Bounties of the Gracious God

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BOUNTIES OF THE GRACIOUS GOD

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Bounties of the Gracious God Maw a hibur-Ra h m a n Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Islam International Publications LTD.

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ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD Bounties of the Gracious God ( Maw a hbiur-Ra h m a n ) Written by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, peace be on him, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community First published in Qadian, India, 1903 First English translation published in the UK, 2023 © Islam International Publications Ltd.All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechan- ical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher, Islam International Publications Ltd.Published by Islam International Publications Ltd.Unit 3, Bourne Mill Business Park Guildford Road Farnham, Surrey GU9 9PS, UK Printed at: For further information please visit www.alislam.org Cover design by: Mashhud Ahmed ISBN: 978-1-84880-645-0 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents About the Author.......................................................ix Foreword.....................................................................xi Publisher’s Note........................................................xiii Bounties of the Gracious God The newspaper Al-Liw a ’ & a Heavenly Sign.................1 Account of Subsequent Signs, Miracles & Divine Succour.......................................................................23 Details of My Statement in Brief................................31 Our Beliefs in Brief.....................................................57 Teachings for the Community....................................83 Translation of the Letter............................................95 Details of the Signs..................................................101

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bounties of the gracious god vi Names of Prophets.................................................123 Glossary..................................................................125 Index.......................................................................127

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Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian The Promised Messiah & Mahdi as

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About the Author Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as was born in 1835 in Qadian, India.From his early life, he dedicated himself to prayer, and the study of the Holy Quran and other scriptures.He was deeply pained to observe the plight of Islam, which was being attacked from all directions.In order to defend Islam and present its teachings in their pristine purity, he wrote more than ninety books, thousands of letters, and participated in many religious debates.He argued that Islam is a living faith, which can lead man to establish com- munion with God and achieve moral and spiritual perfection.Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as started experiencing divine dreams, visions, and revelations at a young age.In 1889, under divine command, he started accepting initiation into the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.The divine revelations contin- ued to increase and he was commanded by God to announce that God had appointed him to be the same Reformer of the Latter Days as prophesied by various religions under different titles.He claimed to be the same Promised Messiah and Mahdi whose advent had been prophesied by the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.

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x The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is now established in more than 200 countries.After his demise in 1908, the institution of Khilafat (suc- cessorship) was established to succeed him, in fulfilment of the prophecies made in the Holy Quran and by the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba is the Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah as and the present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

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Foreword Mu st af a K a mil P a sh a , the Egyptian editor of the newspaper al-Liw a ’ , came across an English announcement that mentioned the claim of the Promised Messiah as and the promise of Allah the Exalted that he and his true followers will be safeguarded from the plague.It further stated that due to this divine protection the Promised Messiah as and those dwelling within his ‘four walls’ will not require inoculation.The editor assumed that by declaring the vaccine to be unlawful, the Promised Messiah as had abandoned material means, and had set a criterion for the trust in Allah to forsake medicine which was opposed to the teachings of the Holy Quran and the reliance in Allah.In response to this allegation the Promised Messiah as pub- lished his Arabic treatise Maw a hibur-Ra h m a n [] in January 1903.This book not only covered a detailed rebuttal of the Egyptian editor’s accusation, but the Promised Messiah as also elucidated his beliefs, the teachings for his Community and recorded those signs that had manifested within the previous three years.The Promised Messiah as states,

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xii So, the first prophecy is that which I had published prior to the emergence of the plague and its bursting deluge and before its footmen and horsemen began their inva- sion [i.e.before all the destruction and devastation caused by it].Thereafter, the plague attacked India like a robber and wreaked havoc and rent people asunder.The second prophecy was regarding our support and protection, and the command for us not to be inoculated and to turn to the Lord of Honour and Glory.Hence, I obeyed this com- mand and stood aside like a slave.And, I had no right to express any displeasure over the command of the Glorious God.The third prophecy was regarding the death by plague of some religious scholars from among my enemies.I have already addressed this subject and there is no need to repeat that here.( see page 41 of this English translation) The English translation of this book was performed by Rana Nasir Mahmood and reviewed by Raja Ataul-Mannan.Secondary reviews were performed by Ata ul Momin Zahid and Abdul Quddus Arif, who also had the opportunity to format the book.Valuable assistance was provided by Sabahat Ahmad Cheema, Mirza Abdul-Wahab and Saeed-ur-Rahman.May Allah bless them all for their efforts.A m i n.Al- Ha j Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wak i lut-Ta s n i f, London June 2023

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Publisher’s Note Please note that, in the translation that follows, words given in parentheses ( ) are the words of the Promised Messiah as.If any explanatory words or phrases are added by the translators for the purpose of clarification, they are put in square brackets [ ].Footnotes given by the publisher are marked ‘[Publisher]’.References to the Holy Quran contain the name of the s u rah [i.e.chapter] followed by a chapter:verse citation, e.g.S u rah al-Jumu‘ah, 62:4, and count Bismill a hir-Ra h m a nir-Ra hi m [‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful’] as the first verse in every chapter that begins with it.The following abbreviations have been used: s as s allall a hu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning ‘may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him’, is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.as ‘alaihis-sal a m, meaning ‘peace be on him’, is written after the names of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as.

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xiv ra ra d iyall a hu ‘anhu/‘anh a /‘anhum, meaning ‘may Allah be pleased with him/her/them’, is written after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as or of the Promised Messiah as.rta ra h matull a h ‘alaih/‘alaih a /‘alaihim, meaning ‘may Allah shower His mercy upon him/her/them’, is written after the names of those deceased pious Muslims who are not Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as or of the Promised Messiah as.aba ayyadahull a hu Ta‘ a la bina s rihil-‘Az i z, meaning ‘may Allah the Almighty help him with His powerful support’, is written after the name of the present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba, Khal i fatul- Mas ih V.Readers are urged to recite the full salutations when reading the book.In general, we have adopted the following system estab- lished by the Royal Asiatic Society for our transliteration.ا at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u preceded by a very slight aspiration, like h in the English word honour.ث th – pronounced like th in the English word thing.ح h – a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.خ kh – pronounced like the Scottish ch in loch.ذ dh – pronounced like the English th in that.

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Publisher’s Note xv ص s – strongly articulated s.ض d – similar to the English th in this.ط t – strongly articulated palatal t.ظ z – strongly articulated z.ع ‘ – a strong guttural, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.غ gh – a sound similar to the French r in grasseye, and to the German r.It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the ‘gargling’ position to pronounce it.ق q – a deep guttural k sound.ء ’ – a sort of catch in the voice.Long vowels by: a for __ ٰ ___ or آ (like a in father ).i for ی __ ِ ___ or __ ٖ ___ (like ee in deep ).u for و __ ُ ___ (like oo in root ).Other vowels by: ai for ی __ َ ___ (like i in site ).au for و __ َ ___ (resembling ou in sound ).The consonants not included in the above list have the same pho- netic value as in the principal languages of Europe.As noted above, the single quotation mark ‘ is used for transliterating ع which is distinct from the apostrophe ’ used for ء.We have not transliterated some Arabic words which have

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xvi become part of the English language, e.g.Islam, Quran, Mahdi, jihad, Ramadan, and ummah.The Royal Asiatic Society’s rules of transliteration for names of persons, places, and other terms, are not followed throughout the book as many of the names contain non-Arabic characters and carry a local transliteration and pro- nunciation style.

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Facsimile of the original Arabic title page for Maw a hibur-Ra h m a n , printed in 1903

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Number of copies 2000 Translation of the original Arabic title page for Maw a hibur-Ra h m a n This book has been printed at the D iy a ’ul-Isl a m Press, Qadian under the supervision of H ak I m Fa D l-ud-d I n of Bhera, on 14th Shaww a l, 1320 Hijrah, i.e.14th January 1903.I have written this book with the help of my Gracious God, and I swear by Allah that it has been produced by the Omnipotence of God my Lord and not by the power of any man.And, it surely constitutes a great sign for every such person who reflects and fears the Lord of the Day of Judgment.I have titled this book, I am a humble servant of Allah the One and Unique, and my name is Ghulam Ahmad.May Allah protect me and help me and make this town of mine – Qadian – an abode of Islam and a place where angels descend.(A m i n)

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In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful We praise Him and invoke His blessings on His Noble Messenger s as The newspaper Al-Liw A ’ & a Heavenly Sign The editor1 of the newspaper al-Liw a’ has raised an objection against me.May Allah pardon him and forgive his mistake which he has made without the intention to cause me harm.He has writ- ten that he has received a pamphlet in English language which asserts that the Messiah who has appeared in a town of India and claims to be a Prophet and also claims that he is Jesus (the Promised one) so that he may unite people under one religion and lead them to the path of righteousness.Also, he believes that inoc- ulation (against the plague) is not beneficial for the people.He has made this inference from the verse: 2 َا) َ ا ہّٰللُّٰ ل�َن ب �َ ت ِاَّلَّ مَا ک�َ َا ۤ (إ ن�َ ب�ۡ ی�ِیُّص� ۡ ن �َُّل ۡ ل ت � One, therefore ought to look at the weakness of his argument! 1.Mu st af a K a mil P a sh a of Egypt [Publisher] 2.Say, ‘Nothing shall befall us save that which Allah has ordained for us.’ ( S u rah at-Taubah, 9:51) [Publisher] I n t h e n a m e o f A l l a h d o I b e s e e c h e v e r y s u c h p e r s o n w h o r e c e i v e s t h e s e p a g e s t h a t t h e y s h o u l d p u b l i s h t h e m i n t h e i r n e w s p a p e r s a s A l l a h t h e A l l - K n o w i n g a n d t h e C r e a t o r o f a l l t h i n g s w i l l b e s t o w u p o n t h e m a n e x c e l l e n t r e w a r d f o r t h i s.

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2 After having said this, the editor of al-Liw a’ says: This claim- ant believes that to forsake medication is about trusting God who grants health.But this is not the case, as trust in Allah the Exalted is, in fact, to act conforming to the requirements of His practice regarding His creation.We are commanded in the Quran to ward off all ailments and plagues through medication.We do not find in the Quran any of the frivolous statements this person is mak- ing.In fact, trust as understood by this claimant is actually dis- trust, as such an interpretation is contrary to God’s practice which is in existence and can be perceived and observed in this material world, and is in contradiction with the verse: 1 ِ ت َّھۡلُک�َ ُوۡا �ب ِا�َیۡد�ِیۡکُم ۡ إِلَی ال�ت ت �ُۡل َ �ت اَّل This is the objection raised by the editor of al-Liw a’ , and this is how he thought ill of me.Lamentable indeed is his condition, for he raised the objection without proper investigation and then made a false allegation.When I read the article which he had writ- ten and published, I said: ‘Holy is Allah! Indeed a great lie has been uttered by the tongue of this man!’ He did this despite the fact that I have never said anything of this kind.I do not know how it was ascribed to me.He is searching for me in a remote wilderness, while I am right before him.He is only misconstru- ing what I had said.I would therefore like to tell him, ‘O young man! Be patient.Do not ascribe to me what I have not claimed.It is good manners that one should investigate and not believe in 1.Cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands.( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2: 196) [Publisher]

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 3 everything one hears.Therefore, O you who seeks to injure my skin and expose the so-called shortcomings that you have per- ceived in me.You ought to fear Allah and come to me so I can nar- rate to you my story.You ought to listen to what I have to explain to you.Then you can judge me the way you like.Follow in the footprints of righteousness and tread the paths of Taqw a [fear of Allah].Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge, and follow not greed and avarice.Undoubtedly, I am one to whom my Lord speaks.He teaches me from Himself and adorns my writings and in His mercy, causes His revelation to descend upon me.So, I follow whatever is revealed to me.It is impossible for me to abandon His path and adopt other paths.Whatever I have said is by His command and not of my own will.I have not ascribed anything falsely to my Exalted Lord.And, ruined indeed is the one who falsely ascribes something to Him.Does this surprise you? Do not then be sur- prised at the works of the Omnipotent God who created the earth and the lofty heavens.He does what He pleases and He is not ques- tioned about what He does.I have received numerous testimonies from Him, and He has shown great signs for my sake.There are mysteries and secrets in His revelations that He has granted me and subtleties that human wisdom is unable to grasp.Hence, you must not argue with me about my refusal to be inoculated (against the plague) and be not like the one whose heart is rendered heed- less by Allah and who regards his worldly means to be his god and whose matter has exceeded the limit.The ultimate source of all cause is our Lord.The material means help only up to a few stages and then comes the stage of exclusive command of the Almighty where worldly means are not even remotely hinted at.At this stage

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4 all other means are cut off and eliminated, and only Allah remains who is One and Alone.The means can lead one only up to a few steps, after which there remains only unadulterated Power of the Almighty which can neither be perceived nor observed, and His hidden treasures that know no bounds and count.And there is an endless sea and a vast desert which cannot be traversed.Has the true command been suspended and means alone continue to exist? In such a case, it would be a very unjust division.Do you not know how Allah created Adam and Jesus? You read about both of them in the Quran and then forget.Have you forgotten the story of Moses, who Allah spoke particularly with, and the splitting asun- der of the great ocean which he crossed but wherein the accursed Pharaoh was drowned? So, tell us which ship did Moses board? Hence, Allah has not related these incidents in vain.He has rather made them replete with profound verities, so that you know that Allah’s power is not dependent upon any means, and so that your faith is enhanced through them and your eyes open up and so that the veins of doubt and suspicion are cut apart and you fully realize that your Lord possesses the Perfect Power, that there is no door that is closed to Him, and that His power is boundless and inter- minable.Whoever rejects the boundlessness of His power and confines it to worldly means, on account of his own lack of under- standing, such a person will surely fall from the high summit of truth and perish, and his fall would indeed be extremely severe and fatal.Hence, do not speak ill of those who, by the command of the Beneficent Allah, turn away from some [necessary] means.Nor should you confine the Practice of Allah within a narrow and dark circle.Know that it is the [reliance on worldly] means that form the firm foundation for the unpardonable sin of shirk.And,

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 5 for the one who is not cautious, these means become the closer and broader doors of shirk.There are many such peoples who were destroyed and ruined by shirk.As a result, such people have become like naturist and atheists who boastfully and arrogantly mock religion, as you can see and observe in this age.We do not prohibit from having recourse to physical means in moderation.However, we do forbid becoming totally engrossed in them and forgetting the Omnipotent Allah.Whoever inclines completely towards these means has surely transgressed.Moreover, if one has forsaken the means under the guidance of the Wise God, then this constitutes a sign from among the signs of Allah the Glorious and the Exalted, and a sane mind does not view this to be bad.And you have heard examples of this in the past.Know that there are some actions of Auliy a ’ull a h [the Friends of Allah] that reason cannot perceive and only a fool raises an objection against them.Have you forgotten the story of Moses’ companion? That story is more intriguing than mine as it is not hidden from anyone.He killed an innocent soul that had not killed anyone, and he did what he was told not to do.He bored a hole into the boat and it was believed that he would drown those who were in the boat.Surely, he acted in a strange manner.However, in this is a subtle point of wisdom, and that is, material means have not been cre- ated but for the sake of Auliy a ’ull a h.If these means did not exist, the characteristics of material things would lose their efficacy and the endeavours of the physicians would go in vain.Auliy a ’ull a h are intercessors for the people of the world and their existence is like an amulet for the people.If such personages did not exist, all people would have perished through epidemics.Thus, medicine

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6 is nothing in itself; rather grace descends only from heaven, as my Lord told me through His revelation, ُ َ اإْلْإ ِکْرَام ُ لَھَلَك َ الْمُقَام إْل ْ لَو [Were it not for favouring and honouring you, this town would have been destroyed.] Surely, in this is a warning for everyone who fears the Almighty.Then there is an eternal practice of Allah, that some people are tried through the words of His friends, as they do not ponder and do not understand.Through them Allah declares many to have gone astray and many to have been guided, and that is how He has decreed things to be.And only those go astray who have arrogance in their hearts which causes them to become mis- guided.They do not fear the Day of Reckoning and insist upon their own words, while they neither have knowledge of this Day, nor are they righteous.Out of ignorance, they hurl abuse at the Messengers of their Lord and raise objections against such state- ments of the Prophets whose [reality] is not known to them.And they are not guided towards the light [of the Messengers and the Auliy a ’ull a h ] due to their past misfortune, the excess of their sins, and their disobedience that exceeds all limits.Hence they see not but only faults in the ( Auliy a ’ull a h ) and they are not guided to the right path.Allah puts a veil on their eyes so that they are unable to see, deafens their ears so that they cannot hear, and sets a seal upon their hearts so that they cannot understand.Thus, they see the Auliy a ’ull a h but do not recognise them.This is due to their past deeds and because they have inclined towards the world and utterly disregarded the abode of the hereafter.

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 7 They curse the Auliy a ’ull a h but they only wrong themselves; and they war with Allah who is self-sufficient.Their curses are noth- ing but a pit of wistfulness and fire for themselves.Thus, due to wrongdoing and transgression, they draw themselves closer to the pit of fire.And whoever moves closer to this pit, is ruined.They say that they have not seen any sign and that they have not witnessed anything extraordinary.Holy is Allah! How untrue is what they say.What has gone wrong with them that they do not fear the days of the Reckoner while they have witnessed more than a hundred thousand of my signs, extraordinary occurrences and miracles? But each of them forgot the sign that he had wit- nessed.Hence, how will they fare on the Day of Judgement when they will be brought to reckoning, and when whatever they had concealed will be revealed, and when they will stand before their Lord with their hearts fully bare? It is not a petty matter to curse the truthful Messengers.Soon they will reap the fruit of what they are sowing and see who is apprehended and who is granted salvation.Allah shall reduce the land from its outlying borders and will show to the wicked what was shown to the people of the earlier ages.The flesh of the Auliy a ’ull a h [Friends of Allah] is poisonous, therefore whosoever eats it through back-biting or slandering invites his own destruction, and the poison shall soon show its effects.The wicked shall never succeed no matter which direction they choose to come from.Allah is jealous for His friends just as He is jealous for Himself.Hence, He spares not anyone who invites enmity with His friends.So, wait for the ultimate end.The most unfortunate is he who becomes their enemy, and the most fortunate is he who befriends with them.By Allah, I am from Him, and He stands by me.So my dear, what

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8 is your opinion about it? Will you accept me or reject me? Only he rejects me who fears the people or who is arrogant or who has not duly reflected and pondered and therefore becomes the one who stays behind or the one who did not remain steadfast when Allah tried him, consequently, he stumbled and became from among those who are ruined.1 َ ن �ُۡو ن �َ ت �ۡ ن �ُی� َ اَّل ۡ َّا وَھُم ُوۡلُوۡۤا اٰم�َن ت �َّی� ۡ ن �َۡرَکُوۡۤا أ ت�ُّی� ۡ ن �ََّاس ُ أ أَحَس�ِ ب َ ال�ن In fact, the trial is chasing after their lives, their wealth and their honour, so that Allah may know that they are truthful and are not like the firewood that is reduced to ashes.So, my dear, know once again, that I am not like a person who is opposed to the means based on his personal opinion and thus treads the path of the unwise.I rather understand that the utilization of physical means cannot be put aside nor can it be declared futile, except after having received a revelation from Allah the Beneficent.It is impossible for any man to abandon the means without a clear and unambiguous revelation.Therefore, do not hasten to condemn me through lack of insight, or target your spears at me or make any other kind of random attacks.You do not know the reality of my actions and their inner secret.It is not permissible for you to find faults in me without first having knowledge.This is what is expected from the fortunate ones.Surely, my Lord has sent me, and He is not to leave His creation unguided.I swear by Allah that I am truthful and that I am not a liar.So reflect, for this is 1.Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘We believe’, and that they will not be tested? ( S u rah al-‘Ankab u t, 29:3) [Publisher]

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 9 what I expect from the honourable people.Do not argue with me regarding the inoculation against plague, rather pray: 1 ْ عِلۡمًا ی �ِ ِد�ۡن ن � ِّ ب �َر Allah has complete dominion over His creation, without hav- ing recourse to material means, and men of knowledge are fully aware of this.In fact, God’s dominion without material means is the kernel, while His dominion through means is like the shell.Do not, therefore, be content with the shell like the Qadariyyah sect.Instead, seek the secrets of divine powers so that they may be bestowed upon you.God does whatever He pleases.The eyes cannot perceive Him, nor can any concept fully describe Him.He does not stand in need of any matter or apparition.He has power to cure the sick without any medicine.He also has the power to bring into existence a child without a father and to grow crops without them being irrigated.No medicine can benefit a person without the decree of our Lord, the Most High.He grants efficacy to whatever He pleases, and takes it away from whatsoever He desires.Only His command prevails over the earth and the elevated heavens.Whoever does not believe in His absolute power and is unaware of His decree which not even a single particle of the universe can disobey, such a person has not honoured the Almighty as He ought to have been honoured and has not recognized His grandeur, and such a person is not rightly guided.Who can limit His laws of nature and encompass the divine power with their knowledge? Do you 1.O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge ( S u rah Ta H a, 20:115).[Publisher]

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10 know any such person on the surface of the earth or below it? Do you ask how the sick can be cured without medicine, and do you consider this to be beyond understanding even though God created you out of nothingness, and He will resurrect you again after you die, and this action is continuously manifested in your being.How then can you deny it? So fear Allah and do not deny His great power.The plague emits sparks that immediately kill.Tell us, from which medicine can you expect peace and health? Medicine is based on conjecture, and conjecture bears no significance in front of reality.O young men! Do you speak of inoculation even though it cannot provide protection against the blazing fire that has spread its wings across all places? You do not have any remedy that can stop the heavenly decree and eliminate this serpent.In fact, it is this calamity which you witness to have completely over- whelmed the people and left them absolutely routed.Misguided indeed are those who believe that they have numbered all divine practices and encompassed His laws.God is Holier and Loftier than what they attribute to Him! They are like the blind, nay, even more lost.The reality is that His powers are beyond limit and He has put into operation His laws of nature.He manifests some of His laws in an extraordinary manner for the sake of the righteous and those whom He loves.He manifests for them that which cannot be imagined and observed.If this had not been the case, His seekers would have failed to find their purpose and the Being of the Almighty would have remained unrecog- nised, and His lovers would have died in separation, ignorance and blindness.By Allah, had there not been any miracles, the fruits of worship would have been lost, His servants would have

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 11 perished under the cunning plots of the enemy and the pious ones would have been losers in this world and in the Hereafter.They would have perished due to separation from Him and died without having opened their eyes, and there would have indeed been no one more unfortunate than them.Verily, Allah is their Paradise and their protection, and it is for Him that they have abandoned their pleasure and comfort.How would the Beloved then abandon those who have wholeheartedly become His? In fact, divine grace runs towards such a person who only walks to Him.The entire humankind is blind, for it does not recognize His friends.God, however, makes them known through signs that shine bright like the day.If there were never any unusual occurrences, what significance would the signs have? O sons of Islam and the Ummah of our Prophet, the Chosen One, peace be upon him! May Allah prolong His mercy upon him until the very day when you will find people as if they are inebriated, though they will not be inebriated.Why do you not ponder? Doubtless, our God is One and Matchless.He is Eternal and Ever-Existing.Surely, he who doubts this and has misgivings about this is a disbeliever.He reveals Himself to His chosen ones in such novel ways and manifests Himself to His friends in such new garbs that it seems as if He is another God altogether whom the creation does not recognize.And then He works such won- ders for them as have no precedent in this world.He manifests His extraordinary powers only for those who deserve them and have pure souls.He descends for him who alights from the car- riage of Amm a rah [the self that incites to evil] and rides death in pursuit of the pleasure of the divine, and prostrates himself at His threshold, and burns down and relinquishes all desires of the self.

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12 Allah surely alters His ways for those who transform themselves.For those who take on a new being and for those completely devoted to His path, He grants a new life.This is the ultimate goal of every believer, and one who has not seen any of His miracles has seen nothing.To His servants who cut themselves from all else, God man- ifests Himself with exceptional power; He stands up for them with exceptional grace and shows for them signs that are neither touched by anyone nor anyone has ever got close to them.When God’s friends turn to Him with sheer humility and modesty, He hastens to them and saves them from every injury and everything that would cause injury.And when they seek victory through their ultimate effort and by bowing down at the divine threshold, then the verdict is miraculously made in their favour.Everyone who hurts them and does not adopt righteousness is defeated and fails to obtain his purpose.How then can a friend of Allah and those who are His enemies be equal? Do you not see that those, who have been crushed by the quern of love and who have gone through various spells of hardship due to their love for the Beloved are never destroyed? Allah does not subject them to two deaths, one by His own hand and the other by the hand of his enemy, lest those that mock laugh at them.Thus has He decreed from the very beginning of the world’s creation.Even if He decides to destroy them, they are His servants.But if He decides to support them, then the enemy and his enmity can gain nothing.Allah, however, has decreed honour and triumph for them.They are such that they are hidden beneath His mantle.Unless God decides to make them manifest, His creation cannot recognize them.God recognizes them and looks after them and, like a witness, stands

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 13 up for them and in all parts of the world shows signs for them and guides the one who seeks guidance.For their sake He fights their enemy and creates for them the means that He does not create for others.He commands His angels to serve them conveying their goodness.Then He helps His servant in such ways as the servant might never have imagined.Do you reproach me for abandoning material means, whereas I have been commanded to do this by the Lord of all the lords? Therefore, I fail to understand on what grounds you reproach me.What is wrong with you that despite having eyes, you choose to be blind? I do not forbid people to get inoculated against the plague.The benefit of abandoning the inoculation will only be for those who have followed me with a pure heart and did good works for the sake of the Merciful Lord and cast off their self like a snake sloughs its skin off.They distanced themselves from every sin and sinner.They are the ones who are saved from His blaz- ing fire.Have you forgotten the miracles of the Divine Will which were demonstrated through the creation of the Messiah [ Jesus], the protection of Moses, and the birth of John? Or do you think our Lord is not the same as He was in earlier times? Do you believe that Moses put himself and his people in peril while crossing the sea without a boat? In fact, you have no option but to believe that Moses neither boarded a ship [to cross the sea], nor did he take refuge on a bridge adopting the convention- ally known material means.Therefore, he left the place of safety and [apparently] deviated from divine practices.So, O the one who has drawn knives at me! You ought to reflect! Is this story (of Moses) not objectionable in light of the objection you have raised against me? How many boats do you know of that Moses

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14 had assembled on the sea keeping in view the significance of adopting the material means? If you have read anything like this in the Holy Quran, you ought to present the evidence to me and avoid wandering in the valley of selfishness and prejudice.This is what I have learnt from the Book of Allah.I do not know where you are heading and from where you have made your learning.I do not find or see in the scriptures of Allah anything of what you say.Are you astounded by the signs of Allah even though He has full power over all things? Do you not see that the fire of the epidemic is raging and people are dying like camels one row after the other and the plague is hunting the people down sparing neither men nor women? So, if I were a liar, I would have been overwhelmed by the fear of retribution.Indeed, I would never have dared to act in this manner at a time when masses are being wiped out and creatures are perishing.If, merely to show off a miracle, I were to resort to falsehood and deception, I would not have dared to utter any such word at a time when this calamity is wreaking havoc.Surely, Allah’s wrath is so severe that even the nerves of the angels tremble due to it, and no liar has the temer- ity to forge lies against the Majestic Almighty at a time when fire is raining down from heaven and people are swiftly dying right where they are, and while a man who is living in the evening joins the dead by the time the day breaks.Can reason accept that at such a time when death is so rampant, someone would dare to stand up like a liar and impute falsehood to the Omnipotent God who knows and sees? Did the wrath not begin before our very eyes and spread across habitations affecting the people of every nation? And, it was during these very days that I was

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 15 given a glad tiding by my Gracious Lord.I therefore believed in His promise and accepted the abandoning of material means.It is impossible for me to disobey my Lord and have doubts about His revelation.I cannot care less for what the enemies say, for the earth cannot do anything other than what is ordained in heaven.Surely my Lord is with me.I have no cause for worry.He granted me the glad tiding saying: ً َ أُبْقِي لَك َ فِي الْمُخْزِیَات ِ ذِکْرا إْل [I shall not leave a trace of anything which might be designed to humiliate you.] Then He further said: ُ َ ا ہّٰللُّٰ مِن ْ عِنْدِہ ِ وَھُو َ الْوَلِي ُّ الرَّحْمٰن یَعْصِمُك [Allah will safeguard you Himself and His is the Most Gracious Friend.] And, that if one lowly attribute is ascribed to me, Allah will manifest my two excellences.This is our Lord from Whom help is sought.Why shall I then fear my enemies? Therefore, do not blame me for refusing to be inoculated.My Lord knows all kinds of creation full well.Are you unaware of how Moses’ mother must have felt when she put her son into the river and how she must have had her heart shattered due to this? Yet, she believed in the promise of her Lord and did not show any weakness like the ones given to misgivings.And do you know what medicine Jesus used to cure the blind and leper? Hence, you ought to peruse the pages

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16 of the Furq a n and the Sa hih ain 1 and show me some categorical evidence, or bring to me any such evidence from some other book from among the ancient scriptures.Are these examples sufficient for you or I should present to you a few more? If you reflect upon the examples I have put forth, you will realize that I have appropriately addressed all your questions.The truth is indeed that what I have narrated before you.However, I will [further] elaborate for you the matter regarding which you failed to show patience, i.e.I will provide a satisfactory account of this matter as well as a detailed exposition of the reasons that caused me to decline inoculation and forced me to put my trust in the Lord of all lords.Know that the substance of this discourse is the claim that I presented before the people, whereby I claimed that I am the Promised Messiah and the awaited Imam of the age.Allah has appointed me as the arbiter to resolve the discord among this Ummah and has granted me knowledge from Himself so that I might invite people towards the truth.However, they only responded with abuse, curses, rejection and oppression.They hurled every kind of abuse at me but I did not reciprocate and did not care about their discourse and their manner of speech.Yet they persistently grew in using uncivilized language about me, and flames of mischief also continued to rise high.They witnessed the signs but rejected them.They attacked me through false accu- sations and alleged shortcomings.They incited the mean and ignoble to insult me and invited Christians and other enemies of faith for their support.Their scholars issued fatwas declaring me 1.Refers to the two most authentic compilations of Hadith books i.e.S a hih al-Bukh a r i and S a hih al-Muslim.[Publisher]

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 17 an imposter and continuously spread propaganda to denounce me.Thus every kinsman severed his ties with me.I was rained with such a large number of false accusations that the whole earth was turned into a marsh for me.The ignorant among them ridi- culed me and did not fear their Great Creator.Indeed, they could soon have their jaws dislodged due to their laughters.Their schol- ars made them dance like a performer makes a monkey dance, so as to amuse the audience.Fools, therefore, follow in the footsteps of these scholars like a tamed dog and like a crippled person who follows another crippled person.There is neither a gathering nor a meeting that ends without invoking curse on me and on those who have pledged allegiance to me.In fact, these people declare the righteous to be sinners.And, I know not about any of their gatherings whereby they did not shout at me or did not invoke curse upon me.Their hordes severely tormented me as well as a handful of my followers.At times, we found ourselves trapped in the jaws of death due to the machinations of these co-called scholars.Out of sheer slander and injustice, we were dragged before the rulers.Those who accused us of infidelity incited the most ignoble and mean lot of people to stand up against us.They hatched all kinds of plans to uproot us and extinguish the lights of our truthfulness.We were greatly troubled and everyone, regard- less of whether they were present or absent, became our enemy.However, by the grace of the Almighty we were neither shaken nor perturbed.We waited for the help of the Omnipotent before whom we prostrate.Through lies and imposture, they called me impious and igno- rant and exceeded all limits in reviling me.If I had not intended

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18 to save myself from indecencies, I would have given them a true and befitting reply.They did their utmost to put me into trouble, so that the grace I have received from the Gracious God may be lost.But all their endeavours were frustrated, and as a result of this frustration, they turned away on their heels.Whenever they cast the net of their self-devised wile and deception on me, my Lord, in His grace and mercy, helped me get myself released from it, and then ultimately they were caused to become the low- est of the low.We avenged from the malevolent enemies without having taken my case before the juries and the rulers.They had sought my disgrace, but I received eminence and honour.They desired my death and even published a prophecy in this regard, but my Lord gave me the glad tiding that I would live up to the age of eighty [years] or more, and He granted me a following, a progeny and comfort.He facilitated me in all my tasks and pro- tected me from every hardship.My condition among the people was such as if I walked among serpents and beasts of the jungle, yet my Lord walked in front of me like a guardian and accompa- nied me in that wilderness.How can I then truly thank my Lord who granted me salvation from all tribulations? I lament my ina- bility to thank Him enough.Alas! My opponents do not realize that liars do not receive divine support, nor are their words the words of piety or wisdom.Do you know of a liar for whom the heavens and the earth bore witness with manifest signs, which caused the power of Satan to wane and caused him to become overawed by the grandeur of the truth and made him disappear like a snake that seeks refuge in its burrow when hit by a stone? What is more, the darkness of this age too is beseeching the

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 19 Gracious God for an Imam.Almost one fifth of this century has already passed and the Muslim Ummah has virtually reached its grave due to its weakness.Negligence has ruined the hearts of the people and most of them have become like dogs with all their attention focused on accumulating cattle, land, properties and wealth.They have forgotten to partake of their share of the pleas- ure of worship and are bent upon the world and its beauty and charm.For them, religion carries only as much importance as myths.Whoever takes a deeper look at their unruly desires and confused thoughts will surely understand that they are a peo- ple upon whom all doors of divine insight have been shut and that their bond of loyalty to God has been broken, except of a few of them who pray to Allah that He may remove from them the veils of negligence.But most of them, with their own hands, have thrown the reality of Divine Unity far away from them, considering faith to be mere lip-service.They curse the servant of God who has come to them at his appointed time and think that they are doing a virtuous deed.Allah has put a seal on their hearts.So, they fail to understand.They think that they are on the right path but they are not.They tell blatant lies.You will find them like the slumbering people who are bent upon rejec- tion.Having been deceived by rituals, they have discarded reali- ties and become neglectful of certainty in faith due to opting for conjecture.They flew at me with objections without having first considered the situation properly.They saw my full moon and tried to split it in half.I have come to them right at the time of need, when the Ummah has become misguided.The signs of my

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20 truthfulness were present within their own beings but they did not take a look at them due to the feebleness of their own minds.Another misfortune that has befallen them is that they have not pondered over the start of the 14th century, which, accord- ing to men of knowledge, is specifically associated with the Promised Messiah, and this is borne out by the testimonies of seers, authentic Hadith and verities of the Holy Quran.However, when the people persisted in denial, I turned towards the deniers and told them, ‘I have divine testimonies with me.Will you then be among those that accept?’ But they rejected those testimonies, even though their hearts were convinced of them.Woe to the transgressors! Then I prayed for an epidemic that might serve to warn the transgressors.And it was revealed to me that the plague was about to descend since the actions of the evil-doers themselves had invited it.Then, by Allah, it was not long that the plague wreaked havoc in these lands.They ascribed this plague to my ‘misconduct’ and said that they considered me a bad omen.They mocked at my words and said, ‘We will be saved.This fire will not touch us.None of our religious scholars will die from the plague.Surely we are righteous and God-fearing.So far as you are concerned, you will suffer from the plague and die because you are a liar.’ At this I replied, ‘You speak lies.In fact, we have been granted protection from the plague.Do not threaten me with these fires.Surely, fire is my servant, in fact it is the servant of my servants.’ A few days later death began to hunt them down and some of their most eminent scholars suc- cumbed to the plague.I had already prophesied about one of the victims of the plague.If you wish, you can read the verses of my

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The newspaper Al-LiwĀ’ & a Heavenly Sign 21 al-Qa si datul-I‘j a ziyyah which I have reproduced in the footnote1 of this page.I composed this Qasidah only for the people whom Allah defeated through the sign [of the plague], and it is these people alone that I have addressed so as to bring the matter to a close.I have also given names of some of these people in the Qasidah so that my claim does not remain obscure from those who are possessed of insight and are just.By Allah, not even a month had passed since the publication of these prophecies when 1.These verses are being reproduced here from pages 58 and 63 of my book, I‘j a z-e-Ahmad i :* ِاًلً ُ صَائ َ ہللا غَاضَب غَضِبْنَا مَا ُاِذَا ِ یَجْھَر ْ وَبِالسُّوْء ٍ یُؤْذِي مُعْتَد عَلی When I become angry at a person, God too becomes angry at him; Who crosses the limit and is intent on manifest evil.ٍ َّ ظَالِم ٌ کُل ٌ کَاسِر ْ زَمَان ُوَیَأْتِي َّ الْمُدَمَّر إْل ِ َ ا َّ الْیَوْم ْ یُھْلَکَن وَھَل The time is coming when He will destroy every wrongdoer; No one will then perish but the one who is already perished.ْ ْ لَھُم ْ یَکُن ْ لَم ِ اِن ُّ النَّاس ْ لَشَر ُوَاِنِّي ٌ یُصَغِّر ْ صَغَار ُ اِھَانَتِھِم جَزَاء I may be considered to be the worst among mankind, If those who maligned me are not punished with humiliation.ِ بَیْنَنَا َ بِالطَّعْن َّ الطَّعْن ُ اَن ہللا قَضَی ْ لِیُبْصِرُوْا ٌ أتَاھُم َ طَاعُوْن فَذَلِك God has decided that a curse be responded with a curse; And the plague is that very curse.It has now arrived in their country, so that it may open their eyes.See also English translation, The Miracle of Ahmad, p.109 and 119, published by Islam International Publication Ltd.2019.[Publisher]

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22 the plague gripped their leader who had incited the mischievous people of the town against me.They hurt me in every possible manner, sought my utmost disgrace, and issued announcements full of abuses, obscenity, slander and lies.Moreover, before these events, the most querulous among them had solicited a sign from me, which I promised to show to the deniers.He published his demand in Paisa, a Hindi newspaper.In fact, he had only mock- ingly demanded this sign from me.Thus, Allah showed him what he had asked for, and he was unaware of the heavenly decrees.Thus does Allah destroys with His sword the people who har- bour enmity against the men of God; and herein is a lesson for the fortunate ones.How can man protect himself from Allah? Hence, whoever wages war against the friends of Allah, he only ruins himself.And whoever repents afterwards, Allah accepts their repentance, for He is most Gracious and His mercy is all-encompassing.If they do not bridle their tongues and do not desist and do not pay heed to admonition, and return to mis- chief, vilification and transgression, then Allah will afflict them with a greater turmoil than before, and He will continue to send forth tribulations and will not care less for them.Therefore, O the ones who are wise! Turn to Him.If you abstain from the ways of immodesty and disobedience, why would Allah punish you? Indeed, Allah is most Forgiving and Merciful.

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Account of Subsequent Signs, Miracles & Divine Succour Subsequently, the plague became rife among the people of this country and people perished like locusts.This epidemic tore them apart like an enraged lion or a wolf that tears through a flock of sheep.Many a households were left desolate, and death attacked their inhabitants.The earth trembled and the disaster spread across its mountains and plains.The epidemic spared no place, and crossed all territory till it reached the last corners of this country.It turned villages and towns upside down and gripped all those who crossed its path.It spared neither the rich nor the poor and entered every house, except the one that was protected by the Forgiving Lord.Thus, hordes upon hordes of the people came to attend the feast offered by the plague and returned with the meal of death.They came to the abode of the epidemic like guests and were served with the goblet of death.In short, the plague clings to this land just as a creditor clings to the debtor, or as the dog clung to the People of the Cave and the Inscription.I do not think this plague will abate for many a

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24 year to come.It is also said that this tribulation continues for as many as seventy years.Indeed, it is the same fire that was men- tioned by Kh a tamun-Nabiyy i n [the Seal of the Prophets] and in the Holy Quran from the Lord of all the worlds.It appeared from the east, as was foretold by the Best of the Prophets s as and it will soon engulf all the habitations of this land.The same has been mentioned in the previous scriptures.Hence, you ought to wait until you attain certainty.Raise not any question about it, for it is a time of great torment, and the divine wrath is intense; screams and cries are being heard everywhere.The [plague] is not just an epidemic; rather it is a blazing fire.This indeed is, 1 ِ ن �َْْر اَّل َ ا ن �ِّم ً ت دَا�ٓب�َّ That will bite the people causing them to be injured, and its bite is extremely severe.It will attack the people all of a sudden leav- ing them dead on the spot, for they do not believe in the signs of Allah, as God the Lord of Honour and Glory says: َا�ب ًا ن �ِّب ُوۡھَا ع�َ ن ِ أَو ۡ مُع�َ ت �َٰم ی�ِ ت �َب ۡل َ �یَوۡمِ ال�ۡ ت َح�ۡ ن ُ مُھۡلِکُوۡھَا � ِاَّلَّ �ن ٍ إ ت �َی�َۡر ت � ۡ ن �ِّن ۡ م �ِوَإ 2 َد�ِیۡدًا �ش And, this is what you observe.And the reason for this is that the people were not righteous and were spreading evil in Allah’s earth 1.A creature out of the earth.( S u rah an-Naml, 27:83) [Publisher] 2.There is not a township but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with a severe punishment.( S u rah Ban i Isr a’i l, 17:59) [Publisher]

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Account of Subsequent Signs, Miracles & Divine Succour 25 and did not fear Him and were growing in sinfulness and trans- gression and did not desist.And when they were told to listen carefully to that which Allah had revealed for them, they turned back on their heels.Allah, therefore, tightened His punishment around them so that they might repent.You will find most peo- ple’s hearts inclined towards the world and they cling tightly to it.Their carnal desires are raging as if springs are gushing forth from them.When they were told, ‘Do not disobey the command of your Lord and join those who follow me since the plague has also destroyed you,’ they replied, ‘Indeed, you are the Antichrist’.They said this despite the fact that they have not yet fully intel- lectually comprehended my case, nor have they shown patience like the men of wisdom.They have witnessed the heavenly and earthly signs, yet they do not adopt piety; they are rather a dis- obedient people.Surely the age has come to its end and most of the signs they were waiting for have become manifest.Yet, they see not.Do these signs represent the Antichrist? If you indeed speak the truth, then produce the like of them; [the fact is that] in light of the Book of Allah it is you who are ill-fated and Allah has decreed only Antichrist in your fate.What has gone wrong with you? What kind of decisions are you making? Allah’s prom- ise has been fulfilled exactly at its appointed time with absolute truth and certainty.Unfortunate are those who do not accept this.They are very quarrelsome people who knowingly prefer darkness over light.How many a sign they have witnessed with their own eyes, and yet they deny.Do they not see that the earth has become filled with oppression and falsehood, and the enemy will hasten forth from every height? And some of them said that they never witnessed a sign.Holy is Allah! What a pile of lies is this and how

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26 audacious [are they] before God the Reckoner.All disputes are settled either through signs or through oaths.My Lord showed them signs from the earth as well as from the heavens.And yet they became deaf and dumb, and feared not the Day of Judgement.Again I swear by Allah who is the Creator of life and death, that I am true in my claim and that I have not forged lies against Allah, nor have I followed doubts.I am the Promised Messiah and the Awaited Imam who had been promised.Divine revela- tion descended upon me like a brilliant light.So, being a witness myself I am reminding people about the days of Allah.I have been given the glad tiding that the days of winter are over and the time of flowers and fruits has arrived.The ice will soon begin to melt and all kinds of foliage will appear.The time has come for those who had put the truth behind their back to be cast away.They filled their books with lies, although it was expected from these scholars that they would take courage and turn their discourse towards cooperation, and support me as far as possible, and assist me with their speeches.But they opposed me, not only in their hearts but openly.They sharpened their tongues as far as was possible, as if they were beasts or serpents, or as if their tongues were like spears or sharp swords.They had no answer but to say (with regard to me) that, ‘He is a Dajj a l [Antichrist] from among the Dajj a ls.’ They forgot the imposters of the past; were they ever granted acceptance in the earth, or did Allah ever show for them the signs promised for the world? Anyone who foregoes sleep and spurs the nocturnal mounts [i.e.who has considerable experience] and reflects upon the past ages, for such a one the end of impos- tors would not remain hidden.Do you know anyone who entered the Court of the Almighty like a thief, and ventured into Allah’s

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Account of Subsequent Signs, Miracles & Divine Succour 27 sacred abode like dishonest burglars, and still he ended up like the truthful? Do you consider an imposture to be like soft earth that is rendered even softer by continuous treading, inviting flocks of sand-grouse towards it? Nay.It is rather such a deadly poison that anyone who ate it forthwith died and met his end.Hence a person who fears to stand before his Lord, and has received knowledge from Him, and has been granted great signs, divine light, aptitude and insight, and who has been sent to Allah’s creation so that he leads them towards the paths of guidance; how can he be equal to the one who treads like thieves at night and has completely turned away from the truth, and has divested his heart of the very sense of Allah’s fear, and has worn the garb of imposture, and has commit- ted all his worry and grief to the world that he seeks, and whose objective is not the hereafter nor does he ever raise his eyes to look at it? The two can never be equal.Allah the Gracious, has laid down this distinction as a promise for the truthful in His book, the Holy Quran.Therefore, my enemies do not need to take out spears and get armed or declare me a disbeliever or a sinful person, for all this is wickedness.Verily, death from heaven is about to pounce upon every head.Why then do they not adopt the path of the righteous? They have nothing in their hands but conjec- ture.And before them the Jews were ruined by conjecture.Hence, they rejected both Jesus son of Mary, and Kh a tamul-Anbiy a ’ [the Seal of the Prophets].Do you reject me following the tradition of these people? Nay, you can recognize the one who is truthful and the one who is a liar through their signs, for every tree is known by its fruit.Have you ever seen a robber who comes to the door of a ruler and publicly commits robbery, and yet he is not appre- hended after this heinous crime? Why then such a person would

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28 not be apprehended who alters the Faith of Allah and destroys its foundations and interpolates its meanings in submission to his own desires, so that Muslims become weary of truth and join the one who hates the truth and jumps up and down like a flea.Do you think this is possible? No.Indeed, this is impossible.If Allah had not send down His wrath upon the liars then faith would surely have been lost and there would have been no proof for the truth of the truthful.Faith would have been lost and the matter of religion would have become doubtful.Allah’s honour is like a raging ocean and high mountains, whose waves are surging, and whose army is mighty.Thus, God draws His sword against the liars, so that the pure fountain of the Messengers does not become murky in the sight of the ignorant.In fact, I had already written this in my books, but anger and wrath was the only response by the enemies.Thereupon, I shut the doors upon them and did not talk to anyone other than those who themselves came up to me.I was feeling suffocated with grief and my tears were falling like rain from the clouds.Then the fire of the plague flared up, and it was not like it was in the olden times, rather like a fire continuously engulfing villages and towns.At such a time, it was once again revealed to me that only he would be saved who would be dwell- ing in my house and adopting righteousness.The words of the revelation, which are the words of the Almighty, were as follows: ٍ ْن َ عَلَوْا مِن ِ اسْتِکْبَار ی َّ الَّذ�ِ إْل ِ الدَّار ِ ا ی ِ ن � ْ لُکَُّ مَن ُ ْ أُحَافِظ ی ِّ ن ا�ِ ٍ ْن َ عَلَوْا مِن ِ اسْتِکْبَار ی َّ الَّذ�ِ إْل ِ الدَّار ِ ا ی ِ ن � ْ لُکَُّ مَن ُ ْ أُحَافِظ ی ِّ ن ا�ِ [I shall safeguard all those who dwell in your house from dying of plague except those who think highly of them- selves out of arrogance.]

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Account of Subsequent Signs, Miracles & Divine Succour 29 God further said: ُ اِنِّي ْ مَع َ الرَّسُوْل ِ أقُوْمُ، وَألُوْم ُ مَن ْ یَلُوْمُ، أُفْطِر ُ وَأصُوْم [I shall stand by My messenger and shall rebuke the one who rebukes you, and I shall observe the fast and also break the fast.] Then God said: ُ َ امْلُْقَام َ اإْلْإ ِکْرَام ُ ھَلََلَك إْل ْ لَو ُ َ امْلُْقَام َ اإْلْإ ِکْرَام ُ ھَلََلَك إْل ْ لَو [Were it not for favouring and honouring you, this town would have been destroyed.] This revelation is from those days when the plague was pelting its stones and its disasters were constantly descending upon the peo- ple.However, my Lord gave me the glad tiding that the promise of being safeguarded from the plague was a great sign among the signs shown for my sake, so that He might make it a distinction between me and my enemies.Then, after this revelation which was vouchsafed to me by the Gracious God, the government gave orders for inoculation to be administered in this country.But, it was utterly impossible for me to disobey the command of the Merciful God, so at the time that required me to have faith in Allah, I waited for a sign so that the faith of my Community is enhanced and their cognizance of the Almighty is perfected.This action of mine was condemned by everyone who worshipped the idol of physical means.They said that the inoculation was ben- eficial, so how could I abandon this good deed and this rightful way? Then I published in my book, Kasht i -e-N uh , that I could

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30 only be criticised after the due comparison, and that no wise per- son could criticize me before that.And that if, in the end, it is proved that inoculation alone was the source of every protection; then you may believe that I am not from Allah the Mighty and the Wise.This announcement of mine was something that even chil- dren bore in mind and women too properly understood it, and it was discussed in public gatherings, so much so that it reached the counsels of the elite and that the government too came to know of it.Then everyone who heard about my trust in Allah at the time of such a raging fire was astonished.Some of them dubbed me one from among the insane and some considered me to be a decrepit old man who lacks any sense and faith.In short, I listened to the opponents but put my trust in Allah the Helper and Supporter.I told them not to criticise me before this trial ends and that they should wait till the matter ends.The government tried its utmost to save the people from this calamity and to dismantle the [divine] catapults and dislodge the pegged tents [of the Almighty].But, this was a fire that had descended from heaven.As a result, when- ever they intended to extinguish this fire of epidemic, it flared fur- ther and engulfed everything around it.And Allah blessed us by protecting us from this fire and saving every God-fearing believer who was within the four walls of our house.However, the mat- ter did not end there; rather it was revealed through comparison that the inoculation had been harmful and that we spent the time of the plague comfortably and in peace.I consider it appropriate to hereby present details of this comparison before the worthy readers.

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Details of My Statement in Brief It has been mentioned in my previous statement that some peo- ple argued with me regarding my refusal for inoculation and asked me if I wanted to be from among those who with their own hands put themselves to destruction and transgress from the right path.They said that the right way was to take precautions and to give priority to the remedies through which this disease could be cured.In answer to this, I told them not to be impetuous in my case and that it was necessary for every critic to wait till the end so that Allah may make it manifest as to which party is closer to safety and protection, and that no matter is resolved by ver- bal reproaches, rather the truth is that which becomes established at the time of the trial.He who makes haste in criticism ends up embarrassed.He who consumes raw milk will only destroy his stomach and teeth.I have already published all this in my book Kasht i -e-N uh.And it was impossible for me to not publish this after revelation and tranquillity had descended upon me.And

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32 there is no one in my knowledge to whom this information has not reached, and there is no ear that this news did not ring, so much so that this prophecy reached the British government and its officials, and spread in all lands and among their dwellers, and people enormously grew in their taunts and criticism at me and I witnessed a kind of Doomsday from their tongues.It was then that I addressed them and told them, ‘Surely, we are supported by God and we have been granted glad tiding, and we will certainly be saved, and that if this statement of mine does not prove to be true, then I will not be from among the truthful and there will not be a liar worse than me in the entire world.And even if the plague is like mountains, my Lord will cause it to be blown up for my sake, and if it is like a flash flood that is so fatal, He will cause it to dry up.We are safer and more protected than others.So wait a while and then if you find us to be the losers, you may say whatever you like.God willing, we will spend these days in peace.’ Yet, none of my opponents listened to me.Instead, they mocked, ridiculed and tormented me in all kinds of ways.I continued to be a target of the arrows and spears of their words until the promised time came and what was destined was fulfilled, which was that when the plague strengthened its cordon and completed its siege in all directions, the government became apprehensive and invited a group of experts to start inoculation.At that time I thought in my heart that whatever the government had done, it had done with a good intention, but it is a war against divine decreed.And that to stand up against the decree of Allah is to procure defeat, and to wake up against it is to fall asleep, and to strive against it is to suffer a halt, and to consider oneself to be wise is to show that one is mad, and to consider oneself to be judicious is to show that one

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Details of My Statement in Brief 33 is a fool, and to consider oneself to be seeking reform is to actually create disorder.People called me ignorant and mistaken, rejected my prophecy and refused to testify to its truthfulness.So, I waited to see how Allah treats me and how He treats them, and whatever I said, people spoke against it.Hence, when such talks on the part of the people increased and they asked, ‘Where is the revelation?’ Then my cognition did not fail me, and my insight lit up like the sun, and my sign became clear and evident, and some faces became dark and some became bright.And my Lord did not give further respite to the opponents; rather He showed them what they had persistently rejected.Soon the news about the side effects of the inoculation became public and people began to say that it ren- ders a man impotent and a woman infertile.It was also said that it takes away hearing and eyesight.A few other things were also said which are not necessary to mention here.And, I kept receiving news about people dying one after another, and this continued to happen unstopped, for which no witness is really required.And, it was also said that the harm done by the inoculation was akin to the harm done by a lion out of its den or the harm caused by a ferocious tiger.And, it was said that in certain areas it wreaked havoc like an impetuous murderer or like a person who prefers killing to making slaves.And, there was total congruence in such news, but I did not pay any attention to the statements issued by the ordinary people nor did I give them any credence, for this alone was the path to peace.And, I thought to myself that I will stay patient until, like the critics, I have verified all this.This was despite that fact I heard with my own ears several accounts about this matter, and I listened to them with amazement for neither could they be rejected nor could they be ascribed to a liar.And I

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34 found people scared and in distressful fear after hearing the afore- said news about the inoculation.Still I considered these people to be possessed of only as much wisdom as animals and thus, like the wise, I did not take them into account nor what they said.I was still engaged in removing this misconception and refuting it and making people realise their error when all of a sudden I received some official newspapers from the government that contained a very important and sad piece of news, such that listening to it sent a shudder through my body and caused all my efforts to stumble.Like those who are already sad, I read the news and said, ‘To Allah do we belong and to Him shall we return.’ And, this was the news that I had already published prior to receiving the news of the ter- rible deaths and I had stated that protection and security had been granted to us and not to those who would get inoculated.Indeed, this is a sign from among the great signs and a great miracle from among the miracles.So, I am happy that it has been manifested.However, I also lament the tragedy of those wailing widows and those orphaned children who, as a result of this inoculation, said farewell to their elders before time.Hence, I bewail the day when they offered themselves for inoculation! Had they instead come to me as believers, they would have surely been saved from this great calamity.How would you know what this calamity is? Again, how would you know what this great calamity is? Know that there is a town called Malakw a l in our country.The vaccination team happened to reach this town with a group of men and they gently and tactfully invited the people to get inoculated.Thus their death and destruction was decreed.They came up to the vaccination team and were nineteen in number.

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Details of My Statement in Brief 35 You can read their names in the footnote.1 They bravely offered themselves for inoculation so that they may set an example for those who were afraid of it due to some doubt about it.But, then as soon as the venom of the injection entered their veins, it fatly damaged their liver and heart, and they began to tremble.Later, when it was noon time, they began to lose their senses and died in their homes bent upon on their knees.They returned their souls, which were entrusted to them, to the Master of those souls2 thus filling their homes with wailing and cries.Their relatives almost became mad, and it was as if the town had witnessed Doomsday.Mournful cries were raised with heart-rending voices, and all the people of the village came up to them rushing in distress and sor- row, and hurried to visit their homes while they were wailing and crying.And ask not what befell their women and children.They shed tears and tore apart their clothes and wept heart wrenchingly and ignited in them the fire of anguish.Friends commemorated their dear friends and criticised the surviving ones for receiving 1.Following are the names of those who died due to being vaccinated.The person who informed me of the names of these people forgot the name of one of them: 1) Am i rudd i n (caste ‘Ulm a ’); 2) ‘Umr a Tarkh a n; 3) Jumm an from Kashmir; 4) J i van Sh a h Sayyad; 5) Mehr D a d M i r a s i ; 6) Sul ta n Mauch i ; 7) H ay a t Tarkh a n; 8) Fat h D i n (caste Jatt); 9) Q a sim Sh a h Sayyad; 10) Im a mudd i n (caste Jatt); 11) Sh a d i Jatt; 12) H ay a t Jatt; 13) Luddh a Jatt; 14) Rudd a Kumh a r; 15) N u r Ahmad (caste ‘Ulm a ’); 16) S a wan Khatr i ; 17) Shab Diy a l Khatr i ; 18) Kirp a R a m Khatr i ; 19) The person who informed me about the names of these people forgot the name of this person.(Author) 2.After this incident took place, I came to know that after inoculation some of these people, remained in critical condition for ten days, and then died in an extremely painful manner.(Author)

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36 the inoculation.Whoever heard about this great tragedy was sad- dened.Close relations lost their senses and their days became like a dark night.There was not even a single person of the village who did not visit their homes and did not enquire them about their health.And, by Allah, not even a month had elapsed after this prophecy of mine which I have mentioned above for the seekers of truth that under divine command the aforesaid incident took place and testified to Allah’s revelation and every such informa- tion that I had received from the Majestic Almighty.When those who were vaccinating the people came to know about the occur- rence of these incidents, they immediately called upon the vice- roy.They saddled their horses on whom they were supposed to return and were rendered dumbfounded at the manifestation of the heavenly decrees.Thereafter, not only did Allah make the gov- ernment turn away from insisting upon such conjectural practices, but the government expressed its disapproval of the harshness it previously practiced regarding inoculation.And the reason for this was the sudden loss of nineteen lives of its subjects.Telegrams were sent to stop the inoculation.Thereafter, the path of modera- tion and temperance was adopted, and the practice that was akin to compulsion in the sight of people was abandoned.Evidently, this government did not leave any stone unturned in taking care of its subjects and in making efforts to that end.Indeed, the gov- ernment had adopted inoculation considering it beneficial and in fact so it was until I opposed it on account of divine revelation.Allah decided to testify to the truthfulness of my words and save me from the criticism of the ignorant.So, these were the circum- stances under which God caused the inoculation to lose its benefit and become harmful, so that He could manifest the truthfulness

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Details of My Statement in Brief 37 of what He had said.If this had not happened, how could this sign have been manifested and how could His protection and support for me have been made evident? And, by Allah, if the inhabitants of the said town had not perished, I surely would have perished and be counted among the impostors, for I had already announced that peace and security was on our side.For the seekers of truth this should constitute the touchstone of my truthfulness.And, if something contrary to this happens, then it would be a sign of my falsehood and the deniers must reject me.Thus this contest became the focus of people’s attention, and my condition was like a person who was unsure of whether he was going to survive the war or was going to be killed.Hence Allah desired to grant me victory, as He has granted me victory in many contests before.Therefore, this is not a fault of the government; rather it is a sign from my Lord that He has shown and manifested.We must neces- sarily accept that it was a major calamity and a great disaster, and even now people tremble at the very thought of it and we do not find any precedent of this calamity in the past times.What would be the condition of the people whose bodies have been rent asun- der by this sudden calamity and whose hearts have been marred by the anxiety resulting from it? How they slapped their faces and beat their chests in the face of this tragedy and, all at once, their living companions joined the rank of the dead? And yet it was not for any fault of the British government, for at the time of such great catastrophes it acted with a good intention, and for the sake of saving the lives of its citizens and stopping this epidemic opted for [the inoculation], and this it did after much experimentation and spending enormous amounts of money as compared to other governments.So the officials of the British government are not to

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38 be blamed, for they had no idea of the result that came forth.They were deeply agitated and anguished and were deeply saddened by the calamity that befell that town, and no mind was able to per- ceive what actually happened.That is why the British government fixed stipends for the heirs of the departed and with deep sad- ness expressed its sympathies with the former and prepared itself to look after them and to further please them, bestowed favours upon them.At the outset of this matter, the idea of inoculation was like such a delicious food for [the government] as causes one’s mouth to water and lips to relish.But thereafter, the government con- centrated all its attention on safety and prevention and vowed to provide all possible facilities in this regard.This government has always done everything with great care and deliberation and treats its subjects as its children and does not approve of any measure as might cause people to suffer.Gratitude is therefore due to this government since it acts like a mother towards its subjects.Look everywhere and in every direction and you will not find such a benevolent government.I find that every wise person praises it for its magnanimity and is whole-heartedly devoted to it, and all this is on account of the favours and abundant kindness of this gov- ernment.We thank Allah for this bounty.Gratitude towards the government is incumbent upon every Muslim man and woman for it guards our lives, our honour and possessions with justice and fairness.And it is unlawful for every believer to fight against it with the intention of Jihad.This would not be Jihad; rather it would be the worst kind of violence.Is this the sign of the valour of Islam that kindness should be reciprocated with sword? Again, remember that I do not make any objection against

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Details of My Statement in Brief 39 inoculation; rather I acknowledge the great benefit it holds.And I also realize that it has a cure for people and there is no risk or danger in it.This is why when the government saw that the attack of the plague had become much severe and the destruction caused by it was touching extremes, it preferred inoculation over every other measure and spent huge amounts of money to provide the means for it.Out of sympathy, it made its best efforts for the sake of the people suffering from the plague so as to put the sword of the plague back into its sheath.This policy was being practiced for a few years and I had never heard any credible people citing any adverse effects of this policy, rather the people who were in the know of the matter praised the remedy and considered it to be the quickest and most effective means of cure.The policy contin- ued until I wrote my book Kasht i -e-N uh and, under divine com- mand, opposed the inoculation and said that the most effective and lasting protection, which is farthest from painful suffering, is possessed by me and not by those who are getting inoculated.I said that if what I had said was not true, then I surely am not from Allah Almighty.Voices were then raised to taunt me and criticize me and it was said to me, ‘You oppose this practice in spite of the fact that safety hinges on it.And, this revelation of yours that you are speaking of is nothing noteworthy and you will soon regret- fully retreat from your position, or a great calamity will befall you and your followers.All safety lies in being inoculated and those who have tried it have experienced this.Hence, those who will get inoculated will have no fear nor will they be afflicted by the plague.’ At this, my heart became anguished and tears flowed from my eyes, because I found people conducting themselves in a manner

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40 different from how the Muslims should conduct themselves.I saw that they accepted the schemes of the people but did not believe in the promises of the Lord of all the worlds.They seek refuge with the experts but do not seek refuge with Allah who is so near.They seek to learn from conjecture but do not attach themselves to the One who has command over this entire chain of deaths.So, I prayed to God that may He acquit me of the allegations made by the people against me and save me from their slurs and silence the opponents and bring us the blessings of health and safety, and ren- der the act of inoculation futile making manifest some disadvan- tage of it and show to the people that they have erred in declaring me to be misguided, so that the people may know that the cure lies in the hand of the Creator and not in the hands of the creation.So, I remain engaged in prayer beseeching Him in all humility and humbleness and presenting myself repeatedly before Allah, the Lord of Honour and Power until the signs of acceptance of prayer became evident and the prophecy that had been foretold proved to be true and the promise that had been rejected by the people came to be fulfilled.The inoculation penetrated people’s homes like a lion and they witnessed its harmfulness with their own eyes.And, the observation of the people became equivalent to two just witnesses and the truth shone forth like silver and I paid back their debt.This is the reality of the misfortune that the vicissitudes of the age caused to befall Malakw a l.And it was only a warning from the Glorious God for those who had transgressed.And, I had turned away from them like the noble turn away from the mean, but Allah willed that He would decide between us and indeed He is the Best of Judges.May Allah protect you, it is better for you to keep silent after this sign.May Allah guide you aright.

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Details of My Statement in Brief 41 Do not tread the paths of misguidance.O Sheikh! It should suf- fice for you to have listened to my answer and then to have wit- nessed the sign of the Mighty God.This sign has shown that Allah bestows effectiveness upon whatever He pleases and deprives it from whatever He pleases.The real thing is His command and the means are like its shadow.Whether inoculation is beneficial or harmful, I will not get into this debate after the sign has appeared.The argument has now been completed and it is impossible for anyone to call this sign accidental, for this sign appeared after a prophecy from the Gracious God.Not only one sign has been shown, rather there are many signs and they are all clear and shin- ing forth like the sun.So, the first prophecy is that which I had published prior to the emergence of the plague and its bursting deluge and before its footmen and horsemen began their invasion [i.e.before all the destruction and devastation caused by it].Thereafter, the plague attacked India like a robber and wreaked havoc and rent people asunder.The second prophecy was regarding our support and protection, and the command for us not to be inoculated and to turn to the Lord of Honour and Glory.Hence, I obeyed this com- mand and stood aside like a slave.And, I had no right to express any displeasure over the command of the Glorious God.The third prophecy was regarding the death by plague of some reli- gious scholars from among my enemies.I have already addressed this subject and there is no need to repeat that here.Whatever I have said is well-known and is the talk of the town.And who- ever opposed me is now dumbfounded.One of Allah’s favours is that in every field He protected my arrows from going astray and safeguarded my revelations and inspirations from the blemish

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42 of being flawed and inaccurate.And as far as physicians are con- cerned, they are not free from error even if they are imbibed with oceans of knowledge.This is particularly true of the inoculation since people fear the side effects of its poison.The assessment made by [the editor of al-Liw a ’ ] is also defective and beyond com- prehension.At times, the doctor has to hear from the heirs of the patient words such as, ‘You be damned for what you have done.You have taken a person’s life.’ Sometimes the doctors commit a grave error inflicting such suffering upon the patient that he goes across the ocean of life like the ship that wades through the ocean.The patients then die one after the other.On such occasions, [the doctors] flee from the scene, saddle their horses and set them free.This is how they face troubles on their way and commit mistakes at each step.We hear such stories about every physician, whether he is ignorant or wise.Is there anyone who has never made a mis- take or has always possessed sound judgement? I have read many books on the science [of medicine] and my passion for it was like the craving of a person for food when he is hungry.I found it to be like a horse that only walks upon an even ground and not an excel- lent horse that can run upon it.And, at the time of a severe illness, I found its benefits less than desired.Thereafter, I was bestowed with a goodly provision from the sacred and sublime revelation of Allah, and compared to it I found the knowledge of medicine to be like an outhouse.And when I received the revelation in all its perfection and it dispelled the darkness with its glory, I hailed the arrival of my Lord’s revelation and addressing it exclaimed, ‘Welcome! May your vale become broader and may your presence find honour; you are the one that restores vision to the blind and bestows eloquence to the deaf, and revives the dead and shows

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Details of My Statement in Brief 43 manifest signs.There is no comparison between you and medi- cine, which is indeed worth no more than a gnat.You are the one that attracts the hearts, removes the anxieties, sends down tran- quillity, and is like the ark [of Noah].Blessed are the pages that mirror you, and how wonderful are the quills that served to put you in writing.At the time of every need, your scriptures spread before us their pages in a most profound manner as if they were fruits or chaste maidens.’ In short, whatever I have found, I have found it through the revelation of the Gracious God.Through the whip [of revelation] I took my exhausted mount towards my enemies.Verily, human designs cannot confront the revelation of the Gracious God; and if there is a contest, then the divine revelation shall triumph and uproot the human designs.Have you not seen how our Lord dealt with the disputers? Did He not cause those who resorted to inoc- ulation among them to be condemned by their people? And, did He not honour us by bestowing upon us a manifest victory? You have heard how, on account of inoculation, people have received sorrow instead of comfort, disease instead of health, death instead of life, and darkness instead of light and how the inoculation continued to imperil them and kept transferring them from their place of leisure to the place of death, so much so that they feared for their lives and became dumbfounded.They were driven out of their homes and those who devised these cures incurred the wrath of the people.The inoculation, in an instant, turned them into the dead and they were left scattered here and there.And, those who did not die became afflicted with certain other ailments and were rendered like animals.The plague neither spared the young nor the old.Thus those who sought to evade the inoculation; they

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44 fled from the inoculation centres and tried to escape from there as fast as a scared animal.I am not sure how they were treated by Allah.These were the benefits of the inoculation, and truly this is the greatest of benefit! Therefore, you must not reject the promise of the Gracious Lord, for it is a message of peace and blessings from the Merciful God.And as far as inoculation is concerned, numerous homes were rendered desolate due to it and many eyes were left in tears.What befell the town [of Malakw a l ] whose orphans are crying in memory of their fathers? Those people died owing to the toxin of this vaccine.And most of those who were plundered by death were young people.Woe unto the town that experienced what I had foreseen and faced what I had already published.And the whole thing happened within the twinkling of an eye, so that their eyes became petrified and death trampled over them like charging steeds.The inoculation team became restless.And this act was a war with Allah.When they looked at those who were inoculated, they found them on the verge of death.They saw that death was writ large on their faces and beckoning them to depart from [the world].They saw people looking askance at them and openly accusing and rebuking them.Hence, they departed the land and its fields at a time when birds were still in their nests.And then their spirits departed and there was great lamentation.Such is the condition of human experiments.And yet they continue to reject the revelation of the Gracious God! Can there be a misfortune greater than rejecting the Messengers and doubt- ing those who are divinely supported? They say, ‘You are a liar.’ What is wrong with them that they are telling me about myself, and think that they are better informed about me than I am

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Details of My Statement in Brief 45 about myself ? Or perhaps my claim, ‘Indeed I am the Messiah’, is unpleasant for them.In such a case, it is just coeval jealousy and rejection of a manifest truth.They ought to fear their Lord and not talk like an immoral and shameless person.For, if I am a liar, I would be thrown away as if I were mere garbage; but if I am truthful then who can extinguish my light through deception and cunningness? I swear by Allah that I am the Promised Messiah and my Loving Lord is with me.I swear by Allah that He will never allow me to be wasted even if mountains were to become my enemy.I swear by Allah that He will never forsake me even if my friends and relatives were to abandon me.And, I swear by Allah that He will protect me even if enemies were to attack me with a sharp sword.And I swear by Allah that He would come to me even if I were to be thrown into wilderness.Therefore, let them plot and scheme and not grant me any respite.They will find out where they return.Do they threaten me with earthly designs and fear not the One to Whom they will return? Is it not true that when- ever signs were shown to them they resorted to deception and created doubts and thus put an end to the matter? Most people rejected these signs merely on the basis of their sneaky motives and not because it was a requirement of piety and righteousness.Allah, however, will soon show them a sign which they will not be able to deny and will send down a calamity which they will not be able to ward off.At the outset of every century, Allah the Exalted pays kind attention to the people, so He then sends a serv- ant for their reformation out of His sheer grace and mercy.Hence, how can Allah forget to do this in this age wherein fountains of guidance have dried up and the floods of misguidance are raging?

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46 And what do you have to offer to a seeker of guidance but a weak tradition.So, this is the pain that has taken away my sleep and wasted away my bones and wounded me with daggers, as if it were.Allah, therefore, decided to strengthen what He had created and to cause faith and its truth to prevail.It is not divine practice to be content with little and to be satisfied with a handful of water.On the other hand, the water that you possess is just like moisture that cannot quench thirst.Hence, my Lord sent me to lead you to abundant flowing water.What is wrong with you that you can- not differentiate between friend and foe? Do you not see how the water of Islam has disappeared into the ground and its brilliance has been lost and its fountain has dried up before its garden could flourish and it has been condemned to perish and to disintegrate? Hence, power comes from Allah alone, so we supplicate before Him and wait for the help that He grants to the oppressed.O the ones blessed with youth! You see the plight of this age, yet still you do not see.This is a calamity from among the calamities that have befallen the faith of the Gracious God.I know not why these peo- ple treat me as someone who wears the garb of impudence and has cast off the cloak of truth.Have I come to them at the wrong time or have I presented to them something contrary to the verses of the Quran or have I killed someone from among their forefathers causing them to become enraged over the shedding of that blood? Allah has shown them signs for my sake and testified in my favour with manifest arguments.And one of these signs that came from the Lord of Mankind is the calamity that has come in the form of the plague.And I had foretold about it at a time when there was no trace of it in this country.One of the aforesaid signs is the death

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Details of My Statement in Brief 47 of some of the religious scholars that I had prophesied in advance.Hence, the plague attacked them like an armed horseman who suddenly attacks someone in the midst of a jungle.Consequently, their condition became like an unarmed person confronting a fully armed person or like a coward confronting a brave knight who is an expert marksman.And among the aforesaid signs is the help that our Lord afforded us with regard to the inoculation and ordained for us protection in this time of great tribulation.In the beginning the inoculation was considered commendable and cure was expected from it.But, later, when I opposed it on account of revelation from the Gracious God, its flaws that were destined to become manifest became manifest and there was no way that peace could be obtained.And I knew that Allah would surely show some sign for me as would demonstrate His protection.But what I did not know was that He would show that sign so soon.So, that sign was manifested and the matter of inoculation was rolled up like a scroll and made a forgotten tale.The government thought that it would start inoculation again after some modifi- cation and accurate trials, but most people were not satisfied with this as they had seen the deaths of nineteen people and the con- dition of many other unfortunate ones.The cause of the plague was not the rodent appearing from beneath the ground; its cause rather is the forsaking of modesty and moral behaviour and the committing of immoral acts, sinfulness and transgression.Hence, the plague appeared killing the sons and daughters of Adam and it was followed up by other signs.And, this happened because there is no cure for diseases of sinfulness and crimes of various natures and carnal passions other than miracles and signs.And, a person can truly believe in Allah only after witnessing such signs.

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48 Atonement cannot save the self from sinfulness; rather the selves of those who believe in this doctrine greatly incite towards evil.Only such perfect divine cognition as causes the hearts to trem- ble, and only such appearance of the Almighty as inspires awe and fear can stop one from committing sins.After this comes the realm of love which sets up its camp upon the hearts and purifies them from the remaining sins.However, the thing that first enters the abode of egotism and demolishes its edifices and humiliates its nobility is the great fear and awe of the Almighty that over- whelms human faculties and completely shatters them.It causes a rift between a person and his carnal desires, and brings about complete purification.It is impossible for any man to be purified without beholding the Ever-Living and Honourable God and without the kind of certainty that uproots the camps of lies.In this world, shrouded by numerous veils, divine recognition is pos- sible only through signs.Surely it is signs alone that pull a man out of darkness until only the soul is left, and desires become extinct and man attains to a station to which reason does not have access.It is only after such realization and elimination of the veils that a person can enter the heavenly kingdom.In short, salvation from sin is only possible through witness- ing Allah through clear divine manifestations.And this station cannot be obtained by anyone without having beheld signs.Anyone who does not behold the Gracious God in this temporal abode sees nothing indeed.It is better for a person to die rather than living a life of blindness.The world and its adornments are sheer frivolities and sport.The fortunate ones cannot be deceived by them.Rather, such pious souls prefer death of every kind so that they might behold their Lord.Only such people are truly

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Details of My Statement in Brief 49 alive.Verily, the world is an accursed place.So, how can a seeker of this world be shown mercy? Therefore, you ought to bridle your horse before it is bridled.What has gone wrong with you that you do not abstain from the sins that are the root cause of this epi- demic? I do not know what has caused you to be so unafraid of the divine decree, whilst I have brought the fragrance of the glad tid- ings like the zephyr.Hence, whoever truly obeys me and does good deeds will be saved from this calamity.Rest assured that only pledging allegiance to me without good deeds and without establishing a true relationship with Allah the Master of Glory will never benefit anyone.Reform yourselves, so that the grievous punishment ordained for you may be averted.Do you reject me without any knowledge and do not seal your mouths? Grave indeed are the words that you utter! One of my enemies says that he was the one who had raised me and he will be the one to bring me down.Look at this falsehood and arrogance.God Almighty is pleased with man only on account of his honesty and humility.So, look how Allah then belied him and responded to his attack even before I could.Thereafter, He brought multitudes of people to my door and filled my house with my companions.Surely, in this is a great sign for those who have insight and a lesson for those who are impetuous.Are they furious with me just because I have said that Jesus is dead and that I am the Promised Messiah who will revive the dead? Had they pondered over the Quran, they would never have taken offense.And had they adopted piety they would not have been so enraged.If only they knew that Jesus’ death is better for them and that Allah has granted them a Messiah just as He had granted one to the Jews.What is wrong with them that they do not understand? Both these dispensations have much

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50 in common, so what is wrong with them that they do not reflect? They do say that a portion of this Ummah will become like the Jews and will adopt their character, but they refuse to believe that the Promised Messiah will also appear from among the Ummah.They rather attribute this honour to the Jews.Have they not been granted a share from the good deeds of the Jews while they have been granted a share from their evils? Hence, evil indeed is what they have chosen for themselves and evil indeed is what they are deciding for themselves.The fact of the matter is that just as the Jews are from among ourselves, the Promised Messiah is also from among us.And, this Ummah is not the most unfortunate one so that their conjecture could be true.They say that they found their forefathers to be holding the same belief, even if their forefathers were mistaken? What has gone wrong with them that they insist so much upon their own understanding and are not willing to shun it? Have they taken oaths from Allah that He will do only that which they want? Allah is Holy and High and cannot be held accountable for what He does, while they will be held accounta- ble.Even though they call the Promised Messiah the arbiter, they make themselves the judge.Do they find their conjectural beliefs mentioned anywhere in the Quran? If they are truthful, they should present to us those references.Alas! They only follow con- jectures; however the conjectures that are contrary to the sayings of the Messengers are of no worth.They make themselves arbiters concerning Allah and His Messengers, and show insolence, insist on that which they know nothing about, and do fear not God.It is quite astonishing that they await an arbiter and also claim that they are free of error.They do not want to change any of their beliefs, so what will the arbiter do when he comes to them, for in

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Details of My Statement in Brief 51 their own mind they hold perfect opinions in all matters.The appearance of the Messiah from this Ummah is not a matter that is so difficult to understand, for the arguments in support of this claim become quite clear when the Muhammadan and Mosaic dispensations are compared.There is no doubt that our Master, the Chief of both the worlds, the Founder of Islam [Mu h ammad] appeared in the likeness of Moses.This similitude requires that someone like Jesus should also appear in the later days.This is what our Lord has referred to in the Pure Scriptures, and if you so desire you can ponder over them in Chapters an-N u r, at-Ta h r i m and al-F a ti h ah, for this is what our Lord has written and surely the scholars do not have access to His knowledge.Which word, after this, will you then believe? God has undoubtedly appointed me His Messiah and has supported me with great signs.Ten- month pregnant she-camels have become useless and you can see that they are now neither used for travelling nor much sought after for this purpose.O dwellers of India and Arabia! You have already witnessed the solar and lunar eclipses in the month of Ramadan.So which of the signs of your Lord will you deny? Do your minds tell you to consider your thoughts to be absolute and categorical while there is a lesson for you in lives of the earlier peo- ple who had given preference to their suspicions over certainty and thus disbelieved the Prophets? As a result, their denial became their regret.But, when the Prophets were vouchsafed support, they wished that they had become believers.For your sake, Allah has mentioned their examples in the Holy Quran.Read them fol- lowing in the footsteps of those who reflect.Ruin is the lot that read them but do not seek to understand them and thus go past them unmindfully.It is quite possible that your Lord shows you

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52 the reality that you have not been able to discern and grace your opinion with His protection so that you become men of insight.Therefore, despair not of divine grace and be not impetuous.Rather be patient, for this is better for you if you are righteous.If you persevere, you will become sagacious and your thoughts will attain their proper station; you shall then be given honour after you were disgraced, and you shall become of the enlightened.You used to say that if the Messiah appeared in your age you would become his helpers.So, is this your help that you are denying and engaging in accusations of imposture against me without any knowledge and clear argument? You witness Allah’s signs and then arrogantly reject them, as if you have not witnessed them at all.You speak not but with ridicule, and employ abusive language, and fear not the Day of Judgement.You follow nothing but con- jecture.You have not understood the commandments of Allah nor have you approached me as truth seekers.Do you desire to put out the light of Allah while Allah wills to complete His light even though you may dislike this? And, with regard to His prophets, He has stated that they are surely supported by Him.Woe betide you and your reasoning, for you are neither able to recognize the face of the truthful, nor do you see the grace that is descending without pause, nor do you pray to your Lord fervently so that He may show you the truth and save you from manifest misguidance.O people! Do not rely on your traditions, for many traditions only served to destroy those who followed them.Surely all good is to be found in the Quran as well as the Hadith that are in accord- ance with Quranic statements.Whoever follows a path other than these paths is guilty of transgression.Without this being the criterion, one part of the Ummah would have quarrelled and

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Details of My Statement in Brief 53 fought the other causing the Ummah to fall into chaos in all coun- tries, thereby making the matter of faith ambiguous for the seek- ers of guidance.O people! Fear the day when only righteousness will avail, and whosoever eschews it, he will never find success.Fear the day when the disbelievers and the sinners shall be gathered together, and the sinners who shall be in the fire shall call out, ‘Why is it that we do not see here those whom we thought were mischievous?’ Then, an announcer from the heavens shall proclaim, ‘They are in par- adise, while you are in the blazing fire.’ Every single person shall be presented before Allah the Lord of Honour and Glory.All the Prophets and their opponents shall be brought forth and every Ummah shall recognize its leader, so the perfection and nearness to God that each leader possessed would become manifest.Then it would be asked, ‘Is he an accursed one? Is he a Dajj a l ?’ On that day Allah shall make Himself manifest and every criminal shall be shown his punishment.The disbeliever would say, ‘I wish I had been mere dust.’ O man! You and your machinations are of no avail! Do you disobey Allah even when he who seeks to hunt you down is about to pounce upon you? Today my Lord spoke to me and addressed me with His words.I write down those words for they contain many signs.O wise ones! The words are as follows: ْ جَاءَنِي ْ آئِل ٌ وَاخْتَارَ، وَأَدَاَر َ إِصْبَعَہ ُ وَأشَارَ: یَعْصِمُك َ ہللا ُ مِن َ الْعِدَا، وَیَسْطُو ْ بِکُل ِّ مَن سَطَا [ A’ il came to me and he chose me.He revolved his finger and pointed out: God will guard you from your enemies and will attack fiercely him who jumps upon you.]

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54 My Lord, then addressed me saying: واال.ن ےنی ےہ، رفہتش اشبرت د� ےنی لیئ ربجا� 1 ٓالئ ] A ’il is Gabriel, the angel who conveys good news.] I have now completed my answer to you.However, the pain that you have caused me by defaming me remains.You spoke of me with ridicule and had no fear of God the Reckoner when you derided and maligned me.May Allah safeguard you from such behaviour.Who are you with such an abusive tongue and such a fiery dis- position? You do not know me and I do not know you.You have no knowledge of who I am and I have no knowledge of who you are.And yet you have persecuted me and shown impatience.You deviated from the path of righteousness and did not fear God.My dear friend, fear the All-Knowing God.The truth is that every sin is bound to be punished.The Messiah has descended from the heavens and the plague has appeared on the earth, so when will you repent if not now? Hence, you ought to know that this is the time to eschew arrogance and egotism and not the time to become heedless, arrogant and derisive.Allah becomes displeased at those who love a life of negligence and gives preference to the world and its allure and believe only with their tongues.So I remind you of 1.The term A’ il is derived from the term al-Iy a lah.A lah u means that he guided him and reformed him and A’ il is the name given to Gabriel in the Word of Allah.Prior to this revelation, I had not seen Gabriel being referred to as A’ il in any book.Hence, Allah’s words cannot be fully comprehended in writing and perhaps the word A’ il points to Gabriel’s status and it stands for bringing about reformation and helping the op- pressed by defending them against the enemy with reasoning and argu- mentation.(Author)

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Details of My Statement in Brief 55 the days of Allah’s reckoning.O sensible ones! Fear Allah as this is not the time of bearing arms and waging war; rather, my Lord has commanded me, ‘O people of this Ummah! Arm yourselves with repentance and chastity, for all divine help depends on this preparation.The world has become accursed and worthy of divine wrath due to rampant sinfulness, forsaking Allah and inclining towards immoralities.This is not the time to take up swords and spears; instead this is the time for cleansing the soul and turning ones reigns towards Allah, for just as corruption has entered the hearts of the enemies of this faith, so has it seeped without excep- tion into the hearts of all Muslims.Hence, these evil ones will not be able to conquer other evil ones through Jihad.They can do so only by adopting chastity and piety.Allah will not help Muslim sovereigns while they are weak in faith and slothful, rather He will be utterly angry with them and prefer the disbelievers over such Muslims.This will happen because they have forgotten the lim- its set by Allah and become unmindful of the commandments of their Lord and because they are not righteous.They believe in one part of the Quran and reject the other.They do not seek to prop- agate the truth and live like hypocrites.Indeed, this is the state of the people of this age.On top of it all, they reject the one who has been raised by the Gracious God and call him an imposter.Do they wonder that a Warner has come to them from among themselves at a time when people have lost the true essence of faith? Do they say that I have fabricated a lie, even though they have witnessed my signs and then cast them behind the veils of forgetfulness? O people! Just tell me, if it turns out that I am from Allah, and you end up reject- ing me, then can there be a greater loss? Do you want me to stop

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56 conveying to you the divine revelations even though I have been commanded to warn you? It does not behove any Messenger that, after Allah has spoken to him and commanded him, he should conceal that commandment for the fear of the evil ones.So fear Allah and do not confront Him and do not overly believe in conjecture.

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Our Beliefs in Brief We are Muslims.We believe in the Book of Allah, the Furq a n.We also believe that our Chief Mu h ammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is Allah’s Prophet and Messenger and he brought the best of all religions.And, it is our belief that he is Kh a tamul-Anbiy a ’ [the Seal of the Prophets].No other prophet can come after him except the one who is trained through his beneficence and appears as per his prophecy.Allah continues to communicate with and vouchsafe revelation to the godly people of this Ummah.These godly people are blessed with the hue of the prophets, even though they are not actually prophets.Since the Quran has perfectly satisfied the need for a Shariah, these people are given the understanding of it, and they do not allow their understanding to be adulterated, for anyone who allows this to happen is from among the transgressors and Satan.In our view, the Seal of the Prophets means that the spiritual perfection of prophethood culminated in our Prophet, who is superior to all the Messengers of Allah and His Prophets.It is our belief that there is to be no prophet after him, except the one who is from

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58 among his Ummah, who is from among his perfect followers, who has partaken of all spiritual beneficence from his spirituality and is illuminated by his light.In such a case, the person is not some- one who is not of him nor is there any room for being jealous, nor will it be a prophethood that is separate from him.Hence, there is no need to be surprised about it.He is rather Ahmad him- self who has only appeared in another garb.No one feels jealous about his own image that Allah shows and manifests through a mirror.Nor does one feel resentful at the progress made by one’s pupils or sons.So, it is only such a person who is of the Prophet and who has lost himself in him, for he is at the ultimate point of self-effacement and is completely coloured in the Prophet’s colour and is wrapped in the Prophet’s mantle.The person finds existence through the existence of the Prophet and is nurtured to perfection through him.Indeed, this is the truth that testifies to the blessings of our Prophet and it shows to the people the glory of the Prophet through those of his followers who, by virtue of true love and devotion, have lost themselves in his blessed person.It would be foolish on the part of one who seeks to fight another due to this, for it is a tremendous proof from Allah that the Holy Prophet was without issue.Anyone who thinks and ponders does not require for this to be elaborated any further.The fact is that the Holy Prophet was not physically the father of any man; but in terms of beneficence of his prophethood, he is the father of every such person who attains spiritual excellence, and that he is the Seal of the Prophets and the Chief of those who have found acceptance with God.No one can enter unto Divine Presence until he bears an imprint of the Prophet’s seal and treads upon his Sunnah.Only after affirming his prophethood and being firmly

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Our Beliefs in Brief 59 established in his faith and religion can any act of worship or righteous deed be acceptable.Anyone who forsakes the Prophet and does not follow his example to the best of his ability will surely perish.There is no Shariah after him, and there is no one who can abrogate his Book and his Law, nor can anyone change his creed.There is no droplet of rain comparable to his down- pour.Anyone who steps even an iota away from the Quran, steps away from faith.No one can be truly successful until he follows everything that is authentically attributed to our Prophet, the Chosen One, and whosoever forsakes even an iota of his teachings is ruined.He who claims prophethood in this Ummah, but does not believe that he has been taught and educated by the Best of Creation our Chief Mu h ammad, he is nothing without following the example of the Holy Prophet and Kh a tamush-Shar i ‘ah [the Perfect Shariah] which is the Quran, such a person will surely per- ish and he has chosen to be counted among the disbelieving and sinful people.And whoever claims to be a prophet and then does not hold the belief that he is of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet, and that whatever he has found is from the fruit of the Prophet’s orchard, which is a mere drop from his downpour and is a ray of his brilliance, such a person is accursed, and the curse of Allah is upon him, upon his helpers, upon his followers and upon all those who accompany him.For us there is no prophet under the canopy of the heavens other than our Prophet, the Chosen One (Mu h ammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and there is no Book for us other than the Quran.Whosoever opposes this, he drags himself towards the flames of hell.Whosoever rejects such traditions of our Prophet that meet the standard of authen- ticity and are not contradictory to the Quran, such a person is

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60 the brother of Satan, thus buying himself curse and wasting his faith.Verily, the Quran holds precedence over everything and the revelations vouchsafed to the arbiter have precedence over the traditions that are doubtful, provided his revelations are in per- fect accordance with the Quran and provided such traditions are contrary to the Quran and their contents are opposed to the Pure Scriptures (the Holy Quran).This is because the revelation of this arbiter is like the fresh fruit that has been picked from the tree of certainty.Hence, whosoever does not accept the revelation of this Promised Imam and throws it away for the sake of those oral tra- ditions that are not in the realm of what can be seen and felt, such a person is in manifest misguidance and shall die in ignorance, for he preferred conjecture over certainty and was turned away from Divine Presence.If it is necessary to accept the traditions at all costs, then what would be the status of the one who has been given the title of ‘arbiter’ by Allah the Glorious, and why would he be given such a title when he cannot give a verdict with regard to anything, rather, like a verdict-seeking supplicant he would accept whatever the religious scholars say? In such a case he would not be worthy of the title of ‘arbiter;’ instead he would be subservient to the scholars and follow them for all his statements.We believe that Salat, Fasting, Zak a t and H ajj are obligations enjoined by the Majestic and Almighty God; therefore, whosoever intentionally and without an excuse that is deemed proper by Allah, forsakes these obligations, such a person has lost the right path.From among our beliefs, one is that both Jesus and John had miraculous births, and such births are not beyond the realm of reason.Allah has mentioned both accounts in the same Chapter so that the former may testify for the latter.He began the narrative

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Our Beliefs in Brief 61 with John and concluded it with the Son of Mary, so that this phe- nomenon relating to the miraculous births should proceed from the lesser to the greater.The reason why Jesus and John had this kind of birth was that Allah wanted to show a great sign through their creation.Since the Jews had forsaken the path of moderation, and wickedness had seeped into their actions, words and morals, and their hearts had become completely corrupt; they persecuted the prophets and killed innocent people unjustly merely out of opposition.They crossed every limit in their transgression, mis- chief-making and persecution, and were unwary of being held accountable by the Lord of Mankind.Thus Allah saw that their hearts had become darkened and their dispositions had turned harsh, that the night had spread and paths had become dark, that their beliefs had become so corrupt that they had become like a stygian night or an unidentifiable passage.They crossed all limits, forgot their Creator, and leaped over all barriers.They forgot the Master of the Day of Judgment and became such that they lost the light that might have saved them from sin and shown them the right path and corrected their deeds.They became like the leper who has lost his limbs and whose face has been disfigured.When their condition reached this state, Allah pronounced dam- nation upon them and became wroth on those mischief makers and decided to take away the favour of prophethood from their progeny and to smite them with wretchedness and to take away from them this sign of honour, for had prophethood remained in their progeny it would have been a sufficient honour for them and it would not have been possible to associate them with dis- grace.And had Allah ended the chain of prophethood with Jesus, then obviously the pride of the Jews would not have diminished.

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62 And had Allah decreed that Jesus, who was from among the Jews, would return to the world, then honour would surely have returned to the Jewish people and the decree of disgrace would have been rendered void, nullifying the decree of Allah, the only One worthy of worship.Hence, Allah decided to cut them from their roots, to destroy their very foundation and solidify their dis- grace.To make this happen, Allah first of all caused Jesus to be born without a father solely through His power.Hence, Jesus was a forerunner for our Prophet and a sign of the transfer of prophet- hood, for he was not connected to the Israelite lineage through a father.As far as John is concerned, he was a veiled testament to the handover of prophethood, for the birth of John had not occurred through the human prowess of the Israelites, rather through the power of the Omnipotent Allah.Thus, after these two prophets, there were no grounds left for the Jews to be proud or arrogant.And, all this came to pass so that Allah may destroy their argu- mentativeness, put to rest all their boasts and quell their excessive passions.Allah then transferred prophethood from the Israelites to the Ishmaelites and Allah bestowed His favour upon our Prophet Mu h ammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and turned Gabriel and His revelation away from the Israelites.He is therefore Kh a tamul-Anbiy a ’ and after him no prophet will ever be raised from among the Jews, nor will the honour that they were deprived of be returned to them.This is a promise of the Loving God, and thus is it written in the Torah, the Gospel and the Quran.Hence, how will Jesus return when all the books of Allah, the Master of the Day of Judgment, are barring him from doing so? And if it were to be presumed that he will come back before the

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Our Beliefs in Brief 63 Day of Judgment, then we have to accept that when he is ques- tioned about his people in the Presence of Allah, he will speak untruth.So, reflect upon Allah’s statement: 1 َّاسِ َ لِل�ن ت ُل�ۡ ت � َ ت �ۡ ن َ ا ہّٰللُّٰ �یٰع�ِی ۡسَی ا�ب�ۡ ن َ مَر�ۡیَم َ ءَأ�َ َال ت � ۡ ن إ�ِ And, reflect again, whether Jesus, in the face of the false notion of these people who, under the influence of their diabolical sus- picions, want to bring him back to this world, employed truth in his answer or falsehood.If it is indeed true that Jesus will return to this world before Doomsday, the Day of Resurrection, and destroy the cross and bring the Christians into the pale of Islam, then how will he be able to say that after his ascension into the heavens he had no knowledge of what his people did? How would this statement be correct when, after his return to earth, he would have gained intimate knowledge of the idolatrous beliefs of the Christians and found that having become subdued by their selfish desires they began to treat him and his mother as gods.To answer in such a way before the Majestic God would be a manifest evil, a bare-faced lie and audacity.It is a wonder how he would not shy away from such a lie and utter such falsehood before the All- Knowing and Omniscient God while the fact would be that he would have returned to this world, killed the Christians, broken the cross and put the swine to death with a well-honed sword.What is more, he would not have stayed here for only a moment or so, like a traveller who passes through a place without actually 1.When Allah will say, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men?’ ( S u rah al-M a ’idah, 5:117) [Publisher]

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64 having stayed there and does not carefully observe anything.He rather stayed with them for forty years, killing them, imprisoning them and forcing them to follow the right path.If, in spite of all this, he were still to claim that he had no knowledge of what his people did after him, we can only be amazed at such a Messiah and such open lies! Do you expect us to believe that he will not be afraid of the Day of Judgment and the scourge of divine wrath, and that he will utter such a contemptible lie as is detested even by the meanest lot of people and will employ such falsehood as is hated even by the most wicked kind of people who are sunk deep in immorality? Can a sane mind entertain such a thought about a Prophet that, after having ascended to the heaven, he returned to the earth, clearly saw his Christian nation and its idolatrous prac- tices and its belief in Trinity and then denied the occurrence of all these events before his Lord, stating he simply had never returned to the despicable world, and that ever since he had been raised to the second heaven, he had no knowledge of what had become of his people.Just consider what will be a greater lie than that which the Messiah will supposedly utter on the Day of Reckoning when he will be questioned by Allah and he will do this without any fear in the presence of the Lord of Honour.To summarize, when the Quran has completely barred the decent of the Messiah in an unequivocal verse, then it categori- cally establishes that the Promised Messiah would not be raised from among the Jews, rather he would be raised from this very Ummah.And how could it be when the Israelites have been smit- ten with disgrace? After eternal chastisement they are no longer worthy of any honour.Hence, remember, that the belief in the return of Jesus is merely an illusion and that anyone barred by the

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Our Beliefs in Brief 65 Holy Quran can never return.And if we are to assume that he will return, then we will have to ascribe falsehood to our Master, the Best of Mankind, for he had stated that the Promised Messiah would appear from among the Ummah, and that only he can be considered a part of the Ummah who has obtained perfection through the blessings of Mu h ammad, the Chosen One.This is a condition which Jesus does not fulfil, for he had obtained the status of prophethood before the advent of our Master, the Seal of the Prophets, and therefore his perfection was not a result of the beneficence of our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.This is not something hard to understand.Hence, to describe him as a member of the Ummah can only result from being ignorant of the term Ummah and is contrary to the Book of the Majestic God.There is no doubt then that to describe him as a part of this Ummah is clear falsehood and sheer audacity.Reflect upon this, if you are indeed from among the righteous.In short, Allah took away the bounty of prophethood from the Israelites after Jesus, and this bounty will never return to them in the era of the Best of Creation (Mu h ammad).Besides, the fatherless birth of Jesus and his being without any progeny are strong arguments in favour of what has been detailed before, and this indicates the cessation of the Israelite chain of propheth- ood.Hence, during the era of the prophethood of Muhammad no Prophet shall appear from among the Jews, neither old nor new.This is the decree of God the Lord of Honour and Glory, and just as He had taken away prophethood form Israelites, so had He taken away their earthly kingdom and discarded them like a rotten carcass.The birth of John without any humans touching each other, and, likewise, the fatherless birth of Jesus and then the

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66 death of these two without having left a progeny are all signs of this fact (i.e.that the Israelite chain of prophethood has come to an end).But as far as the Muhammadan Messiah is concerned, by the grace of Allah he has a father as well as a progeny, for it is written that by the grace of God, ُ یَتَزَوَّج ُ وَیُوْلَد ُ لَہ [He will marry and have children.] This alluded to the continuation and perpetuation of the Muhammadan dispensation till the Last Day.With extreme wonder do I look at the people who do not reflect and ponder upon the signs that substantiate the prophethood of our Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Such peo- ple claim that Jesus was born of the sperm of his father, Joseph.They do not understand the reality due to their ignorance.It is a known fact that Mary was found to be pregnant before she got married, and it was not permissible for Mary to get married because of the oath that her mother had taken when her own pregnancy had become evident.This, for the people of insight, can lead to two conclusions.Either Jesus was born through the Word of the Omniscient God, or, God forbid, he was an illegit- imate child.We see no way that Mary could have been pregnant through marriage as her mother had made a pledge that she would keep her (Mary) free and dedicated to the service of the temple.This was the pledge she had made while she was pregnant, and I am stating this because both the Quran and the Gospel testify to this.Therefore, eschew not the path of righteousness and success.This detail has been given for those whose nature requires such

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Our Beliefs in Brief 67 elaboration and whose dispositions find it difficult to accept this phenomenon as supernatural.As far as I am concerned, I believe in the Perfect Omnipotence of Allah the Most High, and I believe that if He so chooses, He can create many others like Jesus even from tree leaves.There are many insects on earth that do not have actual parents; O men, why then are you astonished at the birth of Jesus? Allah’s wonders are such that the treasures of logic are exhausted before them; they are such rarities that all intellects are exhausted trying to compete with them.Indeed, every crea- tion of God shows the helplessness of the dispositions, and every seeker of help and his helper are shown to be completely power- less.Those who deny this have not recognized Allah as He should be recognized.Despite the presence of the light of the full moon, they languish in darkness.They have strayed away from the light, and the alienating separation and agonizing rift has hurled them into various kinds of darkness.It is therefore amazing that despite their ignorance, they lead the masses like a guide and did not fear, and like the brave enter the terminal wilderness.Hence, like a per- son who has lost his way, they succumbed to death in wilderness and bowed down before their end.They did not refrain from their deadly mistakes and therefore stumbled at every step and faced annihilation.Their preying upon the common folk made their hearts bold.Though the darkness of ignorance scared them, they neither feared nor halted their advance.Apart from this, I have many other proofs with me regarding the death of Jesus, whose publication I deem essential so that people may know the truth.Among these proofs are the categor- ical verses of the Quran, which are the strongest arguments for the wise.Some of these resounding proofs are from the Hadith,

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68 which are for the people who contemplate.So Allah has clearly declared the death of the Son of Mary in the verse1 ْ ی �ِ �َن ت �ْ ی �َّ ن �ََو ت َلَمَّا � ن �.And, just as it has already been mentioned, by using the term ‘death’ Allah has also explained that he will not return to the world now.Also, during the night of Mi‘r a j, our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw him sitting with John, and wisdom does not warrant that a living person should be des- patched to the world of the dead, and evidently the one who is joined to the dead is from among them.Those who do not ponder upon the Book of Allah and whose hearts do not seek the truth and wisdom, they say that it is proven that Jesus is alive, for H asan al-Ba s r i said that Jesus did not die and shall return in the latter days.The answer to this is that we do not believe in anyone from Basra or Egypt.We only believe in al-Furq a n (the Holy Quran) and in the word of our Prophet who was bestowed the true knowledge by the Gracious God.You have already heard what is written in the Quran and Hadith, so there is no need for you now to demand for more arguments.From Adam to our Prophet, the Best of Mankind, death is associated to all proph- ets.Therefore, how can Jesus be excluded from this phenomenon that has been in operation from generation to generation, and especially when all the righteous people were subjected to the same phenomenon and now we too are heirs to these righteous people in terms of this phenomenon? What is more, among the aforementioned proofs are historical events and the testimonies that have been recorded in the books of medicine.And those who peruse the pages of these books that 1.Since Thou didst cause me to die ( S u rah al-M a ’idah, 5: 118).[Publisher]

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Our Beliefs in Brief 69 number more than a thousand and are well-known among all the present and past scholars and are considered authentic by them will be compelled to testify that the Ointment of Jesus prepared for the wounds of the god of the Christians.There is no second opinion about this, for it is among the most famous ointments and one that finds mention in almost a thousand books of medicine.Likewise, I have learned about the tomb of ( Jesus) which is located close to this land of Punjab (in Srinagar, Kashmir).And, without doubt it is the resting place of Jesus.The denial of mali- cious scholars cannot weaken the authenticity of these proven facts, for these [scholars] make egotistical statements and come up to me only in denial.I find them extremely arrogant, unwise and ones who have gone too far in their denial.And yet they are called leaders of the Ummah and stars of the nation! Their spirit- uality is dead and the mortal world has overcome them.What is wrong with them and why do they not understand that the ‘ascen- sion’ of Jesus was meant to vindicate him from the accusation of being accursed, whereas a physical ascension towards the sky would not absolve him of this accusation.Moreover, while Jesus had been sent to all the tribes of the Jews and all the Israelites, and as has been mentioned already, these tribes were spread all over the world, and thus he was obliged to take up travel and look for the other tribes, how then would it be possible for him to ascend to the heavens without having accomplished his mission and dis- charged his duties? This is logically impossible.Moreover, belief in his physical ascension to the heavens pro- duced only negative results and helped the growth of only an evil tree.If this belief had been valid and if it had truly been an act of Allah, it would surely have produced good results.There

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70 is no doubt that this doctrine is a diabolical whisper and a devil- ish trap.This is the reason why belief in the Unity of God faced calamitous conditions and Trinity occupied the place of the One and Only God, and this has opened the doors of hell for most people and thousands have plummeted into the vortex of idol- atry and have been entrapped by Satan.If the Muslims had not believed in this doctrine, they would have been saved from apos- tasy and from the arrows of Christianity.But we now see them like prisoners in the hands of the Christian clergy.Although these (Muslims) claim with their tongue that our Prophet, the Chosen One, is the Chief of the Prophets, what can be seen so clearly is that their deeds do not match their words.O heavens! Why are you not rent asunder at their effrontery? O Earth! Why are you not shaken due to the transgression committed by them? These Muslims have raised all the standards of majesty, glory and hon- our for Jesus but have left nothing to be raised for our Chief, the Chosen One.And when Allah looked upon the earth, He found it filled with excessive praise for the Son of Mary, and ungener- ous in the praise for the Best of Adam’s sons.God saw that the world was in dire need of a person, who could demonstrate to the Christians the superiority of the Seal of the Prophets and defend the Muslims, so He sent me for this purpose, and this had already been decreed by the Loving God.Thus, I have been appointed for this service for about thirty years, and it was through me that Allah took to task many Christian clergymen and bridled their tongues.By Allah! No one in this age needs to witness the won- der of someone descending from the heavens; rather what people need is to ascend to the heavens through purity and righteous- ness.Do you not see the Muslims, how they have inclined towards

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Our Beliefs in Brief 71 worldly desires and how they have fallen into the abyss, and how they have lost their share of the heavenly light.Furthermore, they have become devoid of sound reason and clear understanding.You will find their statements to be replete with contradictions and absurdities, and, on account of all kinds of ignorance, you will find their actions excessive or deficient.For example, they claim that Jesus was the greatest traveller and that he travelled all over the world and did not leave any part of it untouched.And then, contrary to this, they make another statement and insist upon it.They say that at the time of Crucifixion he was raised to the heav- ens by the command of the Lord of all the Worlds and that he ascended to the heavens at the age of thirty-three.One, therefore, has to reflect as to when he travelled around the world and visited every habitation and did not leave any known place unvisited? Likewise, they also claim that Jesus was raised to the heavens and caused to join the dead.Then they also say something that contra- dicts their earlier statement, i.e.he is alive and will soon descend from the heavens.Likewise, they also accept that the Promised Messiah will be raised from among this Ummah; but then they make a contradictory statement and openly declare that Jesus will descend from the heavens and will not be from the Ummah of our Prophet, the Best of Mankind.Similarly, though [my oppo- nents] utter from their tongues the words 1 ِ ن الد�ِّی�ْ ی �ِ ن َ إِکْرَاہ َ � اَّل and read this verse in the Manifest Book (the Holy Quran), yet they also say what is quite opposite to this and insist that their Mahdi will appear with a sword and will not accept anything other than 1.There should be no compulsion in religion ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:257).[Publisher]

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72 Islam.Therefore, ponder over their contradictory statements and absurd talk! Here, simpletons would definitely ask as to what will become of the people of the past who died holding the false belief that Jesus would descend from the heavens.Do they know that the condition of these people is like that of the Israelites who, before the time of Kh a tamul-Anbiy a ’ [the Seal of the Prophets], believed that the one who personified Moses would appear from among themselves, but Allah did not hold them accountable for this false belief.So, when our Master, the Chief of the Prophets, appeared and those who were to deny him did deny him, and said what those who were before them had said, Allah held them accountable for their sins, for they were deniers, and a crime is only a crime once its proof has been established.Therefore, those who have not witnessed the age of a prophet and have passed away before his advent in a state of ignorance, they are not held accountable by Allah, for they did not deny, nor did they receive the message.So Allah forgives them through His mercy.Do peo- ple wonder that a Warner has come to them in this age? Alas! How they have forgotten the eternal practice of Allah while they recite the Quran.It has been the perpetual practice of Allah for His creatures that whenever they cross the limits and overstep the bounds of righteousness, He sends to them a prophet to stop them from committing vice and immoral acts.And whenever such a Warner has come to them, they have instantly split into three groups.The first group recognizes him from his face and his speech, just as a horse recognizes a lush green pasture.The sec- ond group is the one whose eyes are opened only after witnessing miracles.They witness manifest signs and all their suspicions are

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Our Beliefs in Brief 73 removed.And then there is another group that is not granted insight from Allah, so they move about aimlessly like a blind camel and are unable to discern the truth.Their hard-hearted- ness invites a plethora of calamities and tribulations, and they do not believe until their peace and repose is taken away from them, and they are visited by hardships and suffering.Hence, this is the cause of chastisement that descends from the heavens, and this is what caused the plague to be sent down.The wise and sagacious ought to ponder over this.There is undoubtedly no compulsion and force in religion, but their natures require compulsion in some form.There is no compulsion in faith, but their natures require a kind of compulsion in order to be cautioned.And there is no harm in this, for it is a matter that does not involve mortal means, rather it is a great sign from the Gracious God, and signs of warning do not fall under the cat- egory of compulsion and force.Force is only wielded through sharp swords and other powerful weapons.Therefore, in order to warn the oblivious ones of this age, Allah chose a kind of chastisement, and such chastisement appears from heaven and not through unsheathing swords.Thus, at times He instilled fear in the hearts through the deadly plague and at times through devastating earthquakes before whose power buildings turned to rubble, and at times through such fiery storms that turned mountains to rubble and caused the oceans to surge, and noth- ing could minimize their intensity.It spared none from the old or young.The government adopted the best available devices to stop the plague but it did not succeed in any way.The truth is that the plague was Allah Almighty’s answer to those who cursed me and those who accompanied such people, and He favoured

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74 me through their deaths.Even before the start of the epidemic, He addressed me saying: ُ َمْرَاض ُ تُشَاع ُ وَالنُّفُوْس ُ تُضَاع ْأ إْل َ ا [Diseases will spread and people will die.] So He sent down an exemplary punishment and sent down that which He had foretold.I swear by Allah that I had been informed about this even before the start of this century of the Hijri calen- dar.Thereafter the reports started coming in of the plague and it spread in this part.When I got news of it, I appraised it and reflected upon it and found that it was indeed the sign that had been promised.Also, the plague reduced the number of our foes and increased the number of my beleaguered community to the extent that our population reached a hundred thousand or more.And today this number has increased almost twofold.There is a great sign in this for those who contemplate.As for those who hold on to prejudice and jealousy, they prefer darkness over light.From the very beginning, envy and prejudice has left its mark on their natures, and it is something which they have inherited from their forefathers.You will find in them such a vile poison of miserliness, arrogance and hypocrisy that nothing akin to it has been known for a long time when it comes to the accounts of the disbelievers and the ill-fated ones.By Allah! The very existence of these religious leaders is a sufficient sign of the proximity of the Day of Judgment.They seek to become close to worldly people so that they might be seen as respectable by them.They do not seek to get close to piety so that they are honoured in heaven.Islam has fallen into the pit of defencelessness while they are sleeping

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Our Beliefs in Brief 75 on cosy beds.The nation of Islam has been humiliated and they are busy showing off their mantles, embroidered dresses, ornate walking sticks and long beards.The power of the nation of Islam has suffered decline and the supremacy of Islam has been lost, yet they seek worldly adornments and closeness to worldly rulers.And, despite all these conditions, they see no need for a Reformer whom the Gracious God sends and consider themselves sufficient as protectors of faith and champions of this contest.When the filth and stench of this world and its dirt and slime completely permeated them, Allah took away from them the light of their wisdom and left them slouch in their misconduct in such a man- ner that nothing was left in them of insight, sagacity, capability of approaching the profoundest points of wisdom, and the pro- fundity of thought and wisdom.I see that doors of guidance are opened for others, but they are not opened for these people due to their inner impurities.And, this has happened because they have severed all ties with the True Beloved and because it has become impossible for them to get to the depth of verities, understand subtle points of wisdom and solve the complex matters of faith.And yet, in the eyes of the masses, they are honest, righteous and truthful and free of all those evils that I have mentioned in this book.This, then, is one of the misfortunes that has befallen this nation; and the plague is merely the result of their so-called right- eousness and a fruit of their so-called acts of piety.On the other hand, we witness that large amounts of money have been spent and no stone has been left unturned in managing the sanitary conditions of the towns and their streets, and a mon- umental effort has been made in this regard.Wells in particular have been treated with antibacterial medicine.Despite this we see

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76 that every day the plague is further spreading, rendering useless the method of inoculation and negating all the benefits it was sup- posed to bring; you have already heard about the results of this entire process.The use of medicines, intense surveying of streets, neighbourhoods and other epidemic-hit localities, and destruc- tion of all hazardous materials have been of no avail.All these precautions have been adopted to the best possible extent, yet we find the flames of the plague’s fire to be rising further up, and this deadly illness has not yet subsided and the darkness it created is yet to go away, rather its tempestuous winds are committing wholesale murder everyday while its earthquakes wreak havoc.The minds of doctors are befuddled and their intellect is dazed.This disease is not confined to just the unsanitary localities as was thought in the beginning, rather it has reached filthy localities as well as clean ones, and has permeated all dwellings and tribes, striking the occupants thereof with great grief and filling their houses with wailing and crying.One after the other, its horrible earthquakes and terrifying lightning struck [the population].It entered city after city with a variety of afflictions, but it was espe- cially pleased to pitch its tent in Punjab so that not a single place was left unscathed by its attack and not a single household was left where from cries of mourning were not heard.And all this was the reward of their actions and their previous words and deeds.And, this tempest has not yet ceased.There is no way one is able to observe patience and find rest and consolation.In fact, how could this tempest of the plague subside while their chests are not yet cleansed of the foul tendencies of evil? They are rather multiply- ing.They surely heard the command of the Omnipotent God, but due to their fury they were unable to control their selves.Hence,

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Our Beliefs in Brief 77 they broke their ties [with God] and took firm oaths that they will not heed the truth and will not shun darkness, even though prior to this they used to say that the command of the arbiter had preference over inauthentic Hadith.But now, they give prefer- ence to their own conjectural sayings over unqualified verses of the Quran and categorical arguments.The tyrannical belief in the godhood of [ Jesus] has overawed the entire world, and yet these people remained unperturbed by it, as if they were exempt from that which is writ by the hand of fate.With their own eyes have they witnessed a number of their leaders being transferred to the graves, and yet they do not desist from vituperation, imposture and falsehood.It is as if they have been fed the milk of falsehood from their mothers’ breasts or they were born steeped in such ignorance.Do they think I crave limelight, and hence they are jealous of me? By Allah! I like solitude, if only they knew.I was not the one who would go out to the people and thus discard the seclusion of my chamber, but my Lord brought me out of it despite myself not liking it.I was absolutely averse to fame and there was nothing dearer to me than my solitude.So if my Lord has made me come out from the seclusion for the sake of the reformation of the people, how can I be blamed for it? I neither descended from a line of gifted scholars nor was I from the tribe of Ban u al-F at i- mah due to which someone could speculate that by employing this ruse, I desired to regain the status of some of my ancestors.This has been purely ordained by heaven, and unlike those who worship their selfish desire, I did not seek this station for myself.Thereafter, the religious leaders tried their level best to bring down my edifice and disperse my supporters, but in the end, the former were unsuccessful, and Allah strengthened my alliance and large

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78 groups of those who sought the truth, pledged allegiance to me.And all this had been foretold in my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah twenty years ago; and in this is a great sign for those who contem- plate.Moreover, Allah manifested signs for me both in the heav- ens and the earth so that those blessed with insight may be guided by them.The age is effectively calling out for a Reformer, for it has reached the height of deterioration and the world is faced with such a terrible revolution and change that nothing like it was ever witnessed in the past ages.People have dedicated all their capa- bilities and energies to this world.The Quran has been forsaken and philosophy has become the focus of their attention.We see that slothfulness has penetrated the hearts and innovation has infiltrated the deeds.Our Prophet and Messenger is reviled and derided and seen by the people as the one who is, [God forbid], the worst of mankind.The Book of Allah is being condemned by using vile language and uncivilized terms; but where is the jeal- ousy of Allah for the honour of the Quran and the Prophet, while Islam is being trampled like an ant under a mountain? Are they waiting for Jesus while disorder is surging due to him and he is basking in heaven? Imagine what will then happen when he actu- ally descends to the earth.Prior to this, the Jews, like our own peo- ple, had been waiting for Elijah, but the result was nothing other than despair.Man’s wisdom lies in learning from others and thus steering clear of dangerous paths.Allah the Exalted says: 1 َ َعۡلَمُو�ۡن َ �ت اَّل ۡ ُم �ۡت ن �ُن ۡ ک �ِِّکۡر ِ إ ن َسۡـَٔلُوۡۤا أَھۡل َ ال� ن � 1.So ask those who possess the Reminder, if you know not.( Surah an- Na h l, 16:44) [Publisher]

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Our Beliefs in Brief 79 Therefore, they should ask the Christians whether Elijah descended from the heavens prior to the coming of Jesus as they had imagined.Likewise, they should ask the Jews, ‘O you who wait, did you find your lost prophet?’ This, in fact, shows that their beliefs are nothing but vain desires and that no one shall come down from heaven, nor has anyone done so before.Hence, the one who establishes his belief on a consistent and perpetual practice is more deserving of peace than the one who forsakes the path that was left behind as legacy by the past sages and chooses the path that finds no precedent among the past sages.They are like those who meddle with alchemy, whereupon fraudsters and tricksters deprive them of everything they have.Then they cry and wail but their mourning is of no avail to them.Most prophe- cies of the unseen are comprised of metaphors and to insist upon interpreting them literally would be against wisdom and in con- tradiction with the divine practice regarding the Prophets and a kind of ignorance and naivety.Miracles happen and I have never denied them, but I deny the things that are in contradiction with the Book of Allah and the matters that haven been established through the aforementioned testimonies and the divine practice that is in operation with regard to the Prophets.This indeed is the truth and it is not hidden from the wise.The Jews had denied Jesus only because Elijah had not descended from the sky before them; therefore they declared [ Jesus] a disbeliever, branded him a liar and a heretic, and that he did not possess even an iota of divine light.So had it been Allah’s practice to send the dead back from heaven, He would have most certainly sent down Elijah before Jesus and thus saved His prophet from the vituperation and con- demnation of the Jews that continues to this very day.The truth is

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80 that at the time of the advent of the Imam of every nation, there is a trial in store for them, so that Allah may distinguish the honour- able from the mean.This is why when Jesus came, the Jews were tried on account of Elijah not having descended from heaven; and when our Prophet, the Chosen One, came, these Jews objected that he was not from among the Israelites, and thus they were tried once again.Thereafter, when my Lord, the Most High, sent me in this age, the scholars of Islam concocted the same excuse that was concocted by the Jews to deny Jesus, and thus their hearts became akin to one another, as did the events.For this reason, no sign benefited them and no reasoning brought them any wisdom.I swear by Allah that if the signs that have been manifested for me were given human form, they would outnumber the armies of the monarchs and rulers, for there is not a sunrise or a sunset that does not come bearing new signs for me.And yet in the eyes of these ignorant people, I have not shown any sign.Surely, Allah has ful- filled the words of the Chapter a d-D u ha in my person.When my father passed away and God said: ٗ َ ا ہّٰللُّٰ بِکَاف ٍ عَبۡدَہ أَلَیۡس [Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?] He nurtured me as per His promise and granted me refuge.And then when He found me lost and wandering in the most secret of His paths, and there was no one who could have guided me at that time, He Himself taught me and guided me.After this, when He had gathered an army around me and saw that I was poor, He bestowed upon me His favours and made me free form every want.Wherever I am, He is with me.If anyone from the

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Our Beliefs in Brief 81 enemies stands up against me, He stands up against them on my behalf.There are secrets between Him and me that are known to no one else, neither in the heavens nor in the earth.And from the time when Allah revealed to me ٗ َ ا ہّٰللُّٰ بِکَاف ٍ عَبۡدَہ اَلَیۡس [Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?] on the day of my father’s death, I swear by Allah that the safety and well-being which I found under the protection of my Lord was never tasted by me while I was under the protection of my father.And when He saw that I was com- pletely engrossed in His love, He gave me the glad tidings of true guidance.And then, by Allah, He drew me completely towards Himself and caused the oceans of wisdom and insight to flow towards me.And when He said that soon He would make me free of every want and would not let me remain in poverty, I swear by Him that He bestowed innumerable favours upon me and upon the multitudes of my impoverished companions that were drawn towards me.This is my story.Yet these jealous scholars count me among imposters.They do not see the destitution of faith, instead they cause it to become weaker and leave it to be crushed by the fangs of Christianity.

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Teachings for the Community Only those shall enter my Community who have embraced the religion of Islam and follow the Book of Allah and the practices of our Chief and the Best of Mankind [Mu h ammad], and believe in Allah, His noble and beneficent Prophet, in the Day of Judgment, heaven and hell, and take the oath that they shall not seek any other religion other than Islam and shall follow this faith, the faith which is in accord with nature, till they die holding fast to the Book of Allah the All-Knowing, and shall follow all those pre- cepts as are proven to have been laid down by the Prophet, the Quran, and by the consensus of the Companions of the Prophet.And, whosoever turns away from these three fundamental sources, such a person throws himself into the fire, and his end is one of ruin and destruction.Therefore, my brothers, you all ought to know that faith is not effective until one adopts piety and right- eousness.Hence, whosoever eschews righteous deeds on purpose and due to his arrogance, such a person is faithless in the eyes of

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84 Allah the Almighty.So, my brothers, fear Allah and hasten towards righteous deeds, and shun evil before death overtakes you.Let not the beauty, lustre and embellishments of this mortal world beguile you, for all this is but a mirage and ends in annihi- lation.The sweetness of this world is bitterness; its gain is loss.And those who ascend to high ranks in this mortal realm are like those who make themselves a target of spears and those who lose themselves in its splendour are like the one wounded by thorns.Whosoever inclines towards material wealth is driven away from the treasures of righteousness, and the one who joins the ranks of its leaders, strays away from the right path.Its light is darkness and its aid is cruelty and oppression.Therefore, do not wholly incline towards it, for it drowns those who swim in it even faster than a violent flood.So do not make this mortal realm your objective like the one who turns away from faith and treats it with negli- gence, rather treat it like a servant, helpful to you in the path of faith and never treat it like a bosom friend.Never wish to become richer, more affluent and better off than others.Never forget to partake of your share in faith; otherwise, you will not get even a ray form the light of faith.This world has devoured your forefa- thers and their forefathers.How will it then spare you, your wives, and your sons? Like the ignorant people, do not make anyone your enemy out of your own malicious heart.Cleanse your selves of every kind of grudge and malice.Never break a promise after you have solemnly made it.Do not be enslaved by your selves after you have conquered them.Try to be of those servants of Allah who do not violate a pledge after they have made it and do not treat with hypocrisy those to whom they have vowed fidelity and do not utter abuse at those whom they love.Do not follow in the

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Teachings for the Community 85 footsteps of the accursed Satan.Do not disobey your Gracious Lord, even if you die of a painful affliction.Obey God with greater fidelity than the fidelity shown to you by your shadows and become purer than the purest water.Teach through your actions, not through mere verbosity.Keep watch over your tongues and keep your hearts clean.And when you have a dispute with some- body, put the matter before the Imam.And, once he has given his decision, then be content with the decision and let the dispute rest.And if you do not accept it wholeheartedly, that would mean that you merely claim to have faith while it has yet to become a part of your heart.Beware of wasting away your good deeds by persisting in your disobedience.Wake up, lest you go astray after guidance has come to you.Surrender yourself to your Lord and give preference to faith over the world.Do not become like those who do not fear Allah but are fearful of His servants, and who follow their sensual desires and forget the Will of their God.They seek honour in the courts of the sons of this world, even though there is nothing but disgrace.You are God’s witnesses, so do not conceal your testimony.Tell God’s servants that the fire is raging, so they should protect themselves from it.The land is stricken with the plague, so they should try to safeguard themselves from it.The world is like a dense forest and its lions are ferocious.Do not, therefore, wander about in its vales, and safeguard your souls from temerity and transgression.Cleanse your souls so that they shine forth like silver and do not put them aside until they are completely free from flaws and contamination; for whosoever cleanses his soul, attains his goal and whosoever soils it, is deprived.Do not put your faith in the Bai‘at [Pledge of Allegiance] without having cleansed and purified yourself, for if you pledge allegiance

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86 without having cleansed your souls, you are like the girl who is married off before she has reached maturity.Do not seek the fountain-head of knowledge from those who have not been given the eye of discernment.Seek the same relationship with me as a branch has with the tree, so that through this relationship, you can grow from a flower into a fruit.O men of wisdom! Fear Allah! Fear Allah! Do not be like the one who has turned the mount of his self towards selfish desires.Never forget the greatness of your Lord who observes your thoughts and actions in all circumstances.Indeed, Allah loves pure hearts, cleansed souls, perseverance and high resolve; so when you negate this path, you become like waste in the eyes of Allah.Eschew the life of slothfulness and heedless- ness and shun your peace and comfort, and please your Lord by standing and prostrating before Him.Observe the limits He has prescribed and become His faithful servants.It is desirable that you seek the removal of your problems and worries through remembering God your Lord, for He alone is the One who would remove them.In times of fear, how would your eyes find sleep if you do not put your trust in God your Creator? Follow the light and do not prefer to walk in darkness.Keep your eyes on the Countenance of Allah and do not look towards His creation.Offer gratitude to the worldly rulers, but do not forget the Ruler who is in heaven.No one can ever benefit you or harm you unless your Lord so wills.Therefore, O men of wisdom! Do not get estranged from your Lord.You can see how the swords are being used against the creation.As a result, deaths are regularly taking place.Thus, with your own eyes, you can see the onslaught of fate and the death of hordes of people.So it is imperative for you that you seek refuge with a mighty support, and it is the Omnipotent

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Teachings for the Community 87 Allah, the One with the Majestic Throne.Surrender yourselves to Allah and enter His protection.O the courageous ones! There is no one who can protect you today but Allah.Do not deceive yourselves by employing earthly means.O men of wisdom! Every matter rests in the hands of Allah.Do not create any distance between yourselves and the Lord of Honour, for estrangement from Him will result in an ignominious death for you.Do not pin your hopes on anyone other than the Gracious God.He will have mercy on you and will Himself create for you such means as will save you from every kind of fire.I see the heavens in fury.So, O servants of Allah! Fear the wrath of your Lord.Seek the bounty of the One who is in heaven and incline not like a lizard to the earth.Seek diligently and strive hard to attain your goal, so that you may be saved from anxiety.In this age you see two kinds of people.There are those who are inclined towards one extreme, and others who are inclined towards the other extreme.They have both con- fused the reality by mixing truth with falsehood.Those who com- mit to one extreme do not believe in miracles, nor do they believe in the revelation that descends from the Lord of the heavens in the form of a sweet discourse, nor do they believe in the Day of Resurrection and Reckoning.They also do not believe in the angels.In fact, they believe in a self-perceived law of nature.They possess nothing of Islam but its name, so I find them similar to atheists and those who consider natural law to be everything.As for those who are inclined to the other extreme, they are the ones who believe in truth and falsehood, but they have to such an extent deviated from the path of moderation that without any tes- timony from Allah, they believe the Son of Mary to be living in the second heaven with his physical body.They followed

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88 conjecture and they do not have authentic knowledge and are steeped in ignorance.This is why both these groups have stepped out of the bounds of justice and equity as well as the limits of vig- ilance and carefulness.One of these groups adopted the course of understating and the other of exaggeration.Then, Allah the Almighty raised me and caused me to tread such a path of moder- ation as is far removed from the paths of the Sneaking Whisperer (Satan).Therefore, ours is the exalted Ummah that has been cre- ated for the benefit of all mankind.This age, based on its very condition, testifies that this is the religion that is destined to attain glory in this age.You can see with your own eyes how the people in this era have been drawn towards me and how I have conquered the hearts without any sword or spears.Is this in any man’s power? No, it is rather a heavenly attraction that is causing everyone, who has his eyes open, to be drawn towards me.A person may be a disbeliever at night but when he wakes up, he is from among the believers.Does any man have power to do this? Was it within the power of man that the Sun and the Moon gave their testimony through their eclipses in Ramadan? And when I was alone, I was given the glad tidings that soon a host of companions would gather around me, and then what the Gracious God had said was fulfilled.Does man have the power to do so? My opponents tried their utmost to destroy me, but we prevailed and are increasing in number, while failure and frustration has become their lot.Does any man have the power to do so? The opponents employed every scheme to have me imprisoned or killed so that they would hold the field, but the result of all their efforts was nothing but humili- ation and deprivation for them.Does any man have the power to

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Teachings for the Community 89 do so? My Lord helped me in every field and humiliated and defeated my enemies.Does man have the power to do so? My Lord, through His bounty, gave me the glad tiding and said: ٍ یَأْتِیْك َ مِن ْ کُل ِّ فَج ٍّ عَمِیْق [These will come to you from every distant track.] (the offerings and gifts would come to me from far off places), and this was the time when I was unknown and reclusive person living in obscurity.But after a length of time, He created a general acceptance for me, and the offerings and gifts began to reach me from far off countries and regions.My house was therefore filled with them like the branches of trees that are laden with fruit.By Allah, I do not have the power to even count them, nor do my words have the power to describe their worth.So this glad tiding of my Lord was fulfilled in all its truth and veracity, and thou- sands of men, women and children are well-aware of this proph- ecy.Does any man have the power to do this? Also, addressing me, my Lord said: ِ َ تُصَعِّر ْ لِخَلْق ِ ہللا اًل َ یَأْتُوْن َ مِن ْ کُل ِّ فَج ٍّ عَمِیْقٍ، ف [People will come to you from every distant track.Do not turn away from Allah’s creatures.] And do not grow weary of the frequency of their meeting with you.At that time, I was a worthless person who did not even war- rant a mention and whom nobody knew and who was not valua- ble even in the eyes of his brethren.Thereafter, a time came upon

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90 me when the creatures of Allah began coming to me in troops and obeyed me like servants.And had it not been for the command- ment of my Lord, I would have grown weary of meeting them.Does any man have the power to do so? Then, Allah also granted me the words to whom He Himself vouchsafed eloquence, so there is none among my opponents who can dare to present a writing that can equal that eloquence.Indeed, the power of expression had been taken away from these opponents.Does any man have the power to do so? I was challenged by some opponents to a Mub a halah [prayer- duel], and when we confronted each other and took the goblet of prayer in our hands and rubbed the flint of prayer in the field of prayer-duel, Allah allied with me hosts upon hosts of godly and wise men, and the Gracious God opened the gates of His blessings upon us, so that now the honoured members of our Community exceed one hundred thousand.Indeed, by now their number might have become double than before.When we had come out to confront our enemies, the number of my Community was forty thousand.With each passing day, Allah pushed the enemy who confronted me in the prayer-duel towards humiliation and obscu- rity.Does any man have the power to do this? Now, O my brothers who are adorned with wisdom and are free of suspicion! Render thanks to your Beneficent God, for you have attained wisdom and understanding and have come to stay at a safe place.Therefore, be my witnesses in front of the sons of this age.Say whether or not you are witnesses to my signs? Is there still any doubt left in your hearts? Is there anyone among you who has not witnessed a sign by me? O courageous ones, do reply! I have

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Teachings for the Community 91 been granted wisdom by my Lord, so I taught it to you and thereby burnished your intellect, for you did not have the power to solve these mysteries.By Allah, I am the champion, granted through divine guidance, the ability to speak eloquently, and divine reve- lation has strengthened me.Consequently, I found rest in tired- ness and paradise in hell.So, whoever accepts death, he alone will be granted life.Therefore, do not sell your lives for a paltry price, nor should you throw away your sterling wealth with your own hands.And be not of those who incline towards the world.Do not let death overtake you except when you are in a state of submission.I chose death for the sake of Allah.You should also accept pain for His sake.I accepted to be slaughtered for Him, so you too should accept suffering for His sake.O wise ones! Know that you will be granted victory only by virtue of your truthful- ness, sincerity, and righteousness, and not through uttering sheer words.Without doubt, success, in its entirety, depends on mak- ing oneself humble and meek.And you will never enter paradise unless you pass through the eye of the needle.Dedicate your wis- dom and intellect, therefore, to righteousness.In order to please your Lord, strive in the seclusion of your apartments and jungles.Pay up the debt to your debtor so that you are not imprisoned.Discharge your duties well so that you are not held accountable.Seek the truth so that you do not err.Do not look for faults in oth- ers, so that others do not look for faults in you.Do not be harsh so that you are not treated with harshness.O servants of Allah! Show mercy so that you are shown mercy.Be helpers of Allah and hasten towards Him.After your pledge of the Bai‘at , now Allah owns your wealth, be it little or much.He owns your dignity, your

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92 honour and your lives.In return for this, He will grant you His pleasure.So, be steadfast in this bargain so that you are showered with blessings and favours and so that you are counted among His close friends.Burnish your resolve to obtain perfection of faith.Even if you are old and decrepit, show from your face as if you are young.O courageous ones! Remember death.Do not walk like drunkards.You can see that people have made wealth their sole aim in everything, and if they do not find it, they consider reli- gion to be a burden.They only accept religion if it satisfies their selfish desires.Otherwise, they reject it.They tread heedlessly in places of mortal danger and know not what will alleviate their fear and free them from the tribulation that afflicts them.They have become slaves of this world, having stuffed their hearts with it, so they run towards it and their carriages are pulled by their desires.O people! The plague has wreaked havoc in your cities, and its onslaught is so ferocious that the like of it has not been witnessed by any of your ancestors.You are aware that the germs of plague die only in extreme heat or cold, so try to adopt both states so that you are saved from harm.When I say cold, I mean the cool- ing of the self by making it free from unworthy passions, turning towards God, and presenting oneself in His presence with prayer and supplication.And when I say heat, I mean to be ready to serve Him, to shun slothfulness, and discard laziness with the help of the warmth that is a prerequisite for the fear of God and right- eousness, and is required if one is sincere in beseeching Him.If you attain this coldness, then you have attained salvation.And if you attain this heat, then you have been saved from destruc- tion and ruin.My dear brothers! The wealth of righteousness has

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Teachings for the Community 93 been plundered, its guardians have turned their backs on it and faith has escaped from the hearts leaving them to be filled with sinfulness.Try your utmost to attain the goal of righteousness and engage yourselves seriously in seeking it, so that you are saved from the plague whose flames are flying around and differentiat- ing between the righteous and the sinful.Keep in mind that the earth has been violently shaken twice.The first was when the Son of Mary was left all alone, and the second is now, when I have been rejected and cast away.Do not slumber at the time of this quake, rather open your eyes and wake up, and hasten towards seeking the pleasure of the Almighty.O youthful ones! The last thing I would like to share with you is the blessed words that have been vouchsafed to me by the Gracious God.My Lord addressed me and said: یَأْتِی ْ عَلَیْك َ زَمَن ٌ کَمِثْل ِ زَمَن ِ مُوْسٰی.اِنَّہ ُ کَرِیْم ٌ تَمَشَّی أمَامَكَ، وَعَادَی لَك َ مَن ْ عَادَی.َ یَعْصِمُك َ ہللا ُ مِن َ الْعِدَا، وَیَسْطُو ْ بِکُل ِّ مَن ْ سَطَا.یُبْدِي ْ لَك َ الرَّحْمٰن ُ شَیْئًا.بِشَارَۃ ٌ تَلَقَّاھَا النَّبِیُّوْنَ.اِن َّ وَعْد َ ہللا ِ أَتَی، وَرَکَل َ وَرَکَی، فَطُوْبَی لِمَن ْ وَجَد َ وَرَأَی.قُتِل َ خَیْبَۃ ً وَزِیْد ھَیْبَۃً.[A time is coming for you which will be like the time of Moses.He is the Benevolent One Who walks in front of you and considers your enemy to be His enemy.Allah will safeguard you against the mischief of your enemies and will attack him who attacks you.The Gracious God will demonstrate a wonderful Sign for you.This is a glad tid- ing which is conveyed to Prophets.The promise of Allah came, and He put down His foot and repaired the gap.Blessed is he who found and saw.He was put to death

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94 while no one listened to him.It was a terrible affair, that is to say, it appeared terrifying to the people and affected them deeply.] Then, one day I was shown a piece of paper by my Lord the All- Knowing.When I looked at it, I beheld the title: ِ بَقِیَّۃ ُ الطَّاعُوْن ِ بَقِیَّۃ ُ الطَّاعُوْن [The Remnant of the Plague] And on its back, I found an announcement, as if I have published the account of those deaths that took place due to it.٭

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translation of the letter I wrote to Than a’ ull a h of Amritsar when he came to Qadian & asked for the removal of his doubts, falsely pretending to be thirsty for the truth.It was 10th Shawwal 1320 when this Antichrist visited (Qadian) I received your letter and learned of your intention.You have requested me to alleviate those of your doubts on account of which you have attacked some of my prophecies.So, if you have come to me with a pure intention and your heart is free of any kind of ideas of mischief; then know that it is incumbent upon you to accept some of my conditions before making this request, and you should not violate those conditions.Instead, you are supposed to abide by them like the righteous.However, if these conditions are unacceptable to you, then leave me alone and follow your own path and return to whence you came.One of these conditions is that you will not argue with me like those given to argumentation, rather you will write down any doubts you have and present them to me.And the writing should not be more than a couple of lines,

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96 and you must not write more than this like those who are bent upon quarrelling.It will then be incumbent on me to provide you with a detailed answer, even if it takes three whole hours to do so.If some doubt still remains in your heart even after listening to my answer and you find some flaw in my answer, you will be entitled to write down your doubts just like before.This exchange shall continue until the truth is fully revealed and you are satisfied, and that which was hidden from you becomes manifest.I have not chosen this method to silence you or reprimand you, or for any other form of deception, rather the fact is that I have sworn an oath to Allah the Exalted which cannot be overlooked.And it is that after having written my book Anj a m-e- A tham , I would never again debate with anyone, be he someone from among the elite or the general public.Therefore, I do not want to go back on my pledge and disobey my Lord, the Most High.You have read my book Anj a m-e- A tham , so if you are among the righteous and the wise, you will accept this justification and act according to the conditions mentioned.You have written in your letter that pursuit of the truth forced you to come out of your home and persuaded you to leave your near and dear ones behind and embark on this journey.If this is indeed true, then why do you dislike the method that saves me from breaking my oath and from going back on my pledge and is also more civilized and saves both of us from the danger of being resentful of one another.Also, in the present circumstances, this is better for achieving peace, because when one asks for proof in the course of verbal debates, it causes the dispute to become more serious, and the matter moves from debate to almost fighting and then the authorities have to intervene and punish the people.

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Translation of the Letter 97 Wisdom therefore demands that one should stay away from a dangerous course of action and avoid falling knowingly into the fire.What harm will the method that I have adopted cause to you, and what damage you might incur by treading the path that I have preferred? I have not stopped you from presenting your doubts to me and throwing the spears of your criticism at me.Instead, I have adopted a method that is best for both of us, if only you had been from among the wise.There is no barrier if you are in doubt.You can write [your doubts] to me a hundred times.The only reason I have laid down the condition of brevity is so that we do not get involved in some kind of fight that I am trying to avoid due to the very fear of the All-Knowing and Reckoning God.Another important condition is that you would present to me one objection or doubt at a time, and then, after I have ful- filled my obligation of answering you and removing your doubt, only then should you present the next objection.And, indeed this method is more appropriate.If you have travelled from your city for the sake of the truth, and there is no mischief in your heart, you will not find the writings that I have sent you to be burden- some, and you will accept them like a just man devoid of malice and animosity.But if you think that this method will not allow you to succeed in your aims, I will then know that you only desire to create mischief, and some signs thereof have already appeared.The decent people have come to know that when I conveyed my intention to you, your eyes became veiled with thick shades of darkness, and grief overwhelmed you like the ocean overwhelmed the Pharaoh, and things turned upside down for you in a manner that you lost your senses and Allah defeated and frustrated you in this debate.However, since you had abandoned all decency, you

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98 grew ever more insistent that I should somehow break the oath I had sworn to the Great and Mighty God.Indeed, I am won- der struck by [your demand]! Are you a man or some animal? O ignorant one! Are you urging me to break my oath while you have been given the right to present your objections as many times as you like? You turning your back at this point is only due to the corruption of your heart and your vile intentions.I swear by God who causes rain to descend from the clouds and brings forth fruit from the sprouts that your intentions are mischievous and not based on truthfulness and righteousness.Allah alone knows what devious plans you have in mind that you have come to Qadian.I wonder what purpose you have in coming here.So, Allah made you drink from your own bowl and made your hopelessness manifest to you.My eyes continuously beheld you, and tried to appraise and judge you until it became evident to me that you are a self-centred person and a pretender and that you do not thirst for the truth nor are you a seeker of the truth.You only intend to become famous among the ignorant people who themselves are imprisoned in the dungeon of the evil-whispering Satan.Moreover, just as I myself have sworn, I ask you to swear by Allah who is swift in retribution that you would not leave this town until you have presented all your doubts in the manner that I have prescribed in my writing and heard the answers given by me.I pray to Allah, the All-Hearing, the Acceptor of Prayer, the Omnipotent, the One Who is Near, that He may pronounce curse upon the one who breaks his oath and leaves without having set- tled this debate and mutual dispute.He had been informed of the pronouncement of this curse via a letter.So, I waited and thought that either he would become frightened by the pronouncement

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Translation of the Letter 99 of this curse or he will flee this town.And, then I heard the news of his fleeing.So, this is what he has demonstrated in terms of his faith and character.May Allah cause him to be ruined! How audaciously he has broken his oath.O my Lord! Make him taste the fruit of breaking his oath.Indeed, my prediction that he would never come up to me for the alleviation of his doubts became true, and as is the wont of antagonists and unwise people, he would only incline to libel, trickery and falsehood.Indeed, this is the person who intended to get engaged in a heated debate and a fiery encounter so that the matter becomes doubtful in the eyes of the general public and the voice of the truth is overshadowed by the noise of the mean.And then, when I did not find even a vestige of righteousness and understanding in this man, I decided to bring this matter out of obscurity.As I have mentioned, I have already decided to aban- don the path of verbal debates, and this was from my Lord who can see into the hearts and knows the hidden and veiled truths.I, therefore, moved away from his machinations, thus making him a victim of his own evil.At that moment I received two joys and two victories, and I do not know which one to feel more happy and proud about.Therefore, I offered gratitude to God like an awestruck person.I do not need to repeat this, as you already know how the enemy was forced to retreat bearing the ugly mark of disgrace and curse.By making a sworn statement, I tried to per- suade him to choose one thing, blessing or curse.He opted for the burden of the curse and then left carrying it away with him.However, the victory that had remained veiled from people’s eyes till now is manifesting in the form of miracles that are falling like axes upon the heads of the opponents.We have fought this war

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100 with miracles in the same way as a war is fought in a battlefield, so Allah helped me on every front, and from every mine I was able to extract gold.I had already announced that within three years Allah would show such a great miracle in my favour as would be beyond the influence of any mortal hand; and that if such a sign does not appear then I would not be of the truthful.All praise belongs to Allah who revealed such signs and humiliated my opponents.Here I find it expedient to detail all these signs for the benefit of anyone who desires to seek guidance.

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Details of the Signs that appeared during the last three years & the victory that was granted to me in this war Great is Allah! All praise and majesty belongs to Him and He is the One from whom destiny flows.The earth and the heavens obey His commands.And, all beings and their shadows and the darkness and the light are all obedient to Him.He bestows wis- dom on whomsoever He pleases and takes it away from whomso- ever He pleases.He is the High and the Holy One who has made my victory manifest, thus frustrating my opponents.Their suns were wrapped up, their stars waned, their mountains were torn apart, their ropes were shattered, their trees were uprooted, and their lights were put out.They planned and Allah also planned, and the result was that the one who intended to hunt me was himself hunted.Have you not seen how Allah caused those who denied my signs, persecuted the believers, and attacked my life and honour, to taste the torment of burning and created a distinction

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102 between us and them and rendered them like the drowned? And, thus did He cause disgrace to become the lot of every enemy.They reached this stage because they disobeyed their Lord and tried to fight against Him.These signs were presented before them justly and fairly, but they turned away from them like a miserly and mean person.When they return to Allah the All-Knowing, they will surely come to know of this.It is not necessary to write about all of the signs here, so I will present here only those signs that have appeared in the last three years.One of those signs is the promise that Allah had made to me and that I had published in my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah.As many as thirty years have passed since this revelation was received.The gist of this divine promise was that He would not leave me in the solitary state I was in at that time, that He would bring forth legions of sincere people who would attest to my truthfulness, and that He would not leave me all alone and alienated like impostors who forge lies, rather He would muster armies of helpers at my doorstep, and they would bring me wealth and gifts from far away countries.Their numbers will reach such large figures as is hard to be imagined by the dis- cerning ones among my friends and other people, and a precedent of this has not been witnessed in any other age.At that time, I had no multitudes of people around me, nor was there any group of people or an individual who would come up to me desiring to meet with me.Indeed, I lived in such obscurity that no one knew about me and I was so unknown a person that no one was famil- iar with me.Ever since I opened my eyes and became a conscious being, I have loved solitude so that I could irrigate my soul with the water of knowledge and thus appease the thirst of the camel of my self.I dwelt in this state of solitude for a long time and no one

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Details of the Signs 103 from among the elite or the ordinary people knew me.And, I lived in the same state of solitude until my Lord manifested Himself to me and gave me the glad tiding of acceptance and told me: َ إْل َ َ مُبَدِّل َ لِکَلِمَاتِہ ِ و إْل أَرُد ُّ إِلَیْك َ کَثِیْرًا مِن َ الْوَرَی، بَعْد َ مَا کَفَّرُوْك َ وَصَارُوْا مِن َ الْعِد َا، رَاد َّ لِمَا قَضَی [After people denounce you and become your enemies, I will cause multitudes to turn to you.No one can change His words and no one can reject His decree.] Thus, I remained alone for a period of time that Allah, in His wis- dom, had ordained for me, and the opponents remained domi- nant.They published fatwas of heresy against me in market places and streets.And then I was inspired to publicly declare that the time of God’s help had come and that the time for the flowers to bloom and for the snow on the summits of the mountains to melt was close at hand.So the snow in high places began to melt.I, therefore, proclaimed that within three years a great sign of Allah would appear and I would be helped by the Lord of the Worlds in an extraordinary manner, and that if I was not helped and such a sign did not appear, then I should not be considered as one sent by God.Hence, when we came out of the month of Ramadan and the period ordained by our Gracious God came to an end, I looked back at that period of time and found that there was a chain of divine signs like pearls and precious gems set in a coral.So, I rendered thanks to our Lord for this bounty.But how can one adequately thank Him and whence can one acquire such power of expression.Blessed is the morn that brought forth the momentous victory and blissful is the day that humiliated

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104 the base and mean enemy.I bloomed like a bright morning and the light of the blessed morning granted me the glad tiding with open arms.The signs appeared and Allah perfected His argument.He made the truth manifest and put an end to all excuses.Allah saved His creatures from the deluge of disorders and their harms and removed their ill effects.And, I was focused on the miracle of increase in the numbers of my Community.I was all ears to listen to this news and just as a thirsty person seeks water and one who is languishing in darkness seeks light, I was anxious to hear this news.And, then the news began to reach me from far and near and it became clear that during the previous three years, the number of my Community had exceeded even one hundred thousand while before they numbered a meagre three hundred.In fact, on the day when I had published this prophecy in Bar a h i n- e-Ahmadiyyah , I did not have even a single person with me.So I prostrate before the One God and my eyes become tearful upon witnessing this sign.By Allah! People came to me in legions dur- ing these years, and they came in such large numbers that I would very nearly have grown weary of them if the Lord of the Universe had not expressly commanded me not to do so.Many an oppo- nent came to me, penitent at their past antagonism and remorse- ful about what they had earlier said.And there were many who had previously committed exaggerations about me but now they had refrained from their insane behaviour and transgression and repented and became like concealed pearls.Similarly, those who had created much clamour, turning away from the true path and taking the wrong course, I now see them crying in their cham- bers and shedding tears on their prayer mats.I now cry for their sake when I find them in tears while earlier on I shed tears upon

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Details of the Signs 105 their wretched condition.Allah has entered their hearts and He has saved them from their sins, conquering their castles and mak- ing them obedient to Himself.Allah has looked upon them with love and has found them established on righteousness, thus saving them from a bad end of any kind.On the other hand, I find the heavenly pull to be operating at its full strength and the Omnipotence of the Almighty to be manifest in all its glory.The disobedient are drawn towards me every day and those who had gone away are being drawn near to me.I see that the truth has become manifest to my Community as clearly as the breaking of the dawn, and Allah has covered them with the mantle of His grace after they repented.So what was it that released them from their misguided dreams when even axes would not have been able to deter them? They cared least for what I intimated, and did not ponder over my matter, and disapproved of the treasure in my possession.Then, some of them were per- suaded by true dreams and others by incontrovertible arguments, and thus today I have become the guide of many, and every pure hearted person has consigned his meek heart to my care.If you have been overwhelmed by doubt and the unseen has become dubious for you and you wonder how such a Community came together in such a short time, then you are only denying a well- known fact.My circumstances are not hidden from the young or old, and you know that I had published this prophecy at a time when no one knew me and I knew no one.Therefore, fear Allah, and set aside your wrath.And if you are in doubt about my cir- cumstances at the time of my book, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah , you are free to inquire from anyone from among the residents of my town [Qadian] and those who are cognizant of the matter.And if

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106 you are in doubt about the number of the people who have joined this Community in the last three years, you can inquire from the government as to what was the number of our Community before the start of the present year, and then you may get proof of the number of this year from me, for it has miraculously increased this year compared to every year in the past.If you are indeed a scholar and do not have in you the worm of hostility and denial, you will not face any trouble understanding this miracle; rather you will attain full certainty and will desist from all kinds of misguidance.According to jurists, if two honest Muslims give their testimony regarding a matter, its truth becomes established.How gloriously established would then become the matter which is testified to by thousands of Muslims? And, if indeed they are righteous, they are bound to give this testimony.If you wish, you can ask Ab u Sa‘ i d (Muhammad H usain of Batala) about it.He is one of your lead- ers; rather he is one of the most eminent people of your sect who had even written a review on my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah.At that time, he spoke in my favour.So, ask him what the number of my followers was at that time.And if you consider his testimony to be weak, you may enquire of all those who are present here in my village or reside in the areas around it.Allah is my witness that when Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah was written, I was a completely unknown person, and only a few people knew me even in my own village.I was not the one whom the scholars or the affluent people or the elite would have looked up to and held in great esteem.The truth rather is that I was not worthy of mention as I was like a person who had been rejected and ignored, and this is something quite well-known.

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Details of the Signs 107 Therefore, O wise ones, you can investigate the way you like.You have already heard that Allah had revealed to me at that time that He would not forsake me and would prepare for me legions of my friends.Hence, He fulfilled His promise in these three years and resurrected thousands of people at my hand and brought them out of graves.Hence, the purpose that had not been achieved in twenty years was achieved in just three years when, under oath, I made it the criterion for judging the truth of my claim.Undoubtedly, this is a supernatural phenomenon and a great sign from the Lord of Honour and Glory.If you are in doubt with regard to this sign, then present something similar form ages past or present, and bring forth any example that you may have with you whereby such great succour was granted to a person by Allah the Lord of Glory.However, it is incumbent upon you that in presenting such a similarity you should not go outside the area for which a precedent is required, and you must show me a person who, like me, made such a prophecy at a time of complete help- lessness and solitude, and then the opponents rejected him and stood up against him and tried in every way to destroy him and mobs of opponents relentlessly obstructed his path and no mach- ination such as sword and spear was spared to be used against him and yet his following increased from a single person to a hundred thousand and spread to all regions.At times, edicts of heresy were penned against me by Muslim scholars and at times I was dragged before the courts, but ultimately I emerged victorious and the number of my Community increased from a single person to one hundred thousand or more.If you think that this was the result of some human effort, then show me a precedent of this.I swear by

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108 Allah that if you are successful in this I will pay you one thousand rupees in cash, and I swear to this under oath.If, however, you are unable to do this, and never shall you be able to do this, then your reward will be nothing other than being accursed till the Day of Judgment.Do you unjustly deny the signs of Allah and do not even bring forth anything like them and like the dead you fall at the same place where you stand? Woe be unto you and unto this nature of yours! Among my signs that were manifested during these three years is the prophecy I had published beforehand that the plague would spread all around and no region would remain where it would not enter in a terrifying manner and cause havoc like a wolf.I had stated that the secret that had been revealed to me by my Lord was that no place in the earth would be free of the seedling of the plague and the resulting deaths.ُ َمْرَاض ُ تُشَاع ُ وَالنُّفُوْس ُ تُضَاع ْأ إْل َ ا [Diseases will spread and people will die.] The reason for this is that Allah is wroth because mortals are steeped in sinfulness and transgression and have forsaken the One and Only God.Hence Allah mustered the legions of this contagion so that He may give these people a taste of their crimes and sins of all nature that they committed.Thereafter, the plague spread to all regions and rendered the living like the dead.The plague entered our country and made it its home making killing its vocation.If you wish, you can study my writings that I had published in all these parts.And, then, adopt decency and fear Allah, the Lord of Mankind.

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Details of the Signs 109 And, among my signs that have been manifested during this time is the death1 of my opponents who became my enemies, per- secuted me and called me an infidel.They mounted their rostrums to hurl abuse at me and dragged me towards the courts of the rul- ers.Hence, you ought to know that Allah addressed me thus: َ َ یَا أحْمَدِي ْ أنْت َ مُرَادِي ْ وَمَعِيْ.أنْت َ وَجِیْہ ٌ فِي ْ حَضْرَتِيْ.إِخْتَرْتُك َ لِنَفْسِيْ، وَسِرُّك َ یَعْلَمُھَا الْخَلْقُ.إِذَا غَضِبْت إْل ٍ ْ سِرِّيْ.وَأنْت َ مَعِي ْ وَأنَا مَعَكَ.وَأنْت َ مِنِّي ْ بِمَنْزِلَۃ ُّ غَضِبْتُ، و َ کُل ُّ مَا أحْبَبْت َ أحْبَبْتُ.إِنِّي ْ مُھِیْن ٌ مَن ْ أَرَاد َ إِھَانَتَكَ، و َ إِنِّي ْ مُعِیْن ٌ مَن ُأَرَاد َ إِعَانَتَكَ.إِنِّي ْ أَنَا الصَّاعِقَۃُ.تُخْرَج ُ الصُّدُوْر ُ إِلَی الْقُبُوْرِ.إِنَّا تَجَالَدْنَا فَانْقَطَع َ الْعَدُو وَأَسْبَابُہ [O My Ahmad, you are My purpose and are with Me.You have a high standing in My presence.I have chosen you for Myself and your secret is My secret.And you are with Me and I am with you.You have a standing with Me of which the people have no knowledge.When you are angry, I am angry and everyone you love, I love.I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.And I shall help him who designs to help you.I am indeed the Lightning.The lead- ing ones will be driven to their graves.We vanquished the enemy and all his resources were cut off.] After this, another person namely Muhammad Bakhsh unjustly antagonized me and took me before the authorities.He thus 1.One among them was a man by the name of Rusul B a b a of Amritsar.Prior to his death, I had already published in I‘j a z-e-Ahmad i that a re- ligious scholar of this town would die of the plague.After this, Rusul B a b a died in Amritsar.This is a great sign that has been shown in these [three] years.O wise ones, do reflect! (Author)

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110 became the target of my Lord’s revelation, تَجَالَدْنَا [We vanquished the enemy] and thus died of the plague.The cord of his life was quickly cut off.I had published this revelation during his lifetime and warned him of it, but he paid no heed to it and continued to treat me with ridicule.Thereafter, another person by the name of Muhammad H asan Fai di stood up to persecute me and he was one of my worst enemies.He used uncivilized language about me and vituperated against me and tried his best to humiliate me and destroy me and invoked curse upon me.But ultimately, my Lord cursed him and that which he had attributed towards me was turned unto his own self.Then, only a few days had passed when he met with death.Also, in my book I‘j a zul-Mas ih , I had written, after I had been vouchsafed a revelation from Allah Who hears the prayers of those who are in distress and desperate, that: 1 َ مَن ْ قَام َ لِلْجَوَاب ِ وَتَنَمَّرَ، فَسَوْف َ یَرَی أَنَّہ ُ تَنَدَّم َ وَتَدَمَّر [He who, being incensed, sets out to write a reply, will soon find that he is filled with remorse and has come to a sorry end.] Consequently, Fai di made himself the target of this aforemen- tioned revelation and of all other revelations that I have men- tioned, until death silenced him and showed him his destination.Likewise, Nadh i r H usain of Delhi also became the target of the divine revelation: 1.The word َ تَدَمَّر [ tadammara ] seems to be a scribal error.The correct word is َ تَذَمَّر [ tadhammara ].See I ‘ j a zul-Mas ih , R uha n i Khaz a ’in, vol.18, p.1, ed.2021.[Publisher]

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Details of the Signs 111 ِ تُخْرَج ُ الصُّدُوْر ُ إِلَی الْقُبُوْر [The leading ones will be driven to their graves.] As he was the first person who called me an infidel and thus sought to persecute me and flee from the light.The year of his death, according to the numerical value of the Abjad system, was in accord with مَات َ ضَال ٌّ ھَائِمًا , i.e.1320AH.He died in a flawed state and failed to partake of the share of the perfect ones.Another of my signs is the respectful and honourable propa- gation of my name during these promised years.Allah addressed me and gave me the glad tidings of honour and acceptance during a period of intense persecution and said: ِ أنْت َ مِنِّي ْ بِمَنْزِلَۃ ِ تَوْحِیْدِي ْ وَتَفْرِیْدِيْ.فَحَان َ أَن ْ تُعَان َ وَتُعْرَف َ بَیْن َ النَّاس [You are to Me like My Unity and Uniqueness.Therefore, the time is approaching when you will be helped and will be made well-known in the world.] He also revealed to me: ِ یَحْمَدُك َ ہللا ُ مِن ْ عَرْشِہ [Allah praises you from His Throne.] He also granted me the glad tiding that the people would praise me.Thereafter, the opponents tried their best to destroy and anni- hilate me and crush me to dust, and my mission came to face great danger due to these opponents, and yet during these three blessed years, my Lord helped me and made my name well-known in far off countries.This is something that no one can deny, but the one

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112 who witnesses the bright day in all its glory and still refuses to accept its brightness.One of my signs is the books that I have written in the Arabic language during the aforementioned period, and then Allah made them a miracle for me for clinching my argument.The first one of these books is I‘j a zul-Mas ih , then al-Hud a wat-Tab s iratu Li Man Yar a , and then I‘j a z-e-Ahmad i , which is a great miracle indeed with regard to which I had announced a prize-money of ten thou- sand rupees for any of the opponents who could produce a book like I‘j a z-e-Ahmad i within a period of twenty days.However, no one came out, as if they were speechless or were mere beasts.Along with the announcement of the prize, I had also invoked curse upon those who remain silent and unresponsive and seek to hide themselves behind various covers.By invoking the curse, I intended to urge them to show some life and respond to the book, but they hid themselves in their chambers.I wonder what Allah did to their hearts despite the fact that I offered them a prize and tried to motivate them.Among my signs one is the forewarning I received from the Omniscient and Wise God regarding an accursed man and his great calumny.God revealed to me that this person sought to dis- honour me, but that then he would become my prey.As many as three times He showed me visions about this person and showed me that he had prepared three accomplices to insult me and per- secute me.And, I saw in a vision that I was presented in the court like a detained person and I also saw that I was eventually released by the grace of the Lord of the Worlds, even though this release came about after some time.Also, I was given the glad tiding that this calamity would be

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Details of the Signs 113 returned to that lying and insulting antagonist.So I published whatever I had seen in the vision and whatever I had been vouch- safed as revelation in the newspapers al- H akam and al-Badr , and then I waited.Hardly a year had passed after this dream when the destiny ordained by Allah was fulfilled through a manifest enemy of mine namely Karam D i n.This man is the same person who wanted me to burn in a raging fire causing me the severest harm.So, he decided to take away my peace and dishonour me so that I may be completely annihilated.He sought to darken our bright day more than the darkest of nights.Therefore, he lodged a false claim against me and fed his lawyers.He gathered hordes of people around him and fully equipped them to oppose me, so that they all shoot their arrows from the same bow.They forgot the Omnipotent, Just, Omniscient, Wise and Fair God who is not unmindful of the requirements of justice.Who can dare to oppose Him? The truth of the matter is God is on our side, so how can we be hurt by any wicked man, and how can prosperity turn away from us? God has given me the glad tiding that we will never have to enter a perilous place and that we will never have to traverse a desert, so I wait for the promise of the Lord of Men to come to pass, and Allah does not renege on His promise.So, the prophecies of the Exalted regarding a few parts of this dispute have been fulfilled.The remaining ones will also be fulfilled as per the promise of the Almighty.This is the truth regarding those of my prophecies about which you were not able to show patience.Allah has ordained that He would cause His messengers to emerge victorious, no matter how many schemes and plans are hatched by the enemies.So your denial is based on your own misfortune.I lament your ignorance and lack of wisdom! I wanted to be kind

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114 to you and do you a favour, but you became wroth.I intended to dig for you and bring you water, but you made it sink even deeper.Now, after this, I will write a response to that statement of yours through whose publication you have wronged your own self and wasted your own time.As for your denial of the elo- quence of my poems in your statement, this is because you have not tasted the sweetness of my words.I attribute this to noth- ing but your ignorance and lack of wisdom and your prejudice and meanness.O unwise one! Get up from your place and study some of the collections of the great poets so that you are familiar with the literature of great writers and the style of their writings.Do you call false that what is true and consider ugly that what is beautiful.You consume filth, yet show aversion to decency.In fact, there are no more arrows left in your quiver, so now you are wont to find faults as has been the habit of fools from time immemorial, that is, they try to hide their own ignorance by finding faults with others.Lamentable indeed is your condition! You did not even look at the abundance of vast meanings, nor did you give a second thought to the subtlety of the majestic words, rather like flies you were drawn to filth.You did not take into consideration the beauty of the narration or the language and its perfect organization.O ignorant one! From this condi- tion of yours I have realized that you have not tasted anything from this language and you have no idea what eloquence actually is.You have pounced upon me like a wolf before having obtained knowledge and wisdom.Is this what makes you compete with me in this field [of eloquence and articulateness] and encourages you to stand before me like warriors? Do you rely on A s ghar ‘Al i on whose behalf Ja‘far [Zatalli] had written to you and then you

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Details of the Signs 115 ran away from this town of Qadian with a curse that befell you from heaven? You ought to bear in mind that they are liars and are not brave, nor any of them has the ability to compete with me.O poor fellow! Stop boasting as you are devoid of manliness.If you had any capability, you would not have fled by making a lame excuse.Moreover, you ought to keep in mind that I have not learnt the fine points of literature through my own efforts and struggle, rather they are a blessing from my Lord, so I have been vouchsafed this string of pearls from Him.These are my circumstances.However, should you seek to compete with me, your inner condition will be revealed to you and I will surely make it known to you as to what kind of knowledge you pos- sess.Your claim that I am wrong in my stance is itself worthy of being called wrong, for you have only uttered abuse instead of saying something eloquent.You came to my town, Qadian, only to deceive the people and spread doubt.Your coming here is like the pilgrimage whose essential rituals have not been per- formed and whose blessings have not been gained.So when I was informed of your lame excuses and your quick return to your home, my eyes wept tears at your misfortune and your dis- graceful return, for you returned empty-handed just as you had entered empty handed, so you returned just as you had arrived.By Allah! If you had met me, I would have sympathised with you even if you had shown enmity towards me, for I do not bear in my heart ill-will to any of my enemies, and when an enemy approaches me, all enmity disappears.This is the reason why I disliked that you stayed in the camp of the idolaters.But, you did not disapprove of it and thus you did not tread the path of the righteous.The idolaters are impure people.They are our

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116 enemies and enemies of our Messenger the Chosen One, rather they are his worst enemies.Do you consider idolaters to be closer to you than us? Indeed, it is this misconception of yours that has ruined you.You desire that the debate should be held like a game of chance and that discussions should take place as if they are a wrestling competition.So, where is the uprightness of inten- tion like those who fear Allah? And, where is the wisdom that is granted to the virtuous? You witness Allah’s signs and deny the existence of the sun of truth while you are seeing it.You do not approach me with the uprightness of intention, so you cannot free yourself from Satanic misconceptions.You spread such ideas as are not liked by a bashful person and you ascribe such things to me as are not found in me, and you keep causing distress to me through your tongues.I pray to Allah that He may grant me per- fect patience and forbearance.I will continue to show patience in response to persecution by you until Allah showers upon us the rain of His love and mercy and helps us by His grace and compassion.How can I stand up to you with a small number of my followers? So, like a desperate supplicant, I beseech Allah.In regard to every such person among you who persecutes me by levelling against me various kinds of false allegations and cal- umnies and who thinks that he has done an act which will cause him to enter Paradise, and every such person who hurls abuse at me and calls me an infidel and thinks that he will surely be forgiven by Allah, I pray that may Allah Himself answer them on my behalf, since there is no one to stand by me at the time of such a disorder except Him.My Lord! If You think that I have chosen a path that is not of righteousness then do not let me live till the morning after this night.O my enemies! Your dispute

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Details of the Signs 117 with me is based on a single contention.Then why are you not satisfied by the most manifest signs? In relation to Jesus’ death, we have strongly adhered to the Quran.However, you possess only words of mouth.Even if we, for the sake of argument, believe that [the Quranic terms] has dual implication, even then, in the eyes of wise, the meaning that has been presented by Divine Arbiter is worthier of acceptance.Anything opposed to this is sheer transgression, falsehood and imposture.Some prophecies contain metaphors, so, O those who are wise, make sure that you are not led to misunderstanding by the literal meanings of certain Hadith.After all, what precedent has forced you to accept the meaning that you have accepted? What path are you giving preference to? By Allah, you possess nothing but the customs and rituals that you have inherited from your forefathers.And, this is the very reason for your transgression.It is only your assumption that you have the ability to write the commentary of certain chapters of the Quran competing against me and that you comprehend the Quran as I do.By employing this drivel, your only purpose is to make my affair dubious for the ignorant people of this age.If you possess the strength for this competition and you can actually refute this miracle that has been vouchsafed to me from Allah the Glorious, then I accept your invitation to compete with you and thus demonstrate who is higher in rank on the condition that the learned scholars of your camp should accept you as their representative and consider your humiliation to be their humiliation.So now it is incumbent upon you that you present twenty written statements from twenty well- known religious scholars of the country whereby they accept this condition, and if such an effort is beyond your means then you

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118 should take the oath that you will divorce your wife three times, or that if you find yourself incapable of writing a commentary of the Quran which is as full of knowledge and eloquence and expres- siveness as is mine, you will forthwith, without presenting any excuses, pledge allegiance to me.If you cannot accept this, then we are not going to pay any more attention to you.I have already shattered you with the arrows of my argument.How can then I give you any preference while you claim that you are more knowledgeable than others.And, then the others also claim that they are more knowledgeable than you.Hence, how can I give you precedence over them until this dispute is settled and this fight has been decided? The mantle of excellence is like a gift; whosoever wins, snatches it from the other, and the one who is overawed is robbed of it.Excellence is not something available for free; rather it is achieved only through a compelling argument.Whosoever proves his gold to be shining better than the other, his beauty, allure and grace are acknowledged by everyone.If you are made a representative of the scholars and you con- front me in the battlefield and prevail like the knowledgeable people in respect of expounding verities and speaking like the eloquent writers, I will present to you not a paltry prize but a huge reward.However, your bragging, while you have already fled the competition, utterly surprise me.I wrote my book I‘j a z- e-Ahmad i for your sake, but you went into hiding and did not come out to compete, so what makes you brag now and talk about a contest with me? Have you forgotten how just a day ago you were rendered dumbfounded and silent, or have you just become unaware of it? In doing so, you probably seek to please the base lot, so that they consider you to be like a bright lamp.O wretched

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Details of the Signs 119 one! How can you compete with me? Only the accursed ones tell lies, and to consume the filth of lies is worse than consuming swine.Your people know that you are an ignoramus.No knowl- edgeable person would declare you to be knowledgeable.Now if you are making this claim truly honestly and if you are not the Antichrist who boasts and brags, then you should provide some evidence of your excellence.The easiest way of doing so is that if you are indeed truthful and not like a filth-eating cow, then you should produce a book like this one.If you present a peer of this book of mine within a period of twenty days, that is, a book which contains verities and excellences of eloquence and scholarship, I will, by Allah, forthwith hand over to you a prize of one hundred rupees, and this, on the other hand, would also render my proclaimed miracle to be false.This would be as if I was killed at your hands.You will then be showered with rewards and I will have no argument left against you making your path absolutely clear for you and the matter shall be decided for good.All sects will then become united and all of this will be attrib- uted to you and your excellence, and many hearts will be watered by your so-called ambrosial water and all discord in the Ummah will be removed.So if you are indeed a worthwhile person, you ought to stand up and present something similar to it within the stipulated period of time.Perhaps this will enable you to make amends for the curse you have already tasted, and Allah will vouchsafe respect to you after the disgrace that you have wit- nessed.If you are truly a noble man from both sides, that is, from your paternal and maternal sides, you must not seek to avoid this contest with me which entails a huge reward.In this way, the truth shall become manifest like the fish travelling in clear water

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120 and the one who is truthful will discharge his obligation to kill the serpent.And, indeed, this is the right path.After this, we will take some rest and have a siesta, and whatever lame excuses you are going to make after this, it will be like the noise of a cunning man who has lost his way, which I consider to be worse than the braying of a donkey and weaker than the walk of a newborn camel.You have stated that you wrote an exegesis of the Quran.I advise you to fear Allah and shun absurd talk.I feel pity for you! You are yet to awake from your deep slumber and you claim that you are here to wake up your nation? Your case is like that of a foetus that is wrapped in three kinds of darkness and completely concealed.You are not bold enough to speak like the wise, for you have exceeded all limits of deception.Therefore, how can you have any knowledge of the spiritual verities? O misguided one! Do seek some share of a pious nature and do not fall prey to deceptions, for deception and cunningness brings disgrace upon the devious.Allah stands by the truthful.Know that what you hide in your heart is different from what you reveal.And, this indeed is the habit of the hypocrites.You lack the credentials for this contest, yet you make claims like the braggers.Should you come out against me like an armoured knight, you would find me to be the one who has shredded you with his spear.If you prevail, I shall shower you with rewards and free you of your economic woes.So if you are able to produce something similar to this book, I will give you the prize money that has been prom- ised.If you are willing, I can send you one fifth of the promised amount even before you fulfil the promise so that it may serve as an impetus for your desires.So you should accept this money and wait for the rest of the promised money.And, this is far

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Details of the Signs 121 better for you than making different kinds of lame excuses, and is closer to path of righteousness.Hence, may peace be upon the one who follows the guidance.O people! Why do you not recognize the one who has come to you from the Gracious God while the beginning of a century and the end of an age have been made one for your sake and while the sun and the moon have been eclipsed during the month of Ramadan and while the creature [of the plague] that gnaws away at the people and is known as ِ رْض ْأ إْل ُ ا دَابَّۃ has appeared and while these are the signs which the Quran had foretold.Then what has gone wrong with you that you fail to recognize the chosen one of the Gracious God? You will, however, soon recognize me.I entrust my affair to Allah and on Him do I rely.All praise belongs to Allah who blessed me with four sons despite the fact that I was old, and fulfilled His promise as a favour to me.Besides, He has given me glad tidings of a fifth son in the near future.O my ene- mies! These are all signs of my Lord.Holy is Allah and beyond your comprehension and imagination.It is therefore incumbent upon you to fear Him while He is already wrathful.٭ ٭ ٭

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Names of Prophets The following lists the names of Prophets who are mentioned in the this book, along with their transliteration (with and without diacritical marks) and their English equivalents where applicable: Quranic with Diacrtical Marks Biblical Equivalent Quranic without Diacrtical Marks A dam Adam Adam Ibr a h i m Abraham Ibrahim D a w u d David Dawud Ily a s Elijah Ilyas Al-Yasa‘ Elisha Al-Yasa Ya‘q u b Jacob Ya’qub ‘ I s a Jesus Isa Y u suf Joseph Yusuf Muhammad Muhammad M u s a Moses Musa Sulaim a n Solomon Sulaiman

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Glossary Abjad A numerological system that assigns a specific numerical value to each letter in the Arabic alpha- bet.(Also known as H is a bul-Ju- mal.) A m i n A term which literally means, ‘so let it be’ and is used at the end of a supplication to pray that God may accept it.It is similar in mean- ing to ‘amen’.Auliy a ’ Literally means ‘Friends’ and is the plural of wal i , which is gen- erally used to refer to a saintly per- son.Shorter version of auliy a ’ul- l a h.Bai‘at Oath of allegiance to a reli- gious leader.Dajj a l A term in Arabic that liter- ally means, ‘the great deceiver’.In Islamic terminology ‘Dajj a l’ refers to those satanic forces that would be unleashed in the Latter Days to oppose the Promised Messiah as and al-Im a m al-Mahd i.A similar prophecy in the Christian faith about the appearance of the Anti- christ refers to the same approach phenomenon, and we have there- fore used the terms ‘Dajj a l’ and ‘Antichrist’ and synonyms.Furq a n Literally, the ‘Discrimina- tion’.Another name for the Holy Quran, meaning the discrimina- tion between right and wrong.Hadith A saying of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa.The plural is a ha d i th.Hadrat A term of respect used to show honour and reverence for a person of established righteous- ness and piety.The literal mean- ing is: His/Her Holiness, Worship, Eminence, etc.Hijrah Migration.Refers to the exo- dus from Makkah to Madinah by the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as in

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126 the year 623 CE, which marks the beginning of the lunar calendar of Islam.Holy Prophet s as A title used exclu- sively for the Founder of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad s as.Holy Quran The final and perfect Scripture revealed by Allah for the guidance of mankind for all times to come.It was revealed word by word to the Holy Prophet Mu- h ammad s as over a period of twen- ty-three years.Istighf a r Seeking Allah’s forgiveness.Kh a tamun-Nabiyy i n The Seal of the Prophets.A title accorded by God to the Holy Prophet Mu h am- mad s as in the Holy Quran.A vari- ant is Kh a tamul-Anbiy a’.Maulaw i A Muslim religious cleric.Mi‘r a j The spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as to Heavens, described in the Holy Quran and related in detail in ha- dith literature.Mub a halah Prayer duel.As de- scribed in S u rah A l-e-‘Imr a n, a contest between claimants to di- vine support wherein each party prays for God to curse the lying party.Muhammad s as Founder of Islam.see Holy Prophet s as.Ramadan The ninth month of the lunar calendar, in which fasting is prescribed for all adult, able-bod- ied Muslims, except those trave- ling, ill, pregnant, or nursing.S i hah Plural of S a hih , meaning ‘au- thentic’.Refers to S i hah Sittah, six Hadith collections regarded as among the most authentic.Shariah Religious law of Islam.The term is also used in the general sense of any revealed law.Shirk Associating partners with Al- lah.S u rah A chapter of the Holy Quran.Taqw a Righteousness.Fear of God.

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Index

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Index of the Verses of the Holy Quran Chapter 2, S « u »rah al-Baqarah verse 196 ِ ت َّھۡلُک�َ ت ُوۡا �ب ِا�َیۡد�ِیۡکُم ۡ اِلَی ال� ت �ُۡل َ �ت اَّل Cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands.2 verse 257 — ِ ن ِی الد�ِّی�ْ ن َ اِکْرَاہ َ � اَّل There should be no compulsion in religion.71 Chapter 5, S « u »rah al-M « a »’idah verse 117 َ َ ا ہّٰللُّٰ �یٰع�ِی ۡسَی ا�ب�ۡ ن َ مَر�ۡیَم َال ت � ۡ ن �ِا ِ َّاس َ لِل�ن ت ُل�ۡ ت � َ ت �ۡ ن ءَا�َ When Allah will say, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men?' 63 verse 118 — ْ ی �ِ �َن ت �ْ ی �َّ ن �ََو ت َلَمَّا � ن � Since Thou didst cause me to die.68 Chapter 9, S « u »rah at-Taubah verse 51 َ ب �َ ت ۤ ا ِاَّلَّ مَا ک�َ َا ن�َ ب�ۡ ی�ِیُّص� ۡ ن �َُّل ۡ ل ت � َا ا ہّٰللُّٰ ل�َن Say, ‘Nothing shall befall us save that which Allah has ordained for us.’ 1 Chapter 16, S « u »rah an-Na « h »l verse 44 ۡ ُم ت �ۡ ن �ُن ۡ ک �ِِّکۡر ِ ا ن َسۡـَٔلُوۡۤا اَھۡل َ ال� ن � َ ن َعۡلَمُو�ۡ َ �ت اَّل So ask those who possess the Reminder, if you know not.78 Chapter 17, S « u »rah Ban « u » Isr « a »' « i »l verse 59 ُ ن �َۡح ن� َّا ِاَّل ٍ ت �َی�َۡر ت � ۡ ن �ِّن ۡ م �ِوَا ۡ ِ اَو ت �َٰم ی�ِ ت �َب ۡل َ �یَوۡمِ ال�ۡ ت مُھۡلِکُوۡھَا � َد�ِیۡدًا َا�ب ًا �ش ن �ِّب ُوۡھَا ع�َ ن مُع�َ There is not a township but We shall destroy it before the Day of Ressurection, or punish it with a severe punishment.24

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130 Chapter 20, S « u »rah « T »« a » H « a » verse 115 — ْ عِلۡمًا ی �ِ ِد�ۡن ن � ِّ ب �َر O my Lord! Increase me in knowl- edge.9 Chapter 27, S « u » rah an-Naml verse 83 ِ ن �َْْر اَّل َ ا ن �ِّم ً ت دَا�ٓب�َّ A creature out of the earth.24 Chapter 29, S « u »rah al-'Ankab « u »t verse 3 ۡرَکُوۡۤا ت�ُّی� ۡ ن �ََّاس ُ ا َ اَحَس�ِ ب َ ال�ن اَّل ۡ َّا وَھُم ُوۡلُوۡۤا اٰم�َن ت �َّی� ۡ ن �َا َ ن �ُۡو ن �َ ت �ۡ ن �ی�ُ Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, 'We believe,' and that they will not be tested? 8

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Index of Revelations of the Promised Messiah واال ن ےنی ےہ، رفہتش اشبرت د� ےنی لیئ ٓالئ ربجا� A ’il is Gabriel, the angel who conveys good news.54 َ أَرُد ُّ اِلَیْک َ کَث�ِی ًْا مِن َ الْوَرَی، بَعْد َ مَا کَفَّرُوْک َ َّأَرُد ُّ اِلَیْک َ کَث�ِی ًْا مِن َ الْوَرَی، بَعْد َ مَا کَفَّرُوْک َ رَاد إْل َ ِمِلَکََِاتِہ ِ و َ مُبَدِّل َ ل إْل َّوَصَارُوْا مِن َ الْعِد َا، َ رَاد إْل َ ِمِلَکََِاتِہ ِ و َ مُبَدِّل َ ل إْل َوَصَارُوْا مِن َ الْعِد َا، ن �ََِا ق مْل َ ن �ََِا ق مْل After people denounce you and become your enemies I will cause multitudes to turn to you.No one can 103 ْ ََان َ أن ن ِ تَوْحِیْدِي ْ وَتَفْرِیْدِيْ.� ِۃَلَۃ ن ْ ن �َِ ب� ْ ی ِّ ن أنْت َ م�ِ ْ ََان َ أن ن ِ تَوْحِیْدِي ْ وَتَفْرِیْدِيْ.� ِۃَلَۃ ن ْ ن �َِ ب� ْ ی ِّ ن ِأنْت َ م�ِ َ النَّاس ْن ی ِتُعَان َ وَتُعْرَف َ ب�َ َ النَّاس ْن ی تُعَان َ وَتُعْرَف َ ب�َ You are to Me like My Unity and Uniqueness.Therefore the time is approaching when you will be helped and will be made well-known in the world.111 ْ ی ِ ۃ �َْ ن �َح ْ ی ِ ن أنْت َ وَجِیْہ ٌ � ْ ی ِ ۃ �َْ ن �َح ْ ی ِ ن أنْت َ وَجِیْہ ٌ � You have a high standing in My presence.109 ْ ی َيِعِ َ رِسِِّيْ.وَأنْت َ م َرِسُِّک ْ و ی ْيِسِ َْتُک َ لِنَف ۃ اِخ�ْ ْ ی َيِعِ َ رِسِِّيْ.وَأنْت َ م َرِسُِّک ْ و ی ْيِسِ َْتُک َ لِنَف ۃ َاِخ�ْ َ مَعَک ن َوَأ� َ مَعَک ن وَأ� I have chosen you for Myself and your secret is My secret.You are with Me and I am with you.109 ُ مْرَاض ُ تُشَاع ُ وَالنُّفُوْس ُ تُضَاع ْأ إْل َ ا ُ مْرَاض ُ تُشَاع ُ وَالنُّفُوْس ُ تُضَاع ْأ إْل َ ا Diseases will spread and people will die.74 , 108 ٗ َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ ب ِاَکَف ٍ عَبۡدَہ اَلَیۡس ٗ َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ ب ِاَکَف ٍ عَبۡدَہ اَلَیۡس Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? 80 َ َِن ْ وَجَد مْل ٰ ب َیٰکٰ، فَطُو�ْ ََ وَر لُک َ ٰ.وَر ۃ َ ال ہّٰلِّٰ أ� اِن َّ وَعْد َ َِن ْ وَجَد مْل ٰ ب َیٰکٰ، فَطُو�ْ ََ وَر لُک َ ٰ.وَر ۃ َ ال ہّٰلِّٰ أ� اِن َّ وَعْد وَراٰی.قُتِل َ خَیْبَۃ ً وَزِیْد َ ھَیْبَۃً.وَراٰی.قُتِل َ خَیْبَۃ ً وَزِیْد َ ھَیْبَۃً.Promise of Allah came and He put down His foot and repaired gap.Blessed is he who found and saw.He was put to death while no one listened to him 93

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132 ِ ْن َ عَلَوْا مِن ی َّ الَّذ�ِ إْل ِ الدَّار ِ ا ی ِ ن � ْ لُکَُّ مَن ُ ْ أُحَافِظ ی ِّ ن ا�ِ ِ ْن َ عَلَوْا مِن ی َّ الَّذ�ِ إْل ِ الدَّار ِ ا ی ِ ن � ْ لُکَُّ مَن ُ ْ أُحَافِظ ی ِّ ن ٍا�ِ ٍاسْتِکْبَار اسْتِکْبَار I shall safeguard all those who dwell in your house from dying of plague except those who think highly of themselves out of arrogance.28 َّ ن ِیَلَ الْقُبُوْرِ.ا�ِ ْرَج ُ الصُّدُوْر ُ ا ن ُ ۃ َ الصَّاعِقَۃُ.� ن ْ أ� ی ِّ ن ا�ِ َّ ن ِیَلَ الْقُبُوْرِ.ا�ِ ْرَج ُ الصُّدُوْر ُ ا ن ُ ۃ َ الصَّاعِقَۃُ.� ن ْ أ� ی ِّ ن ُا�ِ َ فَانْقَطَع َ الْعَدُو ُّ وَأسْبَابُہ ن َالَد�ْ ب َ ۃ �ُ َ فَانْقَطَع َ الْعَدُو ُّ وَأسْبَابُہ ن َالَد�ْ ب َ ۃ � I am indeed the Lightning.Leading ones will be driven to their graves.We vanquished the enemy and all his resources were cut off.109 ُ ْ مَع َ الرَّسُوْل ِ أقُوْمُ، وَألُوْم ُ مَن ْ یَلُوْمُ، أُفْطِر ی ِّ ن ا�ِ ُ ْ مَع َ الرَّسُوْل ِ أقُوْمُ، وَألُوْم ُ مَن ْ یَلُوْمُ، أُفْطِر ی ِّ ن ُا�ِ ُوَأصُوْم وَأصُوْم I shall stand by My messenger and shall rebuke the one who rebukes you, and I shall observe the fast and also break the fast.29 ْ ٌ مَن ْن ی �ِمُع ْ ی ِّ ن ٌ مَن ْ اِرَاد َ اِھَانَتَکَ، وَا�ِ ْن ی �ِمُھ ْ ی ِّ ن ا�ِ ْ ٌ مَن ْن ی �ِمُع ْ ی ِّ ن ٌ مَن ْ اِرَاد َ اِھَانَتَکَ، وَا�ِ ْن ی �ِمُھ ْ ی ِّ ن َا�ِ َاَرَاد َ اِعَانَتَک اَرَاد َ اِعَانَتَک I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.I shall help him who designs to help you.109 َ بِشَارَۃ ٌ تَلَقَّاھَا النَّبِیُّوْن َ بِشَارَۃ ٌ تَلَقَّاھَا النَّبِیُّوْن This is a glad tiding which is conveyed to Prophets.93 ِ بَقِیَّۃ ُ الطَّاعُوْن ِ بَقِیَّۃ ُ الطَّاعُوْن Remnant of the Plague 94 ِ ِیَلَ الْقُبُوْر ْرَج ُ الصُّدُوْر ُ ا ن ُ ۃ � ِ ِیَلَ الْقُبُوْر ْرَج ُ الصُّدُوْر ُ ا ن ُ ۃ � The leading ones will be driven to their graves.111 ْ آئِل ٌ وَاخْتَار َ وَأدَاَر َ اِصْبَعَہ ُ وَأشَارَ: ی ِ ن جَاء�َ ْ آئِل ٌ وَاخْتَار َ وَأدَاَر َ اِصْبَعَہ ُ وَأشَارَ: ی ِ ن ْجَاء�َ ِلُکُِّ مَن َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن َ الْعِدَا وَیَسْطُو ْ ب ْیَعْصِمُک ِلُکُِّ مَن َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن َ الْعِدَا وَیَسْطُو ْ ب یَعْصِمُک سَطَا سَطَا « A »’il came to me and he chose me.He revolved his finger and pointed out: God will guard you from your enemies and will attack fiercely 53 ً ْز�ِی َت ِ ذِکْرا حن مْلُْ ِْ ا ن � َ لَک ِْ ۃ �ْأُب َ إْل ً ْز�ِی َت ِ ذِکْرا حن مْلُْ ِْ ا ن � َ لَک ِْ ۃ �ْأُب َ إْل I shall not leave a trace of anything which might be designed to humiliate you.15 ُ َ امْلُْقَام ِْکْرَام ُ ھَلََلَک إْل َ ا إْل ْ لَو ُ َ امْلُْقَام ِْکْرَام ُ ھَلََلَک إْل َ ا إْل ْ لَو Were it not for favouring and honouring you, this town would have been destroyed.6 , 29 َ مَن ْ قَام َ لِلْجَوَاب ِ وَتَنَمَّرَ.فَسَوْف َ �ی َٰی أنَّہ ُ تَنَدَّم َ َمَن ْ قَام َ لِلْجَوَاب ِ وَتَنَمَّرَ.فَسَوْف َ �ی َٰی أنَّہ ُ تَنَدَّم َوَتَذَمَّر وَتَذَمَّر He who being incensed sets out to write a reply will soon find that he is filled with remorse and has come to a sorry end.110

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Index 133 َ َلْقُ.اِذَا غَضِبْت ن خْلْ َ یَع ْمَلَُھ َا ا إْل ٍ ِۃَلَۃ ن ْ ن �َِ ب� ْ ی ِّ ن وَأنْت َ م�ِ َ َلْقُ.اِذَا غَضِبْت ن خْلْ َ یَع ْمَلَُھ َا ا إْل ٍ ِۃَلَۃ ن ْ ن �َِ ب� ْ ی ِّ ن ُوَأنْت َ م�ِ َ لُکُُّ مَا أحْبَبْت َ أحْبَبْت ُغَضِبْتُ، و َ لُکُُّ مَا أحْبَبْت َ أحْبَبْت غَضِبْتُ، و You have a standing with Me of which people have no knowledge.When you are angry I am angry and everyone you love I love.109 ِّٰہّٰل ِ ال َلْق ن ْ خِلِ َ تُصَعِّر اًل َ ٍّ مَعَِیْقٍ، ف َج ن � ُِّلُک ْ ْتُوْن َ مِن َأ ی � ِّٰہّٰل ِ ال َلْق ن ْ خِلِ َ تُصَعِّر اًل َ ٍّ مَعَِیْقٍ، ف َج ن � ُِّلُک ْ ْتُوْن َ مِن َأ ی � People will come to you from every distant track.Do not turn away from Allah’s creatures.89 ٌْ ی ْیٰسٰ.اِنَّہ ُ کَر�ِ ِْ عَلَیْک َ زَمَن ٌ مَکَِثْل ِ زَمَن ِ مُو ۃ �ْ َأ ی � ٌْ ی ْیٰسٰ.اِنَّہ ُ کَر�ِ ِْ عَلَیْک َ زَمَن ٌ مَکَِثْل ِ زَمَن ِ مُو ۃ �ْ َأ ی � ّٰ أمَامَک َ وَعَادٰی لَک َ مَن ْ عَادٰی ش يِس ََ ۃ � ّٰ أمَامَک َ وَعَادٰی لَک َ مَن ْ عَادٰی ش يِس ََ ۃ � A time is coming for you which will be like time of Moses.He is Benevolent Who walks in front of you and considers your enemy to be His enemy.93 ٍ ٍّ مَعَِیْق َج ن � ُِّلُک ْ ْتِیْک َ مِن َأ ی � ٍ ٍّ مَعَِیْق َج ن � ُِّلُک ْ ْتِیْک َ مِن َأ ی � These will come to you from every distant track.89 ْ ی َيِعِ َ أمْحَْدِي ْ أنْت َ مُرَادِي ْ وَم ی � ْ ی َيِعِ َ أمْحَْدِي ْ أنْت َ مُرَادِي ْ وَم ی � O My Ahmad, you are My purpose and are with Me.109 ِ َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن ْ عَرْشِہ �ی َْمَدُک ِ َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن ْ عَرْشِہ �ی َْمَدُک Allah praises you from His Throne.111 ِلُکُِّ مَن ْ سَطَا.َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن َ الْعِدَا وَیَسْطُو ْ ب یَعْصِمُک ِلُکُِّ مَن ْ سَطَا.َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن َ الْعِدَا وَیَسْطُو ْ ب یَعْصِمُک یُبْدِی ْ لَک َ الر َّمْحْٰن ُ شَیْئًا یُبْدِی ْ لَک َ الر َّمْحْٰن ُ شَیْئًا Allah will safeguard you agains the mischief of your enemies and will attack him who attacks you.Gracious God will demonstrate a wonderful Sign for you.93 ُ ُِّ الر َّمْحْٰن یَل َ َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن ْ عِنْدِہ ِ وَھُو َ الْو یَعْصِمُک ُ ُِّ الر َّمْحْٰن یَل َ َ ال ہّٰلُّٰ مِن ْ عِنْدِہ ِ وَھُو َ الْو یَعْصِمُک Allah will safeguard you Himself and His is the Most Gracious Friend.15

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Index of Topics Adam From, to our Prophet death is associated to all prophets 68 « A »’il term, derived from al-Iy « a » lah 54 Allah Eternal and Ever-Existing 11 honour of, 28 jealous for His friends 7 One and Alone 4 One and Matchless 11 practice of, 4 the Creator 40 the Helper and Supporter 30 the Lord of Honour 40 the Reckoner 7 , 26 wrath of, 14 Al-Liw « a »' editor of, 2 newspaper 1 Al-Qa « s »« i »datul-I‘j « a »ziyyah verses of, 21 Angels Allah commands, 13 Anj « a » m-e- « A »tham after having written my book, I would never again debate with anyone 96 Arbiter Allah appointed, 16 given the title of, 60 they await, 50 Atonement cannot save the self from sinfulness 48 Auliy « a »’ull « a »h actions of, 5 material means created for, 5 Bai‘at Do not put your faith in, without having cleansed yourself 85 Bar « a »hin-e-A « h » madiyyah when, was written I was completely unknown 106 Book Kasht « i »-e-N « u »« h » 29 , 31 , 39 British government not to be blamed 37 Cave people of, 23 Century 14th, associated with Promised Messiah 20 Community teachings for, 83 Court of Almighty 26 Day of Reckoning they do not fear, 6 Eclipse Sun and Moon gave their testimony through their, in Ramadan 88

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136 Elijah Jews had been waiting for, 78 Jews had denied Jesus only because, had not descended 79 when Jesus came Jews were tried on account of, not having descended from heaven 80 Epidemic root cause of, 49 Faith is not effective until one adopts piety and righteousness 83 Fasting obligation enjoined by God 60 Furq « a »n We believe in the Book of Allah, 57 Gabriel « A »'il is then name given to, 54 Allah turned, away from the Israelites 62 God Omnipotent 3 Ruler who is in heaven 86 Government gave orders for inoculation 29 gratitude is due to, 38 invited a group of experts 32 tried utmost to save people 30 « H » ajj obligation enjoined by God 60 « H » asan al-Ba« s »ri said that Jesus did not die and shall return in latter days 68 Holy Prophet following the example of, 59 not physically the father of any man 58 I‘j « a »z-e-A « h »mad « i » is a great miracle 112 Imam awaited, of age 16 darkness of age beseeching, 19 I am awaited, 26 Inoculation been harmful 30 government gave orders for, 29 not forbid people get, 13 reason to decline, 16 side effects of, 33 Inscription people of, 23 Ishmaelites Allah transferred prophethood from Israelites to, 62 Islam founder of, appeared in the likness of Moses 51 Israelites Allah had taken away prophethood from, so had He taken away their earthly kingdom 65 Allah took away the bounty of prophethood from, after Jesus 65 Allah transferred prophethood from, to Ishmaelites 62 chain of prophethood has come to an end 66

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Index 137 Jesus Allah caused, to be born without father 62 Allah took away the bounty of prophethood from Israelites after, 65 ascension of, 69 cure the blind and leper 15 excessive praise for, 70 false belief that, would descend from heavens 72 fatherless birth of, 65 greatest traveller 71 had miraculous birth 60 how will, return when all books of Allah are barring, from doing so 62 I have many other proofs with me regarding the death of, 67 I have said, is dead 49 Jews had denied, only because Elijah had not descended 79 Ointment of, 69 someone like, appear in the later days 51 the belief in return of, is merely an illusion 64 tomb of, 69 tyrannical belief in godhood of, 77 was forerunner for our Prophet 62 when, came Jews were tried on account of Elijah not having descended from heaven 80 Jews during the era of the prophethood of Muhammad no Prophet shall appear from among, 65 had denied Jesus only because Elijah had not descended 79 had forsaken the path of moderation 61 like our own people had been waiting for Elijah 78 Promised Messiah would not be raised from among, 64 ruined by conjecture 27 when Jesus came, were tried on account of Elijah not having descended from heaven 80 John birth of, 13 birth of, without any humans touching each other 65 during night of Mi'r « a »j our Prophet saw Jesus sitting with, 68 had miraculous birth 60 Kh « a »tamul-Anbiy « a »’ our belief that Muhammad is, 57 Kh « a »tamush-Shar « i » ‘ah is Quran 59 Malakw « a »l the town of, whose orphans are crying 44 Mary it was not permissible for, to get married because of oath 66

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138 Messiah appeared in town of India 1 appointed me, 51 descended from heavens 54 I am Promised, 45 I am, Promised 26 Muhammadan, is concerned, by grace of Allah he has a father as well as a progeny 66 Mi‘r « a »j during night of, our Prophet saw Jesus sitting with John 68 Mosaic dispensation 51 Moses founder of Islam appeared in the likeness of, 51 mother of, 15 put himself and his people in peril 13 the story of, 4 Mub « a » halah I was challenged by some opponents to, 90 Muhammad Allah bestowed His favour upon, 62 during the era of prophethood of, no Prophet shall appear from among Jews 65 Jesus was forerunner for, 62 no prophet under the canopy of heavens other than, 59 Muhammadan dispensation 51 Messiah is concerned by grace of Allah he has a father as well as a progeny 66 Newspaper al-Liwa' 1 Paisa, Hindi 22 Noah ark of, 43 Ointment of Jesus most famous ointments and is mentioned in almost a thousand books of medicine 69 Paisa Hindi newspaper 22 Pharaoh drowned 4 Plague emergence of, 41 its cause forsaking modesty 47 protection from, 20 reduced number of our foes and increased number of my beleaguered community 74 safeguarded from, 29 was Allah Almighty’s answer to those who cursed me 73 Prayer-Duel I was challenged by some opponents to, 90 Promised Messiah Muhammad stated, would appear among the Ummah 65 would not be raised among Jews 64

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Index 139 Prophethood Allah took away bounty of, from Israelites after Jesus 65 Israelite chain of, has come to an end 66 Qadariyyah sect 9 Quran all good found in, 52 anyone who steps away from, steps away from faith 59 believe in one part of, and reject other 55 has been forsaken and philosophy has become the focus of their attention 78 is Perfect Shariah 59 perfectly satisfied the need for a Shariah 57 Ramadan solar and lunar eclipses in month of, 51 Sun and Moon gave their testimony through their eclipses in, 88 Reformer age is effectively calling out for, 78 Righteousness faith is not effective until one adopts piety and, 83 Salat obligation enjoined by God 60 Salvation from sin is through witnessing Allah 48 Scriptures ancient 16 Seal of the Prophets means that spiritual perfection of prophethood culminated in our Prophet 57 our belief that Muhammad is, 57 Shariah Quran has perfectly satisfied the need for, 57 Shirk sin of, 5 Son of Mary death of, 68 excessive praise for, 70 Taqw a tread the path of, 3 Than « a »’ullah translation of letter I wrote to, 95 Tomb of Jesus 69 Ummah become like Jews 50 ours is exalted, that has been created for benefit of all mankind 88 Promised Messiah would appear from among, 65 Vaccine toxin of, 44 Warner has come to them from among themselves 55 Zak « a » t obligation enjoined by God 60

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