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) elucidates the noble character of the Holy Prophet (sa), and how he is inextricably linked to the Qur’an.
This is the ninth part of a multipart series.
Extracts from The Essence of Islam –Vol. I, pp. 283-296
The promises of success which God Almighty gave by the Glory of His divinity in opposition to all opponents, all enemies, all deniers, all the wealthy, all powerful rulers, all philosophers, all followers of other religions, to that humble, weak, poor, unlearned, untrained one, and which were fulfilled at their time and continue to be fulfilled, could not be the work of any human being, nor can any honest seeker after truth have any doubt concerning them. That poor, lonely and humble person announced the spread of his faith and the establishment of his religion at a time when he had no one with him except a few indigent companions, and the total number of Muslims could be contained in one small room and their names could be counted on the fingers of two hands, and who could be destroyed by a few men of the town. They were opposed by the rulers of the earth, and they had to deal with the peoples who were determined to destroy them and whose numbers ran into millions. But now look at the ends of the earth how God Almighty spread those few weak people all over the earth, and how He bestowed upon them power, wealth and kingdom, and how for thousands of years thrones and crowns were bestowed upon them. There was a time when their number did not exceed the number of the members of one family, and today they are counted in hundreds of millions. God had said He would safeguard His Word, and is it not true that the teaching which the Holy Prophet (sa) conveyed as coming from God Almighty in His word is still safeguarded in that word, and there have always been hundreds of thousands who have committed the Holy Qur’an to memory. God had said that no one would be able to match His book in wisdom and understanding, in beauty of composition, in comprehending the knowledge of the Divine, and in setting forth religious arguments, and so it has proved.
If anyone questions this, let him come forth and produce its match, and let him produce from any other book the equal of the verities, fine points, and wonders which we have set forth in this book from the Holy Qur’an, with the promise of a reward of ten thousand rupees. So long as he fails to do so, he is convicted in the estimation of God. God had promised that He would take Syria out of the possession of the Christians and would bestow it upon the Muslims. So it came about, and the Muslims became the heirs of that land. All these claims are accompanied by divine power and might. They are not merely like the boasts of astrologers that there would be earthquakes, famines, epidemics, plagues and the assaults of nation against nation, etc.
By following the Word of God and through its effect, those who obey the Holy Qur’an, and believe sincerely in the Holy Prophet (sa) and love him, and consider him better and holier and more perfect and more exalted than the whole of creation and all prophets and all messengers and all holy ones and all that has happened or might happen, continue to partake of those bounties and drink deliciously and copiously of the draught that was given to Moses (as) and Jesus (as) to drink. They are lit up with Israeli lights and enjoy the blessings of the prophets who were descendants of Jacob (as). Holy is Allah, repeat, Holy is Allah!! How high is the status of the Seal of the Prophets (sa) and how grand is the light that the humblest of whose servants arrived at the ranks that we have mentioned. O Allah, send down Thy blessings on Thy Prophet, and Thy loved one, the Chief of the Prophets, the best of Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad (sa), and his people and his companions, and bestow Thy bounties and peace upon them.
The Christian divines, Pundits, Brahmus, Aryas and other opponents of our time need not wonder where are the blessings and heavenly lights in respect of which the followers of the Holy Prophet (sa) are sharers with Moses (as) and Jesus (as) and where is the heritage of those lights which are bestowed on Muslims and from which all other people and followers of other religions are debarred? To set their doubts at rest, we have stated it several times in this footnote that we are responsible for setting forth the proof of these things before any seeker after truth who would be ready, on witnessing the particular superiority of Islam, to become a Muslim.
In the second sub footnote [1], we have set out in brief how God Almighty manifests His divine powers and graces and blessings in the case of Muslims, and how He has promised and given good news of events that are beyond human power. So if any Christian divine, Pundit or Brahmu denies these things, on account of his inner darkness, or any Arya, or a follower of other faiths, is truly and sincerely a seeker after God, it is incumbent upon him that like a true seeker, he should discard all pride, arrogance, hypocrisy, worship of the world, obstinacy and contention and, seeking only the truth and wishing only for it, should come straight to us like a poor and humble person and should then be patient, steadfast, obedient and sincere like the righteous so that by God’s will he might arrive at his object. If even now anyone turns away, he becomes witness to his own lack of faith.
—Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1 pp. 266-275, footnote 11
Holy Prophet (sa) and the Holy Word of God
The Holy Qur’an emphatically affirms that it is the Word of God and that our lord and master, Muhammad (sa), is His true Prophet and Messenger, on whom that Holy Word has descended. This claim is clearly set forth in the following verses:
الٓمٓ
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ
[2]نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ
Allah is He beside Whom there is none worthy of worship. All life and sustenance is from Him. He has sent down to thee this Book in accordance with truth and the requirements of truth.
Again:
[3] يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الرَّسُولُ بِالْحَقِّ
O mankind, the Messenger has indeed come to you with Truth and with the requirements of truth.
Again:
[4] وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ
We have revealed this Discourse to you in accordance with the requirements of truth and with truth has it descended.
Again:
[5]يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُّبِينًا
O mankind, there has come to you a manifest proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear Light.
Again:
[6] قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا
Proclaim to all people: I have been sent as a Messenger to you all.
Again:
[7] وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَآمَنُوا بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۙ كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ
Allah will forgive their sins and improve their lot, who believe and perform good deeds and believe in this book which has been revealed to Muhammad (sa), and also believe that it alone is the truth.
There are hundreds of other verses in which the claim has been put forward clearly that the Holy Qur’an is the word of God and that Muhammad (sa), the chosen one, is His true prophet. But the verses that we have set out should suffice.
We would remind our opponents that this claim is not put forth in any other book as forcefully as it has been put forth in the Holy Qur’an. We are very eager that the Aryas should show from the Vedas that the four Vedas claimed to be the word of God and set forth clearly that they were revealed to such and such a person at such and such a time. For a book, on behalf of which it is claimed that it is from God, it is a primary necessity that it should set forth this claim clearly. It would be an impertinence to attribute to God a book which gives no indication of its being from God.
A second matter which is worth mentioning is that not only has the Holy Qur’an claimed that it is from God and that the Holy Prophet (sa) is the Messenger of Allah, but it has also established this claim with strong and powerful arguments. We shall set forth all these arguments in their order, but for the moment, we present the first argument so that seekers after truth should be able to compare in this respect other books with the Holy Qur’an. We also invite every opponent that if this method of proof establishes the truth of a book and is found in their books also, they should set it forth in their papers and journals; otherwise, we would have to conclude that their books lack this proof of a high degree. We affirm with full confidence that this method of proof will not be found in their religion, and if we are in error, they should prove it.
The Grand Revolution Brought by the Holy Prophet (sa)
That first argument which the Holy Qur’an has set forth in support of its claim of being from God Almighty is that sane reason holds it to be a strong argument for accepting a true book and a true messenger of God, that they should appear at a time when the world should be plunged in darkness, and people should have adopted paganism in place of the unity of God, vice in place of purity, wrong in place of justice, and ignorance in place of knowledge, and a reformer should be sorely needed. Then such a messenger should depart from the world when he should have accomplished his work of reform in a fine manner and should have been safeguarded from his enemies while he was occupied in that work. Like servants, he should have appeared under command and should have departed under command. In short, he should appear at a time when the age should demand that a heavenly reformer and book are needed, and he should be called back in accordance with a revealed prophecy after he had firmly planted the tree of reform, and a grand revolution should have appeared.
We state it with great pride that the brightness with which this argument has been established in support of the Holy Qur’an and our Holy Prophet (sa) is lacking in the case of other prophets and other books. The claim of the Holy Prophet (sa) was that he had been sent to the whole of mankind; so the Holy Qur’an convicts all people of being involved in all types of paganism and vice and disobedience, as it says:
[8]ظَهَرَ ٱلۡفَسَادُ فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِ
Corruption has appeared on land and sea.
And then says:
[9] لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَلَمِينَ نَذِيرًا
We have sent you so that you should warn all nations.
That is to say, the Holy Prophet (sa) should warn all people that on account of their misconduct and false doctrines, they have been accounted very sinful in the estimation of God Almighty.
The word warner that has been used in this verse concerning all the peoples, which means to warn the sinners and evildoers, is a sure indication that the Qur’an claimed that the whole world had been corrupted and that everyone had given up the way of truth and good behaviour, inasmuch as a warning is meant for the disobedient and pagans and evildoers, and a warning is administered to offenders and not to the well-behaved. Everyone knows that it is only the vicious and faithless ones who are warned, that it is the way of Allah that a prophet is a bearer of good tidings for the good and is a warner for the evil ones. When a prophet is designated as a warner for the whole world, it would have to be accepted that by the revelation vouchsafed to that prophet, the whole world has been held to be involved in misconduct. This is a claim which the Torah did not make in the case of. Moses, nor the Gospel in the case of Jesus, but was put forward only by the Holy Qur’an. Then it was said:
[10] كُنتُمْ عَلَى شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ
Meaning that: Before the advent of this Prophet, you had arrived at the brink of hell.
The Jews and the Christians were warned that they had perverted the Books of God and had led all the people in every type of mischief and misconduct, and the idol worshippers were charged with worshipping stones, men, stars, and the elements and that they had forgotten the True Creator and were guilty of devouring the property of orphans and of killing children and of doing wrong to their partners, and that they had transgressed beyond measure in everything. It was said:
[11] ٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا
That is to say: Beware that the whole earth had died and would now be revived afresh by God.
In short, the Holy Qur’an charged the whole world with shirk – paganism, misconduct and idol worship, which are the source of evils, and held the Christians and the Jews to be at the root of all evil and set out all the types of vices in which they indulged. The Qur’an drew such a picture of the misconduct of the world that, except in the case of the age of Noah, no other age appears to resemble it.
We have contented ourselves with citing only a few verses and would urge our readers to study the Holy. Qur’an carefully so as to discover how forcefully and with what effective words the Holy Qur’an has set forth that the whole world had been corrupted and had died, and that mankind was standing on the brink of hell. It urged the Holy Prophet (sa) to warn the whole world that it was in a serious condition. A study of the Holy Qur’an reveals that the world was steeped in paganism, idol worship, misconduct and all manner of sin, and was sunk in the deep well of vice.
It is true that the Gospel mentions some of the misconduct of the Jews, but it nowhere said that the whole world had been corrupted and had died and had become filled with paganism and misconduct. Nor did Jesus (as) claim that he was a Messenger to the whole world. He addressed the Jews, who were a small people and inhabited a few villages within sight of Jesus (as). But the Holy Qur’an mentions the death of the whole world and describes the evil condition of all peoples. The Jews were the descendants of the prophets and professed faith in the Torah, though they did not act in accordance with it; but at the time of the revelation of the Holy Qur’an, in addition to all sorts of corruption in conduct, their doctrine too had been corrupted. Thousands of people were atheists, and thousands denied revelation, and all sorts of evils were rife on the earth. Jesus (as) mentioned the misconduct of the Jews, who were a small people, which shows that the Jews were then in need of a reformer. But the argument that we put forward in the case of the Holy Prophet (sa) to affirm that he was commissioned by God, that he came at the time of general corruption and was called back after effecting a full reform, and the presentation of both these aspects in the Holy Qur’an, and his calling the attention of the world to it, is a matter which is not to be found in the Gospel and indeed not in any other book except in the Holy Qur’an.
These arguments are put forth by the Holy Qur’an itself, and it claims that its truth is established by a consideration of both these aspects. It appeared at a time when misconduct and false doctrines had become widespread, and the world had drifted far away from truth, reality, the unity of God and purity. The affirmation of the Qur’an in this respect is confirmed by a study of comparative history. There is evidence of the confession of every people that that age was so full of darkness that every people had become prone to creature worship, and that is the reason that when the Holy Qur’an charged all people with misguidance and evildoing, not one of them was able to prove its innocence. Observe how forcefully God Almighty speaks of the vices of the People of the Book and describes the death of the whole world. He says:
[12] ولَا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَبَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ* وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَسِقُونَه اِعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا* قَد بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْأيْتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
This means that: The believers should not behave like the people of the Book who were given the Book before them, and a long time passed, and their hearts were hardened, and most of them became disobedient and vicious. Remember that the earth had died and that God is now reviving it. These are signs of the need and truth of the. The Holy Qur’an, which is being explained to you, so that you might understand.
Now you will realise that we have not put forward this argument from our own mind, but that it is the Qur’an that puts it forward and after setting forth both parts of the argument, it says that:
[13] قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْأَيْتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
These are Signs in support of the truth of the Holy Prophet (sa) and the Holy Qur’an which have been set forth so that you might reflect and arrive at the reality.
The second part of this argument is that the Holy Prophet (sa) was called back from the world to his Lord at a time when he had completed his task fully, and this is also clearly set forth in the as Allah the Glorious says that:
[14] اليَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإسْلامَ دِينًا
Meaning that: By the revelation of the Qur’an and by the reform of the people, I have perfected your faith and have completed My favours upon you and have chosen Islam as your religion.
This was an indication that the revelation of the Qur’an had been completed, and it had carried out surprising and wonderful changes in eager hearts and had perfected their training, and that divine favour had been completed for the Muslims.
These are the two aspects which are the purpose of the advent of a prophet. This verse announces forcefully that the Holy Prophet (sa) did not depart this life till Islam had been perfected by the revelation of the Qur’an and the proper training of the Muslims. This is a sign of divine origin which is not bestowed on a false claimant. Indeed, before the Holy. Prophet (aa) no true prophet had shown this high example of perfection that on the one side the book of God should be completed in peace and on the other side the training of people should be perfected and the disbelieving people should be defeated in every direction and Islam should be victorious on every side.
At another place it is said:
[15] إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ
* وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا
* فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا
This means that: The succour and victory that had been promised having come and you having seen, O Prophet, that people are entering into Islam in great hosts, then praise and glorify God, that is to say, confess that whatever has happened was not your doing but was the grace and beneficence of Allah, and supplicate Allah in final. Istighfar for He is Oft-Returning with compassion.
When prophets are urged to Istighfar, it is wrong to conclude that this means that they have to seek forgiveness like sinful people. In their case, it is a confession of their nothingness and humility and weakness and is a respectful way of seeking His help. As these verses affirm that the purpose of the advent of the Holy Prophet (sa) had been fulfilled, that is to say, thousands of people had accepted Islam and this was an indication of the approaching death of the Holy Prophet (sa). He died within a year of the receipt of this revelation. It was natural that as these verses had given pleasure to the Holy Prophet (sa) he should also be concerned that the garden having been planted, what about its future irrigation? So God Almighty, in order to remove this concern of the Holy Prophet (sa) urged him to Istighfar.
The meaning of maghfirat is so to cover up a person that he should be safeguarded against calamities. Thus, mighfar means a helmet. Istighfar means that the calamity that is feared or the sin that is apprehended, may be covered up and stopped from becoming manifest. In this case it was to convey reassurance to the Holy Prophetsa that he should not grieve over the faith, that God Almighty would not let it be destroyed and would ever turn to it in mercy and hold back the misfortunes which could follow upon some weakness.
—Nur-ul-Qur’an, No. I, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 9 pp. 333-356
ENDNOTES
1. The reference is to the second sub footnote in Barahin-e- Ahmadiyya, which starts on page 293 in Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 1. [Translator]
2. The Holy Qur’an, 3:2-4.
3. The Holy Qur’an, 4:171.
4. The Holy Qur’an, 17:106.
5. The Holy Qur’an, 4:175.
6. The Holy Qur’an, 7:159.
7. The Holy Qur’an, 47:3
8. The Holy Qur’an, 30:42.
9. The Holy Qur’an, 25:2.
10. The Holy Qur’an, 3:104.
11. The Holy Qur’an, 57:18.
12. The Holy Qur’an, 57:17-18.
13. The Holy Qur’an, 57:18.
14. The Holy Qur’an, 5:4.
15. The Holy Qur’an, 110:2-4.
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