to be amongst those who understand the purpose of their creation.

If today man really wants to be successful in establishing peace, then instead of finding fault with others he should try to control the Satan within. By removing his own evils, a person should present a wonderful example of justice, of doing good and of giving like kindred. He should discharge the rights of others and only then can trust be developed amongst others.

As a result, true peace will be established. There can never be a guarantee of lasting peace if every person considers himself to be correct, constantly finding fault with others and hurting their sentiments. Nor can it be established if the followers of one faith mock and ridicule another religion, its founder and his teachings. And nor can peace be guaranteed if people outwardly express positive attitudes but bear hatred within their hearts.

Today, when we talk of the global village and of wanting to save the world from destruction, we have to strive more than ever before.

The current situation prevailing in the world indicates that despite the fact that we understand that if there is another world war, the entire world will be affected by its fallout, we are, nevertheless, slowly moving towards it – that is the message I gave to our Parliamentarians as it is mentioned by one of our honourable Members of Parliament. My prayer is: May God Almighty enable man to discharge his duties to Him and His Creation so that the world can be saved from this horrific destruction that looms over us.

Finally, I would like to say, once again, that I am very grateful to all of you who have taken the time to listen to me.

May Allah reward you for this.

Thank you very much.

This series sets out, in the words of the Promised Messiah^(as), Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a summary of his exposition of four outstanding topics: ISLAM; ALLAH, THE EXALTED; THE HOLY PROPHET^(saw) and THE HOLY QUR’AN. The original compilation, in Urdu, from which these extracts have been translated into English, was collated with great care and diligence by Syed Daud Ahmad Sahib, Allah have mercy on him and  reward him graciously for his great labour of love. Amin. The English rendering is by the late Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, may Allah be pleased with him, and is quoted from The Essence of Islam, Volume I1. All references throughout, unless otherwise specifically mentioned, are from the Holy Qur’an.

Differences between Satanic and Divine Revelation

Most ignorant people consider satanic suggestion as the word of God and are unable to distinguish between satanic and Divine revelation. It should be remembered that the first condition for Divine revelation is that its recipient should become wholly God’s and that Satan should have no part in him. Wherever there is carrion, there also dogs collect. That is why God Almighty says:

Shall I inform you on whom the evil ones descend? They descend on every great liar and sinner. (Ch.26:Vs.222-223)

But Satan cannot attack one in whom he has no part and who has departed from the low life as if he had died and has become a righteous and faithful servant of God and has turned wholly to Him, as God Almighty has said:

Surely, thou shalt have no power over my servants… (Ch.15:V.43)

Those who belong to Satan and follow satanic ways, Satan runs towards them for they are his prey.

It should be remembered that God’s words possess a blessing and a majesty and a delight. As God is All-Hearing and All-Knowing and Compassionate, He replies to the supplications of His righteous and faithful servants. This supplication and response can extend over several hours. When a servant humbly submits his supplication, he is within a few minutes overcome by a faintness and he receives the response in the veil of this faintness. Then if he submits another supplication, he again experiences the same condition and finds His response. God is so Generous and Compassionate and All-Knowing that if a servant supplicates to Him a thousand times, each time he receives a response, but as God Almighty is Self-Sufficient and has regard for wisdom and appropriateness some supplications are not responded to.

Again, Satan is dumb and is not eloquent and so articulate in his speech. Like the dumb, he has no power over an eloquent and prolific speech. He injects a sentence or two into the heart in a smelly way. Since eternity, he has not been given the power to express himself in delicious and majestic words. Nor can he carry on a series of questions and answers for a number of hours. He is also deaf and is not able to respond to every question. He is also helpless and cannot exhibit any power or disclose any hidden matter of high import. Also his throat is hoarse and he cannot speak in a loud and majestic voice. His voice is low like that of eunuchs. You can recognise satanic revelation by these signs. But God is not like a dumb or deaf or helpless person. He hears and responds. His word is conveyed in a majestic, and loud and awestriking voice. His words are effective and delicious while Satan’s words are delivered in a low, effeminate and doubtful manner; there is no majesty, grandeur, or loftiness in them. Nor can he continue for long as he tires quickly and his words are weak and betray cowardice. God’s word does not get tired and comprises every kind of power and hidden matters of great import and majestic promises and gives off the fragrance of Divine Glory and Greatness and Power and Holiness. Satan’s words do not possess these qualities. Divine revelation possesses an effectiveness; it penetrates into the heart like an iron nail. It creates a holy effect upon the heart and draws the heart to itself and converts its recipient into a person of high courage so much so that if he is cut into pieces with a sharp sword, or is strung up on the gallows, or is afflicted with every possible kind of torment, and is disgraced and defamed, or is put into the fire and is consumed, he would never deny that the word that descends upon him is God’s word. God bestows full certainty upon him and makes him the lover of His own countenance. He values life, honour and property no more than a straw. He never lets go of the garment of God even if the whole world treads him under its feet and he is matchless in his trust, bravery and steadfastness. Those who receive satanic revelation have no such power. They are cowardly because Satan is a coward. (Haqeeqatul Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.22, pp.142-144)

If it is asked that as there is no complete security against satanic intervention then how can we trust our dreams that they are from God? Is it not possible that we should deem a dream to be from God and it might be from Satan, or we might deem it to be from Satan and it might be from God? The answer is that a dream which is from God declares itself by its majesty, blessing, greatness and light. That which proceeds from a holy fountain possesses purity and fragrance and that which proceeds from unclean and dirty water immediately announces its origin through its evil smell. True dreams, which come from God Almighty, are like a holy message which is not accompanied by confused thoughts and possesses an effective power, and the heart is drawn towards it and the soul testifies that it is from God inasmuch as its greatness and majesty penetrate into the heart like an iron nail. Very often it happens that a person sees a true dream and God Almighty shows the same dream, or one like it, as confirmation to some companion of his and thus one dream supports another. (A’ina-e-Kamalat, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.5, p.354)

Some short-sighted people raise the objection that revelation suffers from the defect that it prevents and obstructs its recipient from arriving at complete understanding, which is indispensable for eternal life and everlasting happiness. They explain their objection by asserting that revelation obstructs thinking and cuts short research, inasmuch as those who follow revelation respond to every question by asserting that the matter is either permissible or forbidden in their revealed book, and they do not use their reasoning powers as if they had not been bestowed on them by God and in the end by lack of use those powers decline and almost disappear. Thus human nature is completely changed and begins to resemble animals, and the excellence of the human soul, which means progress in reason, is destroyed and man is deprived of obtaining perfect understanding. In this way, revealed books constitute an obstruction in the way of achieving eternal life and everlasting happiness of which man stands in need.

The answer to the foregoing objection is that it is the lack of intelligence, obtuseness and persistence in error of the Brahmus that prompts them to think that by acting upon the revealed Book of God the reasoning faculty is rendered useless as if revelation and reason were contradictory of each other and cannot subsist together. This suspicion on their part is compounded partly of falsehood, partly of bigotry and partly of ignorance. The falsehood is that despite their knowledge that Divine verities have been fostered only through people who have followed revelation and that Divine Unity has been propagated in the world only through the elect who believe in the word of God, they make a statement contrary to this known fact. Their bigotry is declared by the fact that in order to support their assertion they have held back the verity that in Divine matters, unaided reason cannot carry a person to the stage of perfect certainty. Their ignorance is betrayed by their regarding revelation and reason as inconsistent with each other, which cannot subsist together, and their thinking that revelation is opposed to reason and is destructive of it, whereas this fear is entirely unfounded.

It is obvious that a follower of true revelation does not abstain from reasonable research and is indeed helped by revelation in his effort to view the realities of things in a reasonable manner. By the help of revelation and by the blessing of its light he does not encounter any confusion in assessing arguments based on reason. He is not reduced to the necessity of inventing invalid arguments, but is able to perceive the way of true reason and is able to arrive at the truth. There is no conflict between reason and revelation and they are not inconsistent with and opposed to each other. Reason lends support to revelation and revelation helps to safeguard reason against going astray. True revelation, that is to say the Holy Qur’an, does not obstruct the progress of reason. It illumines reason and is its great helper and supporter. As the full value of the sun is appreciated by the eye and the benefits of the bright day are disclosed to those who possess sight, in the same way divine revelation is fully appreciated only by those who possess reason, as God Almighty has said Himself:

And these are similitudes which We set forth for mankind, but only those understand them who have knowledge. (Ch.29:V.44)

These are illustrations that we set forth for people, but only those who possess knowledge comprehend them.

As the benefits of the light of the eye are disclosed only by the sun, in the absence of which sight and sightlessness would be equal, in the same way, the excellencies of the insight of reason are disclosed by the help of revelation. It secures reason against thousands of useless efforts and points out the nearest way to proper reflection by following which the purpose in view is quickly achieved. Every wise person realises that if in thinking over a problem help becomes available through which knowledge is gained of the right way of resolving the problem, such knowledge is of great assistance to reason which is delivered from much confused thinking and useless effort. The followers of revelation not only appreciate reason but revelation itself urges them to perfect their reason and thus they are doubly drawn towards progress in reason. First is the natural eagerness which a person experiences to discover through reason the reality and truth of everything and, secondly, the urge of revelation which intensifies their eagerness. Those who study the Holy Qur’an even cursorily will not deny the obvious fact that this Holy Word lays great emphasis on reflection and observation; so much so, that it describes it as a characteristic of believers that they constantly reflect upon the wonders of heaven and earth and deliberate on the law of Divine wisdom as is said in one place in the Holy Qur’an:

In the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of the night and day there are indeed Signs for men of understanding;

Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth:  “Our Lord, Thou hast not created this in vain; nay, Holy art Thou… (Ch.3:Vs.191-192)

That is to say, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the alternation of the night and the day, there are a number of Signs to prove the existence of the Creator of the Universe and His might, for people of understanding. Wise people are only those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying on their sides and keep meditating and pondering over the creation of the heavens and the earth, which impels them to supplicate:

Lord Thou hast not created all this without purpose; indeed, everything in Thy creation is full of the manifestations of Thy Power and Wisdom, which points to Thy Blessed Being.

Other revealed books, which have been perverted, urge adherence to unreasonable and impossible matters, as, for instance, does the Bible; but this is not the fault of revelation. It is the fault of defective reasoning. Had those who believe in them possessed sane reason, they would not have followed these perverted books and they would not have permitted such thinking about the unchangeable Perfect and Eternal God that He took on the condition of an helpless embryo and was nourished on impure sustenance and took on an impure body and was born through an impure passage and came into the mortal world, and after enduring all sorts of torments gave up the ghost in extreme misery calling out ‘Eli Eli.’ It is revelation which has stamped out this error. Holy is Allah! How exalted and what an ocean of mercy is the Word which pulled the worshippers of creatures back to the Unity of God. How dear and attractive is that light which brought a whole world out of darkness. Outside of it thousands who were called wise and philosophers remained involved in this error and numberless similar errors, and till the Holy Qur’an came no philosopher refuted forcefully this false doctrine, nor reformed these ruined people. The philosophers themselves were caught in many unholy doctrines. As the Rev. Mr. Yut has recorded, the Christians adopted the doctrine of the Trinity following Plato and built a false structure on the false foundation furnished by this foolish Greek.

In short, true and perfect Divine revelation is not the enemy of reason, but defective reason is the enemy of the semi-wise. It is obvious, for instance, that an antidote is not in itself harmful for the human body, but if a shortsighted person mistakes poison for an antidote, it is the fault of his reason and not of the antidote. To think that it is dangerous to have recourse to a revealed book for the investigation of every matter is crass folly. As we have written, revelation is a mirror reflecting the truth for the benefit of reason and the great argument in support of its truth is that it is wholly free from matters the impossibility of which is established after pondering on God’s Power and Perfection and Holiness. Indeed, in matters Divine, which are deep and hidden, it is the only guide for weak human reason. To have recourse to it does not render reason useless, but leads it to deep secrets which it was difficult for reason to penetrate into on its own. Reason derives great benefit from true revelation, that is to say, from the Holy Qur’an, and suffers no harm or loss therefrom. Through revelation reason is safeguarded against dangers and does not fall into them. Every wise person admits and it is obvious in itself that error is possible in research, which is based on reason alone, but there is no possibility of error in the Word of the Knower of the unseen.

Be fair and just, is it good or bad for that which is sometimes confronted with the possibility of severe stumbling, that it should be furnished with a companion which should safeguard it against stumbling and support it at the time of its slipping. Would such a companion be of help to lead it to its purpose or would it be a hindrance? It is an indication of inner blindness to regard a helper as an opponent and obstructer and to consider that which completes and perfects as harmful. When you will reflect truly it will become clear to you that God has not harmed reason by appointing revelation as its companion. On the contrary, finding reason perplexed, He has furnished it with a sure instrument for recognising the truth through the use of which reason is saved from straying into hundreds of erratic ways and is not led astray. Indeed, it discovers the proper way to its true purpose. It is like the case of a person who directs the search for a lost one to the spot where the latter is hidden. No sane person objects to the help of such a one who supplies the needed particulars and points out the easiest way of reaching the lost one on the ground that the helper has meddled needlessly in the search. On the contrary, everyone concerned is deeply grateful to him that he informed them of their ignorance and pointed out the particular spot and opened the door of certainty while they were involved in conjecture. In the same way, those on whom God has bestowed sane reason are grateful to and praise true revelation and realise fully that revelation does not obstruct the progress of their thinking, but saves their thinking from confusion. It indicates one right path out of a variety of involved and doubtful ways treading along which creates every kind of facility for reason and delivers a person from a host of difficulties which confront him on account of the shortness of age, insufficient knowledge and lack of insight. (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol.1. pp.292-309, footnote 11)