Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), the Promised Messiah & Imam Mahdi
The Promised Messiah (as) wrote over 80 books in Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. Excerpts of his collected works have been translated into English and organised by topic.
The Review of Religions is pleased to present these excerpts as part of a monthly feature. In this issue, the Promised Messiah (as) shines a light on the exalted status of the Holy Prophet (sa).
This is the first part of a multi-part series.
Extracts from The Essence of Islam – Vol. I, pp. 197-208.
Exalted Status of the Holy Prophet (sa)
That light of high degree that was bestowed on the perfect man was not in angels, was not in stars, was not in the moon, was not in the sun, was not in the oceans and the rivers, was not in rubies, emeralds, sapphires, or pearls; in short, it was not in any earthly or heavenly object. It was only in the perfect man whose highest and loftiest and most perfect example was our lord and master, the Chief of the Prophets, the Chief of all living ones, Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. That light was bestowed on this man and, according to their ranks, upon all those who bore the same colour to some degree…This dignity was found in its highest and most perfect form in our lord and master and our guide, the immaculate Prophet, the righteous one, testified to by the righteous, Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him].
—A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 5, pp. 160-162
I always wonder how high was the status of this Arabian Prophet, whose name was Muhammad, (thousands of blessings and peace be upon him). One cannot reach the limit of his high status and it is not given to man to estimate correctly his spiritual effectiveness. It is a pity that his rank has not been recognised, as it should have been. He was the champion who restored to the world the unity of God which had disappeared from the world; he loved God in the extreme and his soul melted out of sympathy for mankind. Therefore, God, Who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him in his lifetime all that he desired.
He is the fountainhead of every grace and a person who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a man but is the spawn of Satan, because the Holy Prophet (sa) has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasury of every understanding. He who does not receive through him is deprived forever. I am nothing and possess nothing. I would be most ungrateful if I were not to confess that I have learnt of the true unity of God through this Prophet. The recognition of the Living God we have achieved through this perfect Prophet and through his light. The honour of converse with God, through which we behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through this great Prophet. The ray of this sun of guidance falls like sunshine upon me and I continue illumined only so long as I am adjusted towards it.
—Haqiqat al-Wahi, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 22, pp. 118-119
O all ye who dwell upon the earth, and O all human souls that are in the east or in the west, I announce to you emphatically that the true reality in the earth is Islam alone, and the True God is the God Who is described in the Qur’an, and the Prophet who has everlasting spiritual life and who is seated on the throne of glory and holiness, is Muhammad, the Chosen One [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. The proof of his spiritual life and holy majesty is that by following him and loving him we become recipients of the Holy Spirit and are favoured with the bounty of converse with God and witness heavenly signs.
—Tiryaq al-Qulub, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 15, p. 141
The man who in his being and his attributes and his actions and through his spiritual and holy faculties set an example of perfection, in knowledge and action and in sincerity and steadfastness, and was called the perfect man was Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]…The man who was most perfect as man and as prophet, and came with full blessings, and who through a spiritual revival and resurrection manifested the first Judgement in the world and revived the dead world, that blessed Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets, the leader of the righteous ones, the pride of the Prophets, was Muhammad, the chosen one [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. Our Lord, send down on that beloved Prophet that mercy and blessing that Thou hast not sent down on anyone since the beginning of the world. Had that grand Prophet not appeared in the world then we would have no proof of the truth of lesser Prophets like Jonah, Job, Jesus, son of Mary, Malachi, John, Zechariah, etc. Though they were favourites and honoured and were beloved ones of Almighty God, they are under obligation to this Prophet that they were accepted in the world as true Prophets.
O Allah, send down Thy blessings on him and on his people and on his companions, all of them. Our last word is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
—Itmam al-Hujjah, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 8, p. 308
When we estimate justly, then out of the whole series of prophets, we find one of high courage and alive and greatly dear to God, the Chief of the Prophets, the pride and the crown of the Messengers, whose name is Muhammad Mustafa and Ahmad Mujtaba [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. By walking under his shadow for ten days one obtains that light which before him could not be obtained in a thousand years…We have found every light by following the immaculate Prophet and whoever follows him will also find it and he will become so accepted of God that nothing will be impossible for him. The Living God, Who is hidden from people, will be his God and all false gods will be trodden under his feet. He will be blessed everywhere and divine power will be with him. Peace be on him who follows the guidance.
—Siraj-e-Munir, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 12, pp. 82-83
Now under heaven there is only one Prophet (sa) and only one book. The Prophet is Muhammad, the Chosen One [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] who is higher and more exalted than all prophets and is the most perfect of messengers and is the Khatam al-Anbiya’, and the best of men by following whom we find God Almighty and all the veils of darkness are lifted and the signs of true salvation are witnessed in this very life. The book is the Holy Qur’an, which comprises true and perfect guidance and effectiveness, through which knowledge and understanding of the divine are obtained and the heart is purified of human weaknesses; and being delivered from ignorance, heedlessness and doubts, a person arrives at the stage of complete certainty.
—Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1, pp. 557-558, sub-footnote 3
There have been millions of pure-natured people in the world and there will be more in future, but we have found the best of all of them and the highest man of God, whose name is Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be on him].
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا [1]
We shall leave aside any mention of the holy ones from among those people whose circumstances have not been described in detail in the Holy Qur’an. We shall express our view only with regard to the prophets who are mentioned in the Qur’an like Moses, David, Jesus and other Prophets [peace be on them]. We affirm it on oath, calling God to witness, that if the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] had not come into the world, and the Holy Qur’an had not been revealed, and we had not seen with our own eyes the blessings that we have witnessed, the truth of all past prophets would have remained doubtful in our eyes.
No reality can be gathered from mere stories, for it is quite possible that they may not be true and it is also possible that the miracles that are attributed to these prophets might be exaggerations, for no sign of them is visible today. We cannot even ascertain for certain from the books revealed in the past that God truly exists, or that He speaks to man. But through the advent of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] all these stories became real. We now realise not merely as a statement, but as a matter of experience, what converse with the divine means and how God’s signs are manifested and how prayers are answered. All this we have discovered by following the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and what other people relate as stories we have witnessed it all. We have attached ourselves to a Prophet who manifests God to us.
A poet has put it beautifully:
Muhammad of Arabia, King of both the worlds;
Whose threshold is safeguarded by the Holy Spirit.
I cannot call him God, but I do say;
To recognise him is to recognise God.
How shall we express our gratitude to God who bestowed upon us the good fortune to follow the Prophet who is a sun for the souls of the righteous as there is a sun for the bodies. He appeared in a time of darkness and illumined the world with his light. He was neither tired nor fatigued till he purified all parts of Arabia from associating partners with God. He is the proof of his own truth for his light is present in every age and true obedience to him purifies a person as the clear and transparent water of a river cleanses dirty linen. Who has come to us with a sincere heart and has not witnessed that light, and who has knocked honestly on that door for whom it has not been opened? But the pity is that most people prefer the lower life and do not desire that higher light should enter into them.
—Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 23, pp. 301-303
Knowledge of Allah’s Attributes Granted to the Holy Prophet (sa)
قُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا [2]
This means: O my Lord! Grant me perfect knowledge of Your greatness, Your ways and Your attributes.
At another place it is said:
وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ [3]
Reading these two verses together, we find that the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] became the foremost of the Muslims because he was the most learned in the knowledge of divine understanding. For this reason, his Islam is the highest of all and he is the foremost of the Muslims. Another verse also indicates the vastness of his knowledge as is said:
وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُن تَعْلَمُ ۚ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا [4]
This means that: God Almighty has taught you what you could not have learnt by yourself, and by His grace you are blessed more than anyone else.
That is to say, the Holy Prophet (sa) surpassed everyone in his knowledge and understanding of the divine and God Almighty perfumed him with the fragrance of divine understanding more than anyone else. Thus, God has appointed knowledge and understanding as the principal means of obtaining a true concept of Islam.
Though there are other means for obtaining such knowledge, like fasting, prayer, supplication and carrying out all the divine commandments, the number of which exceeds six hundred, yet the knowledge of the greatness of God and of His unity and of His attributes of glory and beauty is basic for everything. He who has a heedless heart and has no understanding of the divine, cannot obtain the strength to observe the fast, perform prayer, make supplication, or occupy himself with doing good. All righteous action is incited by understanding of the divine and all the other means proceed from it and are its issue.
The beginning of this understanding is the reflection of God’s Rahmaniyyat and is not the result of any action or any prayer, but is a gift of pure grace. He guides whom He wills and He lets go astray whom He wills.
This understanding is then fostered by righteous action and good faith, till it assumes the form of revelation and descending in the word of God, illumines the whole expanse of the bosom with the light which is called Islam.
Excellence of Obeying the Holy Prophet (sa)
At the stage of perfect understanding, Islam does not remain a mere phrase, but all its reality that we have described is achieved and the human soul prostrates itself humbly before divine unity. Thereupon, from both sides it is announced: Whatever is mine is thine. That is to say, the human soul cries out and confesses: Lord whatever is mine is Thine; and God also speaks and conveys the good news: O My servant, the heaven and earth, etc., that are with Me are with thee also. This stage is indicated in the verse:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ [5]
Say: O my servants who have committed excesses against your own selves despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely Allah will forgive all sins.
In this verse instead of: O servants of Allah; the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] was commanded to say: O my servants. This verse was revealed in this form so that God Almighty might convey the good news of limitless mercies and might comfort those who are broken-hearted in consequence of their sins. Thus, Allah the Glorious desired to exhibit a sample of His mercies and to make it manifest to what extent He honours His faithful servant with special favours. By adopting the form: Say: O my servants; God in effect said: Look at My beloved Messenger and see at what high rank he has arrived through his perfect obedience to Me that now all that is Mine is his. He who desires salvation should become his servant. That is to say, he should obey him so perfectly as if he was his slave. Then whatever sins he might have committed will be forgiven him. The word ‘abd in Arabic idiom also means slave as it is said:
وَلَعَبْدٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن مُّشْرِكٍ [6]
In the verse to which we have drawn attention, it is indicated that he who desires salvation should establish the relationship of a slave with this Prophet. That is to say, he should not step outside his commandment and should consider himself bound to his obedience as a slave is bound and he would then obtain salvation. One pities those benighted souls who bear such rancour towards the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] that they consider that names like Ghulam Nabi, Ghulam Rasul, Ghulam Mustafa, Ghulam Ahmad and Ghulam Muhammad, amount to associating the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] with God, whereas the verse indicates that these names are a means of salvation. As ‘abd implies that a person so named should refrain from every kind of freedom and self-direction and should be completely obedient to his master, therefore, the seekers after truth have been urged that if they wish to attain salvation they should adapt themselves to this condition. This verse has the same connotation as the verse:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ [7]
Perfect following demands that devotion and full obedience which is conveyed in the expression ‘abd. The verse Say: O my servants, means in effect, Say: O my followers, who are involved in sins, despair not of the mercy of Allah; for Allah, through the blessing of your following me, will forgive all your sins. If the word servants in this verse is construed as meaning the servants of Allah, the meaning of the verse is perverted for it cannot be true that God Almighty would forgive all idol worshippers and disbelievers without their believing in and following the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]. Such an interpretation would be contrary to the express directions of the Holy Qur’an.
It should be remembered that the purport of the verse is that those who become the sincere servants of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] will be bestowed the light, the faith, the love and the passion which will deliver them from all that is beside Allah, and they will be freed from sins and will be bestowed a pure life in this world and they will be delivered from the narrow and dark graves of human passions. This is indicated by the hadith:
أَنَا الْحَاشِرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمِي [8]
That is, I am the resurrector at whose footsteps the dead are raised.
The Holy Qur’an is full of the idiom that the world had died and that God Almighty revived it through sending the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] as is said:
اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا [9]
Know that Allah revives the earth after its death.
In the same way, it is said with reference to the companions of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him]:
وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ [10]
This means that God helped them with the Holy Spirit.
The help of the Holy Spirit is that it revives the hearts, delivers from spiritual death, bestows pure faculties, pure senses and pure knowledge, and carries a person to the station of nearness to God through certain knowledge and conclusive arguments…This knowledge on which salvation depends cannot be obtained without that life which is bestowed through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Qur’an affirms it emphatically that that spiritual life is obtained only through following the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] and that all those who repudiate obedience to him are dead and do not possess that life. Spiritual life means the intellectual and active faculties which are brought to life by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Qur’an shows that the commandments of God to which He desires man to conform are six hundred. In consonance with this, the wings of Gabriel are also six hundred. Till the egg of humanness lies under the wings of Gabriel bearing these six hundred commandments, it cannot hatch the baby of being completely lost in Allah.
The reality of man has the capacity of six hundred eggs. A person whose six hundred eggs are covered by the six hundred wings of the capacity of Gabriel is the perfect man whose spiritual birth is perfect and whose life is perfect. If one looks with care, one finds that the spiritual issue of the egg of humanness which by the blessing of the following of the Holy Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be on him] were born to the Holy Spirit, are more perfect and complete than the spiritual children of all the other Prophets. This is indicated by the verse:
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ [11]
You are the best of people who have been created for the good of mankind.
—A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 5, pp. 186-197
ENDNOTES
[1] ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! You also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutations of peace.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 33:57.
[2] The Holy Qur’an, 20:115.
[3] ‘So am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 6:164.
[4] The Holy Qur’an, 4:114.
[5] The Holy Qur’an, 39:54.
[6] ‘A believing slave is better than an idolater.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 2:222.
[7] ‘Say, If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you and forgive you your faults.’ – The Holy Qur’an, 3:32.
[8] Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4896.
[9] The Holy Qur’an, 57:18.
[10] The Holy Qur’an, 58:23.
[11] The Holy Qur’an, 3:111.
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