Brahin Ahmadiyya (Part IV)

Brahin Ahmadiyya (Part IV) (Syed Hasanat Ahmad) The fourth part of Brahin Ahmadiyya was written in Urdu by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad — The Promised Messiah — in May, 1879, and was printed in 1884 at Riaz Hind Press, Amritsar, India. The book contained about 566 pages including notes and footnotes. He discussed at length the origin of the human language, the nature and importance of miracles and the significance of the prophecies of Prophets. He then discussed the different conceptions of God held by the Arya Samajists, Christians and Budhists and compared them with the conception presented by Islam. The teachings of Brahmo Samajists were subjected to exhaustive criticism and the teachings of the Jewish scriptures were compared in all their aspects with the teachings of the Holy Quran. By force of logic and reasoning he established the superiority of Islam over all other religions beyond any manner of doubt. The Holy Quran is the one book explicit in its claims. It explains its own important features, points of truth and wisdom, grace of speech, spiritual subtleties and blessings. It points out how and why it is different from other books and unequalled by them. It is not the work of Muslims who have come to attribute these merits to the Holy Quran but the Book itself. Compared with other books it proclaims its uniqueness and matchlessness. It challenges anyone to come forward and contest the truths and points of wisdom contained within it. The points are like powerful waves in an ocean or like bright and luminous stars ready to meet the eye wherever one may look. It contains all important truths. No wisdom is outside its orbit of exposition. Divine Light can only be manifested through submission to its teachings. The moral qualities of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) were a thousand times superior to those of Moses. He was the seal of Prophets who possessed collectively the moral qualities found separately in all the other prophets. God says in the Holy Quran: “And thou dost surely possess high moral excellences.” (68:5). BRAHIN AHMADIYYA (PART IV) 47 In this verse the Arabic word’ Azim’ describing the Holy Prophet’s sublime and high morals is a superlative signifying the utmost limits of something and where human excellence and character are concerned their highest degree was manifested in the person of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Quran declares elsewhere: “And but for the grace of Allah upon thee and His mercy …” (4:114). According to the meaning of this passage no other prophet received the grace of Allah in higher measure than the Holy Prophet of Islam. The same high praise is also contained in a Biblical prophecy about the Holy Prophet: “Therefore God, thy God, hath annointed thee with the oil of gladness, above thy followers.” (Psalms 45:7). The Promised Messiah wrote with regard to the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet: “The fine verities pertaining to religion and all the learning pertaining to the subject of Divinity, and conclusive arguments in support of the truth together with the mysteries and insights that are set out in the Holy Quran, are such that human faculties collectively are not able to discover them nor can the intelligence of an intelligent person alight on them on its own. A consideration of past ages has shown that no philosopher or wise man was able to discover all that .knowledge; but in this case there is a wonder upon wonders, that is to say, that knowledge and insight were bestowed upon one who was entirely unlearned. He had never seen a school nor read a book nor kept company with any learned or wise person. He lived his life among wild people, was born and brought up among them and kept company with them. The Holy Prophet being unlettered is a matter so patent that no historian of Islam is unaware of it.” (Brahin Ahmadiyya, pp. 539—541). The impact of the Brahin Ahmadiyya was so electrifying that it at once checked the advance of the Brahmo and Arya Samaj movements and, in fact, for a time paralysed the activities of all anti-Islamic forces. The Muslims of India, at least, found that there was among them a great champion of Islam who had the courage and determination to demolish with conviction and logic the attacks on Islam made by various movements in India. The publication of the book came as a rude shock to the Christians and Arya Samajists who thought that the days of the glory of Islam were over and 48 REVIEW OF RELIGIONS that they would have an easy walk-over. The approach of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was so effective that not only did he defend Islam against all adverse criticism but he also demolished the very foundations upon which the movements of the Arya Samajists and Christians were established. He has described a dream which he had in 1864 about fifteen years before the publication of the book: “In the dream I felt that the Holy Prophet was watching me. I had a religious book in my hand which appeared to be based on my writings. On seeing the book the Holy Prophet asked me in Arabic what name I had given to it. I answered ‘The Polar Star.’ (Now while I am writing the Brahin Ahmadiyya I realise the true meaning of this title). The Holy Prophet then took the book from my hand and immediately it assumed the shape of a colourful fruit closely resembling a pear but the size of a melon. When the Holy Prophet cut it into slices so much honey oozed out that it soaked his hands. I then came to know that through the blessings of the Holy Prophet the body of a dead person which had been lying outside the door had become resuscitated and was standing behind me. Meanwhile I was standing with all submission like I was standing before a king while the Holy Prophet with the majesty of an emperor was seated on a chair. The Holy Prophet held out a slice of the pear to me with the intention that I should give it to the resuscitated man. He dropped the rest of the slices into my lap. I gave the slice of melon to the man and when he ate it I noticed that the Holy Prophet’s chair had become highly elevated. The forehead of the Holy Prophet was shining like the rays of the rising sun when I woke up.” The time had now come for the fulfilment of this dream. The religion of Islam was under attack from all directions. How this book was acclaimed may be gauged from a review by Maulvi Mohammad Hussain of Batala, Head of the Ahle-Hadith sect and also editor of Ishaat-us-Sunna. He wrote: “The author of Brahin Ahmadiyya is well known to us. In fact, few know more about his thoughts, aspirations and circumstances etc. than we do. He belongs to our district and when young he attended the same course of instruction with us. Since those days we have corresponded, communicated and conferred with one another regularly. Nobody therefore should think it an exaggeration if we say that we know the author and his circumstances very well.” The reviewer affirms that his testimony is not based on hearsay but on his long intimate personal association with the author. “This book (Brahin Ahmadiyya) is without parallel in our time, and in view of the circumstances and needs of our time, there has not been another one like it in the entire history of Islam. No one knows about the future. Only Allah will reveal the truth after this. As for the author we BRAHIN AHMADIYYA (PART IV) 49 can say that there have been few Muslims, if any, who have been so constant in their service to Islam not only by purse and pen but by personal character, speech and silence. If we are accused of exaggeration, so common in Asia, then we should be informed of at least one book which answers with the same energy and earnestness the objections of the opponents of Islam such as the Arya and Brahmo Samaj sects. We should also be told of two or more friends of Islam who have resolved to serve the faith in the same way and with the same devotion and are courageous enough to challenge the opponents of Islam who do not believe in revelation. They are invited to witness these experiences which remove doubts and have made non-Muslims taste the truth of Islam.” On 1st March 1886 the paper The Riyaz Hind’ of Amritsar published the following: “The excellent merits and high spiritual accomplishments of Mirza Sahib are too great for our humble observations in our journal. The cogent reasons and brilliant arguments that he has brought forth in support of Islam and truth in so beautiful a manner showed beyond doubt that he has excelled the writings of the old and new ulema in eloquence and presentation. Those who have read his work Brahin Ahmadiyya will surely agree with us in saying that although the book was published several years ago and a prize often thousand rupees was also promised on leaflets for its refutation, the opponents of Islam and the Holy Prophet – have not had the courage to come forward in the domain of truth and receive the prize.” PROHIBITIONS FOR MEN AH relates: I saw the Holy Prophet take a piece of silk in his right hand and a piece of gold in his left and heard him say: The wearing of these two is unlawful forthe males among my followers. (Abu Daud) Abu Musa Ash’ari relates that the Holy Prophet said: Wearing silk and gold has been made unlawful forthe males among my followers and lawful for the females. (Tirmidhi) Huzaifah relates: The Holy Prophet forbade use eating or drinking out of gold or silver vessels, and wearing of silk and brocade or sitting on them. (Bokhari) The REVIEW of RELIGIONS The Review of Religions is the oldest magazine of its kind published in the English language in the Indo-Pakistan Sub-Continent. Its first issue was published in 1902 and it has been continuously published since. It bears the distinction that it was initiated under the direction of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the Promised Messiah himself. During more than eighty-three years the message of Islam has been conveyed through this magazine to hundreds of readers and many fortunate persons have recognised the truth of Islam and accepted it through studying it. The articles published in it deal not only with the doctrines and teachings of Islam but also set forth a comparative appreciation of the teachings of other faiths. One of its outstanding features is the refutations of the criticism of Islamic teachings by orientalists and non-muslim scholars. It also presents solutions in the light of Islamic teachings of the problems with which the Islamic world is from time to time confronted. A study of this magazine is indispensable for the appreciation of the doctrines of the Ahmadiyya Movement and the teachings of its holy Founder. Printed by The Eastern Press Ltd, London and Reading Published by The Review of Religions, The London Mosque, 16 Gressenhall Road, London, SW18 5QL