Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation)

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤĪ (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation)

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Haqiqatul-Wahi (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation) by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdias, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD.

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ור ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD The Philosophy of Divine Revelation English translation of Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi Written by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, peace be on him, Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community First published in Urdu in Qadian, India, 1907 First English translation published in the UK, 2018 (ISBN 978-1-84880-075-5) Second Edition published in the UK, 2023 © Islam International Publications Ltd.Published by Islam International Publications Ltd.Unit 3, Bourne Mill Business Park Guildford Road Farnham, Surrey GU9 9PS, UK Printed in Türkiye by: Acar Basım ve Cilt San.Tic A.Ş.Beysan Sanayi Sitesi, Birlik Caddesi No: 26, Acar Binası 34524, Haramidere - Beylikdüzü / İstanbul Phone: 0 (212) 422 18 34 - Fax: 0 (212) 422 1804 www.acarbasim.com Certificate Number: 44977 For further information, please visit www.alislam.org British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available ISBN 978-1-84880-764-8 10987654321

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CONTENTS FRONT MATTER About the Author..Publisher's Note..Foreword to the Present Edition..HAQIQATUL-WAḤI 22.8 ix xi EMPTY______XV What is the Effect of this Book?.Chapter I....11 Chapter II.19 Chapter III 23 Chapter IV 73 Revelations.89 Translation of Revelations...........99 Postscript 129 Response to Some Critics' Objections.129 Answers to Some Misgivings 181 Signs 1-187.241 Concluding Observations.491 Poem...501 May Allah Help the Truthful.503 Remedy for Plague-Charāgh Dīn's Declaration when he was an Ahmadi.....515

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vi HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Epilogue to Haqiqatul-Waḥi.535 Signs (Continued)....539 A Great Victory (Sign 196).633 Dr.John Alexander Dowie—the False Prophet of America—Dies in Accordance with My Prophecy.....633 A Bright Sign (Sign 197).649 A Shining Sign (Sign 198) 671 First Part Second Part..Signs 199–206.680 726.739 Another Fresh Sign of Verdict through Mubahalah (Sign 207)...Divine Prophecy about a Wrongdoer (Sign 208) Announcement Addressed to the Muslim Ulema For the Attention of Respected Ārya……………………….An Invitation to Truth.O Christian Priests!..AL-ISTIFTA'.759.....765.771.775.779 782 Al-Istifta-Supplement to Haqiqatul-Waḥi.783 Chapter One in Al-Istifta'...787 Chapter Two in Al-Istifta'.813 Mubahalah with Dowie..873 Conclusion..901 Translation of Revelations...........905 Arabic Ode by the Promised Messiah 925

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CONTENTS BACK MATTER vii Glossary...977 Index 985 Index of the Verses of the Holy Quran..987 Index of Aḥadīth..991 Index of Revelations of the Promised Messiah..993 Index of Topics..1015

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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 communion with God to 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.Divine revelations continued to increase and God com- manded him to announce that He had appointed him to be the same Reformer of the Latter Days as prophesied by various religions under different titles.He claimed to be that very Prophet who the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa said would be raised as the Promised Messiah and Mahdi.The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is now established in more than 200 countries.After his demise in 1908, the second manifestation of divine power was demonstrated, and the institution of Khilafat (successorship) was established to succeed him in fulfilment of the prophecies made in the Holy Quran, presented by the Holy Prophet Muḥammad™ª, and in the Promised Messiah's as book Al-Waṣiyyat.Haḍrat Mirza Masroor Ahmadaba is the Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah as and the present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE The translators' primary objective was to adhere to the original text of the Promised Messiah as as strictly as possible.Contemporary nine- teenth century lexicons were utilized to precisely define Urdu, Arabic, and Persian words and phrases.To preserve the author's writing style, and particularly his points of emphasis, where possible we have retained his original underlined and bold text styling.However, to facilitate readability for an English speaking audience, punctuation and pauses were inserted as considered necessary, and lengthy paragraphs and sen- tences were broken into smaller ones.Grammatical rules, literary con- ventions, and presentation were generally applied in conformity to the Oxford Guide to Style.Please note that, in the translation that follows, words given in parentheses ( ) are the words of the Promised Messiah (as).If any explan- atory 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].The Promised Messiah as has reproduced numerous pieces of corre- spondence by others in this book.To ensure that readers can easily dis- tinguish between the Promised Messiah's words and these documents, we have inserted grey sidebars and side notes alongside the latter, and in some cases, separated out the text or footnote.References to the Holy Quran contain the name of the sūrah [i.e.chapter] followed by a chapter:verse citation, e.g.Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:4, and count Bismillahir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm ['In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful'] as the first verse in every chapter that begins with it.Throughout the book, the Promised Messiah as cites his earlier works, such as Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.In those places, we have given the corresponding page number to the 2008 edition of Rūḥāni

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xii HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Khaza'in, as the first editions are rare and not easily accessible.Where an English translation of such a book has already been published, we have also tried to give its citation.Where we have included verses from the Bible, all references are taken from the King James Version (KJV).The following abbreviations have been used: sa sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, meaning 'may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.as 'alaihis-salām, meaning 'may peace be on him', is written after the names of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad™ª.ra raḍiyallahu 'anhu/anha/anhum, meaning 'may Allah be pleased with him/her/them', is written after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad or of the Promised Messiah (as).rta rahmatullahi 'alaihi/'alaiha/'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 Muḥammad sa or of the Promised Messiah as.aba ayyadahullāhu Ta'āla binaṣrihil-Azīz, 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 Ahmadaba, Khalifatul- Masih V.Readers are urged to recite the full salutations when reading the book.

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PUBLISHER'S NOTE xiii In general, we have adopted the following system established by the Royal Asiatic Society for our transliteration.1 at the beginning of a word, pronounced as a, i, u preceded by very slight aspiration, like h in the English word honour.th-pronounced like th in the English word thing.b- a guttural aspirate, stronger than h.ċkh - pronounced like the Scottish ch in loch.dh – pronounced like the English th in that.- - strongly articulated s.d similar to the English th in this.b- strongly articulated palatal t.ظ ع - strongly articulated z.a ´– a strong guttural, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.¿ gh - a sound similar to the French r in grasseye, and to the German 1.It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the 'gar- gling' position to pronounce it.وق c - a deep guttural k sound.'- a sort of catch in the voice.Short vowels are represented by: a for i for - u for Long vowels by: 1 (like u in bud).(like i in bid).(like oo in wood).ā for or Ĭ (like a in father).i for s u for و - or (like ee in deep).ད ← (like oo in root).

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xiv HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Other vowels by: ai for s au for, (like i in site).(resembling ou in sound).The consonants not included in the above list have the same phonetic value as in the principal languages of Europe.While the Arabic is represented by n, we have indicated the Urdu as n.As noted above, the single quotation mark ´ is used for transliterating & which is dis- tinct from the apostrophe' used for &.ع We have not transliterated some Arabic words which have become part of English language, e.g.Islam, Quran, Hadith, Mahdi, jihad, Ramadan, and ummah.The Royal Asiatic Society's rules of transliter- ation for names of persons, places, and other terms, are not followed throughout the book as many of the names contain non-Arabic charac- ters and carry a local transliteration and pronunciation style.

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FOREWORD TO THE PRESENT EDITION Published originally in 1907, Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi documents over 200 Divine Signs that were manifested at the hand of the Promised Messiah as throughout his life.These prophecies were publicly announced well in advance and served as irrefutable proof of the existence of God, who continues to speak to His Chosen Ones.Similarly, these Signs equally proved the truthfulness of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, the Holy Quran, and the truth of the Promised Messiah's own claim.The book was written primarily in Urdu, followed by an Arabic treatise entitled, al-Istifta'.The original English translation of Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi was prepared by Late Chaudhry Muḥammad Ali of Wakālat-e-Taṣnīf.He was assisted by a team of dedicated scholars who worked tirelessly on this project.May Allah reward them all for their services.Amin.This translation, then, underwent a thorough final review by the English Translation Section of Additional Wakālat-e-Taṣnīf in the USA.I would like to acknowledge the contributions of al-Ḥāj Munawar Ahmed Saeed, Dr.Khalil Mahmood Malik, Dr.Waseem Ahmad Sayed, and Naser-ud-Din Shams, who revised the translation.We are also thankful to the following for their contributions: Luqman Mahmood, Bilal Tahir, Naveed Malik, Faraz Hussain, Kashif Baloch, Tariq Amjed, Abdul Wahab Mirza, Hassan Khan, Fouzan Pal, Salman Sajid, Hibbat Malik, Adnan Malik, Shoaib Malik, and Zeshan Ahmad.

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xvi HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION May Allah reward them all abundantly in this world and the Hereafter.Amin.may It be noted that the book contains some poems in Arabic which have been translated into Urdu and Persian in the original book itself.Our English translation is based on these translations.The work of the English translation section was carried out under the auspices of Haḍrat Khalifatul Masiḥ Vaba.My humble self had the blessing of submitting to beloved Ḥudūraba the various translation issues to seek his guidance.Nizārat-e-Isha'at, Wakālat-e-Taṣnīf, and Research Cell were also consulted during finalization and research.May Allah reward all of them for their wholehearted cooperation, Amin.The first edition was published in 2018.However, multiple reasons have necessitated a second edition.Foremost among these reasons is the demand which depleted the first edition stock much earlier than antic- ipated.Additionally, the original book, which was published during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah as, did not contain Arābs (diacriti- cal marks) on the Arabic text.These are now inserted where applicable.Lastly, the index entries have been expanded to considerably increase their utility and relevance.Apart from various central departments of the Jama'at who helped to update this edition, the following members also assisted in this edition: Bushra Shahid, Rawan Malas, and Nasira Naseem.The Promised Messiah as has appealed in the name of God to Muslims, Āryas, and Christians respectively to study this book care- fully from beginning to end.I pray that the study of Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi strengthens the faith of every Ahmadi Muslim and becomes a source of enlightenment for all seekers after truth.Āmīn.al-Haj Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wakilut-Taşnif, UK April 2023

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Haqiqatul-Wahi The Philosophy of Divine Revelation

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قادر کے کاروبار نموار کہنے کا فرو کہتے تھے وہ گرفتار ہو گئے بَادِنَا المُرْسَلِينَ الهُم لَهُو ال وران جند نالَهُمُ الْعَالِمُونَ (سوة صافات) ا وكفاني مما أو حرة هذا الوحى المُبشر قال ربك انه نازل من السماء ايرضيك وما نتنزل الايامي بك ما أرسل نية الاخرى به الله قوما لا يو منون ان الله مع الذين القوا والذين هم محسنون وبشر الذين امنوابات لهم الفني والله متم نوره ولو كره الكافرون كتب الله لا خلابن انا وسلى الالتحف الى لا يخاف لدى المُرسَلو لوچی خداتعالی کا ہزار ہزار شہر ہے کہ یہ کتاب جامع بین ہر ایک قسم کے حقائق اور معارف اور بہت سے آسمانی نشان درج ہیں بعض و فضل و کرم اور اس کی ترقی اور تائید و مرتب تالیا کر مطبع میگزین قادیان مین با اهتمامه تعداد ایک ہزار جلد تاریخ اشاعت ۱۵ مئی للا لالا فولالا لارلا له لوري Facsimile of the original title page for Haqiqatul-Wahi, printed in 1907.

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The works of the Almighty have become manifest.Those who called [me] a disbeliever have been seized.And surely Our word has gone forth respecting Our servants, the Messengers, that it is certainly they who would be helped; and that it is Our host that would certainly be victorious.(Surah aş-Şaffat) And sufficient for me is what has been revealed to me in this blessed revelation: Your Lord has said: "The thing which will please you is about to descend from heaven' and we do not descend without the command of your Lord.No Prophet has been sent, except that Allah has humiliated on his account a people who do not believe.Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.And give glad tidings to those who believe that for them is the victory.And Allah will perfect His light though the dis- believers may dislike it.Allah has decreed: 'Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.' Fear not; verily the Messengers need have no fear in My Presence.דייר ינקו The PHILOSOPHY of DIVINE REVELATION НУШИ Thousands upon thousands of thanks are due to God Almighty that this comprehensive book, which contains all kinds of verities and insights, and records many heavenly Signs, has been com- piled and composed by His sheer grace and mercy, and with His special help and assistance.Printed at Magazine Press, Qadian under the supervision of the Manager of the Press.1,000 copies printed ✓ Date of Publication: 15 May 1907 Translation of the original title page for Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi, printed in 1907.

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WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THIS BOOK? It should be borne in mind that the effect of this book, which is a com- pendium of comprehensive arguments and truths, is not only limited to the extent that, by the grace and mercy of God Almighty, this hum- ble one's being the Promised Messiah has been proven in it through patent arguments, but its impact is also that Islam's being a living and true religion has been proven within it.Although every single nation can declare themselves that 'we also consider God Almighty as One without partner'—just as the Brahmus claim, and exactly as the Āryas do, to believe in Tauhid [the Oneness of God] even though they consider each particle of matter as eternal and thus partners with God Himself yet all these nations are unable to present any categorical proof of the existence of a Living God and their hearts are incapable of being satisfied with the existence of God.1* This is why their assertions 1.There is no need here to mention the Christians, for their 'God' is their own invention just like their other machines and devices.No trace of him can be found in the book of nature, nor can he be heard to proclaim ‘I ex- ist.Moreover, he has shown no acts possessing a divine nature beyond those which had been shown by other Prophets.Compared to his 'sacrifice, the sacrifice of a fowl seems to be of greater benefit, for the broth of its meat strengthens a debilitated body immediately.Woe, therefore, upon such a sac- rifice, the efficacy of which is even less than the sacrifice of a fowl! (Author)

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2 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION that we consider God Almighty as One without partner' are nothing but mere claims.For this reason, their said proclamations cannot dye their hearts in the colours of true Tauḥīd.Set aside the belief in God as One without partner-in reality, these people do not have so much as the good fortune to believe with certainty in the existence of God; rather, their hearts are steeped in darkness.It should be borne in mind that human beings can never recog- nize God, who is Absolutely Hidden, merely through their own fac- ulties, until He Himself reveals His Being through His Signs.A true relationship with God the Exalted can never develop unless that rela- tionship is created exclusively through the instrumentation of God.Carnal temptations cannot be removed from the soul until a light from the Omnipotent God enters the heart.Behold! I present first-hand tes- timony that such a relationship can only be possible through following the Holy Quran.The other scriptures are now devoid of the spirit of life.There is now only one book under the canopy of the heavens that reveals the countenance of that True Beloved; that is, the Holy Quran.I care not the least about the various objections my people raise against me, and it would be utter infidelity on my part if I should abandon the path of truth for fear of them.They should think for themselves that God has endowed a man with intellectual insight from Himself, has shown him the way, has blessed him with His converse and discourse, and has manifested thousands of Signs to prove his truthfulness; how could he possibly turn his face away from that Sun of Truth, considering the dissenting opinion of an adversary to be something of any importance? Moreover, I am not perturbed by the fact that my opponents, both internal and external, are wholly dedi- cated to slandering me; for this, too, proves a miraculous Sign in my favour.The reason being that if I possess within me every kind of evil and I am, as they allege, a defaulter, a liar, an antichrist, an impostor, a deceiver and corrupt; if I have created a schism between the people; if I am a mischief monger, a transgressor and immoral; if I have imputed falsehood to God for almost thirty years, and used abusive language

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WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THIS BOOK? 3 against good and righteous people; if in my soul there is nothing else but mischief, evil, malefaction, and selfishness; if I have set up a business for simply deceiving the world; if, according to them, God forbid, I do not even believe in God; if there is no evil that is not to be found in me and I possess all the sins of the world, and my soul is replete with every kind of wrongdoing; if I have usurped the wealth of many and abused many (who were as pure as angels); and if I have surpassed all in every evil and fraud; then what is the mystery behind this that—albeit I was the one who was evil, wicked, perfidious, and a liar—whenever a so-called ‘saintly' person arose to confront me, he himself was destroyed; whosoever initiated a mubahalah [prayer duel] against me, he himself was ruined; whosoever cursed me, himself fell prey to his own curse; and whosoever filed a case against me in court, was himself defeated? You will witness the proofs of these occurrences, by way of illustration, in this very book.It should have thus happened at the time of such confrontations that I myself should have perished or been struck by lightning.Moreover, there would have been no need for anyone to stand up against me, for God Himself is the enemy of a crim- inal.Hence for God's sake!—think why the contrary has occurred.Why did the 'pious' perish when opposing me, and why did God save me in every single confrontation? Does this not prove to be a miracle in my favour? Therefore, it is a matter of gratitude that the evils that are [falsely] attributed to me also substantiate my excellence.The Author, Mirza Ghulam Ahmadsa, the Promised Messiah of Qadian

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بسمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ.وَالصَّلوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى خَيْرِ رُسُلِهِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ الِهِ وَ أَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِيْنَ.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.And blessings and peace be upon the Best of His Messengers, Muḥammad, and upon his progeny and all of his Companions.] After this, be it known that I felt the need to write this book because during this age a grave evil has arisen—in the very same manner that hundreds of other kinds of evils and innovations have arisen—and it is that most people are unaware of the stage and condition in which a dream or revelation can be worthy and reliable, and the circumstances in which there lies the danger that those may be the words of Satan, not God- l—or the speaking of the self, not the speaking of the Lord.'* It ought to be remembered that Satan is a staunch enemy of man.He 1.Just as the light of the sun does not reach the earth in all its brilliance when it is obscured by clouds and there is also a storm of dirt and dust, the light of the Spiritual Sun also cannot clearly reach a soul that is steeped in inner dark- ness and overpowered by Satan.Sunlight starts becoming clearer when the dust and clouds begin to disappear.The same is the philosophy of revelation from God.Pure revelation is only granted to those whose hearts are pure, and there is no veil between them and God.Moreover, it should be borne in mind that revelation which is accompanied by divine support and manifests Signs of honour, prestige, and acceptance cannot be experienced by anyone except those who are chosen by God.It is beyond the power of Satan to send down revelation that manifests providential Signs in support of an impostor or disclose to him such supernormal and pure matters from the unseen that increase his honour to serve as testimony to his claim.(Author)

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6 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION wants to destroy man through diverse means.It is entirely possible that a dream be true and yet emanate from Satan, and it is possible that a revelation be true and yet originate from Satan, because although Satan is the greatest liar, he sometimes deceives by saying something true in order to snatch one's faith.Even so, those who attain the degree of perfection in their sincerity, fidelity, and love of God cannot be overpowered by Satan, as Allah the Exalted says: 1 ان عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطن : Thus, their distinctive mark is that the grace of God rains upon them and thousands of Signs and examples of God's acceptance are found in them, the likes of which I shall—God willing-elaborate upon in this book.However, it is a pity that there are many people who are still seized in the clutches of Satan, and yet, trusting their dreams and revelations, seek to give glory to their false doctrines and corrupted religions through those dreams and revelations.Indeed, they present these very dreams and revelations as evidence; or their intent is to present such dreams and revelations to scorn the true religion [of Islam]; or to allege that the holy Prophets of God were no better than ordinary people; or to suggest that if true dreams and revelations are the touchstone of a true religion, then the path and religion they follow ought to be accepted as correct.There are still others who do not present their dreams and revelations as proof of the truth of their faith, but instead suggest that such experiences are not a criterion to determine the truth of a religion or a man.There are yet others who relate their dreams only for boasting and self-glory.There are also some, who, on the basis of certain dreams or revelations which they consider to have come true, portray themselves as Imams, spiritual lead- ers, or Messengers.Such are the evils that have spread in this country, and, instead of leading such people to righteousness and piety, they have made 1.Surely, you [Satan] shall have no power over My servants (Surah al-Hijr, 15:43).[Publisher]

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI— THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 7 them vain and arrogant.Therefore, I thought it proper to pen this trea- tise to distinguish truth from falsehood.For, I see that some of the less intelligent people are faced with a tribulation because of such people.For example, Person X, relying on his dream or revelation, declares Person Y—who also claims to be a recipient of revelation—to be a disbeliever; while Person Z, another recipient of revelation, issues an edict of disbe- lief upon them both.To make matters even more perplexing, all three claim that their own dreams and revelations are true, and even provide evidence of the fulfilment of some of their prophecies.Thus, the people face a serious trial by such contradictions, mutual accusations of false- hood, and rejection.They are left to ponder: If God is One, how could He send down revelation to Person X, say something opposite to Person Y, and then intimate something completely different to Person Z? In this way, those who are ignorant begin to doubt the very existence of God.In short, this state of affairs has become a source of anxiety for the ordinary people, and, because of it, the institution of Prophethood becomes sus- pect in their eyes.In this context, another matter which discomfits the general public is that at times true dreams are also experienced by those who are immoral, sinners, adulterers, oppressors, faithless, thieves, those who earn their living by unlawful means, and those who act contrary to the injunctions of God.For instance, I personally know that certain women belonging to the profession of sweepers, who eat carrion and live the life of criminals, personally related some dreams to me and they were fulfilled.More surprising is the fact that even prostitutes and pimps who are steeped in the filth of their profession have been known to describe some of their dreams that were fulfilled.Moreover, certain Hindus who are tainted with the filth of idolatry, and are bitter enemies of Islam, have also been known to experience dreams that came to pass accordingly.Even as I was writing this book, a Hindu from Qadian, who is a khatri by caste, came to visit me and told me of a dream in which he saw that orders had been issued for the transfer of a certain sub-postmaster, but later they were postponed.And, indeed, this is what came to pass.On various occasions, this Hindu related to me that several other dreams of his had

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8 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION also been fulfilled.I do not know what his purpose was for narrating these accounts and why he would time and again relate his dreams to me; for, according to the Vedas, the age of true dreams and revelations has come to a close.There is also the case of a Hindu who was both a wretched thief and an adulterer and was sentenced to imprisonment.He happened to meet me for some reason after his release.I recall that he had been sentenced to several years of imprisonment for the crime of theft.He told me that the night before he was to be sentenced by the court, it was disclosed to him in a dream that he would be incarcerated-even though this was not the least bit expected.It happened accordingly, and the very next day he was sent to jail.Similarly, there is an individual in America these days by the name of Dowie, who publishes a newspaper.He believes that Haḍrat ‘Īsāªs [Jesus] is God and considers himself to be the reincarnation of Prophet Ilyāsas [Elijah].He is a claimant to divine revelation and presents his dreams and revelations to the masses with the claim that they have come true.However, he is a person who, as I have already mentioned, believes in a humble human being to be the Lord of all the worlds.As for his character, it is sufficient to say that his mother was an adulteress and, by his own admission, he is an illegitimate child.He comes from a family of cobblers and a brother of his works in Australia as a cobbler.These statements are not just empty accusations, for I possess all the letters and newspapers which establish his family background to be such.In short, when various classes of people are able to see such dreams and revelations as come true from time to time, and when there are more than fifty such people in this country who are claimants to such inspiration and revelation—moreover, these people fall within such a wide circle that there seems to be no requisite for following the correct faith or having piety—in this situation, there cannot be any sensible person whose heart does not feel the need to solve the riddle as to how to establish a criterion for distinguishing between them.This is espe- cially the case because there is evidence that, despite a difference of reli- gion and belief, people of every denomination experience dreams and

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI— THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 9 revelations and even denounce one another on the basis of their dreams and revelations, and from time to time the dreams experienced by peo- ple of every religion come true.It is obvious that this is a dangerous stumbling block in the path of those who seek the truth, and it is, in particular, a lethal poison for those who claim to be the recipients of revelation and consider themselves to be recipients of revelation from God, whereas, in fact, they have no relationship with God whatsoever.They assign themselves a rank of importance on account of the odd true dream and are consequently deprived of the desire to seek the truth; instead, they come to view the truth with disdain and contempt.This state of affairs has persuaded me to set out a clear distinction for the benefit of those who seek the truth.Accordingly, I have divided this book into four chapters.Chapter I relates to those people who occasionally experience true dreams or rev- elations, but do not enjoy a relationship with God in the least.Chapter II relates to those people who occasionally experience true dreams or revelations and have some relationship with God—though not to a great extent.Chapter III relates to those people who receive reve- lation from God Almighty in its purest and most perfect form and who are honoured with divine communion and discourse in all its per- fection.Such people experience dreams that are as clear as daybreak.Like God's chosen Prophets and Messengers, they have a most perfect, consummate, and pure relationship with God Almighty.Chapter IV relates to my own personal experiences; that is to say, an exposition as to which of the three categories I have been placed in by the grace and munificence of God Almighty.I will now proceed to write on this sub- وَمَا تَوْفِيْقِىٰ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ.رَبَّنَا اهْدِنَا صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ،.ject in the following four chapters I have no strength] وَهَبْ لَنَا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ فَهُمَ الدِّيْنِ الْقَوِيْمِ، وَعَلَّمْنَا مِنْ لَّدُنْكَ عِلْمًا (آمين) except that which comes from Allah.Our Lord! Guide us to Your right path, and grant us the understanding from Yourself of the correct faith, and teach us knowledge from Yourself (Āmin)].

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CHAPTER I In description of the people who experience some true dreams or some true revelations, but they have no relationship with Allah the Almighty, nor do they receive the slightest share of the light that is bestowed upon His chosen servants, and their carnal self is far removed from any relationship with the divine light.Let it be clear that since man has been created for the purpose of rec- ognizing his Creator and attaining the level of certainty in believing in His Being and His attributes, God Almighty has, therefore, fashioned the human mind accordingly.On the one hand, it has been endowed with the ability to reason, whereby it can ponder over the creations of Allah the Exalted Maker, and—having discovered the subtle imprints of the perfect wisdom of Allah the Maker, Exalted be His Name, that are evident in every particle of the universe and the magnificent and well-organized system characterizing the world order-understand with perfect insight that such a grand enterprise as the heaven and the earth cannot exist on its own without a Creator; indeed, it must have a Creator.On the other hand, it has also been endowed with the spiritual senses and faculties to compensate for the deficiency and imperfection that rational faculties experience in attaining the complete cognition of Almighty God, because it is obvious that rationality alone cannot lead to the complete cognition of God.The reason is that, by observing the

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12 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION component parts of the universe-individually or collectively—and their flawless and perfect order, the rational faculties given to man can, at the most, conclude that this universe, which is based on profound principles and deep wisdom, ought to have a Creator.They cannot go so far as to affirm that He does indeed exist.It is obvious that, until man's enlightenment reaches the level of affirmation that the Creator does indeed exist, only realizing the need for a creator cannot be called perfect enlightenment because the statement that 'there ought to be a Creator for all these creations' cannot equal the statement that 'the Creator, whose necessity has been acknowledged, does indeed exist”.Therefore, in order for seekers after truth to complete their spiritual journey and satisfy the innate desire for the perfect cognition of God that is inherent in their nature, it is necessary that, along with their rational faculties, they should be granted spiritual faculties, so that, if the spiritual faculties are applied fully and there is no veil in between, they should reveal the countenance of the True Beloved with such clar- ity as the rational faculties cannot show on their own.Therefore, God, who is Benevolent and Merciful, and who has invested human nature with the hunger and thirst for His perfect cogni- tion, has also endowed human nature with two types of faculties for the purpose of arriving at that perfect cognition.The first are the rational faculties, the source of which is the brain.The second are the spiritual faculties, the source of which is the heart, and their purity depends upon the purity of the heart.Spiritual faculties reach the reality of that which cannot be discovered completely through the rational faculties.The spiritual faculties only possess the stimulating capability—that is, creating such purity as makes it possible to reflect the graces from the Source of all graces.Therefore, it is a prerequisite that they [such seekers] be eager to acquire that bounty and there should be no veil or obstruction in between so that they become recipients of the grace of perfect cognition from God.Their recognition [of the Divine] should not be limited to an affirmation that this universe, which is full of wis- dom, ought to have a Creator.Rather, by fully receiving the honour of

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CHAPTER I 13 discourse and converse with that Creator and by observing His mag- nificent Signs directly, they should see His countenance and observe with the eye of certainty that, indeed, that Creator does exist.But the nature of most people is not free from the veils-they are afflicted with the love of this world and its temptations, pride, arrogance, conceit, hypocrisy, self-indulgence, and other moral vices; wilful neglect and delinquency in discharging the rights of God and rights of people; deliberate violation of the norms of sincerity, fidelity, and fine points of love and loyalty [to God]; and deliberate severance of the bond with God Almighty.On account of all types of veils, obstructions, desires, and passions, they are not capable of being the recipients of a worthy grace of divine converse and discourse, which should exhibit anything of the light of their being acceptable to God.* Yet the eternal favour of God, which does not desire that the innate faculties of human nature should go to waste, has ordained, by way of planting a seed, that most human beings should occasionally see true dreams or receive true rev- elations so that they should be aware that there is a path open for their progress.But their dreams and revelations do not have any signs of God's acceptance, love, and grace; nor are such people free from the impurities of their egos.They are shown these dreams only so that an argument for believing in God's holy Prophets is established against them.For, if they were totally devoid of understanding the reality of true dreams and true revelations, and they had no definite knowledge of them, they could plead before God Almighty that they could not 1.Bear in mind that Prophets as and Messengers as also experience physical desires and passions, but the difference is that these holy people first re- nounce their desires and carnal sentiments and slaughter their self before the Almighty in order to win His pleasure.Then, what they lose for God is returned to them as grace.They are granted everything and they do not become destitute.But, the desires of those who do not sacrifice their self for the sake of God become veritable veils for them.Like worms, they ultimately perish in filth.The difference between them and God's holy people can be described as follows: A prison is home for both the warden and the prisoners, but we cannot say the warden is like the prisoners.(Author)

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14 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ☆ possibly understand the reality of prophethood since they were com- pletely unacquainted with this phenomenon.They could say that they were totally unaware of the essence of prophethood and their nature was not given any example to understand it; therefore, how could they possibly comprehend this concealed truth? Thus has it been the way of God from antiquity and ever since the foundation was laid for the cre- ation of this world that ordinary people-irrespective of being good or bad, being righteous or disobedient, being the follower of a true faith or a false one-are also shown some true dreams or vouchsafed true revelations so that their concept and conjecture, which derives from hearsay and imitation of others, may reach the level of 'ilmul-yaqin [knowledge by inference] 1 and they may have personal experience which should help spiritual progress.To this end, the Omniscient One has fashioned the human brain in such a way, and endowed it with such spiritual faculties, that it can experience some true dreams and can receive some true revelations.However, those true dreams and true revelations are not an indication of any greatness or esteemed status, but are only pathways to progress acting merely as samples.If such dreams and revelations signify anything, it is only that such a person has the right nature, unless he is ruined by carnal passions.It is implied by such a nature that the person can advance [spiritually] if no barri- ers and screens are encountered.To illustrate, there may be a tract of land which shows signs of having underground water, but the water lies buried beneath several layers of earth and is admixed with many forms of sludge; and the water that is pure, pleasant, and usable cannot be reached without a great deal of labour and many days of digging the earth.Therefore, it is the height of insolence, absurdity, and misfortune 1.Knowledge is of three kinds: (1) First: ‘ilmul-yaqin, [knowledge by in- ference] which is akin to seeing smoke rise from a distance and deducing that there must be a fire at that spot; (2) Second: 'ainul-yaqin [certainty by sight], which is akin to seeing that fire with one's own eyes; and (3) Third: ḥaqqul-yaqin, [true certainty] which is akin to feeling its heat by putting one's hand in that fire.(Author)

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CHAPTER I 15 to imagine that the pinnacle of human excellence lies in experiencing some true dream or true revelation.Rather, there are many other req- uisites and conditions for human excellence and, unless they are all fulfilled, such dreams and revelations are a part of the realm of trials in accordance with the plan of God.May God safeguard every seeker from their ill consequences.At this point it should be borne in mind by one who is enamoured by revelation, that waḥi [revelation] is of two kinds: waḥyul-ibtila' [the revelation of trial] and waḥyul-iṣṭifa' [the revelation of exaltation].The revelation of trial sometimes brings about ruination; as, for example, Balaam was ruined for the same reason.But the recipient of the rev- elation of exaltation is never ruined.Moreover, even the revelation of trial is not experienced by everyone.Just as many people are born phys- ically deaf, dumb, and blind, so do some lack spiritual faculties.Just as a blind person can carry along with the guidance of others, so do these people.But, on account of general testimony, which is tantamount to a matter-of-fact statement, they cannot deny these real occurrences, nor can they allege that all are similarly blind as they are- -as is the everyday observation that a blind man cannot argue that those who claim to be able to see are liars, nor can he deny the fact that, except for him, thousands of others have eyes, for he observes that people do use their eyes s and can do what the blind cannot.However, if there had come a time when everyone was blind and there was no one who could see, and a controversy emerged as to whether there was a time in the past when only people with sight were born, the blind could have ample reason to deny, debate, and contest.I am inclined to think that the blind would have ended up winning this argument, because anyone who refers only to the past—and cannot show, in any other person his own era, those human qualities and excellences that he claims to be real, and contends that those powers and qualities are not present anymore but did exist in the past—would lose the argument on critical review.If human beings still possess the abilities—such as the ability to see, hear, smell, touch, remember, think, etc.—which were bestowed of

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16 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION on the physical aspect of human constitution by the Perfect Benefactor [in the past], then why would anyone think that those spiritual capa- bilities that people enjoyed in previous ages have become altogether extinct in their constitution in this age, particularly when those capa- bilities are more crucial to human perfection than physical faculties? And how can it be denied when our everyday experience confirms that these faculties have not become extinct? This illustrates how distant from the truth are the religions that admit that the physical and intel- lectual faculties of human nature are still the same as they were before, but they deny that the spiritual faculties are still present in human beings as they were in the past.My intent from this entire discourse is that unless a person possesses certain other qualities—which I shall, God willing, elaborate upon in Chapter III-the mere fact that he sees true dreams or experiences a few true revelations does not prove any excellence on his part.It is merely the result of the peculiar constitution of his brain, and that is why there is no precondition in it for being virtuous or truthful, nor is it necessary for him to be a believer and a Muslim.And just as some people experience true dreams or learn something by way of ilhām [inspiration] simply due to the constitution of their brains, similarly, the nature of others is suited for scholarship and discoveries due to the constitution of their brains and they alight upon subtle matters.But, in reality, they fall under the category of people mentioned in an authentic hadith: أمَنَ شِعْرُهُ وَكَفَرَ قَلْبُهُ Meaning that, his poetry professed belief [in God], but his heart disbelieved.That is why it is not for every simple-minded person to recognize a truthful one.[As is said]:

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CHAPTER I پس بہر دستے نباید داد دست اے بسا ابلیس آدم روئے ہت 17 Oh how many an Iblis has the face of Adam! So give not your hand [in allegiance] to everyone.Moreover, it should also be borne in mind that the dreams and rev- elations experienced by the people of this rank are steeped in much darkness and very rarely contain the brilliance of truth.They are not accompanied by any sign of God's love and acceptance, and any news of the unseen they may contain is such that it is also shared by tens of millions of others.Anyone who wishes can verify for himself that such dreams and revelations are experienced by all kinds of people, including sinners, liars, infidels, atheists, and indeed, even prostitutes.Therefore, anyone who exults over, and is enamoured by, such dreams and revela- tions is not wise.And gravely deceived is the one who deludes himself into believing that he is someone special merely by experiencing in himself a sample of dreams and revelations of this quality.Indeed, it should be remembered that such a person is only like someone who, on a dark night, sees the smoke of a fire from a distance, but he cannot see the glow of this fire nor can he alleviate his frigidity and dejection by its heat.This is the very reason why such people derive no share of God's special blessings and bounties, nor does any acceptance develop in them.They have no connection with God at all, nor are the impuri- ties of their human self consumed by the flames of divine light.Since they do not develop a real friendship with God, their lack of nearness to Him allows Satan to remain their constant companion and they are dominated by ḥadīthun-nafs [the inspirations of the self].Even as the sun remains mostly hidden on an overcast day-only a corner of it becomes visible occasionally-so are such people mostly enveloped in darkness, and their dreams and revelations have a great deal of satanic influence.

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CHAPTER II In description of those people who occasionally see true dreams or experience true revelations, and who do enjoy some relationship with God Almighty, but the relationship is not of a high degree, and their carnal self is not consumed and obliterated by the flame of divine light, though it comes somewhat closer to it.There also exist some people in this world who adopt a measure of piety and chastity.Their own efforts towards self-reformation, combined with their innate capacity and constitution of their brain for experienc- ing a sample of dreams and visions, produces within them a superficial piety and virtue that brings with it a limited measure of illumination by true dreams and genuine visions, but they are not free from darkness.Indeed, even some of their prayers are accepted, but not in regard to extraordinary matters, for their piety is not perfect.It is rather like the clear water that appears clear at the surface, but contains manure and filth underneath.Since their self-purification is not complete and their righteousness and sincerity suffers from much deficiency, they stumble when faced with a trial.If the mercy of God accompanies them and His attribute of Sattar [Concealer] protects them, they may pass on from this world without any major stumble; but in the case of a trial there is a danger that they may come to an evil end like Balaam, and, like him,

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20 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION be likened to a dog even after having experienced revelations.Because of their deficient state of knowledge, practice, and faith, Satan lurks at their door and rushes inside their home when they stumble.They see light from afar but they do not enter this light, nor do they get a sub- stantial portion of its warmth.Hence, they are in a state of risk.God is Light, as He says: اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّيُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ! One who only sees the inevitable results of this Light is like someone who only sees the smoke from a distance but does not see the light of the fire.Therefore, he is deprived of the benefits of the light and also of its warmth that consumes the impurities of human nature.Those who believe in the existence of God merely on the basis of traditional or rational arguments or on account of dubious revelations—such as the so-called religious scholars, philosophers, or those who believe in the existence of God on the basis of their spiritual faculties which have the capacity to see dreams and visions but are deprived of the light of God's nearness-are like a person who sees smoke from a distance, but does not see the light of the fire.By seeing the smoke alone, he begins to believe that there must be a fire.Such a person is deprived of the enlightened conviction that comes from beholding the light itself.On the other hand, one who sees the rays of this light from a distance but does not enter this light is like one who sees the light of a fire in a dark night and finds the right path with its help, but he cannot safeguard himself from the cold due to the distance from the fire, nor can the fire consume his carnal self.Anyone can understand that if the flame of a fire is visible from a distance on a dark and frigid night, its mere sight cannot save one from perishing.Only he will be saved who gets close enough to the fire so that it may sufficiently dispel his cold.The 1.Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth (Surah an-Nür, 24:36).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER II 21 one who beholds the light from afar may show some signs of being on the right path, but will possess none of the signs of special grace, and his state of constriction, which is due to deficient trust and carnal desires, is not removed.And his carnal self does not burn to ashes because he is far away from the flame of divine light.He does not fully become an heir of the Messengers and Prophets, and some of his inner impurities remain hidden within him.The relationship that he has with God is not free from turbidity and deficiency, for he beholds God Almighty from afar with his hazy sight, but he is not in His lap.There are men who have carnal passions inside of them.Sometimes, their carnal passions flare up and exhibit their excitement in their dreams, making them think, that their excitement is from God; whereas, this excitement is only from the self that incites towards evil.For instance, a person might say in a dream, ‘I will not submit to such a person on any account.I am better than he, and then conclude from it that he is indeed superior, whereas that incitement originated from the tumult of his ego.Similarly, he utters various kinds of statements in dreams induced by the commotion of his ego and, in his ignorance, concludes that the words are in concurrence with the will of God, and thence is ruined.And because he has not advanced towards God with all of his energy and does not accept Him with full sincerity and devotion, he is not bestowed the mercy of God in full measure.He is like a foetus that has life but has not yet been able to emerge from the womb.His eye is still closed to the full spectacle of the spiritual world.He has not seen even the face of his mother in whose womb he was nurtured.In keeping with the well-known [Urdu] proverb A half-baked mullah is a danger to the Faith,' he is in a perilous state on account of his imperfect cog- nition.Such people do come to know of a certain measure of insights and verities, but it is like milk which is polluted with urine, or water which has some filth in it.Compared to the first category, the person 1.The English equivalent would be, ‘A little knowledge is a dangerous thing? [Publisher]

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22 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of this category is somewhat safer from satanic intrusion and egoistic influence in his dreams and revelations but, since such a person still has a share of Satan in his nature, he cannot altogether escape from satanic inspirations.Moreover, since his carnal passions are still clinging on to him, he cannot remain free from egoistic inspirations.The fact of the matter is that the perfection of the clarity of inspirations and revelations depends upon the purity of the soul.Those who still have some impurities in their souls, have impurities in their inspirations and revelations as well.

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CHAPTER III In description of those people who receive revelation from God in the perfect and clearest manner, and enjoy the honour of converse and discourse in a perfect manner, and the dreams that they see are also true like the breaking of the dawn, and who have the most perfect and complete relation- ship of love with God; they enter the fire of divine love and their carnal self is totally consumed by the flame of light.It should be borne in mind that God Almighty is Most Benevolent and Merciful; whoever turns to Him with sincerity and purity, He responds with even greater sincerity and purity for him.Whoever advances towards Him with a sincere heart never goes to waste.Almighty God possesses magnificent attributes of love, fidelity, grace, munificence, and displaying divine wonder, but they are fully witnessed only by those who are completely lost in His love.Although He is very Benevolent and Merciful, He is also Independent and Self-Sufficient.Therefore, only he who dies in His path, attains life from Him; and only he who forsakes everything for Him, receives the heavenly bounty.Those who establish a perfect relationship with God Almighty are like a person who first sees a light of fire from a distance and then draws closer to it until he puts himself into the fire; his whole body is thereby consumed, and only the fire remains.Likewise, the one who

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24 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION has a perfect relationship continues to get closer to God day by day until his entire self is cast into the fire of divine love, and the carnal self is reduced to ashes by the flame of divine light and the fire takes its place.This is the culmination of the blessed love for God.The principal indicator that a person enjoys perfect relationship with God is that the attributes of the Divine are manifested in him.The base characteristics of human nature having been consumed by the divine flame of light, a new being is born and a new life emerges which is totally different from the former life.Similar to when a bar of iron is placed in a fire and the fire overpowers it completely, that bar of iron develops the exact appearance of the fire, but it cannot be said that it is the fire itself, even though it manifests the characteristics of the fire.In the same way, the one whose entire being is engulfed by the fire of divine love, he too becomes the manifestation of divine glory, but it cannot be said that he is God; for he is only a human whom that fire has completely engulfed.After the fire has completely dominated, thousands of Signs of con- summate love appear—not just one solitary Sign which would remain doubtful to a discerning person and seeker after truth.Rather, this rela- tionship is recognized by hundreds of Signs." 12 One of these Signs is that, from time to time, the Benevolent God causes His eloquent and pleasant Word, which possesses the full force of divine glory, blessing, and news of the unseen, to flow from his tongue.And it is accompanied by a light that validates it as an unequiv- ocal fact, not a conjecture.It is accompanied by a divine radiance and is free from all impurities.Many a time and with the utmost frequency and probability, that Word consists of some grand prophecy.The scope of his prophecies is broad and universal and they are unparalleled in both quantity and quality, and no one can present the like of them.1.A major sign of perfect relationship [with God] is that, just as God has dominance over everything, such a person also dominates over all of his ene- mies and adversaries.[Allah has decreed: Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers, (Surah al-Mujādalah, 58:22)].(Author)

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CHAPTER III 25 They are filled with divine awe and majesty, and, through the perfect providence of God, the very face of God is visible in them.His proph- ecies are not like those of astrologers, rather they contain the hallmarks of dearness and acceptance and they are replete with divine support and help.Some prophecies relate to his own self, some to his children, some to his friends, some to his foes, some to the world in general, and some to his wives and relatives.Such matters are disclosed to him as are not disclosed to others, and the doors to the unseen, that are not open to others, are opened to his prophecies.God's Word descends upon him in the same manner as it descends upon God's holy Prophets and Messengers, and it is unequivocal and free from conjecture.The tongue of such a person is so blessed that the words that flow from it cannot be matched by anyone in the world both in their abundance and spiritual significance.His eye is given visionary power with which he can see the most hidden of matters.Oftentimes, written texts are presented before his eyes.He meets the dead like the living.Oftentimes, things that are thousands of miles away appear before his eyes as if they were lying under his feet.Similarly, his ears are given the ability to hear concealed things.Often, he hears the voice of angels and derives solace from their voice in times of anguish.The greatest wonder is that even the voice of minerals, plants, and animals reaches him on certain occasions [as has been said]: از حواس انبیاء بیگانه است فلسفی کو منکر حنانہ است The philosopher who denies the event of Hannanah' Is totally unaware of the extraordinary senses of the Prophets.Similarly, his nose is granted the capability to smell fragrance from the unseen.Oftentimes, he can smell joyful tidings and detect the 1.It is narrated that the Holy Prophets used to lean against Ḥannānah—a tree trunk—and when the pulpit was built for the Holy Prophets, Ḥannānah expressed its sorrow, which the Holy Prophetsa perceived.[Publisher]

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26 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION odour of the abominable.Likewise, his heart is granted sagacity and many things that he perceives turn out to be correct.Likewise, Satan is rendered incapable of influencing him because Satan has no share left in him.Because of his being completely lost in God, his tongue is the tongue of God at all times and his hand is the hand of God.Even if he does not receive revelation specifically, whatever flows from his tongue is not from him but is from God.This is because his carnal self is totally consumed, and death having overtaken his lower self, a new and pure life, upon which divine light is constantly reflected, is granted to him.Similarly, his forehead is granted a light that is not granted to anyone except the lovers of God.On some special occasions this light shines so brightly that even a disbeliever can perceive it.This happens particularly when such people, while being persecuted, turn to God to seek His help.Thus, that moment of advancement towards God is a special moment for them and the divine light manifests itself in their forehead.Similarly, their hands, their feet, and their entire body are granted a blessing, as a result of which even the garment they wear becomes blessed.Oftentimes, their touching or placing a hand on someone causes the eradication of that person's spiritual or physical maladies.Similarly, the Lord of Honour and Glory bestows a blessing upon the houses wherein they dwell.Such a house remains safe from calamities, and the angels of God guard it.Similarly, a blessing and distinction is granted to their town or village.Likewise, even the dust upon which they tread receives a share of that blessing.In the same way, all desires of the people of this rank often assume the colour of prophecies.That is to say, when they feel a strong desire to eat or drink, or wear or to see something, that desire takes the form of a prophecy.Hence, prior to the actual attainment, when a com- pulsive desire to obtain something arises in their hearts, it becomes available.

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CHAPTER III 27 Their pleasure or displeasure also has a prophetic element to it.When they are greatly pleased and happy with a person, it bodes well for the future success and prosperity of that individual.And when they are wroth with someone, it is an indication of his future affliction and ruin.This happens because, being completely lost in God, they dwell in the court of God.Their pleasure and wrath is God's pleasure and wrath, and it does not arise from the promptings of their inner selves, but such states are created in them by God.Likewise, their prayer and attention is not like ordinary prayers or attention.Indeed it has a profound effect.There is no doubt that if a decree is not final and irrevocable, and their attention, with all its necessary conditions, is focused to avert a calamity, God averts it, regardless of whether it relates to a single person, a few individuals, a country, or a ruling monarch.The secret behind all this is that these people have annihilated their own selves and their will often coincides with the will of God.Therefore, when they focus intensely upon averting a calamity, and achieve the needed advancement towards God with an anguished heart, God's eternal way is that He hears them.Thus it happens that God does not reject their supplication.However, on certain occasions, to prove their servitude, their prayer is not granted so that the ignorant might not consider them to be partners with God.If it so happens that a calamity has descended and the associated signs of death have appeared, it is generally the way of God that the calamity is not postponed.On such occasions, it befits the elect of God to cease their prayers and resign themselves to His will.The best time for prayer is the time when signs of despair and hopelessness are not yet fully manifested, and such signs have not yet appeared as clearly show that the calamity is imminent and, in a manner of speaking, has already occurred.This is so because it is the divine practice, in general, that when God Almighty has manifested His will with regard to a chastisement, He does not revoke His will.It is absolutely true that the vast majority of the prayers of God's elect are granted.Indeed, the very acceptance of prayer is their greatest

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28 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION miracle.When their hearts suffer intense anguish during the time of some affliction, and in this state of intense anguish they turn their attention towards their God, He hears them and, at that moment, their hand is as if it were the hand of God.God is like a hidden treasure.He manifests His countenance through those whom He has bestowed His perfect acceptance.When His chosen ones are tormented, then indeed the Signs of God appear; and when they are tormented beyond limit, then be certain that God's Sign is near-nay, it is at the door―because they are the kind of people whom God loves more than anyone can love their dearest son.For those who love Him with all their heart and soul, He shows extraordinary Signs.He displays such of His might as a lion awoken from its slumber.God is Hidden and these are the people who manifest Him.He is cloaked in a thousand veils; His countenance is revealed through this group [of His elect].It should also be remembered that the notion that every single prayer of the chosen ones gets accepted is absolutely false.Rather, the fact is that God maintains a friendly protocol with the chosen ones.At times He accepts their prayers and at other times He wants them to submit to His will—just as you see in friendship.Sometimes a person accepts what his friend says and does what he wants, but at other times he wants his friend to accept what he says.This is what God Almighty refers to in the Holy Quran.At one place in the Holy Quran He promises the acceptance of the prayers of the believers and says: ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُم Meaning that, pray unto Me, and I will accept your prayer.However, at another place, He instructs them to remain pleased and content with His decree and manifest destiny.As He says: 1.Surah al-Mu'min, 40:61 [Publisher]

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CHAPTER III وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصُّبِرِينَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَجِعُونَ.1 29 Therefore, by reading these two verses in conjunction, it becomes clear what the practice of Allah is regarding prayers, and what the relationship between the Lord and servant is.I deem it proper to write about this again so that a naive person may not wonder: 'Other people share in many of the aspects that have been described regarding the people at the third level of perfect faith and perfect love, insofar as ordinary people also experience dreams, have visions, and receive revelations.Therefore, what is their distinction?' Although I have answered these concerns many times, I reiter- ate that the difference between the chosen ones and the non-chosen ones is tremendous, as has been briefly described in this dissertation.Notwithstanding, with regard to heavenly Signs, one great difference is this distinction that the chosen people of God—who are suffused with divine light and whose inner selves are consumed by the fire of love-remain dominant over others in every excellence, both qualita- tively and quantitatively.The Signs of divine help and support appear in their favour in such an extraordinary manner, and with such abun- dance, that no one in the world can dare to produce their like; for, as I have already mentioned, these people are the perfect manifestation to show the face of God who is concealed.They show the hidden God to the world, and God shows them.And I have previously mentioned, there are three types of people who partake of heavenly Signs.Firstly, those who possess no merit in themselves and have no relationship with God Almighty, but who, on account of their mental compatibility, see some true dreams and witness some true visions, but without manifesting any sign of acceptance and 1.And We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives, and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient, who, when a misfortune overtakes them, say, 'Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return' (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:156–157).[Publisher]

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30 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION endearment, nor do they derive any benefit from them.Thousands of wicked, evil, sinful, and immoral ones also see such malodorous dreams and revelations.It is often observed that, despite such dreams and visions, their conduct is not praiseworthy.At a minimum, their faith is very weak, so much so, that they do not have the courage to give a true testimony, and they do not fear God as much as they fear the world, and they cannot sever themselves from the wicked.They dare not bear such true testimony as might offend a person of rank.They are extremely slothful and lazy in respect of religious obligations and are preoccupied day and night with worldly concerns and worries.They deliberately support falsehood and abandon truth.They are guilty of dishonesty at every step; moreover, some of them do not even restrain themselves from vice and sin and resort to every unlawful device for the purpose of acquiring worldly benefits.The moral condition of some of them is deplorable and they are the embodiment of jealousy, miserliness, self-conceit, arrogance, and pride.They perpetrate every mean act, and a variety of despicable traits are found in them.It is peculiar that some of them are such that they always see evil dreams, and they even come true, as if their brains have been fashioned only for evil and ill-omened dreams.They are incapable of having dreams that foretell their own betterment in worldly affairs and attainment of their desires, or dreams that foretell any good fortune for others.The quality of their dreams, out of the three types, can be described as resembling the physical expe- rience of a person who perceives only smoke from a distance, but does not see the light of the fire nor does he feel its warmth.Because such people have no relationship with God and with spiritual matters, their lot is mere smoke from which no light is obtained.Then the second category of people who see dreams or experience revelations are those who have some relationship with God Almighty, but that relationship is not perfect.The quality of their dreams or revelations resembles the physical experience of a person who perceives the light of a fire from far away on a dark and frigid night.This sight pro- vides at least the benefit that he avoids the path which has many potholes,

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CHAPTER III 31 thorns, rocks, serpents, and beasts, but this much light cannot save him from the cold and destruction.Thus, if such a person fails to reach the warm circle of the fire, he is destroyed just like one who walks in the dark.Then the third category of people who experience revelations and see dreams are those whose quality of dreams and revelations resembles the physical experience of a person who, on a dark and frigid night, not only finds the full radiance of the fire and walks in it, but also, by entering its warm circle, is fully safeguarded against the ill effects of the cold.This rank is attained by those who incinerate the cloak of carnal passions in the fire of divine love and adopt an arduous life for the sake of God.They see the death that lies ahead, yet they rush to choose that death for them- selves.They embrace every pain in the path of God.For the sake of God, by becoming the enemy of their ego and marching against it, they exhibit such power of faith that even the angels are amazed and astounded at the strength of their faith.They are spiritual champions and all of Satan's assaults amount to nothing in opposition to their spiritual strength.They are true in their faithfulness and uncompromising in their truthfulness such that the sights of worldly pleasures cannot beguile them nor can the love of children or the bond of matrimony turn them away from their True Beloved.In short, no bitterness can frighten them nor can any carnal pleasure hinder them from God, nor can any relationship interfere with their relationship with God.These are the three states of spiritual ranks of which the first is named 'ilmul-yaqin [knowledge by inference], the second is designated ‘ainul-yaqin [certainty by sight], and the third blessed and perfect rank is known as ḥaqqul-yaqin [true certainty].The cognition of any human being cannot be perfected nor can it be washed clean of all impurities until it reaches the stage of ḥaqqul-yaqin, for this stage does not depend only on observation, but descends upon the heart of a man as an actual experience; and the man, being thrust into the blazing fire of divine love, is totally separated from his carnal self.Arriving at this : stage, human cog- nition moves from hearsay to actual experience and the ignoble self is totally burnt to ashes, and such a man becomes seated in the lap of God

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32 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Almighty.Just as a piece of iron, being placed in fire, assumes the appear- ance of fire, and the characteristics of fire start to manifest through it, in the same way, a person of this rank figuratively becomes endowed with divine attributes.He is, by nature, so completely lost in the pursuit of the pleasure of God that he speaks while being immersed in God, sees while being immersed in God, hears while being immersed in God, and walks while being immersed in God, as if there is only God inside his cloak.His human nature is overpowered by the manifestations of the Divine.Since this subject is delicate and is beyond ordinary comprehension, I shall, therefore, leave it at this point.In yet another way, I may illustrate this third rank, which is the superior and perfect rank, in the following manner.The perfect reve- lation, which is the third of the three types of revelation and descends upon the perfect individual, is as if the light and the rays of the sun fall on a polished mirror which is perfectly facing it.It is obvious that, though the light of the sun is the same, differences develop in the manner in which it appears according to the various objects [that reflect it].Thus, when a ray of the sun falls on such a dense area of earth that does not have clean and pure water on its surface-but rather, has black and dark dust, and the surface is also uneven-then [the reflection of] the ray is very weak, particularly in the event that a cloud should be intervening between the sun and the earth.But when that same ray, in front of which there is no intervening cloud, falls on clear water that shines like a polished mirror, then the same ray is intensified tenfold in its appearance, so much so, that the eye cannot even bear it.In the same manner, when revelation descends upon a soul that has attained purification, having been cleansed of all impurities, its lustre is manifest to an extraordinary degree.The reflection of divine attributes upon that soul becomes complete, and the countenance of the One True God is fully revealed.It is obvious from this inquiry that when the sun rises, its light falls on every pure and impure surface, even to the extent that the outhouse, which is a place of filth, partakes of it.However, the full benefit of that light is obtained by that clean mirror

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CHAPTER III 33 or clean water, which, by virtue of its own perfect purity, is capable of portraying the image of the sun in itself.Similarly, due to the fact that God is not miserly, everyone is benefited by His light.However, the condition of those who become the perfect manifestation of God because of the annihilation of their corporeal self, and in whose being God enters by way of reflection, is uniquely distinct from all others.As you can see, although the sun is in the sky, when it faces clear water or a polished mirror, it appears as though it is in that water or mirror.However, the fact of the matter is that it is not in that water or mirror, yet on account of its perfect purity and sheen, the water or the mirror creates the impression as if it is in the water or the mirror.Thus, the light of divine revelation is accepted in its perfect and utmost quality only by the soul which attains complete and perfect purification.Mere receipt of revelation and dream does not indicate any merit or excellence, so long as the soul does not attain this quality of reflectiveness, and so long as the countenance of the True Beloved is not reflected in it.Just as the general grace of God has endowed everyone in the physical realm, with a few exceptions, with eyes, nose, ears, the sense of smell, and all other faculties, and has not been miserly with any nation; similarly, in the spiritual realm, He has not excluded the people of any age or nation from sowing the seeds of their spiritual faculties.Just as you see the light of the sun falls everywhere, and no place, delicate or dense, is excluded; the same is the law of nature pertaining to the light of the spiritual sun, that neither a dense place can remain deprived of that light nor a delicate one.However, that light is in love with the pure and clean hearts.When that spiritual sun casts its light on pure objects, it manifests its entire light in them to the extent that it draws the picture of its face in them.As you observe, when the sun is directly facing some clear water or a polished mirror, it manifests its entire image in them, so much so, that just as the sun is visible in the sky, it is equally visible in that clear water or the mirror without any difference.Hence, spiritually, there is no greater excellence for man than to achieve such a level of purity that the image of God Almighty is drawn

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34 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION in him.This is what is alluded to when Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: 1 إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً.Meaning that, I am going to appoint My Khalifah upon the earth.It is obvious that a picture is a khalifah or the true image of something and, in other words, its substitute.That is why a picture depicts the features of the original and outlines exactly as they are.It is recorded in the hadith, as well as the Torah, that God Almighty created man in His own image—thus, image implies this very spiritual resemblance.It is also obvious that, for instance, when sunlight falls on a highly polished mirror, not only is the sun visible within it, but that mirror also manifests the attributes of the sun; that is, its light also gets projected onto another by way of reflection.The same applies to the image of the Spiritual Sun; when a pure heart accepts its reflected image, the rays emit from it and illuminate other objects in the likeness of the sun, as if the entire sun also entered it with all its glory.There is another point worth remembering at this juncture, and it is that even those who belong to the third category and enjoy a per- fect bond with God and receive the perfect and pure revelation, are not equal in acceptance of divine bounties.The sphere of their natu- ral capacity is not equal to one another.Rather, the sphere of natural capacity is of a lesser magnitude for some and it is greater for others, while for some it is greater still, and it is even beyond imagination and estimation for some others.Some have strong ties of love with God, others stronger, and I yet others have such that the world cannot fathom it, and no intellect can grasp its magnitude.They are so consumed in the love of the Eternal Beloved that not even a single particle or fibre of their being or self survives.And all these people of varied ranks cannot progress beyond their natural capacity in the light of the verse: 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:31 [Publisher]

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1 CHAPTER III كُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ.35 None of them can acquire any light beyond the range of his natural capacity, nor can anyone reflect the spiritual image of the Divine Sun beyond his innate capacity.God reveals His face to everyone according to their innate capacity and His face appears smaller in some or bigger in others depending on the variation of the individual capacities, just as, for example, a large face appears very small in a handheld mirror, but that same face appears large in a large mirror.But the mirror, whether large or small, reveals all the form and features of the face, the only difference being that a small mirror cannot display the full measure of the face.Just as this variation is evident between a small and a large mirror, similarly, although the Being of God is Eternal and Immutable, changes appear in it according to an individual's capacity, and the dif- ferences that emerge are so great that it seems as though the God of one person is greater in the expression of His attributes than that of a second person, and that of a third person is greater still.But God is not three, He is only One.It is only that His glory is revealed differently as a result of differences in manifestations.Just as the God of Mūsāªs [Moses], Isaas [Jesus], and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is only One and not three gods, but because of different manifestations, three expressions of glory appeared in the same One God.Since Mūsa's purpose was limited only to the Israelites and Pharaoh, the manifestation of divine power upon Mūsā was lim- ited to that extent.Had his focus been upon all of mankind of that time as well as the future, the teachings of the Torah would not have been as limited and deficient as they are today.Similarly, Hadrat 'Isa's purpose was confined to the few Israelite tribes who were before him, and his concern did not extend to other nations or future ages.Therefore, the manifestation of divine power in his religion remained limited in proportion to his purpose, and a 1.Each gliding along in its orbit (Surah al-Anbiya, 21:34).[Publisher]

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36 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION seal was placed on future divine revelation [for his followers].Since the teachings of the Injil [Gospel] were also to reform the conduct and characters of only the Jews, and the ills of the whole world were not the focus; therefore, the Injil, too, is unable to effect general reformation.It only reforms the prevalent immorality of those Jews who were pres- ent.And the Injil is not at all concerned with the condition of the people of other countries or the times to come.Had the objective of the Injil been to reform all groups and various natures, its teachings would not be as we find them.It is regrettable that, on the one hand, the teachings of the Injil were inherently deficient, but on the other hand, great damage was caused by the self-conceived fallacies in that a humble human being was raised to Godhead for no reason; and by pro- posing the concocted doctrine of Atonement, the door to the efforts of practical reformation was closed altogether.Now the Christian people are suffering from ill-fortune in two ways: First, they cannot receive divine help through revelation as, purportedly, a seal has been placed upon revelation; and second, they cannot practically advance because Atonement has precluded them from hard work, toil, and effort [in spirituality].However, the perfect man to whom the Holy Quran was revealed, was not limited in his outlook, nor was there any deficiency in his sympathy and compassion for all.His self was imbued with perfect sympathy that transcended the limitations of time and space.He, therefore, received the full and perfect share of the manifestation of providence of the Divine.He became Khatamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets] but not in the sense that no one would, from then on, receive any spiritual grace from him; rather, in the sense that he is the possessor of the khātam [seal] without the attestation of which, no grace can reach anyone, and for his ummah the door of converse and communion with the Divine will never be closed until the Day of Judgment.Other than him, there is no Prophet who was bestowed this seal.He is the only one with whose seal such prophethood can be achieved, which requires one to be an

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CHAPTER III 37 ummati.His resolve and sympathy did not wish to leave his ummah in a deficient state, 2 2,2* and did not tolerate that the door of revelation, which is the real source of achieving divine cognition, should remain closed upon them.Nevertheless, in order to preserve his Sign of the seal of Prophethood, he desired that the grace of revelation should be bestowed through obedience to him and that the door of divine revela- tion should be closed to everyone who was not his ummati.It was in this sense that God made him Khatamul-Anbiya'.Thus, it has been forever ordained that he who does not prove to be his ummati through true obedience, and does not efface his entire being in submission to him, cannot receive any perfect revelation nor achieve the status of a perfect recipient of revelation insofar as independent Prophethood has ended with the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.But Prophethood by way of zill [reflection], which means the receipt of revelation purely through the Muḥammadan grace, shall last till the Day of Judgment so that the door to perfection for humankind should not close; and so that this Sign should not disappear from the world that the resolve of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has desired that the doors of converse and communion 1.One who belongs to the Ummah.[Publisher] 2.At this point, the question can naturally arise that, as there appeared many Prophets among the ummah of Ḥaḍrat Mūsā [Moses], in this situation, it necessarily implies that Ḥaḍrat Mūsā is superior.The answer is that all of these Prophets were directly chosen by God, and Ḥaḍrat Mūsā had no part in it whatsoever.However, in this ummah there have been thousands of saints through the blessing of following the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and there has even appeared one who is both an um- mati and a Prophet.There is no other instance of such bounteous grace in the case of any other Prophet.Among the ummah of Mūsā, with the exception of the Israelite Prophets, the majority of the people are found [spiritually] wanting.In regard to the [Israelite] Prophets, as I have already stated, they did not receive anything from Mūsā; rather, they were made Prophets di- rectly.But from Ummat-e-Muḥammadiyyah [the followers of Muḥammad³ª], thousands were bestowed sainthood solely because they were followers [of the Holy Prophetsa].(Author)

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38 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION with the Divine should remain open until the Day of Judgment, and cognition of the Divine, which is the basis of salvation, should not become extinct.There is nothing in any authentic hadith to indicate the possibility of the coming of a Prophet who is not an ummati of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, meaning that, one who does not partake of the blessings of following him.This very point exposes the error of those who bring back Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā to this world for no reason and fail to pay heed to the true interpretation of the second coming of the Prophet Ilyās [Elijah], as was clarified by the statement of Hadrat Īsā himself.¹ Moreover, those very aḥādīth [sayings of the Holy Propheta] that indicate the coming of the Promised Messiah indicate that he will be a Prophet and an ummati.But how can Ibn- e-Maryam [the son of Mary] be an ummati? Who can prove that he achieved the rank of prophethood not directly but by following the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? ☆ هَذَا هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنَا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَةَ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ.2 1.The doctrine of the second coming of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā was forged by the Christians solely for their own benefit, because no sign of his divinity was evident during the first advent [of ‘Īsā].He was continually beaten on every occasion.He constantly showed his helplessness.Therefore, in order to conceal the events of his first coming, this doctrine was put forward that he would display the grandeur of divinity during his second advent and would make up for earlier weaknesses.But now the time is approaching when the Christians themselves are beginning to disown such doctrines.I am certain that as their reason progresses they will abandon this belief rather easily.Just as a fully developed foetus cannot remain in the womb, they will soon emerge from their amniotic veil and ignorance.(Author) 2.This is the truth, and if they turn away, say to them, 'Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and our people and your people; then let us pray fervently and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie.' [Publisher]

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CHAPTER III 39 Even if a thousand explanations and interpretations were given in its justification, it remains utterly illogical that after the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, such a prophet is to come who will run to church when people will flock to the mosques for prayers, who will read the Gospel when people will recite the Holy Quran, who will turn his face to Baitul-Muqaddas when people will face the House of God at the time of worship, and who will drink wine and eat pork and will have no regard for the ordinances of Islam.Can any intellect opine that such a terrible day still awaits Islam when, after the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, such a prophet will appear who will, because of his independent prophethood, break his seal of Khatm-e-Nubuwwat [the Finality of Prophethood] and will snatch away his distinction of being Khātamul- Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets], and who would have the status of prophethood directly and not through submission to him, and whose practices will be contrary to the Shariah of Muḥammad, and who will put people in a trial by blatantly defying the Holy Quran, and who will be the cause of defiling Islam? Rest assured that God will never do this.No doubt in the aḥadīth the designation nabi [prophet] is present with [the mention of] the Promised Messiah, but the term ummati is present along with it as well.Even if it were not present, in view of the aforementioned consequences, one would have to admit that it is absolutely impossible to believe that an independent Prophet 1 ☆ 1.It is utterly slanderous to suggest that the return of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā to this world is a unanimous belief.The consensus of the Companions, Allah be مَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ pleased with them, was only about the verse [Muḥammad is only a Messenger.Verily, all Messengers have passed away be- fore him, (Surah Al-e-Imrān, 3:145)].After them, many sects emerged within the Ummah.For example, the Mu'tazilah are still convinced of the death of Haḍrat 'Isā, and some eminent sufis are also convinced of his death.Even if some from within the Ummah believed, prior to the advent of the Promised Messiah, that Haḍrat ‘Īsā would return to this world, there is no blame upon them.It is only an error of interpretation like that made by the Israelite Prophets in interpreting some prophecies.(Author)

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40 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION could appear after the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as the coming of such a person is clearly incompatible with Khatm-e-Nubuwwat [the Seal of Prophethood].To suggest that he will be made an ummati and this newly converted Muslim prophet will be hailed as the Promised Messiah is far removed from the dignity of Islam.When the aḥādīth establish that Jews will be brought forth from within this ummah, it is a matter of pity that the Jews are to appear from within this ummah, but the Messiah is to appear from the outside.Is this matter hard to understand for a God- fearing person? Namely, that even as his mind is satisfied that some such people will be brought forth from within this ummah who will be called 'Jews, similarly a person will be brought forth from within this ummah who will be named ‘Īsā and the Promised Messiah.Why must Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā be brought back from 'Heaven' and be stripped of his cloak of independent prophethood and be made an ummati? If it is said that this process will be by way of punishment because his ummah had proclaimed him to be God, this answer is also absurd because what is the fault of Ḥadrat ‘Īsā in it? I do not say these things on the basis of any speculation or conjec- ture; rather, I say this having received revelation from God Almighty, and I swear by Him that He Himself has informed me of this.The time testifies for me.The Signs of God testify for me.Besides this, since the death of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā is unequivocally estab- lished by the Holy Quran, therefore, the view that he will come again is absolutely absurd, for if one is not alive in his physical body in Heaven, how could he possibly return to earth [with that physical body]? If asked to show which Quranic verses categorically prove the death of Hadrat Īsā, I would draw your attention to this verse as an example:

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CHAPTER III فَلَمَّا تَوَفَيْتَنِي كُنْتَ انْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ.الخ ) 41 To suggest here that the word [tawaffi] means ascension to Heaven with the physical body, this meaning is categorically false because it is evident from these same verses of the Holy Quran that this question will be asked of Haḍrat ‘Īsā on the Day of Judgment.Thus, such an interpretation necessarily implies that, prior to his death he will appear before God in this same condition of physical ascension, and then he will never die as there is no death after the Day of Judgment and such a notion is utterly false.Moreover, this reply of his on the Day of Judgment that ‘I did not know what happened to my ummah after my ascension to Heaven in my physical body' is proven patently false by the belief that proposes that he will come back to the world before the Day of Judgment.For, if somebody comes back to the world and witnesses the idolatry of his ummah-even fights wars against them and breaks their cross and kills their swine-how can he say on the Day of Judgment that 'I have no knowledge of the state of my ummah'? Indeed, this claim itself is peculiar because it asserts that when the word—tawaffi is used in the Holy Quran in relation to Ḥaḍrat Īsā, it means 'ascension to Heaven with the physical body, but this meaning does not apply to others.For the whole world the word -tawaffi means 'to seize the soul and not to seize the body' but for Hadrat Īsā it has the special meaning of 'to raise to Heaven with the physical body'.This meaning is peculiar indeed, that even our lord and master, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not partake of this, and this meaning is reserved exclu- sively for Hadrat Īsā out of the entire creation.The insistence that there has been a consensus regarding the second coming of Hadrat 'Isā to the world is a grave calumny which beyond comprehension.1.But since You did cause me to die, You have been the Watcher over them...(Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118).[Publisher]

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42 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION If by 'consensus' is meant the consensus of the Companions, then it is a false accusation levelled against them.They had no idea whatsoever of this fabricated belief that Ḥaḍrat Īsā would return to this world.Had this been their belief why did they tearfully come to a consensus upon the subject of this verse: 1 مَا مُحَمَّدُ إِلا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ.Meaning that, Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was only a human Messenger, not God; and all Messengers before him have passed away? Thus, if Haḍrat Īsā had not passed away from this world up until the demise of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and had not been touched by the Angel of Death until that time, then why, upon hearing this verse, did the Companions, Allah be pleased with them, recant the belief, as it were, that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would return to this world? It is common knowledge that this verse was recited by Haḍrat Abu Bakr, Allah be pleased with him, on the day of the demise of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to all the Companions at the Prophet's Mosque, and it was Monday, while the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had not yet been buried, and his blessed body was in Ḥaḍrat ‘Ã’ishah Șiddīqah's home, when, on account of the extreme grief of separation, some of the Companions began to speculate that perhaps the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had not really died, but had gone into hiding and would again come back to this world.Hadrat Abu Bakr, Allah be pleased with him, having perceived the dangerous nature of this trial, immediately summoned all of the Companions.By fortunate coincidence, all of the Companions, may 1.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:145 [Publisher]

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CHAPTER III 43 Allah be pleased with them, were present in Madinah on that day.Thereafter, he ascended the pulpit and addressed them saying that I have heard that some of our friends are entertaining such and such thoughts, but the truth of the matter is that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has indeed died, and this is not something unique to befall us.There has been no Prophet before this who has not died.Ḥaḍrat Abu Bakr™ then recited the verse: مَا مُحَمَّدُ إِلَّا رَسُولُ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ.Meaning that, Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was only a human Messenger; he was certainly not God.²* Therefore, just as all Prophets before this have died, so has he also died.Then upon hearing this verse, all of the Companions were moved to tears and cried out [‘Surely, to Allah we belong, and to Him shall we return']³.This verse had such a profound impact upon their hearts, as though it was revealed that very day.Thereupon, Ḥassān bin Thabit composed this elegy in memory of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: لِنَاظِرِى السَّوَادَ كُنْتَ مَنْ شَاءَ بَعْدَكَ فَلْيَمُتْ فَعَمِنْ النَّاظِر عَلَيْكَ أحَاذِرُ كُنْتُ فَعَلَيْكَ 1.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:145 [Publisher] 2.The person who tries to exclude Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā as from the application of this ,Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him ] قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ verse- (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:145).]—would have to admit that ‘Īsāªs was not a human being.And the reasoning of Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakra would also make no sense, for how could the Companions derive any solace from the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passing away while ‘Īsā as being alive in Heaven with his physical body? (Author) 3.A phrase from the Holy Quran which is recited by Muslims to express their deepest sorrow.[Publisher]

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44 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Meaning that: You were the pupil of my eye; Your death has left me blind; Now, after you I do not care whosoever dies; I feared only your death.In this verse Hassan bin Thabit has alluded to the death of all the Prophets.It is as if he is saying that we do not care whether Mūsā had died or ‘Īsā had died, our lament is only for this dear Prophet, who has departed from us this day and has become hidden from our eyes today.This indicates that some Companions also held this erroneous belief that, as it were, Hadrat Īsā would return to this world, but Hadrat Abu Bakr, Allah be pleased with him, removed this error by putting forth the verse: قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ.The first ijma' [consensus] in Islam was that all of the Prophets have died.Thus, this elegy shows that some of the Companions, who were less sagacious and did not have sound knowledge (such as Abū Hurairah), upon glancing at the prophecy about the coming of the promised Īsā, surmised, due to their erroneous judgment, that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā himself would return.Abū Hurairah initially held this misconception too, and Abu Hurairah frequently used to fall into such errors due to his sim- plicity and weak intellect.For instance, he was mistaken in this same way regarding a prophecy that a Companion would be cast into the fire.And his interpretation of the following verse was also distorted: 1.Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him (Surah Al-e-Imrān, 3:145).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER III وَ إِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ 45 His interpretation was comical to anyone who heard it, for he wanted to prove by this verse that all would come to believe in Hadrat Īsā before his death, whereas an alternative reading of this verse is 'before their death', not before his death.And this belief that a time would come when all people would accept Hadrat ‘Īsā is in contravention with the Holy Quran because God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: يُعِيسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَ رَافِعُكَ إِلَى وَ مُطَهَرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَجَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ.Meaning that, O Īsā! I shall cause you to die and then after your death, I shall raise you, like the believers, to Myself and then I shall absolve you of all calumnies, and then I shall keep your followers dominant over your enemies until the Day of Judgment.It is obvious that if all people will come to believe in Ḥaḍrat Īsā before the Day of Judgment, then which of his ‘enemies' will survive until the Day of Judgment? Again, God Almighty says at another place: وَالْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيِّمَةِ.3 Meaning that, antagonism between the Jews and Christians shall endure until the Day of Judgment.Thus, it is obvious that if all Jews came to believe in Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā before the Day of Judgment, then who will be there to maintain antagonism until the Day of Judgment? Moreover, this concept is also absurd and unreasonable in view of 1.And there is none among the People of the Book but will believe in it before his death (Surah an-Nisa', 4:160).[Publisher] 2.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:56 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:65 [Publisher]

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46 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the fact that it contradicts the [actual] events, because almost 2,000 years have elapsed since the time of Hadrat Īsā and it is not hidden from anyone that during this period tens of millions of Jews have died, whilst denying Haḍrat ‘Īsā, abusing him, and declaring him to be an infidel.How, then, can this statement be true that every single Jew will come to believe in him? Just try to add up how many Jews have died in a state of disbelief in these 2,000 years.Can we say raḍiyallāhu 'anhum [Allah be pleased with them] in regard to them? In short, the ijmā‘ of all Companions was on the death of Ḥaḍrat Īsā; rather, there was an ijma' on the death of all Prophets.This was the very first ijma' after the demise of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.On account of this ijmā', all Companions™ were agreed that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsāªs had passed away.This is what inspired Hassān bin Thābit to compose the elegy mentioned above, the translation of which, as I have mentioned, is: ‘O Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon you, indeed pupil of my eyes; I have been left blind by your death.After you I care not who dies, be it ‘Īsā or Mūsā; I feared only your death.you were the Indeed the Companions, Allah be pleased with them, truly loved the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and they could never accept that 'Īsā-whose deification has been described [in the Holy Quran] as the root cause of the most flagrant idolatry— should be alive while the Holy Prophet sa should die.If, at the time of the demise of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, they knew that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsāª was sitting in Heaven alive with his physical body, while their beloved Prophet sa had passed away, their grief would have driven them to death.How could they ever bear the thought that another Prophet should live while their own Beloved O] اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ الِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِيْنَ.Prophet should enter the grave Allah, shower Your blessings upon Muḥammad, and all of his prog- eny and Companions].How ignorant and nonsensical it is to deduce from the Word of

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CHAPTER III 47 1 God Almighty that Hadrat Īsā went and sat, with his physical body, next to Hadrat Yahya [John the Baptist] in the Second Heaven! Is God, the Holy and Exalted, sitting in the Second Heaven as well? Is there any other place in the Quran where the term [exaltation towards Allah] has been taken to mean raising of a physical body to Heaven? Is there any precedent in the Holy Quran to suggest that the physical body is also raised to Heaven? There is another verse in the Holy Quran similar to this verse and it is: يَايَتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَينَةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَى رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَرْضِيَّةً.Therefore, does it mean that, ‘O soul at peace! Go to the Second Heaven with your physical body'? And God Almighty says in the Holy Quran regarding Balaam Beor, that 'We desired to raise him towards Us, but he inclined towards the earth."³ Are we to understand from this verse that God also wanted to raise Balaam Beor to Heaven with his physical body, but Balaam instead chose to stay on the earth? Sadly, the Holy Quran is being seriously misrepresented! These people also claim that: 'The Holy Quran contains the verse, قتلوه و ما صلبوه مَا from which it is proven that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā has been raised to Heaven.' However, any reasonable person can understand that if an individual is not killed nor crucified, it does not necessarily follow that he was raised 1.On the contrary, Allah exalted him to Himself (Surah an-Nisa', 4:159).[Publisher] 2.And you, O soul at peace! Return to your Lord well pleased with Him and He well pleased with you (Surah al-Fajr, 89:28-29).[Publisher] 3.Surah al-A'raf, 7:177 [Publisher] 4.They slew him not, nor crucified him (Surah an-Nisa', 4:158).[Publisher]

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48 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION to Heaven along with his physical body.In the next sentence there are these explicit words: 1 لَكِنْ شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ Meaning that the Jews did not succeed in killing [Jesus], but they were led to believe that they had killed him.Was it really necessary that, in order to create this impression, another believer be crucified and thereby accursed, 2* or that someone from among the Jews themselves be crucified, having been transformed to look like Hadrat Īsā? In this [latter] scenario such a person could have readily escaped by claiming that he was indeed the enemy of Hadrat Īsā and by providing the addresses and identities of his family.He could have said that Īsā had used magic to make me look like him.How insane are these superstitious conjectures! Why don't they interpret [the verse] to mean that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā did not die on the cross? On the contrary, he fell into a state of swoon.Thereafter, he regained consciousness within two or three days, and his wounds also healed with the use of marham-e-Īsā [the ointment of Jesus], (which is still found in hundreds of medical texts and was prepared for Hadrat ‘Īsā).3 It is also unfortunate that these people do not consider the context in which these verses were revealed.The Holy Quran was to be the 1.But he was made to appear to them like one crucified (Surah an-Nisā”, 4:158).[Publisher] 2.It is noteworthy that Muslim interpreters of dreams take the sighting of Hadrat ‘Īsāas in a dream to mean escape from a misfortune and migration to another land or moving from one place to another; it is never interpreted as ascension to the heavens.See Ta'țirul-Anām and other books on dream interpretation.This is something that can manifest the truth of the matter to the wise.(Author) 3.But he was made to appear to them like one crucified (Surah an-Nisa', 4:158).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER III 49 arbitrator to settle the differences between the Jews and the Christians.It was incumbent upon it to give its verdict on the issues wherein they disputed.Among the issues on which they disputed, one was that the Jews used to contend that it is written in their Torah that anyone who is hung on the wood [i.e.the cross] is accursed, and, after his death, his soul does not return to God.They argued that since Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā died on the cross, he did not return to God and the doors of Heaven were not opened for him.Whereas the Christians who were contemporaries of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had proclaimed this doctrine of theirs—and even unto this day it remains the same doctrine-that though Haḍrat Īsā did become accursed by dying on the cross, he took the curse upon himself willingly for the salvation of others; and he was ultimately raised to God, not with his physical body, but with a new and a glorious body that was free from blood, flesh, bone, and perishable matter.¹ Concerning these two contending parties, God gave the verdict in the Holy Quran that it is totally contrary to the facts that ‘Īsā died on the cross or that he was killed such that it might be concluded that he is accursed in accordance with the dictates of the Torah.Rather, he was saved from death on the cross and he was raised towards God in the same way that all believers are.Just as every believer is raised to God, the Holy and Exalted, after having received a glorious spiritual body from God, he was similarly raised and joined the Prophets who 1.If the verse [On the contrary, Allah exalted him to Himself] means that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā was physically raised to Heaven, then can anyone show me the verse that settles the matter under dispute; in other words, that confirms that after death Ḥaḍrat Īsā would be raised like the believers towards God, and he would join the Prophets like Yaḥyā [John] and others? God forbid, did God misunderstand the Jews' rejec- tion of his spiritual ascension, which happens to every believer after death, and mistook it to mean something completely different [i.e.physical We seek refuge] نَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ هَذَا الْاِفْتِرَاءِ عَلَى اللهِ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى [ascension with Allah from this calumny against Allah.Holy is Allah, the Glorious, the Exalted!] (Author)

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50 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION had passed away before him.This is exactly what can be understood from the account of the mi'rāj [spiritual ascension] given by the Holy Prophets upon returning from it.It reveals that he found Ḥaḍrat Īsā in the same hallowed form in which he found all the other Prophets, and there was nothing peculiar about his appearance.The issue was really very simple and straightforward.The Jews only denied 'spiritual ascension' because it is that which stands in con- trast to the curse.However, in their naivety, the Muslims mistook the spiritual ascension for the physical ascension even though Jews have never held that someone who does not physically ascend to Heaven is not a believer.Rather, they continue to emphasize, even to this day, that someone who does not attain spiritual ascension, and for whom the doors to Heaven are not opened, is not a believer.The Holy Quran also confirms this and says: 1 لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمُ ابْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ Meaning that, the gates of Heaven shall not be opened for the disbe- lievers; but, for the believers it says: مُفَتَعَةً لَّهُمُ الْأَبْوَابُ 2 Meaning that, the gates of Heaven shall be opened for the believers.The Jews argued only this, that being a disbeliever-God forbid― Hadrat Isaas could not ascend towards God.Jewish people are still around, they are not extinct; anyone can inquire from them whether a person who is crucified is prevented from physically ascending to Heaven so that his physical body does not ascend to God Almighty.Ignorance is a strange affliction.Muslims, on account of their own mis- conceptions, strayed so far-off that they began awaiting the return of a 1.Surah al-A'raf, 7:41 [Publisher] 2.Surah Ṣād, 38:51 [Publisher]

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CHAPTER III 51 dead man, even though the age of Haḍrat Īsā has been affixed at 120 years according to the aḥādīth.Have those 120 years not elapsed yet? Similarly, on account of their misunderstanding, they created a dis- crepancy between the Holy Quran and the aḥādīth, because the indi- vidual who is called Dajjal [the Antichrist] in the aḥādīth is designated as Satan by the Holy Quran, for it quotes Satan as saying: قَالَ انْظُرُفَ إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ.قَالَ إِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ ! Meaning that, Satan pleaded to the Divine Majesty to be granted res- pite until the dead, whose hearts have died, are revived.God said: You are given respite till that time.Thus the Dajjāl who is mentioned in the aḥādīth is none other than the Satan who will be slain in the Latter Days.This is exactly what is recorded in the Book of Daniel as well as in some aḥādīth.As Christianity is the perfect manifestation of Satan, Sūrah al-Fatihah makes no mention of Dajjāl, but prescribes supplication for refuge with God against the evil of the Christians.Had the Dajjal been some other mischief-maker, God would have said in the Holy Quran J [and not the path of the Dajjāl] instead of 2.The verse: 198199 إلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ 3 does not mean the physical resurrection, because Satan is alive only as long as human beings are alive.But, of course, Satan does not do anything of his own self; rather, he operates through his agents.And these very people, who deify a human being, are those agents.Since they constitute a group, they have been called Dajjal, because the word dajjal in the Arabic language also connotes a group.1.Sūrah al-A'rāf, 7:15–16 [Publisher] 2.And those who have not gone astray (Surah al-Fatiḥah, 1:7).[Publisher] 3.Till the day they will be raised up (Sūrah al-A'rāf, 7:15).[Publisher]

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52 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION If the Dajjāl is understood to be distinct from the misguided preachers of Christianity, this would entail a contradiction, because the very aḥadīth which indicate that the Dajjal will prevail over the entire earth in the Latter Days, also indicate that in the Latter Days the power of the Church will overwhelm all religions.How can this contradiction be resolved unless the two are one and the same entity? Moreover, God Almighty, who is the Knower of the Unseen, says in the Holy Quran with reference to the mischief of Christianity that the heavens may well-nigh be rend asunder, and the mountains may crumble into pieces.Yet with reference to the Dajjal who, according to our opponents, will zealously trumpet his god-like powers, and whose mischief will be worse than all of the mischief of the world, the Holy Quran does not even mention that his mischief can rend asunder a small mountain.It is strange that the Holy Quran declares the mischief of Christianity to be the worst, yet our opponents clamour about some other Dajjal.And also consider the error of the Christian gentlemen.On the one hand, they have raised Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā to the level of divinity and, on the other hand, they also believe that he is accursed.Bear in mind that all linguists agree that being accursed is a spiritual matter, and one who is expelled from the royal court of God is called "accursed'—meaning the one who is not raised to God and whose heart is bereft of any bond of love and obedience with God-God being weary of him and he being weary of God.This is why Satan is referred to as accurseď.Thus, can any sane person suggest that Ḥaḍrat ‘Isä's heart was totally estranged from God and God Almighty had become weary of him? It is strange that, on the one hand, the Christian gentlemen, quoting the Gospels, say that this incident of Hadrat 'Īsā resembled the incident of Yūnus [Jonah] and the incident of Isḥāq [Isaac], and yet they themselves believe a creed that contradicts this resemblance.Are they able to tell us that Yūnusªs entered the belly of the fish in a state of death and stayed in it for two or three days in this lifeless state? Hence, what resemblance does Yasu' [Jesus] have with Yūnusas? What

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CHAPTER III 53 resemblance does a living one have with the dead? Are the Christian gentlemen able to tell us that Ishaq was actually slaughtered and was then brought back to life? And if it is not so, what resemblance does the incident of Yasu' have with the incident of Ishaq? Again, Yasu' the Messiah says in the Gospels, 'If ye have faith even as much as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, move from here to there; and it shall move." But it seems that the entire prayer of Yasu' to spare his own life went to waste.Now behold! What conclusion would be drawn about the faith of Yasu' according to the Gospels? It is not true at all that Yasū' prayed that he may well die on the cross, but that it should be without distress.Was the prayer in the garden [of Gethsemane] meant only to spare him the distress? If this were the case, why did he raise the cry Eli Eli lama sabachtani² when he was put on the cross? Does this utterance indicate that his distress had been removed at that moment? How far can a fabrication go? The prayer of Yasu' clearly has these words: 'Let this cup pass from me.' So God made that cup pass and created such circumstances as were suffi- cient to save his life; for example, the fact that he was not kept on the cross for up to six or seven days as was the norm, but was taken down within a short time, and that whereas the bones of others [crucified] were always broken, his bones were not broken.It is inconceivable that someone could die from such little torture.The belief of our opponents that Ḥadrat ‘Īsā, peace be upon him, was saved from the cross and ascended physically to Heaven raises a serious objection against the Holy Quran, because the Holy Quran consistently refutes all Christian assertions that are used to prove the divinity of Haḍrat ‘Īsā.For instance, the Holy Quran denied any spe- cial significance of the fatherless birth of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā (which was used as an argument for his divinity) by declaring: 1.See Matthew 17:20 [Publisher] 2.'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?' (Matthew, 27:46) [Publisher]

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54 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِنْدَ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ.Thus, if Hadrat 'Isā had indeed ascended to Heaven with his mortal body and is then to descend again, this would be a distinction far more misleading than his fatherless birth.So pray tell, where has the Holy Quran refuted this by citing a precedent? Was God incapable of refut- ing this distinction? Let me reiterate that the belief on which the Companions, Allah be pleased with them, had ijmā‘[consensus] was the fact that all Prophets, peace be upon them, had passed away, and none [of them] was alive.All of the Companions held fast to this belief until their last breaths.This belief was in agreement with the explicit text of the Holy Quran.2* There can be no lie greater than to claim that, at some time, after the Companions™ had passed away, this ummah had ijmā on the issue of Hadrat Īsā being alive with his mortal body in Heaven.The following words of Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥańbal aptly apply to such a person: 'Anyone who claims ijma' upon any issue after the time of the Companions is a great liar.' The truth of the matter is that after the passage of the first three centuries, the blessed ummah split into seventy-three sects and hundreds of mutually contradictory beliefs took root among them to 1.Surely, the case of Jesus with Allah is like the case of Adam.He created him out of dust, then He said to him, 'Be!', and he was (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:60).[Publisher] 2.It should be kept in mind that there is neither a single unequivocal verse [of the Holy Quran] nor any ṣaḥiḥ [authentic], marfu' [for which the chain of narrators reaches all the way up to the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him], muttaṣil [that is, there is no interruption in the chain of reporters] hadith which substantiates that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā was, in fact, physically raised to Heaven.Hence, it is wishful thinking to expect the return of someone whose ascension is not substantiated.First prove ‘Īsa's ascen- sion to Heaven from either an explicit verse [of the Holy Quran] or a ṣaḥiḥ, marfu, muttasil hadith; otherwise your unjustified opposition is an attitude far removed from righteousness.(Author)

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CHAPTER III 55 the extent that they were no longer in agreement even regarding such beliefs as the appearance of the Mahdi and the coming of the Messiah.For example, the Mahdi of the Shias is hidden in a cave and he has the original Holy Quran.He will appear at a time when the Companions, Allah be pleased with them, will also be brought back to life, and he will take revenge from them for the usurpation of the Khilafat [from Hadrat 'Alia].Likewise, with reference to the Mahdi of the Sunnis, based upon their statements, it is not certain that he will be born to a particular family, nor is it certain that he will appear in the time of ‘Īsā.Some say that he will be born from among the Fatimids, and some say that he will be from among the Abbasids.Still others opine, on the basis of a hadith, that he is a man from the ummah in general.Then again, some say that the advent of the Mahdi must occur in the middle period, and the Promised Messiah will come after him and they quote aḥadīth to support this.Others that the Messiah and Mahdi are not two distinct individuals, but that very Messiah is the Mahdi.To validate this contention they quote the hadith [There is no Mahdi except Īsā].say As for the Dajjal, some are of the view that Ibn Ṣayyād, indeed, is the Dajjāl and he is in hiding, and shall emerge in the Latter Days; when in truth that poor fellow had converted to Islam and died a Muslim, and his funeral prayer was offered by the Muslims.* And some say that the Dajjal is imprisoned in a church; meaning that, he is detained in some chapel and will ultimately emerge from it.This last statement was indeed correct, but it is regrettable that its meanings, despite being very obvious, were distorted.Is there any doubt that the Dajjal, which refers to the demon of Christianity, has remained incarcerated within the Church for a long time, and has withheld its deceptive machinations, 1.It is an established fact that Ibn Ṣayyad was a Muslim and he also performed the Hajj, but, despite performing the Hajj and being a Muslim, he could not escape being labelled the Dajjal! (Author)

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56 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ☆ but has now, in the Latter Days, attained complete freedom and its shackles have been removed so that it may unleash all of the attacks destined for it? And some think the Dajjal is not from the human race; rather, it is a name for Satan.¹ And some believe that Hadrat 'Īsā is still alive in Heaven while some Muslim sects called the Mu'tazilah believe in the death of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā.Some sufis have long believed that the awaited Messiah refers to an ummati [i.e.a follower of the Holy Prophetsa] who will be born from within this ummah.Now just pon- der a little and see how much disagreement exists within this ummah regarding the Messiah, the Mahdi, and the Dajjāl, and everyone claims ijma' for his own belief, in accordance with the verse: كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ.2.The truth of the matter is that when numerous disagreements arise in any shariah [a religious law], these very disagreements inherently demand that someone should come from God to resolve them, for this indeed is the way of Allah since time immemorial.When many differences arose among the Jews, Haḍrat Īsā came as the arbiter for them; when disputes between the Jews and the Christians intensified, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sent by God, appointed as the arbiter for them.1.This Satan, in other words, is the demon of Christianity.This demon, at the time of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was imprisoned in a Christian church and he obtained news concerning Islam only through Jassāsah.Then, as had been foretold by the Prophets, peace be upon them, this demon got freedom after the first three centuries and his strength grew day by day until he emerged with immense force in the 13th century Hijrah.This very y demon is called the Dajjal.He who can understand, let him understand.And it is this very demon against whom God has warned at the end of Surah al-Fātiḥah, [1:7] in the prayer [and those who have not gone astray'].(Author) 2.Every party rejoicing in what they have (Surah ar-Rüm, 30:33).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER III 57 Now, in this age, the world is brimming with disagreements.The Jews say one thing, whereas the Christians profess another, and aside from this, the ummah of Muḥammad is mired in internal conflicts.Meanwhile, the idolaters present their opinions against all of the others.So many new religions and beliefs have arisen that everyone seems to be practicing their own unique brand of religion.Therefore, in conformity with the established practice of Allah, it was essential that a ḥakam [arbiter] should have come to settle all of these disputes.Hence, that very bakam was bestowed the titles of 'the Promised Messiah' and 'the Blessed Mahdi'; meaning that, he was deemed to be the Messiah on account of resolving external disputes and he was proclaimed the destined Mahdi on account of settling the internal conflicts.Although the established practice of Allah concerning this had been so consistent that it was not necessary to express through aḥā- dith that a person would appear as the Ḥakam, whose title would be Masih; yet, this prophecy is found in the aḥadīth that the Promised Messiah, who will be from within this very ummah, will be the Ḥakam appointed by God Almighty; meaning that, God will send him to remove all disagreements, internal and external, that exist.The belief upon which he will be established will be the true belief, because God would establish him upon truth, and whatever he would say, he would say with divinely bestowed insight.Further, no sect would have the right to dispute with him on the basis of their own different belief, because in that age, due to conflicting beliefs, the precepts handed down that are not expounded in the Holy Quran, would become sus- pect.Moreover, on account of the widespread differences, all of the disputants from within or opponents from the outside would be in need of a Ḥakam who would establish his truth through heavenly testimony just as it happened in the time of Hadrat ‘Īsā, and thereaf- ter, in the time of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah

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58 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION be upon him.The very same would also occur in the time of the last Promised One.Here, this practice of Allah should also be kept in mind that any prophecy from God Almighty about the advent of any great Messenger inherently bears a trial for some people.For example, it was prophe- sied in Jewish Scriptures about Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā that he would come when Prophet Ilyass [Elijah] would return from Heaven.This prophecy is still found in the Book of Prophet Malachi.Thus, this prophecy proved to be a big stumbling block for the Jews and they still await the return of Prophet Ilyas from Heaven, and it is essential that he should descend first and then their true Messiah would come.However, neither has Ilyās yet returned to the earth, nor has such a Messiah come who could fulfil this stipulation.Similarly, there was this prophecy in the Torah about the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he would be born in the family of the Jews—meaning, the children of Ibrāhīmas [Abraham]—and that he would be raised from among them and from among their brethren.Further, all of the Prophets who appeared among the Israelites understood this prophecy to mean that the Prophet of the Latter Days would appear from among the Israelites, but ultimately that Prophet appeared from among the Ishmaelites, and this issue became a serious stumbling block for the Jews.Had these words been explicitly written in the Torah that the prophesied Prophet would appear from among the Ishmaelites, and his place of birth would be Makkah and his name would be Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his father's name would be 'Abdullāh, the Jews would have never faced this trial.While these two examples are there to show that in such proph- ecies, God intends some trial for his servants, how strange is it that our opponents-despite the many contradictions about the Promised Messiah that are found in the aḥadīth of every sect, and while they also unanimously agree that he would be an ummati—are still content

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CHAPTER III 59 that the Messiah would certainly descend from heaven, although this descent from the heavens itself is irrational and contrary to the explicit text of the Quran¹*.God Almighty says: قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا.2 Therefore, if it were included in the practice of Allah to physically raise human beings to heaven, then why were the disbelieving Quraish replied in the negative on this occasion? Does it mean that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was a man, whereas Īsā was not? And when God was hoisting Ḥadrat Īsā to heaven, did he forget the promise of: اَلَمْ نَجْعَلِ الْأَرْضَ كِفَاتًا أَحْيَاء وَ اَمْوَاتًا 3 Yet when the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was demanded to ascend to heaven, that promise [suddenly] recurred to Him? One who has knowledge of the Book of Allah, 1.It is not established on the basis of any hadith that is ṣaḥīḥ [authentic] marfu' [for which the chain of narrators reaches all the way up to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], muttaṣil [that is, there is no interruption in the chain of reporters] that 'Isā will descend from the heavens.And as far as the word nuzul, meaning 'descent', goes, it should be known that it is used for respect and honour, as it is said that such and such an army has descended at such and such a place.This is why a traveller is referred to as nazil; so to understand that since the word nuzul is used, there- fore what is meant is 'descent from the heavens' is most foolish.(Author) 2.[In response to the Quraish's demand that the Holy Prophet sa should heaven before their very eyes and return with a book, the Holy Prophetsa was commanded] Say, 'Holy is my Lord! I am not but a man sent as a Messenger' (Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:94).[Publisher] go to 3.Have We not made the earth so as to hold the living and the dead? (Surah al-Mursalat, 77:26-27) [Publisher]

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60 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION knows it well that the Holy Quran has testified to the death of Hadrat Īsā through its word, and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has affirmed the same through his eyewitness testimony; that is, he has narrated that he had seen Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ in the assembly of the deceased Prophets.Moreover, in addition to these two testimonies, I have given the third testimony based upon revela- tion from God.If the Signs of God have not appeared in my support and the heaven and the earth have not testified for me, I am a liar; but, if the Signs of God have appeared for my sake and the present age has testified to the need for my advent, then to reject me amounts to strik- ing one's hand against the edge of a sharp sword.In my time alone did the solar and lunar eclipses occur in the month of Ramadan.In my time alone did the plague befall the land in fulfilment of the authentic aḥadīth, the Holy Quran, and the past Scriptures.In my time alone did a new mode of transportation― meaning, the railway—come into operation; and in my time alone—in accordance with my prophecies—did terrible earthquakes take place.Therefore, was it not the demand of righteousness for them not to ven- ture in my opposition? Behold! I swear by God Almighty that thousands of Signs have appeared in attestation of my truth, are appearing, and will [continue to] appear in the future.Had this been a human contrivance, it would have never received this much support and success; and it is contrary to equity and honesty to present only one or two incidents out of the thousands of Signs that have appeared, in an attempt to deceive people that such and such prophecy did not come to pass.O ye ignorant ones! And [O ye, who are] intellectually blind! And [O ye] who keep yourselves afar from equity and integrity! If, out of thousands of prophecies, you have been unable to comprehend the fulfilment of one or two prophecies, will you be exonerated before God

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CHAPTER III 61 * by offering that excuse? 1 * Repent, for the days of God are nigh, and such Signs are about to appear that will shake the earth.that you These indeed are the Signs of God that I present.However, reflect upon what argument you hold in this controversy, except put forth such aḥādīth which are contradicted by the testimony of the Holy Quran, contradicted by other aḥādīth, and contradicted by actual events as they are unfolding.Where is the Dajjal about whom you are spreading fear? In contrast, the Dajjal alluded to in 2 is growing ever more powerful day by day, and the heavens and the earth may well-nigh be rent asunder on account of his mischief.If your hearts had the fear of God, reflection upon Surah al-Fatihah alone would have sufficed for you.Was it not possible that you misunderstood the prophecy about the Promised Messiah? Are exam- ples of such errors not present among the Jews and the Christians? Then how can you be immune from error? Also, is it not the practice of God that at times He tries His servants by such prophecies, just as the Jews and Christians were tried with the prophecy of the Torah and the Prophet Malachi, and the prophecy of the Gospel? Do not, therefore, transgress the bounds of taqwā [righteousness].Did the last Prophet appear among the Israelites the way the Jews and their Prophets had understood, or did Prophet Ilyās return [physically] to the earth? Certainly not.Rather, the Jews erred on both occasions.Therefore, be fearful, for God Almighty warns you in Sūrah al-Fā- tiḥah lest you become Jews.Just like your contention, the Jews were also obstinate about the literal interpretation of the Book of Allah.1.If the Signs of God Almighty that have hitherto appeared in my support were counted, they would number more than 300,000.Thus, if out of so many Signs, two or three are unclear in the eyes of any opponent, then is this their righteousness that, instead of benefiting from so many Signs, they raise such a clamour about those few that are obscure to them? Is there no similar precedent to be found in the prophecies of [earlier] Prophets? (Author) 2.Those who have not gone astray (Surah al-Fatiḥah, 1:7).[Publisher]

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62 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION However, on account of them not accepting the verdict of the Ḥakam, and not deriving any benefit from his Signs, they were held to account and none of their excuses were accepted.This point is also worth remembering that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was raised [as a Prophet] seven centuries after Ḥaḍrat Īsā, peace be upon him, because God Almighty saw that, by the 7th century, a great deal of perversion had developed within the Christians and Jews.Therefore, God Almighty raised the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as the Hakam for both nations.However, the time for the appear- ance of the Hakam who was destined for the Muslims was made twice as long as that of the first period; in other words, the 14th century.This was to point to the fact that it took only seven [centuries] for the Christians to go astray, but the condition of the Muslims would deteri- orate in twice as much time and their Ḥakam would appear at the head of the 14th century.Reverting to my earlier discussion, I would like to state, as I have already explained, that, of the three kinds of revelations, the most perfect and complete is the one that belongs to the third category of knowledge, whose recipient is fully immersed in divine light, and that third category is designated as ḥaqqul-yaqin [true certainty].And I have presently explained that the first kind of revelation or dream merely takes one to 'ilmul-yaqin [knowledge by inference], just like a person who observes some smoke on a dark night and he con- cludes, as a hypothesis, that there must be a fire at that place.However, such reasoning is not at all based on certainty, for it is possible that it is not smoke, for it could be a dust cloud that resembles smoke; or it could very well be smoke, albeit emanating from such a terrain that contains some volcanic material.Thus, such knowledge cannot free an intelligent person from his doubts nor help him progress, for it is no more than a conjecture produced within his own mind.Thus, the dreams and revelations of such people, which they receive merely due to their mental constitution, are limited to this extent of

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CHAPTER III 63 knowledge.No virtuous conduct is found in them; such is the case of ilmul-yaqin.When the fountainhead of the dreams and revela- tions is of this very grade, its recipient's heart is mostly dominated by Satan, and that Satan sometimes, in order to mislead him, proceeds to put forth such dreams and revelations on account of which he [i.e.the recipient] proclaims himself to be a leader of the nation or a Messenger, and [thereby] perishes as the unfortunate Charāgh Din of Jammu, who was formerly a member of my Jama'at, perished due to this very reason.He received satanic revelation that he was a Messenger and was from among the Apostles, and Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā had given him a staff with which to kill the Dajjāl—and he declared me as the Dajjāl.Eventually, in accordance with the prophecy recorded in the treatise Dāfi'ul-Balā’i wa Mi'yāru Ahlil-Istifā' ['Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God'], he died of plague at a young age along with his two sons.A few days before his death, he even published an article in the manner of a mubahalah [prayer duel], referring to me by name, that out of the two of us, may God destroy the one who is a liar.Consequently, on 4 April 1906, he, along with both of his sons, Fear God, O ye claimants] فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُلْهَمِيْنَ.died of the plague of revelation!] The second state [of spiritual rank] may be compared to a person who, on a dark and cold night, perceives light from afar, and although that light helps him see the right path, it cannot repel the cold.This stage is known as 'ainul-yaqin.The knower of God of this rank does have a bond with God, but that bond is not perfect.At this aforementioned stage, satanic revelations occur in abundance because such a person does not yet have the same bond with God as he has with Satan.The third state [of spiritual rank] is the one when a person, on a dark night and in the time of severe cold, not only finds the glow of the fire, but also enters the circle of that fire; he comes to realize that this certainly is fire and, with it, he repels his cold.This is the perfect stage with which doubt cannot coexist and this is the stage which completely eliminates the frigidity and straitness that is intrinsic to human nature.

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 64 This state is called haqqul-yaqin.Indeed, this rank is achieved only by perfect individuals who enter the circle of divine manifestations, and both their intellectual and practical states become rectified.Prior to this stage, neither the intellectual state reaches perfection, nor the practical state attains completion.This stage is attained only by those who have a perfect relationship with God Almighty.In reality, the word waḥi is truly applicable to their revelation, because it is free from satanic influences.Their revelation is not at the level of conjecture; rather, it is definitive and decisive.It is light bestowed upon them by God Almighty.Thousands of blessings accompany them and they pos- sess true insight because they are not looking from afar; rather, they are admitted into the circle of light.Moreover, their heart enjoys a personal bond with God.For this very reason, just as God Almighty desires for Himself that He be known, so too does He desire for them that they be known by His humble servants.Thus, for this very purpose He shows mighty Signs in their help and support.Everyone who confronts them perishes.Everyone who bears enmity to them is ultimately reduced to dust, and God puts blessings in every word of theirs and [their] move- ments, and in their dress and dwelling.He becomes the Friend of their friends and the Enemy of their enemies, and presses heaven and earth in their service.By reflecting upon all of those victories, successes, and Signs that God Almighty manifests for them, it has to be admitted that they are the divine favourites, just as by reflecting upon the creations in the heaven and the earth it has to be admitted that these creations have a God.Thus, they are recognised by those victories, successes, and Signs because they are of such abundance and of such clarity that no one else can possibly be their equal.Besides, just as God Almighty desires to inspire people's hearts with His love through His benevolent attributes, in the same way He invests the moral attributes [of His chosen ones] with such miraculous appeal that hearts are drawn towards them.They are a wonderful group who come to life after dying and gain after giving up.They tread the path of sincerity and devotion with such zeal, that God, too, comes to

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CHAPTER III 65 deal with them in a unique manner, as if their God is a Unique God of whom the world is unaware.God Almighty treats them in a manner which is only for them and not for anyone else, as illustrated by Ibrāhīm, may peace be on him.Since he was truthful and a loyal servant of God, God helped him at the time of every tribulation.When he was cast into the fire unjustly, God made the fire cool for him.Similarly, when an unscrupulous king had ill intention towards his wife, God afflicted those hands with which he intended to fulfil his impure intentions.And then when Ibrāhīm, under divine command, left his beloved son, who was Ismā‘il [Ishmael], in such mountainous terrain as had neither food nor water, God produced for him water and food out of nowhere.Obviously, there are many people who are killed by cruel people, cast into fire, and drowned in water, and yet, even though they are also virtuous, no help from God Almighty reaches them.There are many such people whose women are raped by wicked people, and there are many others whose children die of thirst, craving for water in some wilderness, but no well of Zamzam springs forth for them from the unseen.Thus, it is understood that God Almighty treats everyone in accordance with the relationship [that they have cultivated with Him].Though the loved ones of God also suffer hardships, divine help is prominently with them, and divine honour does not tolerate that they be humiliated and disgraced, and His love [for them] does not tolerate that their names be effaced from the world.And, this also is the very essence of miracles that when a person, with all his being, becomes God's, and no veil remains between him and his Lord, and he accomplishes all of those stages of loyalty and sincerity that burn away the veils, he is then declared an heir to God and to His Omnipotence, and God Almighty manifests diverse Signs for his sake, some of which are for repelling evil, while others are for bestowing good; some pertain to his person, and some to his family; some pertain to his foes, and some to his friends; some pertain to his countrymen, and some to the entire world; and some are from the earth, and some are from the heavens.In short, there is no [kind of]

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66 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Sign that does not get shown for him.This is not difficult to compre- hend and there is no need for a debate on this issue, for if someone has, in reality, attained this third stage that has been described, the world can never compete with him.Anyone who falls upon him shall be shat- tered, and anyone upon whom he falls, he will smash him into pieces, because his hand is the hand of God and his face is the face of God.His station is beyond anyone's reach.It is obvious that many people have wealth but if they insolently challenge the king whose treasures are spread in the east and in the west, what would be the outcome of such a challenge except [their] humiliation? Such people would perish and whatever little wealth they have would also be confiscated.Al-Aziz [The Mighty] is the attribute of God.He does not grant His majesty to anyone except those who are lost in His love.Az-Zahir [The Manifest] is the attribute of God and He does not grant His manifestation to anyone except those who are to Him as [honoured as] His Unity and Oneness, and are lost in His love to the extent that they have now become as [honoured as] His attributes.He grants them light out of His light, and grants them knowledge out of His knowledge.Then they worship the Unique Beloved with all their heart, all their soul, and all their devotion, and they desire His will just as He Himself does.Man boasts to worship God, but can worship be done merely by an abundance of prostration, bowing, and standing? Or can those who keep rotating the beads of a rosary many a time be called worshippers of the Divine? Rather, worship can [only] be done by the one whom the love of God draws towards Himself to such a degree that his own self is removed from in between.To begin with, there should be firm conviction in the existence of God, and then there should be a full acquaintance of God's beauty and beneficence, and then there should be such a bond of love with Him that the flame of love should be ever present in the bosom, and this ecstasy should be evident upon the face at every moment.God's greatness should be [so firmly planted] in the heart that the whole world appears dead in front of His being,

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CHAPTER III 67 and every fear should be only related to His being.Pleasure should exist only in the pain [endured] for Him, and comfort should exist only in seclusion with Him, and without Him, the heart should find no tranquillity with anyone.If such a state is realized, this is what is called 'worship, but how can this state develop without the special help of God Almighty? That is why God Almighty has taught this supplication: ايَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ.Meaning that, we do worship You, but how can we give worship its full due until there is special help from You.To worship God, having made Him one's True Beloved, is the sainthood beyond which there is no rank, but this rank cannot be achieved without His help.The hallmark of having achieved it is that God's greatness and God's love should be established in the heart, and the heart should trust Him alone; and he should prefer Him alone, he should choose Him above everything, and consider His remembrance to be the [sole] purpose of his life.And if he is commanded to slaughter his beloved children with his own hand like Ibrāhīm or if he is given a command to put himself into the fire, he should carry out even such testing commands with the zeal of love.He should endeavour to such an extent in seeking the pleasure of his Bounteous Lord that there should remain no deficiency in his obedience [to God].This is a very narrow door and this elixir is an exceedingly bitter elixir.There are very few who enter through this door and drink this elixir.It is no great feat to refrain from adultery and it is no great accomplishment to avoid killing someone unlawfully, and it is no great virtue to abstain from bearing false witness.But to prefer God over everything and to accept every hardship of the world, nay, even to create hardships with 1.Surah al-Fatihah, 1:5 [Publisher]

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68 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION one's own hands for His sake with true love and true zeal, is such a rank that cannot be achieved by anyone except the siddiq [truthful].This is the very worship to perform which man has been com- missioned, and for the person who performs this worship, his deed invokes a response from God which is called in'ām [reward]; as Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran, that is, He teaches this prayer: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ Meaning that, O Our God, guide us along Your straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed the reward and have distinguished with Your special favour.It is the way of God that when service is accepted, some reward is necessarily accrued for it.Therefore, miracles and Signs, which cannot be matched by other people, are also bounties of God Almighty which are bestowed upon distinguished servants.[As has been said]: با چنیں نفس سیہ چوں رسدت زوعونے اے گرفتار ہوا در ہمہ اوقات حیوة Oye who are entangled in your desires every hour of your life! How can you expect help from Him with such a dark soul? گر تو آں صدق بورزی که بورزید کلیم مجھے نیست اگر غرق شود فرعونے If you practice such sincerity as was practiced by Kalim [the one spoken to, i.e.Mūsas], It would not be a wonder should a Pharaoh drown.Hence, the summation of this entire discourse is that no one can receive the reward of pure and pristine revelation without [attaining] the third rank [of spiritual progress], and the recipients of this reward are those people who bring death upon their egos, and they receive new life from God Almighty; they establish a perfect bond with God Almighty, 1.Surah al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]

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CHAPTER III 69 person having severed all bonds of their carnal self.It is then that their becomes a manifestation of divine glory, and God loves them.No mat- ter how hard they try to conceal themselves, God desires to make them known and such Signs are manifested through them that prove that God Almighty loves them.The world cannot compete with them in any matter, for God is with them in every single path and God's hand helps them in every field [of battle].Thousands of Signs appear in their support and assistance, and everyone who does not relent in their enmity is ultimately destroyed with great ignominy, because, in the perspective of God, their enemy is His enemy.God is Most Forbearing and works without haste; however, everyone who does not relent in their enmity and is bent upon inten- tional malice, God attacks him for his extermination, just like a lioness (when someone intends to harm her cub) attacks him with fury and ferocity and does not give up until she tears him into pieces.It is truly in times of such trials that God's beloveds and friends are recognized.When someone intends to cause them grief and insists on this torment, and does not relent, then God strikes him like lightning and engulfs him in His wrath like a raging storm, and very swiftly He shows that He is with him.Just as you observe that there cannot be any ambiguity between the light of the sun and the light of a glow-worm; similarly, there cannot possibly exist any ambiguity with anyone else in regard to the light that is given to them, and the Signs that are manifested for them, and the spiritual blessings that are bestowed upon them.The like of their characteristics is not found in anyone else.God descends upon them and the throne of God permeates their heart, and they are transformed into something different which the world cannot fathom.As for the question 'Why does God develop such a bond with them?, the reply is that God has fashioned human nature such that it is like a receptacle that cannot remain empty of some form of love, and it is impossible to have a vacuum, meaning ‘emptiness', in it.Thus, when a heart becomes such that it becomes totally empty of the love of the

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70 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION self and its aspirations, and of the love of the world and its desires, and is cleansed of the impurities of base passions, then God Almighty fills such a heart that has become empty of the love for everything else with His own love through the manifestations of [His] beauty and grace.Then the world becomes the enemy of such a person.Since the world walks under the shadow of Satan, it cannot love the righteous; however, God takes him like a child into His own loving care, and man- ifests works of such diverse divine powers for his sake through which the face of God becomes visible to the eye of every discerning person.Thus, his being is a signpost towards God, from which it is realized that God does exist.Keep in mind, just as the dreams of those who belong to the third state [of spiritual rank] are very clear, and their prophecies are more numerous and turn out to be true more often than [those of] the rest of the world-moreover, they relate to grand events and they are in such abundance as if they are an ocean-in the same way, their insight and knowledge is far superior to all of humankind in both quality and quantity.Such true insights pertaining to the Word of God are perceived by them which cannot be perceived by others, because they receive help from the Holy Spirit.Just as they are bestowed a living soul, so are they bestowed a tongue.Their insights flow forth from the fountain of personal experience and are not merely from the foul sludge of boasting.All noble branches of human nature are found in them and, corresponding to this, every kind of divine assistance is conferred upon them.Their bosoms are opened and they are bestowed exceptional courage in the path of God.They are not afraid of dying for the sake of God and they are not fearful of being burnt in the fire.Through their milk a world is satiated and the weak of heart are strengthened.They are eagerly dedicated to seek the pleasure of God.They become His; therefore, God becomes theirs.When they incline towards God wholeheartedly, God inclines towards them in the same manner so that everyone realizes that God is their Guardian in every

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CHAPTER III 71 conflict.In truth, no one can recognize the people of God except that Omnipotent God, who sees the hearts.Thus, when He sees the heart that has truly come to Him, He works wonders for him and stands up for his support in every pathway.He displays such powers in his favour that are unknown to the world, and He becomes more jealous for his honour than any kinsman can be for his own kin.He gives him knowledge out of His own knowledge and grants him wisdom out of His own wisdom, and causes him to become so engrossed in Him that his relationships with all others are severed.Such people attain a new birth by dying in the love of God, and, having become annihilated, they become heirs to a new life.God keeps them hidden from the eyes of others just as He Himself is Hidden.Yet, notwithstanding, He casts the radiance of His countenance to fall upon their faces and He rains down His light upon their foreheads due to which they cannot remain hidden.They do not retreat when visited by any tribulation; rather, they forge ahead; and their present day is greater than their previous day in the love and cognizance [of God], and their bond of love is on the increase every single moment, and their prayers are not rejected or wasted on account of their intensity of love, trust, and righteousness.Since they become lost in seeking the pleasure of God and abandon their own pleasure; therefore, God, too, seeks to please them.They are hidden beyond hidden and the world cannot recognize them for they have moved far away from the world.Those who make careless opinions about their status are doomed.Neither friend nor foe can truly fathom their [true] reality, for they are concealed within the mantle of Oneness of God.Who knows their entire reality, but the very One in whose passion of love they are intoxicated! They are a group that is not God, but are not separated from God even for a moment.They are the people who fear God more than all others, who are loyal to God more than all others, who demonstrate sincerity and perseverance in the path of God more than all others,

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72 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION who trust God more than all others, who seek the pleasure of God more than all others, who opt for the companionship of God more than all others, and who love their Lord of Glory more than all others.Furthermore, in their relationship with God, they have advanced to the point which is beyond human comprehension.That is why God hastens to them with such extraordinary assistance that it appears as if He is a different God, and He displays such wonders for them that He has not shown for anyone else since the creation of the world.

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CHAPTER IV A description of my personal situation; that is, a descrip- tion as to which of the three categories the grace and benev- olence of God has chosen to place me in.God Almighty knows this fact—and He is the Best of Witnesses over every single thing—that the first thing which was granted to me in His path was a rightly-inclined heart; that is, such a heart that had no real attachment with anything except the God of Honour and Glory.There was a time when I was young and now I have grown old, but at no time in my life have I had any real attachment to anyone except the God of Honour and Glory.It seems as if Maulawi Rūmi com- posed these two couplets just for me: جفت خوشحالاں و بد حالاں شدم من ز ہر جمعیتے نالاں شدم In every company I uttered my wailful notes, I consorted with those who rejoiced and those who were unhappy.و از درون من نجست اسرار من هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار من Everyone became my friend from his own opinion, But none sought out my secrets from within me.Although God has been generous to me in everything and has blessed me with every provision and comfort, so much so that I find my heart and words utterly powerless to thank Him, the nature He has bestowed upon me is such that I have always been disillusioned by the mortal

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74 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION things of this world.Even when I was young and had just arrived at the crossroads of maturity, I was not lacking in the heat of love that one should have for the God of Honour and Glory.Owing to this very heat of love, I was not reconciled to any religion, the doctrines of which were in conflict with the Majesty and Oneness of God, or imputed any kind of insult.That is why I did not approve of the Christian faith, for in its every step, there is insult to the God of Honour and Glory.It had deified a humble man who could not even help himself, and considered him to be the Creator of the heavens and earth.A temporal monarch whose sovereignty is transitory would never choose to live in humiliation; how then, could the true kingdom of God be accompanied by such humiliation as imprisonment, flog- ging, being spat on, and finally- y-as the Christians believe-dying an accursed death, without which it was impossible for him to bring about the salvation of mankind?1* Can there be any confidence in such a weak 'God'? Does God suffer death like a mortal human? Besides, the Jews made filthy accusations against him and even his mother, but that 'God' was unable to exonerate himself by displaying mighty powers.Therefore, reason cannot propose to accept such a 'God' who himself died in distress and could do no harm 1.The assertion that the Messiah willingly accepted an accursed death is re- futed by his passionate supplications in the garden that the cup [of death] be passed from him; and his lamentation when he was put on the cross: Eli Eli lama sabachtani, meaning: my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? If he was indeed content with that death on the cross why did he make supplications? And this notion that death of the Messiah on the cross was the mercy of God on mankind and God was pleased to do this so that the world could find salvation through the blood of the Messiah, is rejected by the argu- ment that if divine mercy was truly excited on that day then why was there a terrible earthquake which caused the veil of the Temple to be torn, and why was there such a severe sandstorm and the sun became dark? All this, indeed, shows that God was greatly displeased with the crucifixion of the Messiah and this is why He chased the Jews for forty years and they suffered various calamities.First they died of a severe plague and at the end thousands of Jews were killed at the hands of Titus, the Roman.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV 75 to the Jews.There cannot be anything more absurd than to suggest that he willingly accepted death on the cross in order to redeem the sins of his people.The man who spent the entire night in tearful supplication in a garden to save his life—which was not even heard—and then he was so overwhelmed by panic that he cried out Eli Eli lama sabachtani¹ at the time of the crucifixion.He addressed his God as God and forgot to call him 'Father' in that extreme anguish.Now, considering all this, can anyone believe that he died by his own volition? Who can understand the contradictions in Christian theology? On the one hand, they believe Yasu' to be God, while on the other, the same 'God' is seen praying and crying before another God.Whereas all three 'Gods' were inside Yasu' and he was the embodiment of them all, to whom did he tearfully supplicate? It appears from all this that there is another mighty God for Christians besides the Godheads of the Trinity, who is distinct from them and rules over them, before whom the three were obliged to supplicate.Furthermore, the purpose for which the 'suicide' was committed still remains unfulfilled.2 His death was meant to free his followers from sin, worldliness, and ☆ 1.'My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?' (Matthew, 27:46) [Publisher] 2.Unfortunately, after the first three centuries of the Islamic era, certain Muslim sects adopted the belief that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā (peace be on him) escaped crucifixion and ascended to Heaven where he physically resides to this day, and he has not been afflicted with death.Such ignorant Muslims have greatly helped the cause of Christianity.They claim that there is no mention of the death of 'Isǎ anywhere in the Holy Quran, when in truth it does mention it ex- plicitly on several occasions.The verse (['But since You did cause me to die', (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118)] for example, is categorical about his demise.They claim that the verse ['They slew him not, nor crucified him', (Surah an-Nisa', 4:158)] signifies that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā is still alive.Their rea- soning for this is truly lamentable! Does a person who is not crucified never die? I have said again and again that the Holy Quran negates ‘Īsā's death by crucifixion and proclaims his ascension, not because God wants to prove that 'Isǎ is still alive, but to dispel the notion of his accursed death and to confirm that he was spiritually exalted like all believers.It was primarily meant to refute the Jews who did not believe in his (spiritual) ascension.(Author)

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76 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION worldly enticements, but the result has been quite the opposite.Before his 'suicide, the followers of Yasu' sought godliness to some extent, but the more the doctrine of vicarious sacrifice and atonement was empha- sized, the more the Christians became steeped in worldliness, worldly enticements, desire of the world, alcoholism, gambling, licentiousness, and illicit relations.The negative effects of this doctrine have been like the sudden collapse of the dam that had been built on a violent and stormy river with resultant destruction of all surrounding land and habitats.Remember too that abstinence from sin alone is not an accomplishment of any kind for man as thousands of worms, insects, animals and birds refrain from committing any sin, yet they are not considered to have attained communion with God.The question, therefore, is: 'How did the Messiah's expiation serve to enhance human spirituality?' Man is in need of two things in order to reach God: First, abstinence from evil; and second, the attainment of good deeds.Merely eschewing evil is no great feat.Thus, the crux of the matter is that these two forces have remained present in human beings ever since their cre- ation: On the one hand carnal passions lure them towards sin, while on the other hand the fire of the love of God that is hidden in their nature incinerates the straws of sin much like physical fire incinerates the physical straws and dried leaves.But ignition of this spiritual fire that incinerates sins depends entirely on the cognition of God, because love and adornment for anything depends on acquiring its complete recognition.You cannot love something whose beauty and excellence you are unaware of.The knowledge of the beauty and excellence of the God of Honour and Glory ignites the fire of love for Him, which, in turn, consumes sin.It has always been the practice of Allah to grant such knowledge to mankind through His Prophets.Others get light from their light and acquire all the bounties that are bestowed on the Prophets by following them Sadly, Christianity has the door of cognizance of God closed to its followers for it considers communion with God forever sealed and

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CHAPTER IV 77 heavenly Signs to have come to an end.How then is one to acquire a fresh understanding? One is left to ruminate past accounts.Surely, a faith whose 'God' is weak and helpless, and which is entirely dependent on fables and myths, is of no value to any intelligent person.In the same way the Hindu faith, one branch of which is the Āryah sect, falls far short of the truth.According to them, every particle of this universe is primordial and without any Creator.Thus, the Hindus do not believe in the God without whom nothing came into existence and without whose support nothing can continue to exist.They also say that their Parmeshwar cannot forgive the sins of anyone.Such a belief implies that His moral condition is worse than of humans, for we are able to forgive those who transgress against us, and we find the strength in us to willingly forgive the one who sincerely admits his fault, shows deep remorse for his action, resolves to bring about a change in his conduct, and repents before us with contrition and humility.In fact, we experi- ence joy in forgiving.How is it then that the Parmeshwar who claims to be God, lacks this noble virtue when those who have sinned are His own creation and their faculties to commit sin are also from Him? And how is it that He is not appeased unless He has punished them for many millions of years for a single sinful act? Is it possible to attain salvation or spiritual excellence under the rule of such a Parmeshwar? Thus I reflected deeply and found both these religions opposed to righteousness.It is not possible for me to recount in this work all the obstacles in the path of God and the hopelessness that is encountered in these religions.In brief, these two religions offer no guidance to that God who is sought by pure souls and by finding whom man can achieve salvation in this very life and the gates of divine light can be opened for him and perfect love can be generated through His perfect recog- nition.Instead, they lead to the pit of ruin.There are other religions in the world similar to them, but they all fail to lead to the One God, who has no associate.They leave the seeker in darkness.These are all the religions in the study of which I spent a great por- tion of my life.I reflected over their principles with utmost honesty

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78 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION and diligence, but I found them all distant and estranged from the truth.Indeed this blessed religion, the name of which is Islam, is the only religion that leads to God Almighty and is the only religion which fulfils all the holy demands of human nature.It is obvious that human nature expects perfection in everything and, since man has been created for the eternal worship of God, he cannot be content with some absurd fables concerning God, when his salvation lies in the recognition of that God.He does not wish to dwell in ignorance, but wants comprehensive knowledge of the per- fect attributes of God as if to behold Him.This desire of man can be fulfilled only by Islam.Though in case of some, this desire is buried under carnal passions.Being veiled so strongly, those who crave worldly pleasures and are infatuated with the world, being utterly veiled, do not care for God nor seek His communion, because they worship the idol of materialism.But there is no doubt that one who frees himself of the idol of materialism and desires eternal and true bliss, cannot be satisfied by a religion that only has fables nor can he get any satisfaction from it.It is only through Islam that such a person can find his satisfaction.The God of Islam does not shut the door of His grace upon anyone.He is inviting everyone with open arms to come to Him.And the door is opened for those who eagerly run towards Him with all their strength.I have, by the sheer grace of God, and not by any merit of my own, been accorded a full measure of the bounty, which was bestowed before me on the Prophets and Messengers as and the Chosen ones of God.It would not have been possible for me to receive this bounty had I not followed the ways of my lord and master, the Pride of the Prophets, the Best of Mankind, Ḥaḍrat Muḥammad Muṣṭafā [the Chosen One], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Therefore, whatever I have attained, I attained due to this following and I know, through my true and perfect knowledge, that no man can reach God except by following the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, nor can anyone have a share of the complete cognition.

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CHAPTER IV 79 At this point I would also like to point out what appears before all else to be the result of sincere and complete obedience to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Bear in mind that it is the 'rightly-inclined heart'; that is, the love of the world leaves the heart and it becomes desirous of the eternal and everlasting bliss.Subsequent to this, pure and perfect love of God is achieved as a result of this rightly-inclined heart.And all these bounties are bestowed as a consequence of following the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, by way of his heritage, as Allah says: 1.قُلْ إِن كُنتُم تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ.Meaning, tell them that if you love God, obey me, so that God may also love you.Indeed, the profession of one-sided love is a blatant lie and pretence and idle talk.When a person truly loves God, then God loves him too; then the breeze of acceptance swirls in the world for him, his love is put in the hearts of thousands and he is granted a power of attraction, and he is given a light that always accompanies him.When a person loves God with sincerity and adopts Him above all else, when everything besides God ceases to have any esteem or respect for him, indeed when he considers everything else to be worse than even a dead worm, then God, who sees his heart, descends upon him with His mighty glory.Just as a polished mirror reflects the sun perfectly that it can be said figuratively and metaphorically that the same sun which is in the sky also resides in the mirror, in the same way God descends on such a heart and makes his heart the seat of His Throne.This alone is the purpose for which man has been created.Those who were perfectly righteous have been called sons of God in the previous Scriptures.That, too, does not mean that they were actually the sons of God; such a thing would be blasphemous, as God is above and beyond sons and daughters.Such expressions mean that God 1.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:32 [Publisher]

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80 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION had descended as a reflection in the clear mirrors of those righteous personages.The reflection of a person in a mirror is, metaphorically speaking, his son; for as a son is born of his father, a reflection is born of its original.Thus when a reflection of the manifestations of God appears in a heart that is extremely pure without any remnant of stain, the reflection becomes, metaphorically, a son of the original.That is why Yaqub [Jacob] was called the son of God-even the firstborn of God in the Torah, and Īsā Ibn-e-Maryam [Jesus, son of Mary] was called 'son' in the Gospels.If Christians had confined themselves to describing 'Isa as the son of God, just as Ibrāhīm, Isḥāq, Ismail, Ya'qūb, Yusuf, Mūsā, Dāwūd, Sulaimān, etc.were metaphorically called sons of God in the Scriptures of God, there would have been no objection to it.Just as these Prophets were metaphorically called sons of God in the Books of previous Prophets, so is the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, called God in some prophecies.The truth is that all these descriptions are metaphorical as expres- sions of love; none of those Prophets is a son of God, nor is the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, God.Such expressions abound in the words of God.When a person becomes so absorbed in his love for God Almighty that his self disappears alto- gether, such expressions are applied to him in this state of annihilation since, in this state, his own person ceases to exist altogether as Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: قُلْ يُعِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا.Meaning that: Tell these people, O my servants! Despair not of the mercy of Allah; God will forgive all sins.It may be noted that in this verse, [O my servants] has been used in place of [O servants of Allah] while people are servants of God and not servants of the Holy Prophet, may peace and 1.Surah az-Zumar, 39:54 [Publisher]

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CHAPTER IV 81 blessings of Allah be upon him.The expression has been used here in the metaphorical sense.Again God says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللهَ يَدُ اللهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ.indeed swear Meaning that: Verily, those who swear allegiance to you, allegiance to Allah.It is the hand of Allah that is over their hands.In these verses, the hand of the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, has been described as the hand of God.But obviously, it is not the hand of God [in the literal sense].Again, Allah says: فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ كَذِكرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا.2 “Therefore remember Allah as you remember your fathers…..” Thus here God has been likened to a father.This metaphor has been used only to communicate certain similarities.The Jews have also been quoted in the Holy Quran as saying: نَحْنُ ابْنَةُ اللهِ وَاحِتَاؤُه.3 Meaning that, we are sons of God and His loved ones.In response, God does not give any refutation of the word 'sons' as being a blasphemous foul talk.Instead, He retorts that if they are indeed beloved of God then why does God chastise them? And 'sons' is not even mentioned again.This shows that the beloveds of God were, in the language of the Jewish Scriptures, referred to as His sons also.My purport of all this discussion is simply this that Allah the 1.Surah al-Fatḥ, 48:11 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:201 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:19 [Publisher]

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82 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Exalted has laid down a condition that for Him to love anyone, such a one has to follow the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Accordingly, it is my personal experience that to obey the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, with a sincere heart and to love him, ultimately makes a person the beloved of God.God creates in his heart a burning for love for Him.Then such a person renounces everything else and inclines towards God; and his affection and aspiration remain only for God Almighty.Thereupon a special manifestation of the love of God falls upon him and, bestowing upon him the full essence of love, pulls him towards itself with strong passion.He, then, overcomes his corporeal passions, and extraordinary works of God Almighty appear as Signs in his support and assistance in every aspect.I have presented an example of how to achieve [the love of God] by effort and application.But there are some individuals where effort, application, and hard work has nothing to do with their spiritual ranks.Even in the womb of their mothers, they have such a constitution that, without any effort or striving or hard work, they love God instinctively.And they come to have such a spiritual connection with His Messenger i.e.Hadrat Muḥammad Muṣṭafā, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that anything closer cannot be imagined.As time passes, their inner fire of love and affection for God continues to grow stronger and, with it grows the fire of love for the Messenger of Allah.In all these matters God becomes their Guardian and Guarantor.When that fire of love and affection reaches its climax, they fervently and passionately desire that the glory of God be manifested upon the earth, and this becomes their greatest delight and ultimate purpose.Thereupon, Signs 1.Here the question might arise that: If the objective is righteous deeds, what is the need to follow [the Holy Prophetsa] to attain salvation and acceptance? The answer is that one can enact good deeds only through the grace of God.And since God has, in His grand wisdom, appointed one individual as the Leader and Messenger and commanded people to follow him, whosoever fails in this is not given the good fortune to perform righteous deeds.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV 83 of God Almighty appear on earth for them.God Almighty does not manifest His grand Signs for anyone, nor does He give grand news of the future to anyone except to those who are lost in His love, and are as desirous of the manifestation of His Oneness and Glory as He Himself is.It is unique to them that special divine mysteries are revealed to them and the unseen is disclosed to them with the utmost clarity.This special honour is not given to others.An ignorant person might think that some ordinary people occa- sionally see true dreams too.For example, some people dream that a baby girl or a baby boy is born in a particular household and the same happens, or they dream of someone's death and the person does in fact die, or see other small events in their dreams and they come true.I have already addressed this scepticism that these phenomena are of little significance nor do they depend on any piety.Even many wicked and immoral people see such dreams regarding themselves or others.But true secrets of the unseen are only revealed to God's special servants.Their dreams and revelations differ from those of ordinary people in four ways: First, the majority of that which is revealed to them is extremely clear and very rarely ambiguous; the case with others is quite the opposite.Second, they experience true dreams and revelations so copiously that to compare them with other people would be akin to comparing the wealth of an emperor and a beggar.Third, the Signs shown at their hands are so magnificent that no one can match them.Fourth, their Signs attest to their acceptance by the Divine and the love and succour of the True Beloved.It is quite evident that, through these Signs, He wishes to reveal to the world how honoured and close to Him those chosen ones are, and to inspire people's hearts with their dignified status.However, those who do not have a perfect connection with God lack such things.On the contrary, the truth of some of their dreams or revelations is a trial for them, for it creates arrogance in their hearts and they are ruined by arrogance.They begin to oppose the root that nourishes the branch: O ye the branch! Granted that you are green and

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 84 that you bear flower and fruit, but do not sever yourself from the root, or you will dry up and you will be deprived of all blessings because you are only a part and not the whole.Whatever you have is not yours but is the grace bestowed by the root.* Now, under the dictate of the verse: وَ أَمَا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبَّكَ فَحَيْثُ.I would like to state about myself that by placing me in the third of the aforementioned categories, God Almighty has granted me the blessing which is not on account of my endeavour but was bestowed upon me even as I was in the womb of my mother.He has shown so many Signs in my support that if I were to count them one by one up to this day, 16 July 1906, I can declare in the name of God Almighty that they are in excess of 300,000.And if someone does not believe in my sworn statement, I can provide him with proof.1.It is also worth remembering that when a Prophet or Messenger is appointed from heaven, a light descends from heaven corresponding to the grade of the talents, as a blessing of that Prophet, and a dispersion of spirituality takes place.At such a time everyone advances in experience of dreams and those gifted with the capacity for revelations experience revelations, and minds become more perceptive of the spiritual truths too.Just as, when it rains, every part of the land receives its due share, the same happens when spring arrives with the advent of a Prophet.The Prophet is, indeed, the source of all those blessings and he is the door to all the revelations and dreams people experience, for the world is transformed by his advent and a light descends for all from heaven and everyone partakes of in accordance with his capaci- ty.This light becomes the source of all dreams and revelations.The ignorant think that this is due to their own skill, when in fact that spring of revelations and dreams is opened up for the world only due to the blessing of that proph- et.His time is the 'night of decree' during which the angels descend, as Allah Therein descend angels and the ] تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أَمْرٍ سَلَمٌ says Spirit with their Lord's decree concerning every matter, it is all peace.' (Sürah al-Qadr, 97:5-6)].This has been the law of nature, ever since God created the earth.(Author) 2.And the bounty of your Lord, proclaim (Surah aḍ-Ṭuḥā, 93:12).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER IV 85 Some of these Signs are to do with occasions when God Almighty, in keeping with His promise, protected me from the evil of the enemy.Some of the Signs are such that, in keeping with His promise, He ful- filled my needs and expectations at every occasion.And some are of the kind whereby He humiliated and disgraced those who attacked me, in keeping with His promise: إِنِّي مُهِينٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] Some Signs are of the kind in which, according to His prophecies, He made me victorious over those who filed lawsuits against me.Some Signs are of the kind that pertain to the length of my ministry for, ever since the world was created, no impostor has ever been allowed such a long period of respite.Some Signs are of the kind that become evident by observing the condition of the age—that this age is in need of an Imam (spiritual head).Some Signs are of the kind which represent the fulfilment of my prayers in favour of my friends.Some Signs are of the kind which represent the effects of my prayer upon malicious enemies.Some Signs are of the kind in which precariously ill patients were cured due to my prayer and their recovery was foretold.Some Signs are of the nature whereby, for my sake and for my verac- ity, God caused a number of heavenly and earthly calamities to appear.Some Signs are of the sort wherein many eminent people, who were from among the luminaries and ascetics, saw, in my attestation, dreams, and saw the Holy Prophets.Among them are Sajjādah Nashin [the inheritor of a spiritual endowment] Ṣāḥibul- Ālam of Sindh, who had nearly 100,000 followers, and Khwajah Ghulām Farīd of Chachran.Some Signs are such that thousands of people pledged bai'at at my hand only because they were informed through dreams of my truthfulness and of my being from God; while some others did so because they saw the Holy Prophets in a dream, and he told them that the end of the world is near and that this man is the last Khalifah of God and the Promised Messiah.Some Signs relate to certain eminent

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86 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION people who mentioned me by name even before my birth, or before I came of age, and spoke about my being the Promised Messiah.Among these are Ni'matullah Walī and Miyān Gulāb Shāh of Jamalpur, District Ludhiana.Some Signs are such that their scope extends to the people of all nations and all lands and all ages—namely the series of prayer duels, many manifestations of which have been witnessed by the world.* After observing a fair number, I have for my part ended the call for mubaha- lahs, but everyone who considers me to be a liar, deceitful, or an impos- tor, and rejects my claim of being the Promised Messiah, and regards the revelation vouchsafed to me by God Almighty as my fabrication, whether he is a Muslim, Hindu, Āryah or follower of any other reli- gion, he is, of course, at liberty to publish a written mubahalah against me on his own accord.He should announce it in some newspapers, taking oath in the name of God Almighty, that: I am fully convinced that this man (here he should write my name explicitly), who claims to be the Promised Messiah, is indeed a liar and that these revelations, some of which he has written in this book, are not the words of God but are all his fabrication.And I consider him with full conviction, on the basis of my profound insight and comprehensive consideration, to be an impostor, liar, and dajjāl [deceiver].Thus O God Almighty, if in Your estimation this person is true and not a liar, impostor, disbeliever, and faithless, then may You, on account of my rejecting him and insult- ing him, send down some severe chastisement upon me, otherwise may You chastise him, Amin.This method of seeking a fresh Sign is open to everyone.And I 1.It would be enough for a fair-minded person to read what Maulawi Ghulām Dastagir Qasuri wrote in his book; how he entered into a prayer duel with me in his own way and announced it in his treatise Faid-e-Raḥmāni; and how he met his end only a few days later.There is also the case of Charagh Din of Jammu who entered into a prayer duel with me in his own way and prayed that may God bring death upon whoever of us was a liar.He died of plague only a few days later along with both of his sons.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV 87 declare that if, after this prayer of mubahalah that should be publicly announced and published in at least three well-known newspapers, such a person, who engages in this mubahalah under oath and with this stipulation, should escape heavenly chastisement, everyone will have the right to conclude that I am not from God.No period needs to be fixed in this mubahalah.The only condition would be that such an event should take place that affects the hearts.I will now record some of the revelations from God along with their translation.* The purpose of writing them is that anyone who wants to enter into a mubahalah with me should clearly reproduce all of these revelations of mine in the body of his mubahalah article (that should be published) and stipulate in the published declaration that all of these revelations are human fabrications and not the Word of God.Also he ought to specify that he has studied these revelations with dil- igence and that he swears by God that this is human fabrication, i.e.this is fabrication of this man and he has not received any revelation from God, the Exalted.Here 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, Assistant Surgeon, Patiala, who revoked his pledge of allegiance to me and turned apostate is specifically addressed.Now I will write those revelations as examples as follows: 1.The arrangement of these revelations is varied on account of repetition because these sentences of the revelation from Allah have been revealed to me with different sequences at different occasions.Some sentences have been revealed to me perhaps 100 or even more times.Therefore their reading is not uniform it may continue to vary in future.It is the practice of God that His Holy Word is revealed piecemeal and flows on the tongue and springs forth from the heart.God then arranges these varied pieces Himself, sometimes placing the first piece at the end.It is His essential practice that all those sentences are not placed in a specific sequence.They are read in various ways as far as the sequence is concerned.Also, when a revelation is repeated, some of its words differ somewhat from the previous revelation.This practice is unique to God; He alone knows His secrets.(Author)

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ [Revelations] يَا أَحْمَدُ بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكَ.مَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَى الرَّحْمَنُ.عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ.لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أُنْذِرَ أَبَاؤُهُمْ وَ لِتَسْتَبِيْنَ سَبِيْلُ الْمُجْرِمِيْنَ.قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ.قُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا.كُلُّ بَرَكَةٍ مِّنْ مُّحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.فَتَبَارَكَ مَنْ عَلَّمَ وَتَعَلَّمَ.وَقَالُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقُ.قُلِ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ.قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجْرَامٌ شَدِيدٌ.وَ مَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا.هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُوْلَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَ دِيْنِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّيْنِ كُلِّهِ.لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَتِهِ.يَقُولُونَ انّى لَكَ هَذَا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ.وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ أَخَرُوْنَ.اَفَتَأْتُونَ السِّحْرَ وَ أَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُوْنَ.هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ لِمَا تُوْعَدُوْنَ مِنْ هَذَا الَّذِيْ هُوَ مَهِيْنٌ جَاهِلٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ قُلْ عِنْدِي شَهَادَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُّسْلِمُوْنَ.قُلْ عِنْدِيْ شَهَادَةٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنُوْنَ.وَلَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيْكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّنْ قَبْلِهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُوْنَ.هَذَا مِنْ رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ يُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ.فَبَشِّرْ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجْنُوْنِ.لَكَ دَرَجَةٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَفِي الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ يُبْصِرُوْنَ.وَلَكَ نُرِى أَيَاتٍ وَنَهْدِمُ مَا يَعْمُرُوْنَ.اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِيْ جَعَلَكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ.لَا يُسْتَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْتَلُوْنَ * وَقَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيْهَا 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[Publisher] 2.This symbol indicates that the Promised Messiah as added a footnote to the revelation or to its translation.These have been translated in the footnotes in the translation that follows.[Publisher]

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90 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ إِنِّى مُهِينٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ.إِنِّي لَا يَخَافُ لَدَى الْمُرْسَلُونَ.كَتَبَ اللهُ لَاغْلِبَنَّ اَنَا وَ رُسُلِي وَ هُمْ مِّنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ * إِنَّ اللهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا و الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مُحْسِنُونَ ُأرِيْكَ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ.إِنِّي أَحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ.وَ امْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ.جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ.هَذَا الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ بِشَارَةٌ تَلَقَّاهَا النَّبِيُّوْنَ.أَنْتَ عَلى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِكَ.كَفَيْنَاكَ الْمُسْتَهْزِئِيْنَ.هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ عَلَى مَنْ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّيَاطِيْنُ.تَنَزَّلُ عَلَى كُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيْمِ.وَلَا تَيْئَسْ مِنْ رَّوْحِ اللهِ.أَلَا إِنَّ رَوْحَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبُ.أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ.يَأْتِيَكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ.يَأْتُوْنَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيْقٍ.يَنْصُرُكَ اللهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ.يَنْصُرُكَ رِجَالٌ نُّوْحِنْ إِلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ.لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللهِ.قَالَ رَبُّكَ إِنَّهُ نَازِلٌ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ مَايُرْضِيْكَ.إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا فَتْحُ الْوَلِيِّ فَتْحُ وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيَّا.أَشْجَعُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ كَانَ الْإِيْمَانُ مُعَلَّقًا بِالتُّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ.أَثَارَ اللهُ بُرْهَانَهُ كُنْتُ كَنْزًا مَّخْفِيَّا فَأَحْبَبْتُ أنْ أعْرَفُ.يَاقَمَرُ يَاشَمْسُ أَنْتَ مِنِّي وَأَنَا مِنْكَ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَانْتَهى أَمْرُ الزَّمَانِ إِلَيْنَا وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ.أَلَيْسَ هَذَا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ وَ لَا تَسْأَمْ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَوَسِّعْ مَكَانَكَ.وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ.وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَّا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ.أَصْحَابُ الصُّفّةِ.وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا أَصْحَابُ الصُّفَةِ.تَرَى أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيْضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ.يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَيْكَ.رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا سَمِعْنَا مُنَادِيًا يُنَادِي لِلْإِيْمَانِ.وَدَاعِيَّا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيْرًا.يَا أَحْمَدُ فَاضَتِ الرَّحْمَةُ عَلَى شَفَتَيْكَ.إِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا.سَمَّيْتُكَ الْمُتَوَكَّلَ.يَرْفَعُ اللَّهُ ذِكْرَكَ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ بُوْرِكْتَ يَا أَحْمَدُ وَكَانَ مَا بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيكَ حَقًّا فِيْكَ.شَأْنُكَ عَجِيْبٌ.وَأَجْرُكَ قَرِيْبٌ.اَلْأَرْضُ وَالسَّمَاءُ مَعَكَ كَمَا هُوَ مَعِن أَنْتَ وَجِيْهُ فِي حَضْرَتِي اخْتَرْتُكَ...لِنَفْسِن.سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى زَادَ مَجْدَكَ يَنْقَطِعُ أَبَاؤُكَ وَيُبْدَءُ مِنْكَ.* وَمَا كَانَ اللهُ لِيَتْرُكَكَ حَتَّى يَمِيْزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ.إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَ الْفَتْحُ وَ تَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ.هَذَا الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ.أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَسْتَخْلِفَ فَخَلَقْتُ أَدَمَ.دَنِي فَتَدَلَّى فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَى.يُحْيِي الدِّيْنَ وَيُقِيْمُ الشَّرِيعَةَ.يَأْدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنْتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ.يَا مَرْيَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنْتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ يَا أَحْمَدُ اسْكُنُ أَنْتَ وَ

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CHAPTER IV-[REVELATIONS] زَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ.نُصِرْتَ وَقَالُوْا لَاتَ حِيْنَ مَنَاصِ.إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا وَ صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ شَكَرَ اللهُ سَعْيَهُ.أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُّنْتَصِرٌ.سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَ يُوَلُّوْنَ الدُّبُرَ.إِنَّكَ الْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِيْنْ آمِيْنٌ.وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ رَحْمَتِيْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالدِّيْنِ وَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمَنْصُوْرِيْنَ.يَحْمَدُكَ اللَّهُ وَيَمْشِي إِلَيْكَ.سُبْحَنَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا.خَلَقَ آدَمَ فَأَكْرَمَهُ.جَرِيُّ اللَّهِ فِى حُلَلِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.بُشْرَى لَكَ يَا أَحَمَدِي.أَنْتَ مُرَادِي وَ مَعِن.سِرُّكَ سِرّى.إِنِّي نَاصِرُكَ.إِنِّي حَافِظُكَ.إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا.وَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا.قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ عَجِيْبُ.لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَ هُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ.وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَقَالُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقٌ قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُوْنِيْ يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ إِذَا نَصَرَ اللهُ الْمُؤْمِنَ جَعَلَ لَهُ الْحَاسِدِيْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ.وَلَا رَآدَّ لِفَضْلِهِ.فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ قُلِ اللهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِى خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ.وَإِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُمْ أَمِنُوا كَمَا أَمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَا أمَنَ السُّفَهَاءُ أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَهَاءُ وَ لَكِنْ لَّا يَعْلَمُوْنَ.وَ إِذَا قِيْلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُوْنَ.قُلْ جَاءَكُمْ نُوْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَكْفُرُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ.أَمْ تَسْأَلُهُمْ مِّنْ خَرْجٍ فَهُمْ مِّنْ مَّغْرَمٍ مُّثْقَلُوْنَ.بَلْ آتَيْنَهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ فَهُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ.تَلَطَّفْ بِالنَّاسِ وَتَرَحْمْ عَلَيْهِمْ.أَنْتَ فِيهِمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مُوْسٰى وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ.لَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِيْنَ.لَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ.وَ لَا تُخَاطِبْنِي فِي الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوْا إِنَّهُمْ مُغْرَقُوْنَ.وَاصْنَعِ الْفُلْكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا وَ وَحْيِنَا.إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُوْنَ اللهَ يَدُ اللهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ.وَ إِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ * أَوْقِدْ لِي يَاهَامَانُ لَعَلَّنْ اَطَّلِعُ عَلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَ إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَذِبِيْنَ.تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِيْ لَهَبٍ وَّ تَبَّ.مَا كَانَ لَةٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيْهَا إِلَّا خَائِفًا.وَ مَا أَصَابَكَ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ.اَلْفِتْنَةُ هَهُنَا.فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُولُوا الْعَزْمِ.أَلَا إِنَّهَا فِتْنَةٌ مِّنَ اللهِ.لِيُحِبَّ حُبًّا جَمَّا.حُبًّا مِّنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْأَكْرَمِ.شَاتَانِ تُذْبَحَانِ.وَكُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ وَ لَا تَهِنُوا وَ لَا تَحْزَنُوا.أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَةَ.أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.وَ إِنْ يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا.أَهْذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ.قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلهُ وَاحِدٌ.وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي الْقُرْآنِ.لَا يَمَسُّةَ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُوْنَ.قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى وَ قَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَى 91

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92 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION رَجُلٍ مِّنْ قَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ.* وَقَالُوا اتَّى لَكَ هَذَا.إِنَّ هَذَا لَمَكْرُ مَّكَرْتُمُوهُ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ.يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَ هُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُوْنَ.قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ الله.عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُرْحَمَكُمْ.وَ اِنْ عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَا.وَ جَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَفِرِينَ حَصِيرًا.وَ مَا اَرْسَلْنَكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَلَمِيْنَ.قُلِ اعْمَلُوْا عَلى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ.لَا يُقْبَلُ عَمَلٌ مِّثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ مِّنْ غَيْرِ التَّقْوَى إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا وَ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مُّحْسِنُوْنَ.قُلْ إِنِ افْتَرَيْتُهُ فَعَلَيَّ إِجْرَامِي.وَلَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيْكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّنْ قَبْلِهِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُوْنَ.أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ.وَ لِنَجْعَلَةٌ آيَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا وَ كَانَ اَمْرًا مَّقْضِيًّا.قَوْلَ الْحَقِّ الَّذِي فِيْهِ تَمْتَرُوْنَ.سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ.جُعِلْتَ مُبَارَكًا اَنْتَ مُبَارَكٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ.أَمْرَاضُ النَّاسِ وَبَرَكَاتُه * بخرام که وقت تو نزدیک رسید و پائے محمد یاں بر منار بلند تر محکم افتاد.پاک محمد مصطفیٰ نبیوں کا سردار.خدا تیرے سب کام درست کر دے گا اور تیری ساری مرادیں تجھے دے گا.ربّ الافواج اس طرف توجہ کرے گا.اس نشان کا مدعا یہ ہے کہ قرآن شریف خدا کی کتاب اور میرے مونہہ کی باتیں ہیں.يُعِيْسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيْكَ وَ رَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ.ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَ ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْآخِرِينَ.میں اپنی چمکار دکھلاؤں گا.اپنی قدرت نمائی سے تجھ کو اٹھاؤں گا.دنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دنیا نے اُس کو قبول نہ کیا لیکن خدا اُسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اُس کی سچائی ظاہر کردے گا.اَنْتَ مِنْن بِمَنْزِلَةِ تَوْحِيدِى وَتَفْرِيْدِي.فَحَانَ أَنْ تُعَانَ وَتُعْرَفَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ.أَنْتَ مِنِّى بِمَنْزِلَةِ عَرْشِيْ.أَنْتَ مِنَّى بِمَنْزِلَةِ وَلَدِئ.* أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةٍ لَّا يَعْلَمُهَا الْخَلْقُ.نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ فِى الْآخِرَةِ.إِذَا غَضِبْتَ غَضِبْتُ وَكُلَّمَا أَحْبَبْتَ أَحْبَبْتُ.مَنْ عَادَى وَلِيًّا لَّن فَقَدْ أَذَنْتُهُ لِلْحَرَبِ.إِنّى مَعَ الرَّسُوْلِ اَقُوْمُ.وَأَلُوْمُ مَنْ يَلُوْمُ.وَأُعْطِيْكَ مَا يَدُوْمُ.يَأْتِيْكَ الْفَرَجُ.سَلَامٌ عَلَى إِبْرهِيْمَ صَافَيْنَاهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ.تَفَرَّدْنَا بِذلِكَ.فَاتَّخِذُوا مِنْ مَّقَامِ إِبْرهِيْمَ مُصَلَّى.إِنَّا اَنْزَلْنَاهُ قَرِيْبًا مِّنَ الْقَادِيَانِ وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ.صَدَقَ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَ كَانَ أَمْرُ اللهِ مَفْعُولًا.اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ.لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَ هُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ.أَتْرَكَ اللهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ.

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CHAPTER IV[REVELATIONS] آسمان سے کئی تخت اُترے پر تیرا تخت سب سے اوپر بچھایا گیا.يُرِيْدُونَ أَنْ يُطْفِئُوا نُوْرَ اللهِ.أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ.لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعْلَى لَا تَخَفْ إِنِّي لَا يَخَافُ لَدَى الْمُرْسَلُوْنَ.يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ.وَ اللهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَ لَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَفِرُوْنَ.نُنَزِّلُ عَلَيْكَ اَسْرَارًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَنُمَزّقُ الْأَعْدَاءَ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ وَ نُرِي فِرْعَوْنَ وَ هَامَانَ وَ جُنُودَهُمَا مَّا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُوْنَ.فَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَى الَّذِي قَالُوْا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ.مَا أُرْسِلَ نَبِيُّ إِلَّا أَخْزَى بِهِ اللهُ قَوْمًا لَّا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ.سَنُنْجِيْكَ.سَنُعْلِيْكَ.سَأَكْرِمُكَ إِكْرَامًا عَجَبًا.أُرِيْحُكَ وَلَا أَجِيْحُكَ وَأَخْرِجُ مِنْكَ قَوْمًا.وَلَكَ نُرِى أَيَاتٍ وَنَهْدِمُ مَا يَعْمُرُوْنَ.اَنْتَ الشَّيْخُ الْمَسِيحُ الَّذى لَا يُضَاعُ وَقْتُهُ.كَمِثْلِكَ دُرٌّ لَّا يُضَاعُ.لَكَ دَرَجَةٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَفِي الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ يُبْصِرُوْنَ.يُبْدِى لَكَ الرَّحْمَنُ شَيْئًا.يَخِرُّونَ عَلَى الْمَسَاجِدِ.يَخِرُّوْنَ عَلَى الْأَذْقَانِ.رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ - تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَثَرِكَ اللهُ عَلَيْنَا وَ إِنْ كُنَّا لَخْطِيْنَ.لَا تَثْرِيْبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ.يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَ هُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ.يَعْصِمُكَ اللهُ مِنَ الْعِدَا وَيَسْطُوْ بِكُلِّ مَنْ سَطَا- ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَّ كَانُوا يَعْتَدُونَ.أَلَيْسَ اللهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ.يَاجِبَالُ اَوّبِن مَعَهُ وَ الطَّيْرَ.سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّ رَّحِيمٍ.وَ امْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ إِنّى مَعَ الرُّوْحِ مَعَكَ وَمَعَ أَهْلِكَ.لَا تَخَفْ إِنِّي لَا يَخَافُ لَدَيَّ الْمُرْسَلُوْنَ.إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ أَتَى وَرَكَلَ وَرَكَى فَطُوْنِي لِمَنْ وَّجَدَ وَرَأَى.أُمَمٌ يَّسَّرْنَا لَهُمُ الْهُدَى وَأُمَمٌ حَقٌّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعَذَابُ.وَقَالُوْا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا.قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَبِ.يَنْصُرُكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي وَقْتٍ عَزِيزِ.حُكْمُ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ لِخَلِيْفَةِ اللَّهِ السُّلْطَانِ.يُؤْتَى لَهُ الْمُلْكُ الْعَظِيْمُ.وَتُفَتَّحُ عَلَى يَدِهِ * الخْزَائِنُ.ذَالِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ.وَفِي أَعْيُنِكُمْ عَجِيْبٌ.قُلْ يَايُّهَا الْكُفَّارُ إِنِّي مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ.فَانْتَظِرُوا آيَاتِي حَتَّى حِينٍ سَنُرِيْهِمْ أَيْتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ.حُجَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ وَفَتْحٌ مُّبِينٌ.إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفُ كَذَّابٌ.وَ وَضَعْنَا عَنْكَ وِزْرَكَ الَّذِي أَنْقَضَ ظَهْرَكَ.وَقَطَعَ دَابِرَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ * قُلِ اعْمَلُوْا عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنِّي عَامِلٌ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُوْنَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا وَ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مُّحْسِنُوْنَ.هَلْ أَتَاكَ 93

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94 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION حَدِيثُ الزَّلْزَلَةِ.إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا.وَ اَخْرَجَتِ الْأَرْضُ أَثْقَالَهَا.وَ قَالَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا لَهَا.يَوْمَبِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ اَخْبَارَهَا بِأَنَّ رَبَّكَ أَوْحَى لَهَا.أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا وَ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ إِلَّا بَغْتَةً.يَسْتَلُوْنَكَ اَحَقٌّ هُوَ.قُلْ إِن وَ رَبِّقَ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ.وَلَا يُرَدُّ عَنْ قَوْمٍ يُعْرِضُوْنَ.اَلرَّحَى يَدُورُ وَيَنْزِلُ الْقَضَاءُ.لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ وَ الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ مُنْفَكِّيْنَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَةُ.اگر خدا ایسا نہ کرتا تو دنیا میں اندھیر پڑ جاتا.أُرِيْكَ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ.يُرِيْكُمُ اللهُ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ لِمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ.چمک دکھلاؤں گا تم کو اِس نشان کی پنج بار.اگر چاہوں تو اُس دن خاتمہ.* إِنِّی أَحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ.أرِيْكَ مَا يُرْضِيْكَ.رفيقوں کو کہہ دو کہ عجائب در عجائب کام دکھلانے کا وقت آگیا ہے.إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا.لِّيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبكَ وَ مَا تَأَخَّرَ إِنّى أَنَا التَّوَّابُ.مَنْ جَاءَكَ جَاءَنِي.سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّيْ.صَلوةُ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الْفَرْشِ.نَزَلْتُ لَكَ و لَكَ نُرِكْ أَياتٍ.الْأَمْرَاضُ تُشَاعُ والنُّفُوسُ تُضَاعُ وَ مَا كَانَ اللهُ لِيُغَيِّرَ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوْا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ.إِنَّهُ أَوَى الْقَرْيَةِ.لَوْلَا الْإِكْرَامُ لَهَلَكَ الْمُقَامُ.اِنّى أَحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ.مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَ أَنْتَ فِيهِمْ.امن است در مکانِ محبت سرائے ما.بھونچال آیا اور شدت سے آیا.زمین تہ و بالا کردی.يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِيْنٍ وَتَرَى الْأَرْضَ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَامِدَةً مُصْفَرَّةً أُكْرِمُكَ بَعْدَ تَوْهِيْنِكَ - يُرِيْدُوْنَ اَنْ لَّا يَتِمَّ أَمْرُكَ وَاللَّهُ يَأْبَى إِلَّا أَنْ يُتِمَّ أَمْرَكَ إِنِّي أَنَا الرَّحْمَنُ.سَأَجْعَلُ لَكَ سُهُولَةٌ فِي كُلِّ أَمْرٍ - أُرِيْكَ بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنْ كُلِّ طَرْفٍ.نَزَلَتِ الرَّحْمَةُ عَلَى ثَلَاثٍ اَلْعَيْنِ وَعَلَى الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ.تُرَدُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْوَارُ الشَّبَابِ.تَرَى نَسْلًا بَعِيدًا * إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ مَظْهَرِ الْحَقِّ وَالْعُلى كَأَنَّ اللهَ نَزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ نَّافِلَةٌ لَّكَ سَبَّحَكَ اللَّهُ وَرَافَاكَ وَعَلَّمَكَ مَالَمْ تَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ كَرِيْمٌ تَمَشَّى أَمَامَكَ وَعَادَى لَكَ مَنْ عَادَى.وَقَالُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقُ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ ۖ يُلْقِى الرُّوحَ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ - كُلُّ بَرَكَةٍ مِّنْ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَتَبَارَكَ مَنْ عَلَّمَ وَتَعَلَّمَ- خدا کی فیلنگ اور خدا کی مہر نے کتنا بڑا کام کیا.* إِنِّي مَعَكَ وَمَعَ اَهْلِكَ وَمَعَ كُلِّ مَنْ أَحَبَّكَ.تیرے لئے میرا نام چکا.روحانی عالم تیرے پر کھولا

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CHAPTER IV-[REVELATIONS] گیا.فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيْدٌ.أَطَالَ اللهُ بَقَاءَكَ.اسی یا اس پر پانچ چار زیادہ یا پانچ چار کم.میں تجھے بہت برکت دوں گا.یہاں تک کہ بادشاہ تیرے کپڑوں سے برکت ڈھونڈیں گے.تیرے لئے میرا نام چکا.پچاس یا ساٹھ نشان اور دکھاؤں گا.خدا کے مقبولوں میں قبولیت کے نمونے اور علامتیں ہوتی ہیں اور اُن کی تعظیم ملوک اور ذوی الجبروت کرتے ہیں اور وہ سلامتی کے شہزادے کہلاتے ہیں.فرشتوں کی کمپینی ہوئی تلوار تیرے آگے ہے.* پر تو نے وقت کو نہ پہچانا نہ دیکھا نہ جانا.برہمن اوتار سے مقابلہ کرنا اچھا نہیں.رَبِّ فَرِّقُ بَيْنَ صَادِقٍ وَّ كَاذِبٍ أَنْتَ تَرَى كُلَّ مُصْلِحٍ و صَادِقٍ رَبِّ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خَادِمُكَ رَبِّ فَاحْفَظْنِى وَانْصُرْنِي وَارْحَمْنِن.خدا قاتل تو باد و مرا از شر تو محفوظ دارد.زلزلہ آیا اُٹھو نمازیں پڑھیں اور قیامت کا نمونہ دیکھیں.يُظهِرُكَ اللَّهُ وَيُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ.لَوْ لَاكَ لَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْأَفْلَاكَ.أَدْعُوْنِقَ أَسْتَجِبْ لكُمْ.دست تو دعائے تو ترحم زخدا.زلزلہ کا دھکا.عَفَتِ الدِّيَارُ مَحَلُّهَا وَمُقَامُهَا.تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ.پھر بہار آئی خدا کی بات پھر پوری ہوئی.پھر بہار آئی تو آئے صبح کے آنے کے دن.رَبِّ أَخَّرْ وَقْتَ هَذَا أَخَّرَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى وَقْتٍ مُّسَمًّى * تَرَى نَصْرًا عَجِيْبًا وَ يَخِرُّونَ عَلَى الْأَذْقَانِ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْلَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ - يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ كُنتُ لَا أَعْرِفُكَ لَا تَثْرِيْبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللهُ لَكُمْ وَ هُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ - تَلَطَّفْ بِالنَّاسِ وَتَرَحْمْ عَلَيْهِمْ - اَنْتَ فِيْهِمْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ مَؤسَى يَأْتِي عَلَيْكَ زَمَنٌ كَمِثْلِ زَمَنِ مُؤْسَى - إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُوْلًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا اَرْسَلْنَا إِلى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُوْلًا.آسمان سے بہت دودھ اترا ہے محفوظ رکھو.إِنِّي أَنَرْتُكَ وَاخْتَرْتُكَ.تیری خوش زندگی کا سامان ہو گیا.وَاللهُ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدِى حَسَنَةٌ هِيَ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ جَبَلٍ.بہت سے سلام میرے تیرے پر ہوں.إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَكَ الْكَوْثَرَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ اهْتَدَوْا وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ صَادِقُوْنَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوا وَ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مُّحْسِنُوْنَ.أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا.دو نشان ظاہر ہونگے.وَ امْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ.يَكَادُ الْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَارَهُمْ هَذَا الَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ يَا أَحْمَدُ فَاضَتِ الرَّحْمَةُ عَلَى شَفَتَيْكَ كَلَامُ 95

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96 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION * أُفْصِحَتْ مِنْ لَدُنْ رَبِّ كَرِیم.در کلام تو چیزی ست که شعر ارا دران دخلے نیست رَبِّ عَلَّمْنِي مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ عِنْدِكَ يَعْصِمُكَ اللهُ مِنَ الْعِدَا وَيَسْطُوْ بِكُلِّ مَنْ سَطَا- بَرَزَ مَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِّنَ الرِّمَاحِ إِنِّى سَأُخْبِرُهُ فِي آخِرِ الْوَقْتِ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَءُوْفٌ رَّحِيْمٌ ۖ إِنَّا أَلَنَّا لَكَ الْحَدِيْدَ إِنِّي مَعَ الْأَفْوَاجِ أَتِيْكَ بَغْتَةً ۚ إِنِّي مَعَ الرَّسُؤْلِ أجِيْبُ أَخْطِئ وَأُصِيْبُ.* وَ قَالُوا اتَّى لَكَ هَذَا قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ عَجِيْبٌ جَاءَنِي أَبِلٌ * وَاخْتَارَ.وَأَدَارَ إِصْبَعَهُ وَأَشَارَ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللهِ أَتَى فَطُوبَى لِمَنْ وَجَدَ وَرَأَى الْأَمْرَاضُ تُشَاعُ وَالنُّفُوسُ تُضَاعُ إِنّى مَعَ الرَّسُوْلِ اَقُوْمُ وَأَفْطِرُ وَأَصُوْمُ وَ لَنْ أَبْرَحَ الْأَرْضَ إِلَى الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُوْمِ.وَاَجَعَلُ لَكَ اَنْوَارَ الْقُدُوْمِ.وَاَقْصِدُكَ وَاَرُوْمُ.وَأُعْطِيْكَ مَا يَدُوْمُ إِنَّا نَرِثُ الْأَرْضَ نَأْكُلُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا.تُقِلُوْا إِلَى الْمَقَابِرِ.ظَفَرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ مُّبِيْنٌ.إِنَّ رَبِّن قَوِيٌّ قَدِيرٌ.إِنَّهُ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ حَلَّ غَضَبُهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ إِنِّى صَادِقٌ إِنِّي صَادِقٌ وَيَشْهَدُ اللهُ این اے ازلی ابدی خدا بیٹیوں کو پکڑ کے آ.ضَاقَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحُبَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ فَسَحَقَهُمْ تَسْحِيْقًا.زندگی کے فیشن سے دور جا پڑے ہیں.إِنَّمَا أَمْرُكَ إِذَا أَرَدْتَ شَيْئًا اَنْ تَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ.تو در منزل ماچو بار بار آئی خدا ابر رحمت بیارید یا نے.اِنَّا اَمَتْنَا أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ دَوَابًا.ذلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوْا وَّ كَانُوا يَعْتَدُوْنَ.انجام جاہل جہنم بود که جاہل نکو عاقبت کم بود.میری فتح ہوئی میرا غلبہ ہوا.انی أُمِرْتُ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ فَأَتُونِى إِنِّى حِمَى الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَّى لَاَجِدُ رِيْحَ يُوْسُفَ لَوْلَا أَنْ تُفَتِّدُوْنِ.أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحْبِ الْفِيْلِ.أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيْلِ.وہ کام جو تم نے کیا خدا کی مرضی کے موافق نہیں ہو گا.* إِنَّاعَفَوْنَا عَنْكَ.لَقَدْ نَصَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ بِبَدْرٍ و اَنْتُمْ اَذِلَّةٌ.وَقَالُوا إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا اخْتِلَاقُ.قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدْتُّمْ فِيْهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا.قُلْ عِنْدِي شَهَادَةٌ مِّنَ اللهِ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ مَّؤْمِنُوْنَ.يَأْتِي قَمَرُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ.وَأَمْرُكَ يَتَأَتَى وَامْتَازُوا الْيَوْمَ أَيُّهَا الْمُجْرِمُوْنَ.بھونچال آیا اور بشدت آیا زمین تہ و بالا کر دی * هذَا الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ إِنّى أَحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ.سَفِيْنَةٌ وَّسَكِيْنَةٌ.إِنِّي مَعَكَ وَمَعَ أَهْلِكَ أُرِيدُ مَا تُرِيدُونَ.پہلے بنگالہ کی نسبت جو کچھ حکم جاری کیا گیا تھا.اب اُن کی دلجوئی ہوگی.اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الصِّهْرَ وَ

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CHAPTER IV-[REVELATIONS] النَّسَبَ.اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى اَذْهَبَ عَنِّى الْحَزَنَ.وَأَتَانِئ مَالَمْ يُؤْتَ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْعَلَمِيْنَ.يْسَ.إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ.عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ تَنْزِيلَ الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيْمِ.أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَسْتَخْلِفَ فَخَلَقْتُ أدَمَ يُحْيِي الدِّيْنَ وَيُقِيمُ الشَّرِيعَةَ چو دورِ خسروی * آغاز کردند مسلمان را مسلمان باز کردند إِنَّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ كَانَتَا رَتْقًا فَفَتَقْنَهُمَا قَرُبَ أَجَلُكَ الْمُقَدَّرُ.إِنَّ ذَا الْعَرْشِ يَدْعُوْكَ.وَلَا تُبْقِى لَكَ مِنَ الْمُخْزِيَاتِ ذِكْرًا.قَلَّ مِيْعَادُ رَبِّكَ.وَلَا تُبْقِى لَكَ مِنَ الْمُخْزِيَاتِ شَيْئًا.بہت تھوڑے دن رہ گئے ہیں اُس دن خدا کی طرف سے سب پر اُداسی چھا جائے گی.یہ ہو گا.یہ ہو گا.یہ ہو گا.پھر تیرا واقعہ ہو گا.تمام عجائبات قدرت دکھلانے کے بعد تمہارا حادثہ آئے گا.جَاءَ وَقْتُكَ.وَنُبْقِي لَكَ الْآيَاتِ بَاهِرَاتٍ جَآءَ وَقْتُكَ.وَنُبْقِى لَكَ الْآيَاتِ بَيِّنَاتٍ رَبِّ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَّ الْحِقْنِي بِالصَّلِحِيْنَ.أَمِيْن 97

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In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful [Translation of Revelations]¹ Allah has placed blessing in you, O Ahmad.Whatever you did let loose, it was not you but it was Allah who let it loose.Allah has taught you the Quran—that is, disclosed its true meanings to you so that you should warn the people whose ancestors have not been warned, and that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest; that is, he who turns away from you be known.Say, 'I have been commissioned from God and I am the first of the believers.' Say, "The truth has come and falsehood has vanished away; and falsehood was bound to vanish.Every blessing is from Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; so, highly blessed is he who taught and he who has been taught.They will say, 'This is not revelation, rather these are self-coined phrases.Tell them, 'God is the One who has revealed these phrases and then leave them occupied with their sport.' Tell them, 'If these phrases have been invented by me and are not the Words of God, then I deserve the harshest punishment.And who is guilty of greater wrong than one who invents a lie and utters falsehood against Allah?” God is He who has sent His Messenger and Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth in order so that He should make this faith prevail over all diverse faiths.God's decrees are bound to be fulfilled; no one can change them.People will say, 'Whence have you obtained this status? All of this being described as revelation is man's word and has been manufactured 1.The English translation of the revelations is based on the Urdu translation given by the Promised Messiah as in this book.[Publisher]

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IOO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION with the help of other people.O people! Will you then know- ingly submit to deception? How can that happen which this man promises you, especially the promise of one who is lowly and mean.He is either ignorant or mad whose speech is point- less.' Tell them, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you accept it or not?' Tell them again, I have with me proof from Allah, then will you believe or not.I have been living among you for a long time before this, then do you not understand?' This status has been granted as a mercy from your Lord, He will perfect His bounty unto you; so give glad tidings and by the grace of your Lord you are not demented.You have a stand- ing and status in heaven and among those who are able to see.We shall show Signs for you and shall demolish the structures which they build.All praise belongs to Allah who has made you Masiḥ Ibn- e-Maryam [the Messiah, Son of Mary].He is not accountable for that which He does but the people are accountable for what they do.!* 1.In the Word of God which I have set out in various places throughout my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God Almighty has clearly stated how He des- ignated me as 'Isā Ibn-e-Maryam [Jesus, the son of Mary].In that book, God first named me ‘Maryam' [Mary] and then disclosed that the Spirit was breathed into this Maryam by God and then He said that after the breath- ing of the Spirit, the status of Maryam was converted into the status of ‘Īsā, and thus 'Īsā, having been born of Maryam, was called Ibn-e-Maryam.فاجَآءَهَا الْمَخَاضُ إِلى جِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ.At another place in the same context God said -Here, God Almighty says, by way of met قَالَ لَيْتَنِي مِتُّ قَبْلَ هَذَا وَ كُنْتُ نَسْيًا مُنْسِيًّا aphor, that when the status of ‘Īsā was born from the status of Maryam in this commissioned one, and this commissioned one was thereby close to becoming Ibn-e-Maryam, the need to preach, which resembles the pain of childbirth, brought him to the dried roots of the Ummah [Muslim people] which lacked the fruit of understanding and righteousness.They were ready to condemn him as an impostor on hearing such a claim and to cause him grief and to say various disparaging things concerning him.Then he said in his heart, 'Would that I had died before this and had been utterly forgotten so that nobody had known my name.' (Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] They ask, 'Do you place in it as vicegerent one who cre- ates disorder upon earth?' He answered: 'I know about him that which you do not know.' I shall humiliate the person, who designs to humiliate you.In My Presence, My Messengers are not afraid of any opponent.Allah has decreed, 'I and My Messengers shall always prevail.And after their defeat, they shall soon be victorious." '1 Allah is with those who are righteous and who do good deeds.An earthquake resembling the Judgment Day is about to happen, which I shall show you.I shall keep all those who dwell in this house under My watchful protection.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away.This is that which you sought to hasten.This is the good news which was given to Prophets.You have appeared with a clear Sign from your Lord.We shall suffice against those who mock you.Shall I inform you on whom the satans descend? Satans descend upon every lying sinner.Despair not of the mercy of Allah.Hearken, indeed the mercy of Allah is near.Hearken, the help of Allah is near.Help will come to you by every distant track—such tracks which will become deep due to the excessive travel of the people that will come to you.So many people will come to you that the track on which they travel will become deep.Allah will Himself help you.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from Ourself.The decrees of Allah ΙΟΙ 1.☆ In this revelation God has named me Rusül ['Messengers'] for, as has been set out in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, God Almighty has made me a manifestation of all Prophets, may peace be upon them, and has ascribed the names of all Prophets to me.I am Adam, I am Shith, I am Nūḥ, I am Ibrāhīm, I am Isḥāq, I am Ismā'īl, I am Ya'qūb, I am Yūsuf, I am Mūsā, I am Dāwūd, I am ‘Īsā, and I am the perfect manifestation of the name of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; that is to say, I am Muḥammadsa and Aḥmad sa by way of reflection.(Author)

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IO2 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION cannot be averted.Your Lord has said, 'A decree will descend from heaven that will please you.' We will bestow upon you a manifest victory.The victory of the friend of Allah is the grand victory and We have bestowed upon him such intimate nearness that he becomes Our con- fidant.He is the bravest of people.Had faith ascended to the Pleiades he would have reached there and brought it down.Allah will illumine his arguments.I was a hidden treasure and I willed to be recognized.O moon, O sun, you appeared through Me and I was man- ifested through you.When the help of Allah comes and the hosts turn to us, [and the Words of your Lord are fulfilled] it will be asked: 'Was this not true?' It is incumbent upon you not to be wroth towards Allah's creatures and you must not get tired of receiving them in large numbers.You must enlarge your house so that when people come in multitudes, there may be enough accommodation for them.Give glad tidings to those who have believed that they have the station of righteousness before your Lord.Recite the revelation that has been sent to you from your Lord to those who will join your Community.Ashābus-Suffah.Do you know who the Asḥābus-Suffah are? You will see their eyes shedding tears; they will call down blessings upon you.They will send blessing upon you and sup- plicate: 'Our Lord we have heard the voice of a Caller, calling people unto faith and a Summoner to Allah and a refulgent lamp.Mercy flows from your lips, O Ahmad.You are in Our sight, 1.In one corner of the Prophet's mosque in Madinah, a covered platform was prepared which was known as 'Şuffah'.This served as the resting place of indi- gent Emigrants who dedicated themselves to the worship of Allah, the com- pany of the Holy Prophets, and recitation of the Holy Quran.They became known as Asḥābuş-Şuffah.[Publisher]

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 103 [under Our watchful care].I have named you Mutawakkil [the one trusting in God].Allah will exalt your name and perfect His bounty upon you in this world and the Hereafter.You have been blessed, O Ahmad, and you alone deserved the blessing that Allah has bestowed upon you.Your rank is wonderful and your reward is near.The heaven and the earth is with you as it is with Me.You have a high station in My Presence.I have chosen you for Myself.All kinds of Holiness belong to Allah, who pos- sesses all blessings and is the Highest Being.He will raise your status.The name and remembrance of your forefathers will be cut off and, after you, the family tree will begin with you." pos- 1.Footnote: It should be remembered that the family of my humble self was very well known on account of its worldly nobility and esteem.Even in the period when the worldly glory of this family was near its end, my grandfather personally owned eighty-two villages in this area.Prior to that, my ancestors were rulers of the land and were not subordinate to any government.Then in God's wisdom and under His will, they lost everything as the result of some battles during the Sikh times and were left with only six villages in their session.Then two more villages were lost and only four were left and in this manner their worldly splendour, which never endures for anyone, went into decline.In any case, this family was renowned in this area.But God Almighty did not desire that this honour should remain confined to its worldly status, for worldly honours betoken only vainglory, pride, and arrogance.Therefore now God, in His holy revelation, promises and says, addressing me: ‘This family will change its complexion and the lineage of this family shall begin with you and its previous history will be cut off.This revelation also hints to the profu- sion of my progeny; that is, I would have a large progeny.As is generally un- derstood, this family is known as a Mogul family, but God, the Knower of the unseen, who is aware of reality, has repeatedly affirmed in His holy revelation that this is a Persian family and has addressed me: as a descendant of Persians إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا وَ صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللَّهِ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ شَكَرَ اللهُ سَعْيَه as He says about me meaning, "Those who, having disbelieved, obstruct people from the way of Allah the Almighty, have been refuted by a man of Persian origin.God is grateful for this effort of his.And, in another revelation, He says about me meaning, Had faith been suspended in the لَوْ كَانَ الْإِيمَانُ مُعَلَّقًا بِالثَّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ m خُذُوا التَّوْحِيْدَ التَّوْحِيْدَ يَا أَبْنَاءَ الْفَارِسِ addressing me, He says in another revelation Pleiades, a man of Persian origin would have found it even from there.Again, mean- ing, "Take hold of Tauḥid [the Oneness of God], take hold of Tauḥid, O sons

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104 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Allah is not such as to leave you until He clearly distin- guishes between the foul and the pure.When the help and the victory of Allah Almighty will come and the word of your Lord is fulfilled, the disbelievers will be told, 'This is what you has- tened for.' I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] from Myself so I created this Adam.He drew nearer to God and then turned towards mankind and between the two he became like one chord between two bows.He will revive the Faith and will estab- lish the Shariah.O Adam! Dwell you and your companions in of Persia!' All these divine statements prove that my family is, in reality, Persian, not Mogul.I do not know by what misunderstanding the family became known as Mogul.According to my information our family tree runs as follows.My father's name was Mirzā Ghulam Murtaḍā, his father's name was Mirzā 'Ață Muḥammad; Mirzā ‘Aṭā Muḥammad's father was Mirzā Gul Muḥammad; Mirzā Gul Muḥammad's father was Mirzā Faiḍ Muḥammad; Mirza Faiḍ Muḥammad's father was Mirzā Muḥammad Qa'im; Mirzā Muḥammad Qa'im's father was Mirzā Muḥammad Aslam; Mirzā Muḥammad Aslam's father was Mirzā Dilāwar; Mirzā Dilawar's father was Mirzā Allah-Dīn; Mirzā Allah-Din's father was Mirza Ja'far Baig; Mirzā Ja'far Baig's father was Mirzā Muḥammad Baig; Mirzā Muḥammad Baig's father was Mirzā 'Abdul-Baqi; Mirzā ‘Abdul-Baqi's father was Mirzā Muhammed Sultān; Mirzā Muhammed Sultān's father was Mirzā Hādī Baig.It appears that Mirzā and Baig were bestowed upon them as titles, as Khān is bestowed as a title.In any case, what God has manifested is indeed correct.Man can fall into error from a minor mistake, but God is free from omission and error.(Author)* *Sub-Footnote: There is another prophecy concerning my family, which is that God says about metal (Translation): 'Salman', that is, my humble self, who lays the foundation of two types of reconciliation, 'is one of us, a member of the family.This divine revelation confirms a well- known account that some of my paternal grandmothers were from among the Sayyeds.Two types of reconciliation implies that God has ordained that one reconciliation will be brought about through me between the various sects of Islam, and much of the division will be eliminated, and the second reconciliation will be with the external enemies of Islam that many of them will be given an understanding of the truth of Islam and they will enter into Islam.Then the end will come.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] Paradise.O Maryam [Mary]! Dwell you and your follower and companion in Paradise.O Ahmad! Dwell you and your com- panions in Paradise.You will be helped and opponents will say, ‘Now, there is no way of escape left.A man of Persian descent has written the refutation of those who have disbelieved and have obstructed [people] from the path of Allah.Allah appreciates his effort.Do they say, 'We are a strongly supported host that will inflict devastating losses'? This entire host will soon be routed and they will turn their backs.Today you are a man of established position, and trustworthy, and My mercy is upon you in [mat- ters of] the world and the Faith and you are among the peo- ple who have been granted the succour of Allah.God praises you and is coming towards you.Holy is He who took you on a journey during the night.He created this Adam and then hon- oured him.He is the Messenger of Allah in the mantles of all the Prophets; that is, he possesses some characteristic of every Prophet.Good news for you, O My Ahmad! You are My pur- pose and are with Me.Your secret is My secret.I will help you.I shall always remain your Protector.I shall make you a leader of men.You will be their guide and they will be your followers.Is this a matter of wonder for people? Tell them, 'Allah is the Possessor of Wonders.He is not questioned about that which He does, but people are questioned.And such days We cause to alternate among men.They will say, 'This is an impos- ture!' Say, 'If you love Allah, then follow me, so that Allah may also love you.' When Allah the Almighty helps a believer He makes many in the earth jealous of him.No one can turn away His grace; therefore, Hell is their promised place.Say, 'Allah has sent this Word', and then leave them beguiled by their useless sport.When it is said to them, 'Believe as other people have believed', they say, 'Shall we believe as the foolish have believed?' 105

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106 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Take note! They indeed are the foolish ones, but they are not aware of their foolishness.When it is said to them, 'Create not disorder in the land, they retort, 'We are actually the ones who promote peace.' Say, 'Light has descended to you from Allah, so do not reject it if you are believers.' Do you demand any trib- ute from them which prevents them from bearing the burden of faith? Nay! We have given them the truth, but they hate to accept the truth.Deal people with kindness and mercy.Your standing among them is like Mūsā [Moses] and be patient against what they say.Will you grieve yourself to death as to why they do not believe? Follow not that of which you have no knowledge.Do not supplicate to Me in the matter of the wrongdoers; they will be drowned.Build the ark under Our supervision and Our direction.Those who enter into a covenant with you, enter into a covenant with Allah.The hand above their hands is Allah's hand.Call to mind when the one who considered you a liar and declared you a disbeliever ¹* devised a plan against you and said, 'O Hāmān, prepare a fire for me, so that I might find out about the God of Mūsā because I consider him to be a liar.' Both hands of Abū Lahab [the Father of Flames] perished and so did he perish himself.2* It did not behove him to enter into this affair without fear and humility.1.The reference is to Abū Sa'id Muḥammad Husain Batālavi because he wrote the edict of apostasy and presented it to Nadhir Husain.The one who kindled the fire of apostasy in this country was indeed Nadhir Husain.ézámý tó aúlé [He received what he deserved].(Author) 2.Abū Lahab here refers to a maulawi from Delhi, who has passed away.This prophecy was made twenty-five years ago and is recorded in Barāhin-e- Aḥmadiyya.It had already been published at the time when these maulawis had not yet issued their edicts of disbelief against me.The perpetrator of the edict of disbelief was the same maulawi from Delhi, whom Allah the Almighty called Abū Lahab and about whom He revealed the news, recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, long before the edict was framed.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] And as for that which afflicts you, it is from God alone.A trial will arise here, then be steadfast as Prophets of high resolve were steadfast.Hearken! This tribulation is from God Almighty so that He might love you—the love of God, the Mighty and the Exalted.Two goats will be slaughtered and everyone upon the earth will ultimately perish.Do not be sor- rowful, nor grieve.Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? Do you not know that God has power over all things? They have made you a target of mockery and mockingly say, 'Is he the one whom Allah has raised?' Tell them, 'I am but a man.It has been revealed to me that your God is One God and that all goodness and virtue is contained in the Quran, and in no other book.No one penetrates to its deeper meanings except those whose hearts are pure.' Say, “The [real] guidance is only the guidance from Allah.They will say, 'Why has this revelation of God not descended upon some great man from one of the two cities?'* They will also ask, 'From where have you obtained this status? This is a stratagem that you have devised together.They look towards you but they are unable to recognize you.Say, 'If you love Allah, then come and follow me so that Allah may also love you.' God has descended to bestow mercy upon you.But if you revert to sin, We shall also revert to inflict- ing chastisement.We have made Hell a place of confinement for disbelievers.And We have sent you as a mercy for the whole world.Say, ‘Carry on as you like within your homes, and I shall also carry on and soon you will see whom God helps.' Not the smallest particle of a deed can be accepted without righteous- ness.Allah is with those who are righteous and with those who 107 1.Meaning that: This man, who resides in Qadian, a small town in the Punjab, claims to be the Promised Mahdi.Why was the Promised Mahdi not raised in Makkah or Madinah—the land of Islam? (Author)

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108 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION are engaged in doing good deeds.Say, 'If I have invented a slan- der, the sin thereof is on me.And I was living among you for a long time before this, then do you not understand?' Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? And We will make him a Sign and an example of mercy and this matter had been determined since eternity.This is that very matter which you doubted.Peace be upon you! You have been blessed.You are blessed in the world and in the Hereafter.Blessings will descend upon the sick people through you.¹* 1.Footnote: The words of God that, 'Blessings will descend upon the sick people through you,' covers both the spiritually sick and the physically sick.Spiritually, because I see that there are thousands of people whose conduct was unbecoming prior to their bai'at [pledge of allegiance] to me, but after pledging bai'at their conduct improved, and they repented of various kinds of sins and became regular in their prayers.I find hundreds of people in my Jama'at whose hearts are now burning with the desire to be cleansed of car- nal passions.As for physical illnesses, I have observed time after time that most of those who suffered from serious diseases were cured as a result of my prayer and concentration.My son Mubarak Aḥmad became so seriously ill at the age of about two that his condition appeared hopeless.While I was still praying, someone called out, 'The boy has died!', which implied that I should stop praying as prayer was of no use anymore.But I did not cease to pray.When I placed my hand on my son's body while still in the state of my focus towards God Almighty, suddenly I felt that he took a breath and I had not yet moved my hand away when I felt definite signs of life in him and after minutes he regained consciousness and sat up.Again, at a time when the plague was raging in Qadian, my son, Sharif Aḥmad, fell sick and developed high fever which seemed to be typhoid.He fell totally unconscious and was beating about his arms in that unconscious- ness.I thought to myself that although no one is immortal, if the boy died in the days while the plague was raging in Qadian, all my enemies would say that this fever had in fact been the plague, and would claim that the divine reve- lation vouchsafed to me all who dwell in your house from the plague, had been false.This thought caused me indescribable distress.At about midnight the boy's condition dete- riorated and I became apprehensive that it was some other affliction and not just the ordinary fever.I cannot describe my feeling, because if the boy was to die-God forbid—it would provide the cruel-natured people with a lot of meaning that, I shall safeguard اِنّى أَحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِى الدّارِ

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 109 material to suppress the truth.In that very state I performed the ablution and stood up for prayer.Immediately, as soon as I stood up, I found myself in the state which is a clear sign of the acceptance of prayer.I call God to witness, in whose hand is my life, that I had just completed perhaps three raka'āt when I saw in a vision that the boy was completely healthy.Thereafter, that state of vision ended.When I finished the four raka'āt, I saw him sitting on the bed fully conscious asking for water.I immediately gave him water and when I put my hand on his body there was no sign or trace of fever.His state of delir- ium, restlessness, and unconsciousness had completely disappeared, and the boy's condition was of complete health.I was thus granted fresh faith in the divine power and acceptance of prayer through witnessing this spectacle of the Omnipotence of God.Then, a long time afterwards, it so happened that the son of Nawab Sardar Muhammad Ali Khan, a nobleman of Malerkotla, fell seriously ill in Qadian, and his life was almost despaired of.He beseeched me for prayer.I retired to my Baitud-Du'ä' [Prayer room] and prayed for him.After the prayer it became obvious as though his death had been decreed and that it was futile to pray at the time.Upon this I said, 'Lord, if the prayer is not to be accepted, then I intercede that You may cure him for my sake.These words escaped my lips but I was afterwards filled with remorse for having uttered them.Simultaneous with this, I received the revelation from God Almighty meaning that: Who can dare intercede without His مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَةَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ permission? I fell silent after hearing this revelation.Hardly a minute had passed before I received the following revelation: meaning: 'You are granted permission to intercede.' I then prayed fervently and I could feel that this time the prayer would not go unanswered.The boy started to recover that very day; indeed, at that very moment, and it was as if he had come out of his grave.I know for a fact that the miracles of ‘Īsā, whereby he gave life to the dead, were no greater than this.I am grateful to God that many miracles of this kind of revival of the dead have been demonstrated at my hands.Once my son, Bashir Aḥmad, became ill due to an eye condition.He received treatment for a long time, but to no avail.In view of his restless- ness, I prayed to God and received this revelation meaning that: My son Bashir opened his eyes.By the grace of God, his eyes were cured the same day.Once I myself fell so seriously ill that people thought I was about to die, and Surah Yā Sin was recited to me three times.But God Almighty accepted my prayer and healed me without the agency of any medicine.I had fully recovered when I woke up the next morning.At the same time, I meaning وَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوْا بِشَفَاءٍ مِّنْ مِّثْلِهِ received the revelation 'If you are in doubt as to the mercy which We have poured upon Our servant, then do bring any precedent of such recovery.' I have had numerous similar

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IIO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Now, come forward and go forth, as your time is near.The time is now coming that the people of Muḥammad will be lifted from the pit and their steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower.The holy Muḥammad, the Chosen One, Chief of the Prophets.God will set all affairs aright and will bestow upon you all that you desire.The Lord of hosts will turn His attention towards this.The purport of this Sign is that the Holy Quran is the Book of God and is the words of My mouth.your O Īsā [Jesus], I shall cause you to die and shall raise you towards Myself and I shall grant predominance to your experiences in which, only through prayer and earnest attention on my part, God Almighty healed the sick, and their number defies counting.Recently, on the night preceding 8 July 1906, my son, Mubarak Aḥmad, was down with measles and was very agitated and restless.He spent one night tossing and turning, with hardly a moment's sleep.The following night even worse signs appeared and, in a state of unconsciousness, he was tearing his flesh apart and was delirious.His body had a terrible itch.I was greatly overcome and received the revelation [Pray unto Me; I will answer your prayer'].Then I prayed and suddenly I saw in a vision that there were numer- ous mice-like creatures on his bed that were biting him.Then someone rose up and gathered and wrapped all those animals in a sheet and told me to throw it out.And then the state of vision ended.I know not whether the state of vision ended first or whether the illness ended first.The boy slept comfort- ably until the morning.As God Almighty has granted me this special miracle from Himself, I, therefore, proclaim it with certainty that nobody on the face of the earth can compete with me in this miracle of healing the sick.And if someone tries to compete with me in this, God shall put him to shame, for this is a special gift of God bestowed upon me to show miraculous Signs.This does not mean, however, that each and every patient I pray for will recover; rather, it means that most of the patients will surely be cured at my hand.Should anyone dare to compete with me in respect of this miracle by way of insolence and trickery, God will make certain that the patients assigned to me will be cured in far greater proportion than the others.This competition should be done, for example, by randomly assigning twenty patients to me and twenty to the challenger.It will be an obvious miracle.Alas! I could have quoted many wonderful incidents as examples but this small treatise lacks the space for it.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] III followers over those who disbelieve until the Day of Judgment; among the first ones and a group from from there is a group among the last ones.I shall demonstrate My light and shall raise you with a demonstration of My power.A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.You are to Me as My Tauhid [Oneness] and Tafrid [Uniqueness].The time has come that you should be helped and be made well known in the world.You are to Me like My Throne.You are to Me like My son." You are to Me in such an ultimate nearness of which the people cannot have any knowl- edge.We are your Friend and Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter.Whomsoever you are angry with, I am angry with; and whomsoever you love, I love them too.He who is at enmity with a friend of Mine is challenged by Me to battle.I shall stand with this Messenger.I shall rebuke the one who rebukes him.And I shall bestow upon you that which shall last forever.Prosperity will come to you.Peace be upon this Ibrāhīm [Abraham].We have made him a true friend and have delivered him from grief.We are Unique in this matter.Then make the station of this Ibrāhīm your place of worship; that is, follow his example.We have sent him close to Qadian, and have sent him at the time of true need, and he has descended at the time of need.The prophecy of Allah and His Messenger has been fulfilled, 1.Allah the Almighty is Holy, without a son.This revelation is metaphor- ical.As in this age ignorant Christians have deified Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā because of such expressions, divine wisdom determined the use of even stronger expres- sions with regard to my humble self so that the eyes of the Christians should open up and should realise that there is someone in this ummah [followers of the Holy Prophetsa] for whom stronger expressions have been used than the words on the basis of which they deify ‘Īsā.(Author)

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II 2 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION and whatever God had willed was bound to happen.All praise belongs to Allah, who has made you Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam.He [Allah] is not accountable for that which He does, but people are accountable.Allah has selected you from among everything.Many thrones have descended upon the earth but your throne has been placed above all others.They will desire to extinguish the light of Allah.Hearken! It is the army of Allah which shall prevail ultimately.Have no fear, indeed, you will be on top.Have no fear, for, in My Presence, My Messengers are not afraid of anyone.The opponents will desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths and Allah will perfect His light though the disbelievers might resent it.We shall send down to you many hidden matters from heaven.And We shall crush the designs of your enemies into bits and shall show Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts the hand which they fear.Then grieve not over that which they say, because your Lord is ever on the watch.No Prophet has been sent except that with his coming Allah has humiliated those who do not believe in him.We shall deliver you and will raise you high.I shall grant you such hon- our as will make people marvel.I shall comfort and shall you not wipe out your name and shall raise a great people from you.We shall show great Signs for you and shall demolish the struc- tures that are being built.You are the revered Messiah whose time shall not be wasted.A jewel like you cannot be wasted.You have a high standing in heaven and among those who have been granted insight.The Gracious God will demonstrate a Sign of Providence for you.The disbelievers will thereby fall down in prostration.They will fall upon their chins supplicating, ‘Our Lord forgive us our sins; we were in error.' Then they will address you saying, "We testify to Allah that He has given you preference over us

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 113 and that we were in error in staying away.They will be told, Now that you have believed, no blame lies upon you.Allah has forgiven your sins and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.Allah will safeguard you against the mischief of your enemies and will attack him who attacks you.This is because they transgressed and treaded upon the ways of disobe- dience.Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? O mountains and birds! Remember Me with ecstasy and heartfelt pain along with this servant of Mine.Peace be upon all of you from God who is Merciful.Step aside today, O guilty ones! I, along with the Spirit of Holiness, am with you and with the members of your family.Be not afraid; the Messengers are not afraid in My Presence.The promise of Allah has come, and He has put down His foot and repaired the gap.Then blessed is he who has found and seen.There are people who accepted the guidance and there are people who have earned torment.They will say, 'He is not a Messenger of God.' Tell them, 'My truth is being testified by God Himself as well as those who have knowledge of the Book of Allah.Allah will help you at a difficult time.The commandment of Allah, the Gracious, for His vicegerent, for whom is the heavenly kingdom: he will be bestowed a vast kingdom; treas- ures will be opened for him.¹* This is Allah's grace and is strange in your eyes.། ོ། Say, 'O ye who disbelieve! I am of the truthful ones.So 1.This revelation has reference to some future time as happened in the case of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who was, in a vision, given the keys [of the treasuries of Caesar and Khosrow], but those keys made their appearance in the time of Ḥadrat 'Umar Fārüqra.When God sets up a people with His own hand, He does not brook that people should trample them forever.Finally, some kings join them and they are, thus, de- livered from the hands of tyrants as happened in the case of the Ḥadrat ‘Īsā, peace be upon him.(Author)

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114 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION wait a while for My Signs.' We shall soon show them Our Signs around them and in their own selves.On that day the argu- ments will be carried to its conclusion and there will be a clear victory.Allah will decide between you on that day.Allah does not guide the one who exceeds the limits and is a great liar.We shall bear that burden of yours which has well-nigh broken your back.We shall cut the roots off of the people who do not believe in the veritable truth.¹ Tell them, 'Continue on your side to strive for your success; I shall continue to strive on my side.Then soon will you know whose efforts are deemed worthy of acceptance.' Allah will be with those who adopt right- eousness and with those who are engaged in doing good deeds.Has not the news of the destined earthquake come to you? Call to mind, when the earth shall be shaken violently and it shall bring forth all of its inner burdens and man will ask, 'What is the matter with the earth, that such a calamity has overtaken it?' On that day, the earth shall narrate the events that befell it.God shall reveal to His Messenger the trouble that has befallen it.Do the people imagine that this earthquake will not strike? It will certainly strike, and at a time when they will be com- pletely unprepared and everyone will be distracted in their own worldly pursuits when the earthquake shall seize them.They ask you, 'Is the prophecy about the coming of the earthquake true?' Tell them, 'Yes, by my Lord, this earthquake shall cer- tainly occur and people who turn away from God will not be able to escape it anywhere.' That is, they will find no refuge, and even if they are standing at the door of their house, they will be unable to leave the house, except through good deeds.A mill will rotate and the decree will descend.Those from among the People of the Book and the idolaters 1.This indicates that the time is coming for truth to be clearly manifested and all controversies to be resolved; this decision shall be through heavenly Signs.The earth has been corrupted; now the heavens will confront it.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] who denied the truth would not desist from their disbelief until this great Sign was shown to them.Had God not done this, the world would have been enveloped in darkness.I shall show you the earthquake of the Judgment Day.Allah will show you the earthquake of the Judgment Day.On that day, it will be asked, 'Whose is the kingdom this Day? Is the kingdom not of Allah, who is Supreme over all?' I shall demonstrate to you the flash of this earthquake five times.If I so willed, I would end the world that day." I shall safeguard all those who are in your house.I shall show you the marvel of divine decree that will please you.Tell the companions that the time for showing wonders upon wonders has arrived.I shall grant you a grand victory which will be very clear so that your God may forgive all your shortcomings, past and future.²* I am the Acceptor of repentance.He who will come to you, will be as if he comes to Me.Peace be upon you; you are the purified.We 115 1.This revelation indicates that there will be five earthquakes.The first four of them will be somewhat lighter and lesser in severity and people will take them as ordinary, but then the fifth earthquake will be apocalyptic which would drive people mad and insane, so much so that they would wish that they had died before that day.Bear in mind that since receipt of this reve- lation up to this day, 22 July 1906, there have been three earthquakes in this country; those of 28 February 1906, 20 May 1906, and 21 July 1906.But these are probably not included among the predicted earthquakes in the sight of Allah for they were very minor.It would appear that there would be four earthquakes like the one of 4 April 1905 and the fifth will be apocalyptic.[And Allah knows best].(Author) 2.Unjust man, as a rule, raises thousands of objections against the Prophets and Messengers of God and finds all kinds of faults in them as if they were but a bundle of all kinds of faults, wrongs, crimes, sins, and injustices in the world.How far can one respond to such evil suggestions which are mingled with the mischief of the lower self? Therefore, the way of Allah is that final- ly He takes the matter in His own hand and manifests such a glorious Sign as clearly demonstrates the exoneration of that Prophet.This, indeed, is the for you your shortcomings, That Allah may cover up] لِيَغْفِرَ لَكَ اللهُ meaning of (Surah al-Fatḥ, 48:3)].(Author)

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116 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION praise you and call down blessings upon you.Blessings of Allah extend to you from the Throne to the earth.I have descended for your sake and shall manifest My Signs for you.Diseases will spread in the land and many lives will be lost.God is not such as to change His decree about a people until they carry out a change in their views.He will take this town Qadian under His protection after some tribulations." Were it not for the sake of honouring you, I would have destroyed the whole of this town.I shall safeguard all those who are within the four walls of this house-none of them shall die of the plague or earthquake.God is not such that He would chastise those among whom dwell.The house filled with our love is an abode of peace.The earthquake will occur—and with great severity-and the earth will be turned upside down.On that day the sky will produce a visible pall of smoke.2* And on that day the earth will turn yellow; that is, there will be signs of severe famine.I shall bestow respect and honour upon you after your enemies try to humiliate you.³ you They desire that your affair should remain incomplete, but Allah does not intend to leave you until He completes all your 1.The word is spoken in Arabic on occasions when protection is granted to someone after some sufferings as Allah the Almighty says: d ['Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter?' (Surah aḍ-Duḥā, 93:7)] We rescued them and helped them] أوَيْنَهُمَا إِلى رَبُوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَ مَعِينٍ and as He says reach an elevated land, a restful place with springs of running water', (Surah al-Mu'minun, 23:51)].(Author) 2.Meaning that, these are the Signs of the earthquake which will be apoca- lyptic.There will be a famine a short while before it and the earth will remain barren.It is unknown whether the earthquake will strike immediately after it or after some delay.(Author) 3.Meaning that, before the major Signs appear, it is imperative that I be in- sulted, diverse types of evil things be said, and allegations be made.Thereafter, the fearsome Signs will appear from the heavens.This is the way of Allah; first is the turn of the disbelievers, and the second is that of God.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 117 affairs.I am the Gracious One; I shall create ease for you in every matter.I shall show you blessings from every direction.My mercy has descended upon three of your organs: the eyes and two other organs; that is, they will be protected.The glow of youth will be restored to you.You shall witness your distant progeny.' We give you good news of a son, who will be accompanied by the manifestation of the True, as if Allah had descended from heaven.We give you good news of a boy who will be your grandson.Allah has purified you of every shortcoming and has approved of you and has taught you the verities that you did not know.He is the Benevolent.He walked in front of you and became the Enemy of your enemies.They will say, 'This is but an imposture.' O critic! Do you not know that God has power over all things? He puts His Spirit into whomsoever He wills from among His servants; that is, grants the station of Prophethood.Every blessing is from Muḥammad, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him; so, highly blessed is he who taught this servant and greatly blessed is he who has been taught.God's feeling²* and His seal have accomplished such a lofty 1.This divine revelation ['You shall witness a distant progeny'] dates back to about thirty years.(Author) What a lofty design] خدا کی فیلنگ اور خدا کی مہر نے کتنا بڑا کام کیا : The divine revelation *.2 has been accomplished by God's feeling and His Seal'] means that God felt that this age had become so corrupt that a grand reformer was needed.So the Seal of God performed this task that a follower of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reached the rank of being a fol- lower on the one hand, and a Prophet on the other because Allah the Exalted bestowed the Seal upon the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; that is, he was bestowed the Seal for the purpose of conveying spiritual excellence, which had not been bestowed upon any other Prophet and that is why he was named the Seal of Prophets.This means that obedience

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118 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION to the Holy Prophet bestows the excellences of Prophethood and his spiritual attention carves out Prophets.No other Prophet has been granted this purify- ing power.This is the meaning of the hadith meaning that, the divines from among my ummah will be like the Prophets of the Children of Israel.There were many Prophets from among the Children of Israel, but their Prophethood was not because of their obedience to Mūsā; rather it was a direct bounty from God.It had no trace of influence of the obedience to Mūsǎ in it.That is why they were not designated Prophets in one aspect and the followers of a Prophet in another, but were called independent Prophets and the dignity of Prophethood was bestowed directly upon them.Leaving them aside, if we look at the rest of the Children of Israel, we observe that they had received very little in rectitude, goodness, and piety.In general, the followers of Mūsā and ‘Īsā had been deficient in auliya'ullāh [friends of Allah].If an odd one was there, it was as if non-existent.Most of them were disobedient, vicious, sinful, and worshippers of the world.That is why the Torah and the Gospel contain not even a hint about the spiritual influence of Haḍrat Mūsā and Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā concerning them.The Torah frequently des- ignates the companions of Mūsā as a disobedient, hard-hearted, sinful, and rebellious group.In reference to their disobedience, the Holy Quran recounts their response فَاذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَ رَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هُنَا فَعِدُونَ to Hadrat Musa on the occasion of a battle [Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:25] meaning: 'Go you and your Lord and fight the enemy; here we shall sit.' Such was the measure of their disobedience.In contrast, the hearts of the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were so inspired by the love of God, and they were so affected by the spiritual attention of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that they sacrificed themselves in the cause of God like sheep and goats.Can anyone show us the followers of any previous Prophet, who demonstrated such sincerity and devotion? We have mentioned the state of the companions of Mūsā.Now listen to the state of the disciples of Hadrat Masiḥ [Jesus].One of them, Judas Iscariot, had him arrested in return for thirty pieces of silver.Peter, the disciple to whom had been committed the keys of Heaven, cursed 'Īsā to his face and the remaining disciples, upon seeing the adversity, ran away.Not one of them displayed resolve or remained steadfast.Cowardice overwhelmed them.In contrast, the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, displayed such steadfastness and were so reconciled to death under the shadow of the swords that any mention of their devotion brings tears to one's eyes.So what was it that breathed into them such spirit of devotion? And what was the hand that brought about such a change in them? It was that in the time of their pre-Islamic ignorance they were worms of this world; there was

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 119 no sin and no type of injustice that they did not commit, but then becoming the followers of this Prophet, they were so drawn to God that it was as if God dwelt within them.I tell you truly that it was the spiritual attention of the Holy Prophet that pulled them out of a low life into a holy one.Those who entered Islam in hosts did not do so because of the sword.Rather it was the consequence of the sincere supplications and humble and passionate prayers which the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, offered in Makkah for thirteen years, so that even the soil of Makkah confessed that it was under the blessed feet of him whose heart proclaimed the Oneness of Allah so passionately that heaven was filled with his cries.God is in need of no one.He does not care whether anyone is rightly guided or goes astray.Therefore, the light of guidance which was so extraordinarily manifested in Arabia, and then spread to the rest of the world, was the conse- quence of the heartfelt anguish of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Followers of every religion digressed and strayed away from Tauḥid [Oneness of God] but the spring of Tauḥīd continued to flow in Islam.All these blessings were the result of the supplications of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as God Almighty has said [Surah ash-Shu'ara', 26:4] meaning: ‘Will you grieve yourself to death because they do not believe?' Thus, the reason why the followers of previous Prophets did not achieve such a high grade in right- eousness and piety was that those Prophets did not have the same degree of attention and anguish for their followers.It is a pity that the ignorant Muslims of this age did not appreciate their Noble Prophet as he deserved, and stum- bled in every issue.They interpret the Seal of Prophethood in a manner that is derogatory to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rather than praiseworthy, as if the pure soul of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had no power to bestow grace or to help perfect the souls spiritually, and he had been appointed merely to teach them the bare minimum of law.On the contrary, God Almighty teaches this Guide us in the right] اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ummah the prayer path The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings', (Surah al-Fatihah, 1:6–7)].Therefore, if this ummah is not the heir of the previous Prophets and have no share in this bounty, why were they taught this prayer? It is a pity that no one-on account of their bigotry and ignorance— duly reflects upon this verse.They are greatly eager that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā should descend from heaven, while the Holy Quran testifies that he is dead and وَأَوَيْنَهُمَا إِلَى رَبوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ buried in Srinagar, Kashmir, as God Almighty says [Surah al-Mu'minun, 23:51] meaning: 'We delivered 'Isā and his mother from the hands of the Jews and conveyed them to a high mountain which was a place of comfort and elegance and had springs of clear water in it.' This was

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120 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION design; that is, God felt the need of the time, and His feeling and the Seal of Prophethood which carries very powerful grace, have accomplished a great task.In other words, there are two reasons for your being commissioned: (1) Feeling by God for the need of the time, and (2) The grace bestowed by the Seal of the Holy Prophets.I am with you and with the members of your family, and with all those who love you.My name demonstrated its flash for your sake.The spiritual universe has been opened for you.Therefore, your sight is sharp today.Allah will prolong your life.Eighty years—four or five more, or four or five less.I shall bless you greatly, so much so that kings will seek blessings from your garments.My name demonstrated its flash for your sake.I shall show fifty or sixty more Signs.Those who are accepted of God exhibit Signs and evi- dence of such acceptance.They are revered by kings and mighty ones and are called princes of peace.The drawn sword of angels is in front of you," but you have not 1* Kashmir.And this is why Maryam's tomb is not to be found in Palestine, and they claim that she too disappeared like Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā.How unjust it is of the ignorant Muslims to believe that the ummah of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is devoid of the converse and discourse of God while at the same time they repeat the sayings [of the Holy Prophet] that prove that among the ummah of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there will be those who will resemble the Prophets of Israel, and there will also be one who will be a Prophet in one aspect and an ummati [follower of the Holy Prophet] in another! He would be the one who will be called the Promised Messiah.(Author) 1.This prophecy relates to someone who denied me after accepting me, and became arrogant, abusive, and exceedingly hostile.Therefore, Allah the Almighty says, 'Why do you advance; don't you see the swords of the angels?' (Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] recognized or seen or known the time.It is not good to oppose the Brahman Avatar.O my God! Demonstrate the distinction between the tru and the false.You recognize every reformer and truthful one.O my Lord! Everything is in Your service.O my Lord, guard me from the mischief of the wicked and help me and have mercy on me.O enemy bent upon destroying me! May Allah ruin you and safeguard me against your mischief.The earthquake that has been prophesied is about to strike.The servants of God shall arise and observe Prayer upon witnessing an example of the Judgment Day.Allah will make you prevail and will spread your praise among people.Had I not created you, I would not have created the heavens.Ask of Me; I shall grant you.Yours is the hand and supplication; the mercy is from Allah.The shock of earthquake that will demolish a part of the structure.Permanent and temporary residences will all be wiped out.It will be followed by another earthquake.When the spring comes round again, there will be another earthquake.When the spring will come round for the third time the days of the satisfaction of the mind will arrive, and by that time Allah the Almighty will have demonstrated many Signs.Lord! Postpone the time of the major earthquake to some extent.Allah will postpone the earthquake that will be an 121 1.At the time of the advent of every great reformer a new heaven and a new earth is created spiritually.That is to say, angels are appointed in the service of his objectives and people with eager temperaments are created.This reve- lation refers to the same phenomenon.(Author)

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122 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION example of the Judgment Day until an appointed time.¹* Then you will see wonderful help and your opponents will fall down upon their chins supplicating, 'Lord! Forgive us and pardon our sins, we were in error.' The earth will say, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I did not recognise you.' O defaulters! No blame shall lie upon you this day; Allah will forgive your sins and He is the Most 1.Earlier, I had received the divine revelation that the earthquake that will be apocalyptic was imminent.The Sign appointed for it was that Muḥammadi Begum, the wife of Pīr Manzūr Muḥammad Ludhiānavī, will give birth to a son.Since that boy would be a Sign for the occurrence of the earthquake, he would be named Bashir-ud-Daulah, indicating that he would be a good augu- ry for our Movement's progress.Similarly, his name would be ‘Ālam Kabāb, indicating that if the people did not repent, the world would be overtaken by great calamities.Similarly, his name would be Kalimatullah and Kalimatul- 'Aziz because he would be the Word of God that would appear at its due time.He will also bear other names.Thereafter, I prayed that the appearance of this apocalyptic earthquake may be delayed somewhat.Allah the Almighty Himself mentions this supplication in this revelation and then provides the :meaning رَبِّ أَخِّرُ وَقْتَ هَذَا أَخَّرَهُ اللهُ إلى وقت مس response to it too as He says 'Allah has accepted this supplication and has postponed the earthquake to another time.This revelation was published in the newspapers Badr and al-Hakam about four months ago.Since the apocalyptic earthquake has been delayed, it was also necessary that the birth of the boy be also delayed.Accordingly, a daughter was born to Pir Manzūr Muḥammad on Tuesday, 17 July 1906.This is a Sign of the acceptance of the supplication and is also a Sign of the truthfulness of the divine revelation that had been published four months before the daughter was born.However, earthquakes of a smaller magnitude must continue to occur, but it is imperative that the earth should withhold from the apocalyptic earthquake until that promised boy is born.Bear in mind that it is a Sign of the great mercy of Allah that by creating the daughter, He comforted us regarding the future catastrophe; i.e.the ароса- lyptic earthquake that has been postponed in accordance with the promise of prayers, 'God delayed Meaning that, after accepting the أَخْرَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى وَقْتٍ مُّسَمًّى it up to an appointed time.If the boy had been born at this time, there would have been great apprehension and consternation at the occurrence of every earthquake and every calamity in fear that perhaps the appointed time had come and the postponement would not have been credible.But now the post- ponement became defined having been tied to the fulfilment of a condition.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 123 Merciful of those who show mercy.Deal kindly with people and be compassionate towards them.You are to me like Mūsā [Moses].A time will come upon you like the time of Mūsā.We have sent a Messenger to you similar to the Messenger that We sent to Pharaoh.Much milk-that is, the milk of insights and verities— has descended from heaven; guard it.I have illumined and chosen you.you Provision has been made for your happy life.Allah is better than everything.With Me is goodness greater than a mountain.Many salutations of peace are upon you from Me.We have bestowed upon you in abundance.Allah is with those who follow the guidance and those who are truthful.Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good deeds.Allah intends to raise you to a station where you would be praised.Two Signs will appear.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! The lightning of the Signs of God would strike them blind.This is what (you) desired to be hastened.O Ahmad! Mercy flows from your lips.Your dis- course has been made eloquent by the Benevolent Lord.There is something in that which you say, to which the poets have no access.O My Lord! Teach me that which is good in Your esti- mation.Allah will safeguard you against your enemies and will attack all those who attack you.They have disclosed all the weapons that they possessed.I shall inform Maulawi Muḥammad Husain of Batala at the last moment that he was not in the right.Allah is Gentle and Merciful.We have made the iron soft for you.I shall come [to you] suddenly with My hosts.I shall respond along with the Messenger and will postpone or cancel My

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124 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION decree at certain times and will fulfil it at other times.¹ They will ask, 'Whence have you obtained this status'? Tell them, 'Allah is the Possessor of Wonders.' Ayal²* came to me and chose me and rotated his fingers and signified that the promise of Allah had arrived.Then blessed is he who finds it and sees it.Various kinds of diseases will be spread and many lives will be lost in different calamities.I shall stand with My Messenger and shall break the fast and also observe it.³* I shall not depart from this land until a determined time.I shall bestow upon you the light of My coming and I shall proceed towards you and shall bestow upon you that which shall stay with you forever.We shall inherit the earth and will eat into it from its bounda- ries.Many will be transferred to their graves.Manifest victory will be from Allah that day.My Lord is the Possessor of Mighty Power and He is Strong and Mighty.His wrath will descend 1.The words of this divine revelation literally mean that I will sometimes miss and at other times I will do as intended; meaning that sometimes I will do as I wish and at other times I will not.And sometimes my intent would be implemented, and other times not.Such words do occur in the discourse of God Almighty as is reported in aḥādīth [that Allah the Almighty says]: ‘I hes- itate to take the soul of a believer'; whereas Allah is free from hesitation.This divine revelation that 'Sometimes My intent misses and at others not' has a similar import.It means that sometimes I cancel My decree and intention, while at others that intent is fulfilled as I had desired.(Author) 2.Here Allah the Almighty has named Gabriel as Ãyal, because he returns often.(Author) 3.It is obvious that Allah the Almighty is beyond keeping the fast and break- ing it.Therefore, these words cannot be attributed to Him in their literal sense.Hence it is only a figure of speech.The import is that 'Sometimes I shall send My chastisement and sometimes I shall grant a respite like a person who sometimes eats and at other times keeps fast and stays away from eating.' Such figures of speech abound in the Scriptures of God, as there is a hadith that Allah will say, on the Day of Judgment: 'I was sick, I was hungry, I was naked...(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] 125 upon the earth.I am truthful; I am truthful and Allah will bear witness for me.O Eternal and Everlasting God! Come to my aid.The earth has become strait for me despite its expanse.O my I y Lord! I am overcome, so take my revenge from the oppo- nents and crush them into bits, because they have drawn far away from the fashion of life.When You determine a matter, it happens immediately with Your command.O My servant, since you repeatedly enter into My mansion, then see for yourself whether the shower of mercy descended upon you or not? We destroyed fourteen beasts; this was because they exceeded the limits in disobedience.The end of the ignorant one is Hell; an ignorant one sel- dom comes to a good end.I have obtained victory; I have triumphed.I have been commissioned as a vicegerent by the Gracious God, so come to me.I am the pasture of the Gracious God and I perceive the fragrance of the long lost Yusuf [Joseph] even if you were to call me a dotard.Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant? Did He not revert their plan to work against them? That which you have done will not turn out to be in accord with God's pleasure.' We have forgiven you.Allah helped you at the time of Badr that is, in this fourteenth century—when you were weak.They will say, 'This is an imposture.' Tell them, 'Had this enterprise been from anyone other than Allah you would have found much contradiction in it.' Say, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you believe or not?' The moon of the Prophets 1.☆ Specific application of it was not made clear [And Allah knows best].(Author)

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126 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION will come and your affair will be completed.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! 1* The earthquake will strike with great severity and the earth will be turned upside down." This is the promise that you hastened for.I shall safeguard all those who are in this house from the earthquake.There is an ark and comfort.I am with you and with the members of your family.I shall desire what you desire.Concerning the order that was issued relating to Bengal—namely, the pain suffered by the people of Bengal due to the partition of Bengal—God says that they will be consoled in some other way in the future.All praise belongs to Allah who has favoured you by provid- ing you with good relations through marriage and a good ances- try.2* All praise belongs to Allah, who has removed my grief and has bestowed upon me that which He has not bestowed upon 1.In this respect Almighty Allah has revealed to me that during the time of Prophet Yasa'yah [Isaiah], a woman named Almā bore a son in accordance with the prophecy of that Prophet.Afterwards the king Hezekiah gained vic- tory over Pekah.Similarly, the wife of Pir Manzūr Muḥammad Ludhianavī, whose name is Muḥammadi Begum, will bear a son before the earthquake.That boy will be a precursor of the major earthquake which will be apocalyp- tic.It is necessary that prior to that, other earthquakes should take place.The boy will have the names as detailed below: (1) Bashir-ud-Daulah—because he will be Sign of our victory; (2) Kalimatullāh Khān—that is, the Word of God; (3) 'Alam Kabāb; (4) Word; (5) Shādī Khān; (6) Kalimatul-'Aziz etc.— because he would be the Word of God that will bring victory for the truth.All creation is the word of God.Therefore, naming someone Kalimatullāh is not something unusual.That boy has not been born this time because Allah the Almighty has said meaning that, the apocalyptic earth- quake, for which that boy will be a Sign, has been postponed for a later time.(Author) إلى 2.Meaning that, God has favoured you by causing your birth to take place in a noble, honourable, renowned, and esteemed family; and secondly, He fa- voured you with a wife from an honourable Sayyed family of Delhi.(Author)

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CHAPTER IV [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] any other of my contemporaries.O Leader! You are indeed the Messenger of God, pursuing the right path, sent down by the Mighty, the Ever Merciful.I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] from Myself in this age so I created this Adam.He will revive the Faith and will establish the Shariah.When the age of the imperial Messiah¹ began, Muslims who were only Muslim in name, were newly reconverted to Islam.you.The heavens and the earth were closed like a bundle and then We opened them up—that is, the earth as well as the heavens brought out their full power.The time appointed for your death has approached.The Lord of the Throne calls We shall not let any trace of things survive you that might be a source of humiliation for you.Only a short time is left out of the term appointed by your Lord, and We shall not let anything survive that might be a source of humiliation for you.Very few days of life are left.On that day the whole Jama'at will be disheartened and saddened.Your event will occur after several events have occurred.Many wonders of divine power will be manifested first and then the event of your death will happen.Your time has come and We shall cause bright Signs to sur- vive you.Your time has arrived and We shall cause clear Signs to survive you.O my Lord, cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.(Amin).127 1.In divine books the Promised Messiah has been called a king.This means that his kingdom will be of heaven; that is, he will be a king of the future movement and distinguished nobility will be among his followers.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT Response to Some Critics' Objections In these trying times, there have appeared some people even among Muslims who do not consider it necessary for their salvation to believe in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and to follow in his footsteps.They deem it sufficient simply to believe in God as One without partner to enter Paradise.And there are some who—through utter fabrication and inequity, or out of their own misunderstanding-raise different kinds of unwarranted objections against me.Some of these appear to be intended to make people weary of this Movement.There are still others who, on account of their dis- position, are incapable of understanding the subtleties of faith.They are not evil by nature, but they lack intellectual depth or breadth of knowledge to enable them to deduce the truth of any matter.I have, therefore, thought it appropriate to dispel the doubts of all of them in this postscript.It was not incumbent upon me to pay attention to the removal of these doubts, because these absurd objections have been refuted in various places throughout many of my books.Nevertheless, in these days, there is a man named ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, an Assistant Surgeon in the state of Patiala, who was a member of my Movement, but remained unaware and deprived of religious verities because

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130 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of infrequent meetings and lack of association [with me].He was afflicted with arrogance, gross ignorance, conceit, and ill-thinking.On account of his own ill fortune, he left my Community and has become an enemy of this Movement.In an attempt to put out the light of God, he is trying, as far as it lies in his power, to blow toxic breaths into his foolish writings to extinguish the candle which is lit by the hand of God.It was, therefore, considered appropriate to briefly answer some of his objections as are worthy of response to inform the public, because due to negligence and preoccupation with the world, it is rather difficult for ordinary people to find these answers from my books by searching them all.Firstly, the issue for which 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān has seceded from our Jama'at is worth noting.The issue is that it is his belief that, to attain salvation in the Hereafter, it is not necessary to believe in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Rather, anyone who believes God to be One without partner shall attain sal- vation (even if he rejects the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).Obviously, according to him, one can attain salvation even after abandoning Islam, and it is unjust to punish him for this apostasy.For instance, an individual named 'Abdul-Ghafür recently became an apostate, and joined the Āryah Samāj and was renamed Dharam Pāl and has been busy day and night in insulting and refuting the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Even he, according to ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, shall go straight to Paradise, for the Aryas eschew idol worship.However, every sensible person would realise that such a doc- trine reduces the advent of Prophets, peace be upon them, to be an exercise in futility and fruitlessness.If one could still attain salvation through belief in God being One even while refuting and opposing the Prophets, peace be upon them, would this not perforce mean that

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POSTSCRIPT―RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS ІЗІ -even without them the no God the Prophets were sent to the world in vain¹*- task could be managed—and there was no great need for their advent? Were it true that a mere affirmation of the Oneness of God was enough, then by implication it would amount to a kind of shirk [association of partners with God] to require the addition of the words al jaúj jászó [Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah] to [There but Allah].The fact of the matter is that for those who think along these lines, it is a veritable shirk to pronounce [Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah].According to them, perfect Tauhid [Oneness of God] means that no other name should be joined with Him.Also, in their estimation, to be outside of the religion of Islam does not pre- clude salvation.For example, should all Muslims, in a single day, reject the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and, like misguided philosophers, consider Tauḥīd alone to be sufficient [for salvation] and imagine that they need not follow the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and reject them, even then-according to these people—all of them, despite being apostates, will attain salvation and, without a doubt, enter Paradise.It is not hidden from even a person with minimal intellect that since the days of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, up to now, all sects of Islam agree that, indeed, the essence of Islam is that just as a person deems God to be One without a partner and believes in His Being, Existence, and Oneness, so is it obligatory upon him to believe 1.Were it true that those who reject the Prophets, peace be upon them, and are their enemies would manage to get salvation on account of their imagi- nary Tauhid, then on the Day of Judgment, instead of those disbelievers, the Prophets, peace be upon them, will be suffering a kind of torment when they see their detractors and those who used to insult them seated on the thrones of Heaven and, like them, being in a state of bliss.Then, ridiculing the Prophets as, these people might well remark, 'We rejected and insulted you; but what harm did that do to us?'! Then the stay in Heaven would become bitter for the Prophets.(Author)

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132 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION in the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Furthermore, he must believe in whatever is laid down and recorded in the Holy Quran.Indeed this is the point that has been brought home to the Muslims since the very beginning; it was on account of their firm belief in it that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, sacrificed their lives.Many sincere Muslims who had been captured by the disbelievers in the time of the Holy Prophets, were repeatedly told that they would be released if they renounced the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but they did not renounce him and laid down their lives in this very path.These things are so well known in the chronicles of Islam that anyone who has even a minimum acquaintance with Islamic history would not disagree with this statement of mine.It should also be borne in mind that the wars of Islam were defen- sive in nature; that is, they were initiated by the disbelievers.The disbe- lievers of Arabia would not stop their attacks lest the religion of Islam should spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula.The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was enjoined to fight them in order to deliver the persecuted from the clutches of those pharaohs.But, there is no doubt that, even then, so much bloodshed could have been averted if the disbelievers had been told that it was not incumbent upon them to believe in the prophethood of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; that belief in the Holy Prophetsa was not really a prerequisite for salvation; they may believe, in their own way, in God to be One without a partner even if they remain opposed and adversarial and inimical to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; and that there was no need to acknowledge him as their chief and leader.In particular, what is the reason that the Jews, who acknowledged God to be One with- out partner, were fought against, so much so, , that at times thousands of Jews were captured and killed in a single day? This clearly shows that if Tauḥīd alone was enough for salvation, then to needlessly fight against the Jews, and kill them in thousands, was an entirely unwarranted and

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 133 unlawful act.If so, why did the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, do it? Did the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, not understand the teachings of the Holy Quran? A close study of all the Scriptures revealed by God Almighty shows that all the Prophets have admonished the same thing: believe in God Almighty to be One without partner and, along with it, also believe in God's Messengers.This is why the gist of Islamic teaching was لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللهِ :taught to all of the ummah in these two sentences ["There is no God but Allah.Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah'].It should also be borne in mind that it is only the Prophets, peace be on them, who demonstrate the existence of God and teach peo- ple that He is the One without any partner.If these holy ones had not appeared in the world, it would have been an implausible and impossible matter to find the straight path with certainty.Though a person of pure nature and sound mind can, by reflecting on the earth and heaven and observing their perfect and firm order, conclude that there ought to be a Creator of this work full of wisdom; but, there is a great difference between the statement that 'there ought to be [a Creator]' and 'He really does exist.It is only the Prophets, peace be on them, who established through thousands of Signs and miracles that the Being, who is Transcendent and comprises all power, does in fact exist.Indeed, the degree of cognition that the need of a Creator may be perceived by the observation of the universe is also a reflection of the rays of Prophethood.Had there been no Prophets, peace be upon them, no one would have achieved even this degree of cognition.This may be illustrated by an example.Though there is water below the surface of the earth, the presence and maintenance of that water depends upon the water that descends from the sky.When it so happens that there is no rainfall, the underground water dries up too, and when the rain descends from the sky, the underground water also begins to well up.In the same way, with the advent of Prophets, peace be upon them,

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134 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the faculties of reason become sharp, and reason, which is subterra- nean water, advances in its status.And when there is a long hiatus in the appearance of Prophets, the subterranean water of reason begins to decline and becomes polluted, and the world is steeped in idolatry, paganism, and every kind of vice.Thus, just as the eye possesses the faculty of sight, yet it needs the light of the sun to be able to see; in the same way, human reason, which resembles the eye, is always in need of the Sun of Prophethood.And as soon as that Sun disap- pears, reason immediately develops opacity and darkness.Can you see with the eye alone? Certainly not.Similarly, you cannot see anything without the light of Prophethood.As the recognition of God has depended upon the recognition of a Prophet since antiquity and the inception of the world, it is not plausible and possible to find Tauḥīd without the agency of a Prophet.A Prophet is the mirror to behold the countenance of God; the face of God is revealed through this very mirror.When God Almighty desires to reveal Himself to the world, He raises a Prophet, who is a manifestation of His powers in the world, and sends down His revela- tion upon him and manifests His powers of Rubūbiyyat [Providence] through him.It is then that the world comes to know that God does exist.It is a part of Tauhid [belief in the Oneness of God] to believe in those individuals who have been appointed under the eternal law of God as the essential means for the recognition of God.Without this belief, Tauḥid cannot become perfect; for, it is not possible to achieve absolute Tauḥīd, which is created from the fountain of perfect certainty, in the absence of heavenly Signs and wonders manifesting the Omnipotence of God, which are displayed by the Prophets and which lead to full cognition.They alone are the group that points to God and through whom God—whose Being is imperceptible beyond imperceptible and hidden beyond hidden and concealed beyond con- cealed reveals Himself.That Hidden Treasure, whose name is God, has always been known through the Prophets.To realize without the agency of a Prophet that Tauḥid-which is estimated as true Tauḥīd

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 135 by God Himself and demonstrated in reality perfectly in all its glorious colours is as much opposed to reason as it is contrary to the experi- ence of the seekers after God.The misconception that some ignorant people entertain that Tauḥīd is enough for salvation, and it is not necessary to believe in a Prophet—as if they seek to separate the soul from the body—is entirely due to the blindness of their hearts.It is obvious that whereas the true belief in the Oneness of God can only be established through a Prophet, and without him it is unimaginable and unattainable, it cannot possibly be attained without believing in a Prophet.If a Prophet, who is the root of Tauḥīd, is excluded from belief, how can Tauḥīd be sustained? A Prophet alone is the cause of Tauḥīd and is the creator of Tauhid and the father of Tauḥid and the fountainhead of Tauhid and the perfect manifestation of Tauhid.It is through him that the hidden countenance of God is manifested, and it is realized that God exists.The fact of the matter is that on the one hand, the Being of the One True God of Glory is absolutely Independent and Self-Sufficient; He is not in need of anyone becoming guided or going astray.On the other, by His nature He desires that He should be known and people should benefit from His eternal mercy.Therefore, of all the hearts of earth's dwellers, He manifests Himself to the heart which is charged to the highest degree with the natural ability of attaining love and near- ness to the Holy One, and is endowed by nature with utmost sympa- thy for mankind; and God displays the light of His Being and eternal attributes to it.In this manner, the person who possesses such a special and superior nature, who is called a Prophet in other words, is drawn towards Him.Then the Prophet, because he is highly charged with sympathy for mankind, desires—through his spiritual inclination, sup- plication, and humility—that others too should know the God who has appeared to him so that they may attain salvation.He sincerely offers the sacrifice of his own self before God and, out of the desire

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136 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION that people may be revived, accepts many deaths for himself and puts himself through great hardships, as is indicated in the verse: لَعَلَّكَ باخع نَفْسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ * Thereupon, though God is Self-Sufficient and does not stand in need of His creatures, on account of the constant grief, sorrow, torment, and anguish; humility and humbleness; and extreme sincerity and purity of such a person, God manifests His countenance upon the eager hearts of His creatures through His Signs.As a result of the commotion caused by the earnest supplications of such a person, which create a tumul- tuous uproar in heaven, divine Signs descend upon the earth like rain and extraordinary phenomena are shown to the people of the world whereby the world gets to witness that God exists and the countenance of God is witnessed.Had that Holy Prophet not turned to God with so much supplication, entreaty, and earnestness, and had he not sacrificed his self and had he not accepted a hundred deaths at every step, the countenance of the Divine would have never been revealed upon the world, because God Almighty is absolutely independent owing to His Self-Sufficiency, as He says: And إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَلَمِينَ وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا Meaning that, God, as such, is Independent of the entire world; and, 1.(Translation) Meaning that, will you grieve yourself to death because these disbelievers do not believe? [Surah ash-Shu'ara, 26:4] (Author) 2.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:98 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-'Ankabut, 29:70 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 137 It is Our law indeed for those who strive after Us and seek Us with the utmost effort, that We do show them Our way.So the Prophets are first and foremost in offering sacrifices in the cause of Allah.Everyone strives for himself, but Prophets, peace be upon them, strive for others.People sleep, yet they stay awake for them; people laugh, yet they weep for them.They willingly bear every hardship for the deliverance of mankind.They do all this so that God Almighty may manifest Himself so that it should be proved to peo- ple that God exists, and His existence and His Tauḥid may be clearly perceived by the eager hearts so that they might attain salvation.Thus, they die in their sympathy for their mortal enemies.And when their agony reaches its peak and heaven is filled with their tormented supplications (which are for the sake of the deliverance of mankind), then God Almighty exhibits the splendour of His countenance and manifests His Existence and His Tauḥīd to mankind through mighty Signs.Thus, there is no doubt that the treasure of Tauḥīd and god- liness is attained by the world only from the mantle of the Prophet; without him, it can never be attained.The highest example in this regard was set by our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who uplifted a people out of the filth in which they were steeped and transported them to a gar- den.He served spiritual foods and sweet drinks par excellence to those who were languishing on the verge of death out of spiritual hunger and thirst.He transformed them from savages into human beings, and then from ordinary human beings to civilized people, and then from civi- lized human beings into perfect human beings, and exhibited so many Signs for them, that he manifested God to them, and brought about such a transformation in them that they began to shake hands with angels.None of the other Prophets were able to demonstrate such an effect in their ummah, for their companions remained imperfect.Thus, I always wonder what a sublime Prophet this Arabian Prophet is, whose name is Muḥammad (thousands upon thousands of blessings and peace be upon him).One cannot fathom the limit

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138 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of his sublime status and it is not given to man to estimate the extent of his spiritual effectiveness.1* It is a pity that his rank has not been recognized as it should have been.He is the champion who restored to the world the Tauḥīd which had disappeared from the world; he loved God to the extreme and his soul melted to the extreme out of sympathy for mankind.Therefore, God, who knew the secret of his heart, exalted him above all the Prophets and all the first ones and the last ones and bestowed upon him all that he desired within his lifetime.It is he who is the fountainhead of every grace, and any- one who claims any superiority without acknowledging his grace is not a human being but is the spawn of Satan, because he (the Holy Propheta) has been bestowed the key to every exaltation and he has been given the treasure house of every understanding.He who does not receive through him is deprived forever.I am nothing and possess nothing.What am I and what do I amount to? I would be ungrate- ful if I were not to confess that I have found true Tauḥīd through this very Prophet.I have attained the recognition of the Living God through this same perfect Prophet and through his light.The hon- our of converse and communion with God, through which I behold His countenance, has been bestowed upon me through the same Great Prophet.The rays from this Sun of Guidance fall upon me like sunshine and I continue to be illumined only so long as I am facing towards it.1.How wonderful it is that even as the world nears its end, the rays of grace of this perfect Prophet sa continue to shine incessantly.If the Word of God, the Holy Quran, had not precluded it, he would be the only Prophet about whom we could assert that he is still alive with his mortal body in Heaven because we find clear effects of his being alive.His religion is alive; one who follows him becomes alive; and one discovers the Living God through him.I have witnessed it that God loves him, his faith, and the one who loves him.And it should be borne in mind that he is indeed truly alive.His is the highest station in Heaven, but it is not with the material body which is mortal-rather, it is with a different spiritual body which is everlasting—that he is in Heaven in the company of his All-Powerful God.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 139 Those who adhere to the notion that one who does not believe in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or turns apostate but remains firm in Tauḥīd and considers God to be One without any partner will attain salvation and shall suffer no harm on account of his disbelief or apostasy-as is the belief of 'Abdul- Ḥakīm Khān—are indeed ignorant of the true meaning of Tauḥid.I have pointed out a number of times that even Satan as such considers God to be One without partner.But mere belief that He is One is not enough for salvation; rather, salvation depends on two things: 1.One is the absolute conviction in the Being and Oneness of God Almighty.2.Second is that such perfect love for the One Glorious God should be instilled in one's heart that, as a consequence of its influence and dominance, obedience to God Almighty should truly become the delight of one's heart without which he could not live at all.Love for the Divine should trample and obliterate love for all besides Him.This is true Tauḥīd that can never be achieved except through fol- lowing our lord and master, Ḥaḍrat Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Why can it not be achieved? The answer is that the Being of God is unseen beyond the unseen, concealed beyond concealed, and extremely hidden.The reasoning faculties of humans cannot discover Him on their own.No rational argument can constitute an incontrovertible proof of His existence, because the reach and access of reason is limited to the extent of real- izing the need for a Creator by reflecting upon the created beings in the universe.However, to acknowledge the need for His existence is one thing, but it is quite another to arrive at the stage of ‘ainul-yaqin [certainty by sight] that God, the need for whose existence has been acknowledged, does indeed exist.However, since the methodology of

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140 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION reason is imperfect, incomplete, and doubtful, not every philosopher can recognise God through reason alone.Rather, most people who seek to discover God solely through reason become atheists in the end.Their reflections on the created things in the earth and heavens cannot benefit them at all.They ridicule and mock God's elect, contending: "There are thousands of things throughout the world whose existence we do not find useful, and our research in them does not indicate any such creativity that would prove the existence of a Creator; on the contrary, the existence of these things is entirely pointless and useless.' It is a pity that such ignorant people do not understand that lack of knowledge about something does not entail its non-existence.There are hundreds of thousands of such people in the world today who consider themselves superior intellectuals and philosophers, yet they vehemently deny the existence of God Almighty.It is obvious that if they had found any strong rational argument, they would not have denied the existence of God Almighty.Nor would they have repu- diated the existence of God Almighty with extreme shamelessness, disdain, and ridicule, had they been proven wrong by an irrefutable rational argument for the existence of the Glorious Maker.So, no one can be delivered from the storm of doubts while sailing in the ark of the philosophers; rather, he would certainly drown and will forever be deprived of the elixir of pure Tauḥīd.Now ponder how false and foul the notion is that Tauḥīd can be achieved, and salvation can be attained, without the medium of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.O igno- rant ones! How can there be faith in His Tauḥīd until there is perfect certainty in the existence of God? Know for sure, therefore, that cer- tainty of Tauḥīd can be achieved only through a Prophet, as our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, convinced the atheists and pagans of Arabia of the existence of God Almighty by showing them thousands of heavenly Signs.Even to this day, true and perfect followers of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah

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POSTSCRIPT―RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 141 be upon him, present those Signs to the atheists.What is really true is that, until a person observes the living powers of the Living God, Satan does not depart from his heart, nor does true Tauḥīd enter into it, nor can he be convinced with certainty of the existence of God.This pure and perfect Tauḥīd is attained only through the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Just as the mighty Signs manifested through a Prophet testify to the existence and Oneness of God Almighty, so do they establish His love and majesty in the hearts of people through a perfect and consummate demonstration of the divine attributes of grace and majesty.When, on account of these Signs-rooted as they are in mighty and overpower- ing prophecies—one comes to believe in the existence and Oneness of God Almighty and in His attributes of grace and majesty, one inev- itably comes to believe in God Almighty to be One without partner in His Being and all attributes.One loses himself in His love when one considers His excellences and His spiritual beauty and grace.At the same time, he fears Him when he considers His grandeur, majesty, and self-sufficiency.In this way, he is drawn towards God Almighty with each passing day until, after severing all baser relationships, he is reduced to just the spirit.The entire expanse of his bosom is filled with the love of the Divine; through witnessing the Being of God, a death descends upon his person, and he receives a new life after this death.It is in that state of annihilation that one is said to have found Tauhid.Thus, as I have pointed out before, that perfect Tauḥīd which is the fountainhead of salvation cannot be found at all except by following the perfect Prophet.It is evident from this discussion that to believe in God's Messenger is a prerequisite of believing in Tauḥīd.Their mutual relationship is such that they are inseparable from one another.A person who claims to believe in Tauḥīd without following the Messenger, possesses only a dry bone which has no marrow and he is holding an extinguished lamp which has no light.If there is anyone who thinks that he who believes God to be One without partner yet does not believe in the Holy

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142 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, will achieve salvation, know for certain that he has a leprous heart and is blind and has no knowledge whatsoever of what Tauḥīd is.Satan is better than him in the profession of such Tauḥīd inasmuch as Satan, though sinful and rebellious, is yet certain that God does exist,¹ but such a person does not even enjoy certainty about the existence of God.In short, those who hold the belief that a mere affirmation of Tauhid without believing in the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, will suffice for anyone's salvation, are cov- ert apostates.They are, indeed, enemies of Islam and they carve out for themselves a path to apostasy.It does not behove any pious person to support such people.It is a pity that our opponents, despite styl- ing themselves as maulawis and men of learning, are pleased by such actions of these people.The fact of the matter is that these poor souls are always in search of some situation to arise that will humiliate and disgrace me, but due to their misfortune they ultimately fail in this.At first they composed an edict of kufr [disbelief] against me.About 200 maulawis put their seals of affirmation on it and I was declared a kafir [disbeliever].These edicts were so harsh that some of the clerics even declared that my followers and I are worse than the Jews and Christians in our kufr.In general, edicts were issued stating, "These people should not be buried in Muslim graveyards, nor greeted with the greeting of peace, nor should a handshake be extended to them.' Also, they declared that since we are kāfirs, it is not permissible to 1.If someone were to ask, why does Satan disobey God Almighty when he is certain about His existence and Oneness? The answer to it is that his disobe- dience is not like the disobedience of man; he has been created for the trial of man with this very habit.This is a mystery the details of which have not been disclosed to man.It is the character of man that, mostly and overwhelmingly, he is guided aright by acquiring perfect knowledge about God Almighty, as Only those] إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَموا Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran of His servants who possess knowledge fear Allah, (Sūrah Fāṭir, 35:29)].However, those who have a satanic nature are outside this rule.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 143 offer prayers behind us.Rather, we should not be allowed to enter the mosques because we are disbelievers; mosques become defiled by us and if we do enter, the mosque ought to be thoroughly washed.Moreover, it is permissible to steal our goods, and we deserve execu- tion because we deny the coming of a murderous Mahdi and repudi- ate jihad [with the sword].But what damage have they caused us despite these edicts? When this edict was published in the country, not even ten persons had entered into a covenant of allegiance with me, but today, by the grace of God, the number exceeds 300,000; seekers after truth are joining this Jama'at with great vigour.Is this how God helps the 'disbelievers' when they confront the 'believers'? Moreover, look at their lie that they accuse me of declaring 200,000,000 Muslims who recite the Kalimah [the declaration of faith in Islam] as ‘kāfirs, whereas we did not take any initiative in this matter.Their scholars issued edicts of apostasy against us on their own and caused a furore in the Punjab and India that these people [Ahmadis] are kafirs.Because of these edicts, the ignorant people began to hate us to such an extent that they started considering it sinful to even address us politely.Can any maulawi, or any other opponent, or any custodian of a shrine prove that we were the first to issue edicts of apostasy against them? Let them produce any document, announcement, or treatise published by me prior to their own edicts of apostasy against us, in which I had pronounced my Muslim antagonists to be kāfirs; other- wise, they should consider how dishonest it is that they are the ones who declared us to be kāfirs, yet accuse us of denouncing all Muslims as kāfirs.How hurtful is such dishonesty, falsehood, and obfuscation of the facts.Any reasonable person can understand that now that they have declared us to be kāfirs through their edicts—and are themselves agreed that if any person declares a Muslim to be a kafir, then this [false

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144 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION charge of] kufr reverts to him—was it not our: right to call them kāfir in accordance with their own admission? Therefore, for a few days they exulted in the false pleasure that we are disbelievers.When their exultations died down and God spread our Jama'at across the entire country, they began seeking new plots against us.Then, in those very days, someone killed Pandit Lekh Rām of the Āryah Samāj within the stipulated time frame in accord with my prophecy.Yet alas! It never occurred to any maulawi that a prophecy had been fulfilled and a Sign in favour of Islam had been manifested.On the contrary, some of them repeatedly reminded the Government to apprehend the one who made the prophecy, yet even in this desire they remained unsuccessful and frustrated.A short while thereafter, Dr.Martyn Clark, the Christian missionary, filed a case of murder against me.What an occasion it was! They were so jubilant that their exultation knew no bounds.Some of them prostrated in mosques beseeching God that I may get capi- tal punishment etc.in this trial.They cried so long for this desire in their prostrations as to rub [as it were] their noses off their faces.But in the end, in accordance with the promise of God Almighty that had been announced beforehand, I was acquitted with much honour and I was permitted to sue those Christians [for defamation] if I wished.In short, maulawis hostile to me and their sycophants remained frus- trated even in this desire.Then, after a short while, a maulawi named Karam Dīn filed crim- inal charges against me in Gurdaspur and the maulawis opposed to me appeared as witnesses in his support in the court of Ātma Rām, the Extra Assistant Commissioner, and they spared no effort [to implicate me].They had high hopes that they would succeed this time.To give them false pleasure, it so happened that Ātma Rām, lacking as he was in discernment, did not thoroughly consider this case and resolved to sentence me to imprisonment.Thereupon God revealed to me that He

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 145 would chastise Atma Rām with the death of his children.I communi- cated this vision to the members of my Jama'at.Then it so happened that within the span of 20 or 25 days two of his sons died.In the end, Atma Rām could not sentence me to imprisonment despite the fact that he laid the foundation for imprisonment in writing his judgment, but God held him back from that design, yet he imposed a fine of 700 rupees.Subsequently, I was honourably acquitted by the court of the Divisional Judge.1* Karam Din's sentence was maintained and my fine was remitted but Atma Rām's two sons did not come back.In short, the pleasure my opposing maulawis had wished to get in Karam Din's trial remained unfulfilled and, in accordance with the divine prophecy which had already been published in my book Mawāhibur-Rahman ['Bounties of the Gracious God'], I was acquit- ted, my fine was remitted, and the issuing officer's [i.e.Ātma Rām's] order was set aside.Moreover, he was reprimanded that the order was uncalled for.However, Karam Dīn, as I had already published in Mawāhibur-Raḥmān, was punished and the judgment of the court put a seal of affirmation on his being a liar.All our opposing maulawis failed in the realization of their designs.It is a pity that despite such repeated discomfitures my opponents did not realize at any time that there is a Hidden Hand with this person that protects him from every one of their attacks.If it had not been for their misfortune, they would have recognised the miraculous way in which God Almighty protected me from the harm they intended to 1.The Divisional Judge of Amritsar, who was an Englishman, carried out a thorough investigation into this litigation, and in accordance with the re- quirements of justice, delivered the judgment that was required by compre- hensive inquiry and the norms of justice.He wrote in his judgment in his own words that the words used by the defendant-appellant regarding Karam Din, the respondent-plaintiff―words of ‘liar and malicious'—were supposed to have warranted the defamation suit, but even if the appellant had used harsher words about Karam Din, he would still have been deserving of them.(Author)

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146 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 1 inflict upon me.Not only did He save me but also informed me before- hand that He would save me.Moreover, on every occasion and in every litigation, God Almighty continued to inform me that He would save me.Thus, in keeping with His promise, He continued to protect me." Such are the Signs of God's might! On the one hand, the whole world has come together to destroy me, and on the other is the Mighty God, who saves me from every one of their attacks.Then my opponents came upon another occasion to rejoice when Charagh Din of Jammu, an erstwhile follower of mine, became an apostate.After his apostasy, in my book Dāfi'ul-Balā’i wa Mi'yāru Ahlil-Istifa' ['Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God'], I published a revelation which I received from God Almighty that, having been seized by divine wrath, he would be killed.At that, many a cleric allied with him out of sheer spite for me.He wrote a book that he named Mināratul-Masiḥ ['The Minaret of the Messiah'] in which he called me the Dajjal [Antichrist].Also, he published his revelation that he was a Messenger from amongst the Messengers of God and that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus] had given him a staff so that he might kill the Dajjal (referring to myself) with that staff.In fact, nearly half the book is devoted to the subject that I am the Dajjāl and that I will be destroyed at his hands.He further professed that this very news had been communicated to him by God as well as by ‘Īsā.Nevertheless, people may have heard what happened in the end.This man attested to the truth of my prophecy with his own death, along with the death of both his sons, by the plague on 4 April 1906 in a state of utter hopelessness.Only a few days before his death, he had drawn up a statement of mubahalah [prayer duel] in which, after mentioning his and my name, he prayed to God Almighty that of the two of us he who is false should 1.All of these prophecies have been published from time to time.Our op- ponents will be answerable to God as to why they ignored all these Signs.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT―RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 147 be destroyed.The might of God! That paper was still with the copy- writer who was occupied in writing its lithograph copy when Charāgh Din departed forever—along with both his sons—that very same day.فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَأولى الْأَبْصَارِ Such are my opposing claimants of revelation who denounce me as the Dajjal.No one ponders over their fate.In short, the coterie of clerics failed to realize their heart's desire even after allying themselves with Charagh Din, the apostate.Then after this, yet another 'Charāgh Din' appeared; namely, Doctor 'Abdul-Hakīm Khān.This man, too, calls me a dajjāl and like the earlier Charāgh Din counts himself among the Messengers.But it is not known whether or not he too has been given-like the first Charagh Din-a staff by Ḥadrat ‘Īsāas with which to kill me.2 However, in his arrogance and conceit, he has greatly surpassed the earlier Charagh Din; he is better versed than him in abuse and excels him in slander.At the apostasy of this blazing handful of dust, the clerics were ཎྜ 1.So take a lesson, O ye who have eyes! (Surah al-Ḥashr, 59:3) [Publisher] 2.Given that Hadrat 'Isaas gave the staff to Charāgh Dīn to kill me, it is not known why this fury and anger was roused in his heart.If he became dis- pleased because I publicized his [Jesus'] death throughout the world, then it is his error.I did not publicize it.Rather, it was publicized by Him whose creation Hadrat ‘Īsā is, like we are.If there is any doubt about it, look at this ,Muhammad is only a Messenger.Verily مَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولُ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ verse ,But since You did cause me to die] فَلَمَّا تَوَفَيْتَنِي كُنتَ اَنْتَ الرَّقِيْبَ عَلَيْهِمْ also the verse all Messengers have passed away before him, (Surah Āl-e-Imrān, 3:145)] and You have been the Watcher over them, (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118)].The sur- prising part of it is that the one to whom he gives his staff, he himself perish- es.Some staff that is! I have heard that this second Charāgh Dīn i.e.'Abdul- Hakim Khān too has, like the first Charāgh Dīn, made some prophecy about my death, but it is not known whether there is any mention of the staff in it or not.(Author)

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148 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION overjoyed as if they had chanced upon a bounteous treasure.But they need not be so jubilant; instead, they ought to recall [the plight of] the first Charagh Din.God, who has always denied them such pleas- ures still exists, and just as His prophecy foretold the end of the first Charagh Din, so also has the same Omniscient and All-Knowing God foretold the end of the second Charāgh Dīn; that is, 'Abdul-Hakim Khān.Hence, there is no reason to rejoice; be patient and wait for the final outcome.Besides, it is peculiar why they exult so much over the apostasy of an ignorant apostate! It is God's grace upon me that if person renounces on account of his own misfortune, thousands come to replace him.a What is more, can it be concluded from the apostasy of an apostate that the faith he forsook is not true? Are our opposing clerics unaware that many a wretch turned apostate in the time of Ḥaḍrat Mūsā, many defected from Haḍrat ‘Īsā, and, similarly, many wretched and unfortu- nate persons turned apostate in the days of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? Thus, Musailimah Kadhdhāb too was one of the apostates.Considering all this, only the foolish would dare gloat over the apostasy of 'Abdul-Hakim Khān and consider it an argument against the truthful Movement.Of course, such people become the cause of a false happiness that lasts a few days but that joy soon dissipates.This is the same ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān who had earlier mentioned me by name in his book and had written that a person did not believe in my claim to be the Promised Messiah.It was then shown to him ['Abdul-Hakim Khān] in a dream that this denier would die of the plague which, in fact, he did.But now he himself, having turned apos- tate, insolently vilifies and abuses me and makes false accusations.Has the time of the plague expired now? I have already explained that the entity called Tauhid, which is the basis of salvation and which is something distinct from satanic Tauḥīd, cannot be attained except through belief in, and submission to, the Prophet of the time; that is, the Holy Prophet, may peace and

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 149 blessings of Allah be upon him.Without submission to the Prophet, barren Tauḥīd is nothing.Rather, it is like a corpse without the soul.What remains to be explained is whether, in conformity with my state- ment, the Holy Quran has made submission to the Holy Prophets an essential condition for human salvation or if the Quranic teaching is in contravention of it.In order to make this truth understood, I cite the following verses: I.Allah the Exalted says: 'Part Number 18, Surah an-Nür قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ - Translation: Say, 'Obey Allah and obey the Prophet.It is an established and manifestly evident truth that any violation of divine injunctions is a sin and cause for consignment to Hell.Here, just as God enjoins obedience to Himself, so does He enjoin obedience to the Prophet.Therefore, whosoever turns his back on His commandment is guilty of committing a crime the punishment for which is Hell.2.Allah the Exalted says: يَايُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ إِنَّ اللهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ - 2 (Part Number 26, Surah al-Hujurat) (Translation): O ye who believe, do not say anything beyond the com- mandment of God and His Messenger-in other words, scrupulously follow the commandments of God and His Messenger-and fear God lest you disobey Him, for He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.It is quite clear that anyone who exclusively relies upon his own barren Tauhid (which, in fact, is not even Tauḥid), considers himself 1.Surah an-Nür, 24:55 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Hujurāt, 49:2 [Publisher]

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150 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION absolved from obeying the Messenger, and severs his ties with the Messenger, detaches himself completely from him, and insolently over- steps him; he is disobedient to God and bereft of salvation.3.Allah the Exalted says: مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوا لِلهِ وَمَلَبِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيْكُلَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُو لِلْكَفِرِينَ 1(Part Number 1, Surah al-Baqarah) (Translation): Meaning that, whosoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His Messengers, and Gabriel and Michael, then surely, Allah Himself is an enemy to such disbelievers.Now it is evident that one who believes in barren Tauhid, but rejects the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is, in fact, the enemy of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Thus, in accordance with the purport of this verse, Allah is his enemy and in His sight, he is a disbeliever.How can he then hope to merit salvation? 4.Allah the Exalted says: b يَايُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَبِ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَبِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ ހ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرُ بِاللهِ وَمَلَكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَلاً بَعِيدًا - 2(Part Number 5, Surah an-Nisa') (Translation): O ye believers, believe in Allah and His Messenger, and in the Book which has been revealed to His Messenger-i.e.the Holy Quran-and in the Book revealed before it; namely, the Torah etc.And whoso disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His Messengers 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:99 [Publisher] 2.Surah an-Nisa', 4:137 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 151 and the Last Day has strayed far away from the truth; that is to say, remained deprived of salvation.5.Allah the Exalted says: وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللهُ وَرَسُولُ اَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ ¹ (Part Number 22, Sūrah al-Aḥzāb)—ils (Translation): It is not permissible for a believing man or a believ- ing woman to have the right, when God and His Messenger issue a command, to reject that command.Whoever disobeys God and His Messenger has strayed far from God, the True; namely, remained deprived of salvation, for salvation for those who are the people of God, the True.6.Allah the Exalted says: وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينَ - 2 (Part Number 4, Surah an-Nisa') (Translation): Whoso disobeys Allah and His Messenger and trans- gresses His limits, God shall make him enter Hell; he shall abide in Hell forever, and a humiliating punishment shall descend upon him.Now consider!-what can be a greater warning with regard to severing one's ties with the Messenger than the God of Honour and Glory declaring that whosoever disobeys the Messenger is promised eternal Hell? Yet Miyāń ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm says: ‘One who rejects and diso- beys the Holy Prophet, if he be established upon Tauḥīd, shall, without doubt, go to Paradise.' I know not what kind of Tauḥīd has permeated his being that can lead to Paradise despite disobeying and opposing 1.Surah al-Aḥzāb, 33:37 [Publisher] 2.Surah an-Nisa', 4:15 [Publisher]

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152 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the Holy Prophet, who is the fountainhead of Tauhid.[The curse of God be on the liars.] 7.Allah the Exalted says: ¹(Part Number 5, Surah an-Nisa') & (Translation): We have sent every Prophet so that he should be obeyed by the command of Allah.It is obvious that, in keeping with the purport of this verse, it is obligatory to obey the Prophet.Hence, how can a person, who is not obedient to the Prophets, attain salvation? 8.Allah the Exalted says: قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ، قُلْ أَطِيعُوا 2(Part Number 3, Surah Al-e-Imran)—VbJs of Jug (Translation): Say to them, 'If you love Allah, then come follow me so that Allah may love you too and forgive your sins.And Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful.' Say to them, ‘Obey Allah and His Messenger', but if they turn away from obedience, then [remember that] Allah does not befriend disbelievers.It is patently clear from these verses that forgiveness of sins and love of God Almighty are dependent upon the belief in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those who do not believe in him are disbelievers.1.Surah an-Nisa', 4:65 [Publisher] 2.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:32-33 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 9.Allah the Exalted says: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ سَبِيلًا.أوليكَ هُمُ الْكَفِرُونَ حَقًّا وَ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينَا.وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ أُولَبِكَ سَوْفَ يُؤْتِيهِمُ أَجُورَهُمْ - 153 1(Part Number 6, Surah an-Nisa') (Translation): Those people who reject Allah and the Messenger and seek to create a divide between God and His Messengers, saying, 'We believe in some and not in others'-in other words, belief in God alone or belief in some Messengers is enough and it is unnecessary to believe in the Messengers or all the Prophets in conjunction with the belief in God and they seek to discard divine guidance, adopting an incomplete religion instead; such indeed are confirmed disbelievers, and We have prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers.And those who believe in God and the Messenger, and do not create discord between God and His Messengers—that is, do not adopt this divisive belief in God alone and not His Messengers, nor do they like the schism of believing in some of the Prophets while rejecting oth- ers-God shall give such people their reward.Now where is Miyań ‘Abdul-Hakim Khān, the apostate, who was estranged from me on account of such writing of mine? It would be better for him to ponder with an open mind how God has linked belief in His existence to belief in His Messengers.The secret underlying this is that man has been invested with the capacity of believing in Tauḥīd in the way that fire is latent within a stone.The person of a Messenger is like a flint who strikes the stone by focussing his attention upon it and brings out that latent fire in the stone.It is not possible, therefore, that without the flint of a Prophet, the spark of Tauḥid may be ignited in any heart.It is only a Prophet who brings down Tauḥīd upon the earth 1.Surah an-Nisa', 4:151–153 [Publisher]

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154 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION and it is achieved only through him.God is Hidden and He displays His countenance through a Messenger.1* 10.Allah the Exalted says: يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الرَّسُولُ بِالْحَقِّ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ فَامِنُوا خَيْرًا لَكُمْ وَ إِنْ تَكْفُرُوا فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّبُوتِ 2 ² (Part Number 6, Sūrah an-Nisa')—B Translation: O mankind, the Messenger has come to you with the truth; therefore, believe in that Messenger.Your betterment lies in it, but if you choose to disbelieve, then Allah is not in need of you.The heavens and the earth all belong to Him and all are subservient to Him; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.II.Allah the Exalted says: كلما ألْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجُ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرُ قَالُوا بَلَى قَدْ جَاءَنَا نَذِيرُ فَكَنَّ بُنَا وَ قُلْنَا مَا نَزَلَ 3 (Part Number 29, Surah al-Mulk)— Translation: When a host of disbelievers will be cast into Hell, its guardian angels will ask them, 'Did no Warner come to you?' They will 1.On one occasion it so happened that I remained very much occupied with calling down blessings on the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, for a long time, for I believed that the ways leading to God are very fine and cannot be discovered except through the agency of the Holy Prophet, as Allah says too [And seek the way of approach unto Him, (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:36)].After a time I saw, in a vision, that two water carriers came and entered into my house, one by the outer entrance and the other by the inner entrance carrying on their shoulders water-skins full of divine light and they said is.[This is on account of the bless- ings you invoked upon Muḥammad].(Author) 2.Surah an-Nisa', 4:171 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-Mulk, 67:9-10 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 155 reply, 'Yes, he did come, sent nothing.but we rejected him, and we said that God had Now take note that these verses clearly prove that the dwellers of Hell would be cast into it because they did not accept the Prophets of the age.12.Allah the Exalted says: إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا 1(Part Number 26, Surah al-Hujurat) Translation: It is nothing except that the believers are those who believed in Allah and the Messenger and thereafter remained steadfast in their belief and did not fall into doubts and suspicions.Note how Allah the Almighty has specified in these verses that, in His sight, they alone are believers who believe not just in God alone, but believe both in God and the Messenger.How then can there be salvation without belief in the Messenger and of what use is Tauḥīd without belief in the Messenger? 13.Allah the Exalted says: وَمَا مَنَعَهُمْ أَنْ تُقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ نَفَقَتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللهِ وَبِرَسُولِهِ - 2(Part Number 10, Surah at-Taubah) Translation: The sole reason why the alms of the disbelievers are not accepted is that they deny God and His Messenger.Now note how these verses make it quite clear that the deeds of 1.Surah al-Hujurāt, 49:16 [Publisher] 2.Surah at-Taubah, 9:54 [Publisher]

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156 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION those who do not believe in the Messenger go to waste; God does not accept them.How can there be salvation if deeds come to naught?¹* 14.Allah the Exalted says: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّلِحَتِ وَآمَنُوا بِمَا نُزَلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ كَفَرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيَأْتِهِمْ 2 (Part Number 26, Surah Muḥammad) — Elit Translation: As for those who believed and performed righteous deeds and believed in that discourse which has been revealed upon Hadrat Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—and that indeed is the truth—God will forgive the sins of such people and will set their hearts aright.Note how much God Almighty expresses His pleasure on account of their believing in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that He forgives their sins and takes upon Himself the charge of purifying them.Then how unfortunate is the one who says that he has no need of believing in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; vanity and arrogance having made him think of himself as something special? How true are Sa'di's words: محال تواں رفت جز ست سعدی که راه صفا در پے مصطف O Sadi! It is impossible to tread the path of purity except by following the Chosen One [the Holy Prophetsa].1.All these verses apply to those who come to know of the person of the Messenger, and the invitation of the Messenger reached them.We cannot say anything about those who remained totally unaware of the existence of the Messenger nor did his invitation reach them.God knows about their cir- cumstances.He will deal with them in keeping with His mercy and justice.(Author) 2.Surah Muḥammad, 47:3 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS حرام است بر غیر ہوئے بہشت برد مهر آں شاہ سوئے بہشت Love for that sovereign Propheta takes one towards Paradise, The fragrance of which is denied to those who are estranged from him.15.Allah the Exalted says: الم يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَنْ يُحَادِدِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَاَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدًا فِيهَا ۖ ذَلِكَ الْخِزْى 157 ¹(Part Number 10, Surah at-Taubah)— Translation: Are they not aware that the one who opposes Allah and the Messenger shall be cast by God into Hell wherein he shall abide forever? This is a great humiliation.Now let Mr.Abdul-Hakim state his opinion.Will he submit to this verdict of God, or will he be audacious enough to confront the warning contained in these verses? 16.Allah the Exalted says: وَإِذْ اَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّنَ لَمَا اتَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ كِتَبِ وَ حِكَمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُ مُّصَدِّقُ لِمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ ءَ اَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ اِصْرِى قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَ أَنَا ² (Part Number 3, [Rukū'] 17, [Sūrah Āl-e-Imrān])—Que s Translation: And remember the time when God took a covenant from all the Messengers: 'When I shall give you the Book and Wisdom and then, in the Latter Days, shall come My Messenger who will testify to the truth of your Books, you will have to believe in him and will have to help him.Then He asked, 'Have you agreed and become firm on this cove- nant?” They said, ‘We have agreed.' At this, Allah said, 'Now be witness to this covenant of yours and along with you, I too am a witness over it.” 1.Surah at-Taubah, 9:63 [Publisher] 2.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:82 [Publisher]

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158 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Now it is obvious that the Prophets died at their appointed times.This injunction that 'when that particular Messenger appears they must believe in him, otherwise they will be held accountable, applies to the followers of all Prophets.Now Miyāń ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān― who possesses imperfect knowledge, and is a danger to faith—should explain: Were salvation possible through belief in barren Tauḥīd alone, why would God hold such people accountable who are convinced of Tauḥīd, but do not believe in the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him? In addition to this, in the Torah, Deuteronomy chapter 18, there is the verse that whosoever will not believe in the Prophet of the Latter Days, 'I will require it of him.' Hence, were Tauhid alone sufficient, then why would this demand be made? Will God forget His Word? I have, for brevity, quoted only these verses from the Holy Quran; otherwise, the Holy Quran is full of verses to this effect.In fact, the Holy Quran opens with verses of this kind as He says: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِم Meaning that, O our God! Guide us along the path of the Messengers 1.It points to the fact that when a person follows the true faith, he receives a special reward from God Almighty on account of performing righteous deeds.Such, indeed, is the way of Allah that one who has true faith is not restricted to the highest point to which he walks by his own effort and ad- vances by his own striving.Rather, when his effort reaches its maximum limit and the work of human capabilities ends, then the bounty of God operates in him; and guidance from Allah helps him further advance in knowledge, good deeds and understanding to a level which he could not have attained on his -Surah al-Anka] وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنا : own.God says so elsewhere too būt, 29:70].Meaning that, those who strive in Our path and do whatever they and their capabilities can do, then the grace of the One True God holds their hand and does what they could not have done by themselves.(Author) 2.Surah al-Fatiḥah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 159 and the Prophets who have been the recipients of Your favours and bounties.It is evident from this verse, which is recited in the prescribed Prayer five times a day, that the spiritual reward from God—namely, cognition and love of God—is received only through Messengers and Prophets and not through any other means.I do not know whether or not Miyāń ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān offers his prescribed Prayer.Had he done so, it would have been impossible for him to remain unaware of the meaning of these verses.Nevertheless, since belief in Tauḥid alone is sufficient according to him, what is the need for prescribed Prayer! Prescribed Prayer is just a form of worship taught by the Messenger.One who is not concerned with following the Messenger would have no concern for the prescribed Prayer.According to such a person, even the muwaḥ ḥid [believers in the Oneness of God] Brahmus have attained salvation.Do they offer the prescribed Prayer? In his opinion, a person, after renouncing Islam, can still attain salvation because of his belief in barren Tauhid, 1" and so can anyone from among the Jews, Christians, and Āryas who is a muwaḥḥid even if he reject Islam and be antagonistic to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who must be of the view that the prescribed Prayer earns no reward and fasting is futile.However, for a believer, just the above verse is enough to show that Prophets and Messengers alone are the owners of spiritual wealth and it is through following them that everyone partakes of his share.Moreover, the following are the opening verses of Surah al-Baqarah: 1.As far as one can understand from his writing, according to 'Abdul-Hakim Khan, there is another justification for a person to renounce Islam; namely, that a person who has not found, in his opinion, adequate arguments in fa- vour of the truth of Islam, can attain salvation even after renouncing Islam because he is not satisfied with the veracity of Islam.But he should have de- fined what, according to him, constitutes the completion of the argument.(Author)

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160 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ذلِكَ الْكِتَبُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ وَ مِمَّا رَزَقْتُهُم يُنْفِقُونَ ، وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُوْنَ.أُولَبِكَ عَلَى هُدًى من رَّبِّهِمْ وَ أُولَيكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ.Translation: This Book, which is free from doubt and confusion, is guidance for the righteous.And the righteous are those who believe in God (whose Being is hidden beyond hidden), establish Prayer, spend a portion of their wealth in the cause of God, believe in the Book that has been revealed to you and also in those Books that were revealed before you they alone enjoy guidance from God and they alone will attain salvation.Now wake up and open your eyes, O Miyāń ‘Abdul-Ḥakim, the apostate! For in these verses God Almighty has delivered His verdict and restricted salvation only to the consideration that people should believe in His Books and worship Him.There can be no contradic- tion or discrepancy in the Word of God.Allah the Glorious has made obedience to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, an essential precondition for salvation.Therefore, it would be dishonest to deviate from these verses of decisive import and run towards the mutashābihāt [verses that are susceptible to different interpretations].Only those whose hearts are afflicted by hypocrisy hasten towards the mutashābihāt.The point of wisdom concealed in these verses is that God Almighty has said in the verses above: الم.ذلِكَ الْكِتَبُ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ 2 Meaning that, this is the Book that has come into existence out of the knowledge of God Almighty.Since His knowledge is free from ignorance and forgetfulness, this Book is free from every doubt and 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:3-6 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:2-3 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 161 confusion.And since the knowledge of God possesses the perfect power to make human beings perfect, therefore, this Book is perfect guidance for the righteous.It elevates them to the station that is the highest pinnacle for the progress of human potential.God says in these verses that the righteous are those who believe in the Unseen God, establish Prayer, spend a portion of their possessions in the way of God, and believe in the Holy Quran and the earlier Scriptures.They alone stand firmly rooted in right guidance and they alone shall attain salva- tion.These verses show that salvation cannot be attained without belief in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and without obedience to his instructions regarding Prayer, etc.False are those who forsake the Noble Prophet and seek salvation through mere barren Tauhid.However, the question remains to be solved that, if these people are so virtuous as to believe in the Unseen God, observe Prayer, keep the Fast, spend a portion of their wealth in the cause of God, and 1.Unless a book is perfect in all its four causes, it cannot be called perfect.This is why, in these verses, God Almighty has mentioned all the four caus- es of the Holy Quran, namely: (1) the efficient cause, (2) the material cause, (3) the formal cause, (4) the final cause, and all four are at their perfection.Thus, refers to the perfection of the efficient cause.It means:.i.e أَنَا اللهُ أَعْلَمُ I am God, Knower of the unseen.I have sent down this book.Since God is the efficient cause of this book, the Maker of this book is stronger and more perfect than any other maker.The perfection of the material cause is alluded to by the verse meaning that this book has adorned the cloak of existence from the knowledge of God.There is no doubt that the knowledge of God Almighty is more perfect than all knowledge.The perfection of the formal cause [of the Holy Quran] is alluded to by the verse, meaning that this book is free from every error, doubt, and confusion, and what is there to doubt that the book which has originated from divine knowledge is unmatched and beyond comparison with respect to its authenticity and being free from every flaw.It is most perfect and absolute in being free from every error, doubt, and confusion.The perfection of its final cause is alluded to in the verse meaning that this book is the perfect guidance for the righteous and provides the greatest possible guidance for human nature.(Author)

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162 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 1 believe in the Holy Quran and the earlier Scriptures too, then what does it mean when He says guidance for the righteous'] meaning that, this Book will give guidance to them; for, such people, by implementing all these commandments, are already rightly guided? To help attain what has already been attained appears to be a useless exercise.The answer to this is that such people, despite their faith and vir- tuous deeds, stand in need of perfect steadfastness and perfect pro- gress to which God alone can guide; human effort has nothing to do with it.Steadfastness means that the heart is suffused with such faith as makes it impossible to stumble in the face of any trial, and virtuous deeds are performed in such a manner and in such a fashion that pleasure arises in them and labour and hardship is not felt.It becomes impossible to survive without them, as if those deeds become the nourishment for their souls-the bread for it and sweet water for it-such that they could not stay alive without them.That is to say, such circumstances come into existence with regard to steadfastness that cannot be created by a person merely through his own effort; rather, just as the soul is a gift of God, so is such extraordinary stead- fastness created by God.Progress means that, in addition to the maximum extent to which human effort regarding worship and faith can reach, other circum- stances are created which can come into existence only by the hand of God.It is obvious that, in the matter of belief in God Almighty, human effort and reason can help no further than to believe in the Unseen God, whose face has not been seen.This is why the Shariah [Islamic Law] which does not require of man beyond what lies in his power-does not compel man to believe, through his own effort, beyond the belief in the Unseen.Of course in this very verse 2 ['guidance for the righteous'] the righteous are promised that, after 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:3 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:3 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT―RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 163 they become firmly grounded in the belief of the Unseen and do on their own what they possibly can, then God shall move them forward from the condition of belief to that of enlightenment, and shall cause their faith to acquire a new colour.It is a Sign of the truth of the Holy Quran that it does not want those who approach it to remain at the level of belief and practice which they attain through their own effort.Were it so, how would one know that God actually exists? Rather, He ordains a reward on human efforts from Himself—a reward that contains divine splendour and divine power.For instance, as I stated, what more can man do about his belief in God than to believe in the Unseen God, whose existence is corroborated by each particle of this universe? But man does not have the power on his own—through his own effort and his own exertion-to succeed in attaining knowledge of the radiant light of God, graduating from a state of belief to the state of enlightenment, and generating within himself the state of wit- nessing and beholding [God].In the same way, regarding Prayer, what can human effort and exertion possibly do except be clean and pure as best as possible and then stand in Prayer after repelling the perils [to concentration] and trying not to allow the Prayer to stay in a derelict condition, and, with genuine fervour, offering all its components—namely, praise and glo- rification of God Almighty, repentance, seeking forgiveness, supplica- tion, and invoking blessings upon the Holy Prophet? But it is simply not within human power that an extraordinary personal love, per- sonal reverence, fervour, and eagerness imbued with total effacement and attentiveness, that is free from any distraction, should develop in his prescribed Prayer as if he is beholding God.And it is evident that unless and until this state develops in the prescribed Prayer, it is not free from deficiency.For this very reason, God Almighty said that the righteous are those who make their prescribed Prayer upright, for only that is made upright which has a propensity to fall.Hence, the verse

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164 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION [observe Prayer] means that, as far as they possibly can, they strive to make the Prayer stand upright and employ extra effort and hard work.the grace God says The fact, however, remains that human efforts are futile without of God Almighty.This is why the Benevolent and Merciful meaning that: 'As far as possible, they should strive to establish Prayer with sincerity.After this if they have belief in My Word, I shall not relegate them merely to their own effort and labour.On the contrary, I shall Myself assist them.Then, their Prayer shall assume a different complexion and an exquisite state will develop in them which they never thought or imagined.They would be blessed with this grace only because they believed in the 'Word of God', the Holy Quran, and, as far as it lay within their power, they remained engaged in acting in accordance with its injunctions.In short, the additional guidance that has been promised regarding Prayer is that one should be able to attain a state of natural fervour, personal love, reverence, and full concentration to the extent that the human eye opens to behold his True Beloved, and an extraordinary state to wit- ness the beauty of God be provided which is totally suffused with spiritual delights and makes the heart averse to mundane vices and the variety of sins of speech, conduct, sight, and sound.In this context God says: إِنَّ الْحَسَنتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيَاتِ 2 Similarly, the utmost that a person can do on his own effort, in terms of financial sacrifice, is to offer a portion of his favourite possessions for the sake of Allah, as God Almighty says in the same chapter [of the Holy Quran]: 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:4 [Publisher] 2.Surely, good works drive away evil works (Surah Hūd, 11:115).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 165 And as He says elsewhere: وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ.كن تنالُوا الْبِرَّ حَلَى تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ 2 It is obvious that it is no great accomplishment if man performs wor- ship vis-à-vis his wealth only to the extent of giving something from his cherished and favoured possessions in the path of God.Rather, greatness lies in totally surrendering everything, so that whatever he has no longer belongs to him but belongs to God, so much so that he is prepared to lay down his life in the path of God because that, too, is included in [out of what We have provided for them'].God Almighty does not mean just dirham and dinar by His Word tëj, läs ['out of what We have provideď].Rather, this term has a far wider con- notation which is inclusive of every bounty that has been bestowed upon man.3 In short, by using the words ['guidance for the right- eous'], God Almighty implies that with every kind of bounty which has been bestowed upon man—for example his life, health, knowl- edge, strength, wealth, etc.—one can demonstrate one's sincerity and] مِمَّا رَزَقْنهُم يُنفِقُونَ through his own effort only to the extent of spend out of what We have provided for them'].Human faculties are incapable of going beyond that.In the context of the verses, God promises that even in such forms of worship, He shall help those who demonstrate their sincerity to the extent of to the 1.And [they] spend out of what We have provided for them (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:4).[Publisher] 2.Never shall you attain to righteousness unless you spend out of that which you love (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:93).[Publisher] 3.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:3 [Publisher] 4.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:4 [Publisher]

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166 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION attainment of perfection.And perfection means that the person shall be granted such strength of selflessness as to fully realize with firm conviction that whatever he has belongs to God.He will not let anyone feel that the objects with which he served mankind belonged to him.For instance, he does not oblige anyone when he gives his personal belonging to someone—that would be an imperfect state because he would feel this way only if he considered it to be his own.Thus, in keeping with the verse God Almighty will grant progress to the believer of the Holy Quran from this state until he con- siders every possession of his to belong to God to such an extent that even the affliction of making others feel grateful to him will depart from his heart, and a kind of motherly compassion for mankind—or something greater still-will arise within his heart.Nothing remains his; everything becomes God's.This will happen when he sincerely believes in the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, but not without it.Therefore, how misguided are those who consider barren Tauḥīd alone, without submission to the Holy Quran and the Noble Prophet sa, to be the means of salvation? In fact, experience testifies that such peo- ple neither have true belief in God Almighty nor can they be cleansed of worldly temptations and desires—let alone progress to any kind of perfection.It is also an utterly false and unsubstantiated fancy that a person can achieve the blessing of Tauhid on his own.The fact is 1.The reason is that, on account of innate human weakness, miserliness is also a part of man's nature.For instance, even if one possesses a mountain of gold, he still retains a bit of miserliness in him and does not wish to give up his entire possession.But in the context of the verse when a person is accompanied by a gifted strength, he obtains such resignation that all mi- serliness and all selfishness is eliminated.It is then that seeking the pleasure of God looks dearer to him than all of the riches and he no longer wants to hoard ephemeral wealth here on earth; rather, he stores his treasure in the heavens.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 167 that Tauhid is realized through the Word of God.Whatever else one personally believes is not free from idolatry.Similarly, human effort regarding belief in Scriptures revealed by God is limited to the extent that one should, with sincerity, believe in His Book and follow it with patience.Man has no power beyond this, but God has promised in the verse ['guidance for the righteous'] that whosoever believes in His Book and Messenger, such a one shall be entitled to further guidance; God shall enhance his vision and bless him with His converse and discourse, 2* and shall demonstrate great Signs to him until he will behold His countenance in this very world and realize that his God does indeed exist, and will attain full satisfaction.God's Word says, 'If you have perfect belief in Me, I shall descend upon you, too.' It is on account of this that Ḥaḍrat Imām Ja'far Ṣādiq, may Allah be pleased with him, says, 'I read the Word of God [the Holy Quran] with such sincerity, love, and eagerness that it flowed from my tongue in the form of revelation too.' But alas! People do not compre- hend what converse with God is and in what circumstances it can be said that God Almighty speaks to a particular person.On the contrary, most ignorant people begin to take satanic suggestion as the word of God, and are unable to distinguish satanic revelations from the revela- tion of the Gracious God.Therefore, it should be noted that the first prerequisite for revelation from the Gracious God is that its recipient should become wholly God's and there should remain no part of Satan in him; for, dogs will invariably gather where there is carrion.That is why God Almighty says: 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:3 [Publisher] 2.In fact, perfect submission is indeed that one should acquire the very same colour [i.e.condition] and that very same light should descend upon the I entered into the fire until I became] دخَلْتُ النَّارَ حَتَّى صِرْتُ نَارًا [heart.[ As is said fire myself'].(Author)

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168 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION هَلْ أَتَيْتُكُمْ عَلَى مَنْ تَنَزَّلُ الشَّيطِيْنُ تَنَزَّلُ عَلَى كُلِّ أَفَاكِ أَثِيمٍ.But Satan cannot attack the one in whom he no longer has any part and who has departed from the low life as if he had died and has become a righteous and faithful servant [of God] and has come to Him, as God Almighty says: إِنَّ عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطن 2 Satan, indeed, runs towards those who belong to Satan and possess satanic habits, for they are his prey.Moreover, it should be remembered that God's words inher- ently possess a special blessing, majesty, and delight.And, as God is All-Hearing and All-Knowing and Merciful, He replies to the queries of His sincere, righteous, and faithful servants.Such supplication and response can extend over several hours.When a servant asks a question in a dignified and humble manner, he is overcome by a kind of faintness within a few minutes and he receives the response in the veil of this faintness.Then if he submits another question, he again experiences faintness within a short time and finds His response in its veil in the same fashion.God is so Benevolent, Merciful, and Forbearing that if a servant asks questions a thousand times, he receives the answers.But as God Almighty does not stand in need of anything and has regard for wisdom and appropriateness, disclosure of the outcome to some ques- tions not granted in reply.Should it be asked how one would know that those answers are from God Almighty and not from Satan, this I have just answered.Besides, Satan is dumb and his speech is not eloquent and articulate.1.Shall I inform you on whom the evil ones descend? They descend on every great liar and sinner (Surah ash-Shu'ara, 26:222–223).[Publisher] 2.Surely, you shall have no power over My servants (Surah al-Hijr, 15:43).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 169 Like the dumb, he lacks the capability of eloquent and prolific speech.He only injects a sentence or two into the heart in a foul-smelling way.Since eternity, he has not been given the ability to express himself in palatable and majestic words.Nor can he maintain a conversation in answering questions over a few hours.He is also deaf and cannot answer every question.He is also feeble and cannot exhibit any power or ability to reveal any hidden matter of high import in his revela- tions.Also, his voice is hoarse and he cannot speak in a commanding and majestic voice.His voice is inferior like that of eunuchs.You will 1.The answer to the question whether a satanic dream or revelation can con- tain any news of the unseen or not, is that a satanic dream or revelation, as is clear from the Holy Quran, may occasionally contain news about the un- seen, , but it is accompanied by three features: (1) First, such knowledge of the unseen is never authoritative like revelation from God that He shall destroy a specified person who does not desist from mischief; that He shall bestow such and such honour on a specific person who shows sincerity; that He shall demonstrate such and such Signs in support of His Prophet, and no one shall be able to compete with them; that He shall visit the disbelievers with chas- tisement of a distinct type; and that He shall grant the believers success and triumph of the specified type.These are unseen of the authoritative kind that possess the might of divine sovereignty.Satan is incapable of making such prophecies.(2) Second, the satanic dream or revelation is paltry.It does not convey accounts of the unseen in abundance.In a competition, such a person flees before the recipient of divine revelation for, in comparison to the lat- ter, his knowledge of the unseen is as meagre as a drop before the ocean.(3) Third, it [i.e.satanic inspiration] is mostly dominated by falsehood, whereas a dream or a revelation which emanates from the Gracious God is dominated by Truth; that is, if viewed as a whole, the majority of His revelations are true, whereas the reverse is the case of satanic ones.I have not used the word 'all' with regard to dreams and revelations from the Gracious God because, among them too, some revelations or dreams are allegorical in nature, or an error can be made in interpretation.The ignorant ones come to consider such prophecies to be false.In fact, the existence of such prophecies is only by way of trial.Moreover, some prophecies of God are by way of warning in which case non-fulfilment is permissible.Also keep in mind that satanic revelation maintains an affinity with a sinful and impure person.On the contrary, abun- dance of the revelations from the Gracious God are vouchsafed only to those who are pure of heart and have become lost in the love of God.(Author)

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170 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION recognize satanic revelation by these very features.But God does not resemble a dumb, deaf, or feeble person.He hears and continuously responds.His speech has majesty, awe, and lofty expression.His speech is moving and pleasant.Satan's speech is faint, effeminate, and dubious; there is no grandeur, majesty, or loftiness in it.Nor can it continue in duration as if to get tired very soon; ; and that, too, is evidence of weak- ness and timidity.In contrast, God's speech does not suffer fatigue and possesses every kind of power and comprises of hidden matters and majestic promises of some very great import and has the scent of divine glory, greatness, power, and holiness.Satan's speech does not possess this quality.In addition, divine speech possesses mighty effectiveness; it penetrates the heart like an iron peg.It has a holy effect upon the heart and draws the heart to itself and transforms its recipient into a valiant man, so much so that even if he were to be cut into pieces with a sharp sword, or hoisted upon the gallows, or subjected to every kind of torment that is possible in this world, and sullied and insulted in every way, or put into a blazing fire or incinerated, he would never deny that what descends upon him is the word of God, because God bestows upon him absolute certainty and makes him the lover of His own countenance.To him, life, honour, and property are no more than a straw.He does not let go of the raiment of God even if the whole world tramples him under its feet, and he is incomparable in his trust [in God], courage, and steadfastness.Those who receive satanic revelation do not attain this strength.They are cowards because Satan is a coward.In the end, I wish to point out that the reason for 'Abdul-Ḥakim Khan's misguidance that has caused him to think that there is no need to follow the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is a misunderstanding of a Quranic verse.This misunderstanding occurred in him because of insufficient knowledge and reflection.The said verse is as follows:

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POSTSCRIPT RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَ النَّصْرِى وَالبِيْنَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمُ 1 أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ.! 171 (Translation): Meaning that, those who have embraced Islam or are Jews, or Christians, or who submit to the stars; whoever from among them will believe in Allah and the Last Day and will perform good deeds, God will not allow him to go to waste; the reward of such persons is with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve.² This is the verse from which-on account of ignorance and perverse thinking-it has been concluded that there is no need to believe in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.It is a great pity that these people follow the dictates of their evil self and oppose the decisive and manifest verses of the Holy Quran and, in order to get away from Islam, seek refuge in verses that are susceptible to dif- ferent interpretations.They should remember that they cannot bene- fit from this verse at all, for belief in Allah and belief in the Last Day necessitates belief in the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.The reason is as follows.In the Holy Quran, defining the term Allah, God Almighty says that: 'Allah is the Being who is [Rabbul-ālamin-Lord of all the worlds], [Raḥmān—Gracious], and [Raḥīm—Merciful].He created the earth and heavens in six days.He created Adam, sent Messengers and Scriptures, and last of all He raised the Ḥadrat Muḥammad, the chosen Prophet of God, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:63 [Publisher] 2.If this verse was taken to mean that mere Tauḥīd is enough, then the follow- ing verse would prove that, all sins, shirk [associating partners with God] etc., shall be forgiven without repentance, which is manifestly not the case.The verse قُلْ يُعِبَادِيَ الَّذِيْنَ أَسْرَفُوْا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيْعًا.reads thus [Say, 'O my servants who have committed excesses against their own souls! despair not of the mercy of Allah, surely Allah forgives all sins', (Sūrah az-Zumar, 39:54)].(Author)

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172 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Khātamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets] and Khairur-Rusul [the Best of the Messengers].' The Last Day, according to the Holy Quran, is when the dead will be raised, then one group will be admitted to Heaven which is the abode of physical and spiritual blessing and one group will be cast into Hell which is the abode of spiritual and physical torment.God Almighty says in the Holy Quran that only those who believe in this Book believe in this Last Day.be Thus, since God Almighty Himself has clearly defined the word 'Allah' and the 'Last Day' in a way which is exclusive to Islam, therefore, whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day will have to believe in the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah upon him.And no one has the authority to change these meanings nor do we have the right to invent any meaning of our own which contradicts and opposes the meanings described by the Holy Quran itself.I have closely studied the Holy Quran from beginning to end, and have studied it carefully and studied it over and over and have keenly deliberated over its meanings.I have realised with utmost clar- ity that the name 'Allah' has been given to the Being who possesses all divine attributes and can enact all those divine acts mentioned in the Holy Quran.For instance, it has been stated that: 1 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ الرَّحْمنِ الـ There are many other similar verses to the effect that Allah is the One who revealed the Holy Quran; Allah is the One who sent Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Since it is included in the concept of Allah, according to Quranic ter- minology, that Allah is the One who has sent Ḥaḍrat Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, therefore, it is necessary that whosoever chooses to believe in Allah, must also have belief in the Holy 1.All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, the Gracious, the Merciful (Surah al-Fatihah, 1:2-3).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 173 Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; only then shall the belief of the person be considered authentic and genuine.In this verse, God Almighty did not say [Whosoever believes in the Gracious God'] or [Whosoever believes in the Merciful God'], or [Whosoever believes in the Benevolent God'].Instead, He said, '['Whosoever believes in Allah'] and ‘Allah' means the Being who comprehends all perfect attributes, and one sublime attribute of His is that He revealed the Holy Quran.In this context, only that person can be said to have belief in Allah who also believes in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as well as the Holy Quran.If someone were to ask, 'What, then, is the meaning of then, be it known that it only means that the faith of those who only believe in Allah lacks credibility unless they believe in the Messenger of Allah, or until they perfect that faith.It must be remembered that there is no contradiction in the Holy Quran.Therefore, how can it be possible that [on the one hand] God Almighty says in hundreds of verses that Tauḥīd alone is insufficient, and that belief in His Prophetsa is also necessary for salvation except when a person remains uninformed about this Prophet; while on the other, He says the opposite in some verse that salvation is possible sim- ply through Tauḥīd, and there is no need to believe in the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? The interesting part of it is that this verse makes no mention of Tauḥid at all.If Tauḥīd were meant, it should have read: ['whoso - ever believes in Tauḥīd"].Instead the wording of the verse is: ó ó ['whosoever believes in Allah'].Hence, the statement [who- soever believes in Allah'] makes it obligatory upon us to ponder over the sense in which the term 'Allah' has been used in the Holy Quran.Honesty on our part should demand that when the Holy Quran itself informs us that implicit in the word 'Allah' is that Allah is the One 1.Whoso believes in Allah (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:70) [Publisher] 2.They who believe (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:83) [Publisher]

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174 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION who sent the Holy Quran and sent the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then we should accept the Quranic interpretation of the word, and should not follow our whims.Furthermore, I have stated earlier that, in order to attain salvation, it is essential that one should cultivate perfect conviction in the exist- ence of God Almighty—and not only cultivate conviction but also resolve to obey Him and recognize the paths that lead to His pleasure.Ever since the beginning of this world, both these objectives have been attained only through the Prophets of God.Therefore, how absurd is the notion that even such a one will attain salvation who, while believ- ing in Tauḥīd, does not believe in the Messenger of God? O ye igno- rant one, bereft of understanding! How is it possible to achieve Tauḥīd except through the Messenger? It is like a person who detests daylight and flees from it, yet proclaims, 'For me the sun alone is enough, what is the need for the day?' The foolish one does not even know that the sun is inseparable from the day.Alas! These ignorant people fail to under- stand that the Being of God Almighty is Hidden beyond the hidden, Unseen beyond the unseen, and Transcendent beyond the transcend- ent.No intelligence can discover Him as He Himself says: 1 لا تدركه الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ.That is, no eyesight and no insight can find Him.He knows the ulti- mate extent of their reach and is Dominant over them.Hence, the understanding of His Tauḥīd is impossible through reason alone; for, the essence of Tauḥīd is that just as one shuns the false extrinsic deities—i.e.gives up worshipping idols, humans, the sun, the moon etc.—so should one avoid the false intrinsic deities; i.e.he should safeguard himself from relying on his physical and spiritual abil- ities and being captivated by the curse of conceit that arises from them.1.Surah al-An'ām, 6:104 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 175 It is thus clear that perfect Tauhid is not attainable except through self-abnegation and obedient submission to the Messengersa.How can a person be called a muwaḥḥid-[a believer in the One God] if he considers any of his own faculties to be at par with God the Maker? This is why the Holy Quran, at several places, ties perfect Tauḥid to following in the footsteps of the Messenger, because perfect Tauḥīd means a new life.It is not possible to attain salvation unless and until one brings death upon one's baser life by becoming the follower of the Messenger of God.What is more, on account of what these igno- rant people say, the Holy Quran is exposed to the charge of self-contra- diction; for, on the one hand, it repeatedly says that except through the medium of the Messenger, it is not possible to attain Tauḥīd, nor can salvation be attained, while on the other hand, it appears to proclaim it to be attainable; whereas the fact is that the Messenger alone is the Sun of Tauhid and salvation as well as its exponent.It is his light that reveals Tauḥid; hence, such a contradiction cannot possibly be ascribed to the Word of God.The egregious error of this ignorant man is that he has not under- stood the essence of Tauḥīd at all.Tauḥīd is a light which arises within the heart after negating outer and inner [false] deities, and it permeates every particle of the person.How can it be acquired by anyone on his own, without the medium of God and His Messenger? Man's obliga- tion is only that he should impose a death upon his ego and should dis- card the satanic vanity that he is well-versed in knowledge.He should deem himself ignorant and should remain occupied in supplication.Then the light of Tauhid would descend upon him from God, bestow- ing a new life upon him.In the end, I deem it necessary to point out that even if, for the sake of argument, I accept that the term 'Allah' carries a general import which translates as 'God', and ignore the connotation which we learn by reflecting on the Holy Quran—that included in the meaning of ‘Allah' is that He is the One who sent the Holy Quran and appointed the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—even then

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176 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION this verse cannot benefit the opponent, for it does not imply that belief in the Almighty alone is sufficient for salvation.Rather, its real conno- tation is that whosoever believes in Allah-which is the Supreme name of God Almighty and is the compendium of all the perfect attributes of the Holy One-God will not allow him to go to waste, but will, inex- orably, draw him towards Islam, for one truth is helpful in recognizing the other, and those who have genuine belief in Allah the Exalted, ulti- mately discover the truth.It is promised in the Holy Quran that anyone who sincerely believes in God Almighty, God shall not allow him to go to waste and He shall reveal the truth to him and show him the right path, as Allah the Exalted says: وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا.Thus, this verse would mean that the believer of God Almighty is not wasted.In the end, Allah the Exalted grants him perfect guidance.The saints have cited hundreds of examples to the effect that when some people belonging to other faiths chose to believe in God Almighty with great sincerity and busied themselves in doing good works, the reward God Almighty gave them for their sincerity was that He opened their eyes and, purely through His guidance, revealed to them the truth of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.This indeed is the meaning of the latter part of this verse: 2 فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ.So long as the reward of God Almighty is not manifested in this world, 1.And as for those who strive in Our path, We will surely guide them in Our ways (Surah al-Ankabūt, 29:70).[Publisher] 2.[They] shall have their reward with their Lord (Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2:63).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 177 it is not manifested in the Hereafter either.The reward of belief in God Almighty in this world is that God blesses such a person with complete guidance and does not let him go to waste.The same is also indicated in the following verse: وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الكتب إِلا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِه.Meaning that, those who are truly the People of the Book and sin- cerely believe in God and His Scriptures and act upon them will ultimately end up believing in this Prophet.This is exactly what hap- pened.Of course, evil people who should not be called the People of the Book do not believe.A number of such instances are also found in Islamic history which show how Benevolent and Merciful God Almighty is, for if a person does even a tittle of good, He causes him, by way of reward, to enter Islam as is also stated in a hadith that a Companion enquired of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 'When I was a disbeliever, I gave away lar- gesse to the needy with the sole intention of pleasing God, will I get the reward for that too?' He replied, "Those alms are what drew you towards Islam.' In the same way, therefore, if anyone belonging to any other religion, believes God Almighty to be One without any partner, and loves Him, God Almighty causes him ultimately to enter Islam, in consonance with the verse: ra وووووو فلهم أجرهم عند ربهم This is what happened in the case of Bāvā Nānak when he, discard- ing idol worship in all sincerity, adopted Tauhid and fell in love with God.The same God who declares in the above-mentioned noble 1.Surah an-Nisa', 4:160 [Publisher] 2.[They] shall have their reward with their Lord (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:63).[Publisher]

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178 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION verse 99991 [they shall have their reward with their Lord'] appeared to him and, with His revealed Word, guided him to Islam.Thereupon, he became a Muslim and performed the Pilgrimage too.Similarly, it is stated in the book Baḥrul-Jawāhir [i.e, ‘The Ocean of Gems'] that there was a Jew named Abul-Khair.He was a pious-natured and truthful man, and believed God Almighty to be One without part- ner.Once, when he was passing through the bazaar, he heard a boy in a mosque reciting the following verse of the Holy Quran: 1 الم.أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ.Meaning that, do people imagine that they will attain salvation merely by pronouncing the statement that they believe while they have not yet been tested in [treading] the path of God as to whether or not they pos- sess steadfastness, truthfulness, and loyalty like those of the believers? The verse had a profound impact on Abul-Khair's heart and moved his heart.He stood by the wall of the mosque and cried profusely.At night our lord and master, Muḥammad Mustafa [the Chosen One], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, appeared in his dream and :meaning يَا أَبَا الْخَيْرِ أَعْجَبَنِيْ أَنَّ مِثْلَكَ مَعَ كَمَالِ فَضْلِكَ يُنْكِرُ نُبُوَّتِن addressing him said ‘O Abul-Khair, it surprised me that a person like you should deny my Prophethood despite your excellence in virtue and nobility.' Therefore, the very next morning Abul-Khair became a Muslim and made a proc- lamation of his Islam.In short, it is beyond my comprehension that a person believing in God and considering Him to be One and without partner, should be delivered by God from Hell, but not from [spiritual] blindness; whereas salvation is rooted in spiritual insight, as Allah says: مَنْ كَانَ فِي هَذِةٍ أَعْلَى فَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ أَعْلَى وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا.1.Surah al-'Ankabut, 29:2-3 [Publisher] 2.Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:73 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT—RESPONSE TO SOME CRITICS' OBJECTIONS 179 Meaning that, whosoever is [spiritually] blind in this world, shall be blind or even worse in the Hereafter.It is absolutely true that he who does not recognize God's Messengers, does not recognize God either.The mirror of God's coun- tenance are His Messengers.Everyone who sees God sees Him through this mirror.Then what kind of salvation is this: a person rejects and denies the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, throughout his entire life, he rejects the Holy Quran, and God Almighty does not bestow eyes upon him nor a heart, he remains blind and dies blind, yet he attains salvation? Strange indeed is this salvation! It is my observation that when God Almighty desires to bestow mercy upon someone, He first bestows sight upon him and bestows knowledge upon him from Himself.There must be hundreds of people in my Movement who have joined it as a consequence of just a single dream or revelation.The Being of God Almighty is all encompassing Mercy.If one advances towards Him one step, He comes two steps; if a person hastens towards Him, He comes running towards him and opens the eyes of the blind.Then how can it be accepted that a person believes in Him and accepts Him with a true heart to be One without partner and loves Him and joins the company of His friends and yet God keeps him blind and he remains so blind that he cannot recognize Goďs Prophet? This point is supported by the hadith: مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ فَقَدْ مَاتَ مِيْتَةَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ Meaning that, he who dies without recognizing the Imam of his age dies the death of ignorance and is deprived of the straight path.

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[Answers to Some Misgivings] Now I shall address some of the misgivings which have been expressed to me by some seekers of truth for reply.Most of these misgivings are those that 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, Assistant Surgeon, Patiala, has, either through writing or speech, planted in the hearts of people, and has thus set a seal on his apostasy that will, perhaps, last until the end of his days.I have given answers to these few misgivings on the insistence of Munshi Burhānul-Ḥaqq of Shāhjahānpur, who humbly communicated them to me in his letter.I give the answers below after reproducing the exact text of each question as contained in Munshi Burhānul-Ḥaqq's letter; [and all strength comes from Allah].Question (1) On page 157¹ of Tiryāqul-Qulūb (which is one of my books) it is written: Let no one entertain the suspicion that in this discourse I have considered myself superior to Hadrat Masīḥ [the Messiah], for it is a partial superiority which a non-Prophet can have over a Prophet.1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.15, page 481, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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182 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Then on page 257 of the [Urdu] Review [of Religions], volume 1, Number 6, it is stated that: God has raised the Promised Messiah from this Ummah, who far exceeds the first Messiah in his glory.Again, on page 475' of the Review is written: I swear by Him in whose hands my life is that, had Masīḥ Ibn-e- Maryam [Messiah, the son of Mary] lived in my time, he could never have performed what I can, and could not have shown the Signs which are being manifested through me.The crux of the objection is that there is a contradiction between these two statements.THE ANSWER: Bear in mind that Allah the Exalted is well aware that I am neither pleased nor interested in being called the Promised Messiah nor in proclaiming myself superior to Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam.God has Himself testified to the inner depths of my conscience in His holy rev- elation, as He says: قُلْ أُجَرِّدُ نَفْسِي مِنْ ضُرُوْبِ الْخِطَابِ Meaning that, tell them, 'As far as I am concerned, I do not want any title for myself.In other words, my aim and objective is higher than these thoughts.Bestowing a title is an act of God; I have no influence in it.The question remains why it has been written so and why such a contradiction has occurred in the statements.Ponder over it and realize 1.Page 475 is a typographical error.This text referenced here appears in the Urdu Review of Religions, vol.1, no.12, p.478.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (1) 183 that it is the same kind of contradiction as I had written in Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya that Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam would descend from heaven; and later, I wrote that I myself am the Messiah who was to come.The reason for this contradiction was the same: God Almighty had named me ‘Īsā in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, and also informed me that God and His Messenger had prophesied my advent.But as a body of Muslims was firm in the belief—and I, too, held that same belief-that Hadrat 'Isa would descend from heaven, I did not wish to take God's revelation for its literal meaning, but interpreted this revelation and maintained my belief in consonance with that of the Muslims at large and pub- lished the same in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.But afterwards, divine revela- tions regarding this descended like rain, affirming that I am, indeed, the Promised Messiah who was to come.Along with them [i.e.the divine revelations] appeared hundreds of Signs, and both the heaven and the earth arose to testify to my truthfulness.The bright Signs of God com- pelled me to realize that, indeed, I am the Messiah who was to come in the Latter Days.Otherwise, my belief was what I had set forth in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.Moreover, not relying entirely upon it, I sought adjudication for my revelation from the Holy Quran.It was established by conclusive verses that ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryam had indeed died, and the last Khalifah [vicegerent] would appear from among this very ummah under the title of the Promised Messiah.As no darkness remains after the dawn of day, in the same way, hundreds of Signs, heavenly testimo- nies, conclusive verses of the Holy Quran, and definitive and explicit aḥadīth compelled me to accept that I am the Promised Messiah.It was enough for me that God should be pleased with me, and I had absolutely no desire for such a thing.I led a life of seclusion and no one was aware of my existence, nor did I desire that anyone should rec- ognize me.He forced me out of my solitude.I had wished to live and die in obscurity, but He decreed that He would make me renowned with honour throughout the world.Therefore, ask God why He did so.What is my fault in this? Similarly, I initially believed that I could not possibly be compared

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184 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION with Masih Ibn-e-Maryam since he is a Prophet and one of the distin- guished men of God.Therefore, whenever something in my revelation appeared concerning my superiority, I interpreted it as partial superi- ority.But later, when revelation from God Almighty descended upon me like pouring rain, it did not permit me to persist in this belief.The title of 'Prophet' was clearly bestowed upon me, albeit with the proviso that I am a Prophet in one aspect and an ummati [follower of the Holy Prophet sa] in another.1* The instances of divine revelation that I have cited in this book also reveal what God Almighty says concerning me vis-à-vis Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam.How can I reject twenty-three years of continuous revelations from God Almighty? I believe in this holy reve- lation of His as I believe in all the revelations of God that have occurred before me.I also note that the Masih Ibn-e-Maryam is the last Khalifah of Mūsā, peace be upon him, and I am the last Khalifah of the Prophet who is the Best of Messengers.Therefore, God willed that I should not be inferior to him.I am well aware that these words of mine will be intolerable to those in whose heart the love for Ḥadrat Masiḥ borders on worship.1.Keep in mind, quite a few people are misled when they come across the term 'Prophet' with reference to my claim.They think as if I have claimed the kind of Prophethood as was vouchsafed directly to the Prophets of old.But they are wrong in thinking so; I make no such claim.On the contra- ry, the wisdom and providence of God Almighty has bestowed this status in order to prove the excellence of the spiritual blessings of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that He took me to the sta- tion of Prophethood through the blessings of his (the Holy Prophet's) grace.Therefore, I cannot be defined only as a Prophet.Rather, I am a Prophet in one respect and an ummati [follower of the Holy Prophetsa] in the other.My Prophethood is a reflection of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and not an independent Prophethood.This is why in the hadith as well as in the revelation vouchsafed to me, I have been named a Prophet, just as I have been named an ummati, so that it may be known that every excellence has been bestowed on me through following the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and through his medium.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (1) 185 However, I do not care for them.What can I do? How can I discard God's command and how can I revert to darkness from the light that has been granted to me? In short, there is no contradiction in my state- ments.I only follow that which is revealed to me by Almighty God.Until I was enlightened by Him, I continued to assert what I had said in the beginning.But when He bestowed knowledge upon me, I spoke to the contrary.I am a human being and I do not claim to know that which is hidden.This is the fact, whether anyone accepts it or not.I do not know why God did so, but I know that Goďs jealousy is deeply aroused in heaven against the Christians.They have used such derog- atory words against the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as may well-nigh rend the heavens asunder.In this manner, God manifests that the humble servants of this Messenger are more exalted than the Israelite Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam.Anyone who is infuriated and incensed by these words might as well die in his anger, but God has done as He willed and God does what He wills.Does man have the power to object as to why God did so? It should also be borne in mind in this context that since I have been assigned the task to reform the entire world as my lord and master had come for the entire world, so have I been granted such powers and capabilities as were necessary for shouldering the burden commensu- rate with that grand duty.I have also been vouchsafed such spiritual verities and Signs as were required by the age for incontrovertibly establishing the truth.But there was no need that Ḥadrat Īsā should have been bestowed such Signs and spiritual verities, for they were not required at that time.¹* Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā was, therefore, granted only 1.If someone were to say that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā raised the dead and that it was a great Sign vouchsafed to him, the answer is that, literally speaking, raising the dead is against the teaching of the Holy Quran.It is small wonder if ‘Īsā brought terminally ill patients back to life, because such dead persons have been raised here too [at my hands], as was also done by the earlier Prophets, for example by the Prophet Ilyāsas [Elijah].But the great Signs, which God is showing and will show, are of a different kind altogether.(Author)

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186 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION those powers and capabilities that were needed for reforming the small community of Jews.However, we are heirs to the Holy Quran whose teaching comprehends all excellences and is meant for the entire world.Hadrat Īsā was heir only to the Torah, whose teaching is incomplete and meant only for a certain people.That is why he had to emphasize those matters in the Injil [Gospel] that were hidden and concealed in the Torah.But we cannot present any matter beyond the Holy Quran, for its teaching is complete and perfect, and, unlike the Torah, does not stand in need of any Injil.In view of the fact that it is quite clear and evident that the spiritual powers and capabilities granted to Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, peace be upon him, were limited to the extent required for reforming the Jewish people, undoubtedly his excellences, too, would be according to the same scale.As Allah the Almighty says: 1 وَإِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا عِنْدَنَا خَزَايِنُهُ وَمَا نُنَزِّلُةَ إِلَّا بِقَدَرٍ مَعْلُومٍ.Meaning that, with Us are treasures of everything, but We do not send them down more than what is required.Thus, it goes against divine wisdom to grant a Prophet the type of knowledge for the reformation of his people which is inappropriate for those people.The same law of God operates even in the case of animals.For example, God has created the horse to be valuable in covering distances and to be of aid and assis- tance to its rider by galloping across every terrain.A goat, therefore, cannot compete with it in such characteristics, for it has not been cre- ated for that purpose.Similarly, God has created water for quenching thirst; therefore, fire cannot be its substitute.Human nature is multi-dimensional and God has endowed it with a variety of capabilities, but the Injil has emphasised only one capabil- ity—namely, forgiveness and clemency—as if the Injil had taken hold of only one out of the hundreds of branches of the human tree.This 1.Surah al-Hijr, 15:22 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (1) 187 exposes the limits and extent of the insight of Hadrat 'Isā.On the other hand, the insight of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, encompasses the ultimate heights of human nature.This is why the Holy Quran was revealed in all its perfection.This is nothing to take offence at.Allah the Exalted says Himself: 1 فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ.Meaning that, We have exalted some Prophets above others.We have been enjoined to follow the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in all injunctions, moral qualities, and acts of worship.Had our nature not been endowed with such capabilities that could acquire, by way of reflection, all the excellences of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, we would have never been enjoined to follow this sublime Prophet, because God Almighty does not require us to do what is beyond our capability.He Himself says: لا يُكَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا.Since He knew that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, comprises the excellences of all the Prophets, He enjoined us to pray during our five prescribed Prayers: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ 3 Meaning that, O our God! Incorporate in us all the excellences of the earlier Prophets, Messengers, Truthful, and Martyrs.Thus, the sublime 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:254 [Publisher] 2.Allah burdens not any soul beyond its capacity (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:287).[Publisher] 3.Surah al-Fatihah, 1:6-7 [Publisher]

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188 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION nature of this blessed ummah can be judged by the fact that it has been enjoined to incorporate within itself all the various excellences of the past.This injunction is meant for everyone, but the distinguished ranks of the elite can be deduced from the same.This is why the eminent sufis of this ummah have arrived at this hidden reality that the circle of the excellence of human potentialities has been perfected by this ummah alone.The fact of the matter is that, just as a tiny seed is sown into the soil and having gradually reached its perfection—emerges forth as a towering tree; similarly, humanity continued to develop and human capabilities continued to advance in their excellence until, in the time of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, they reached their absolute perfection.The sum and substance of this discourse is that since I am a follower of the Prophet who was the embodiment of all human excellences and whose shariah was absolutely perfect and complete and was meant for the reformation of the entire world, I have, therefore, been granted the faculties that are needed for the reformation of the entire world.Thus, how can there be any doubt that Hadrat Masiḥ, peace be upon him, was not granted the natural faculties which were granted to me, for he had come only for one particular people? Had he been in my place, he could not have done the work that God's bounty enabled me to do on And] وَهذَا تَحْدِيثُ نِعْمَةِ اللهِ وَلَا فَخْرَ.account of the nature bestowed upon him this is a proclamation of Allah's blessing; not a boastful act].In the same way, it is obvious that if Haḍrat Mūsā, peace be upon him, had appeared in the place of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he could not have performed that task; and that if the Torah had been revealed in place of the Holy Quran, it could never have performed the task that the Holy Quran performed.The spiritual ranks of human beings lie behind the veil of the unknown.It is not appropriate to criticize or raise objections in this matter.Is it beyond the Omnipotent God, who created Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, peace be upon

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (1) 189 him, to create another like him or better than him? ¹* Show me if there is any verse in the Holy Quran to prove this.Extremely accursed would be the one who denied a verse of the Holy Quran.Otherwise, how can I say anything that is contrary to the facts and is in contravention of the holy revelations which—for nearly twenty-three years—have been comforting me and are accompanied by thousands of divine testimo- nies and extraordinary Signs! The works of God Almighty are not without appropriateness and wisdom.He saw that a human being had been deified without any rea- son and was being worshipped by 400,000,000 people, so He sent me at a time when this doctrine had been exaggerated to the extreme, and He granted me the names of all the Prophets but singled out the name of Masih Ibn-e-Maryam for me and bestowed upon me the blessing and favour which was not bestowed upon him, so that people should realize that grace rests with God; He bestows it upon whomsoever He wills.If I say all this on my own then I am a liar, but if God bears witness to me with His Signs, then denying me is contrary to righteousness.Prophet Dāniāl [Daniel] is also on record having said that my advent is the time of the manifestation of the full grandeur of God and in my time is the final battle between angels and satans.God will show such Signs in this time as He has never shown and, as it were, God Himself shall descend upon the earth.As He says: 1.No one can fathom the extent of God Almighty's works.Ḥaḍrat Mūsā, peace be upon him, was a grand Prophet in the House of Israel whom God Almighty gave the Torah.On account of his greatness and majesty, even Balaam Beor was cast into Hell when he dared to confront him and God likened him to a dog.Yet, it was the same Mūsā who was embarrassed before the spiritual knowledge of a nomad and could not decipher those secrets of the unknown فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا أَتَيْنَهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِنْدِنَا وَ عَلَيْنَهُ مِنْ لَدُنَا عِلْمًا.as God Almighty says ["Then they found one of Our servants upon whom We had bestowed Our mercy, and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourself', (Surah al-Kahf, 18:66)].(Author)

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190 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِنَ الْغَمَامِ.! 1 Meaning that, on that day your God shall come among the clouds.In other words, God will display His grandeur and show His counte- nance through a human manifestation.Doctrines of disbelief and mak- ing associates with God held great sway and He remained silent and became like a hidden treasure.But now the doctrine of disbelief and worship of man has reached its peak, while Islam has been trampled under its feet; therefore, God says: 'I shall descend upon the earth and unleash such Signs of wrath the likes of which have never been shown since the creation of mankind.' The underlying wisdom in this is that the defence must be propor- tional to the enemy's offence.Since the worshippers of man have glo- rified disbelief and that very glorification has reached its extreme, God will now fight Himself.He will not give any sword to men, nor will there be jihad [by the sword].But, of course, He shall show His Might.The Jews believe that two Messiahs will appear.The last Masiḥ (which refers to the Messiah of the present age) will be superior to the first Masih.As for the Christians, they believe in only one Masīḥ, but claim that the same Masiḥ Ibn-e-Maryam who appeared earlier, shall appear in great power and glory in his second coming and will adjudicate between the different faiths of the world.They also contend that he will appear with such glory that his first coming shall be no comparison to it.In any case, both these groups believe that the prospective Masiḥ, who will come in the Latter Days, will be greater in his grandeur and mighty Signs than the first Masīḥ or his first coming.Islam, too, names the last Masīḥ as the Arbiter, and designates him to be the one who would adjudicate all the religious denominations of the world and would slay the disbelievers simply through his breath.This means that God will be with him and his attention and prayer will work like lightning.He will furnish such irrefutable arguments as if to decimate them.1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:211 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (2) 191 In short, neither the Ahl-e-Kitāb [People of the Book; namely, Jews and Christians] nor the people of Islam believe that the first Masiḥ [Messiah] is superior to the Masiḥ to come.Jews for their part, by believing in two Masīḥs, consider the latter Masīḥ to be superior.And as for those who erroneously believe in only one Masiḥ, they too proclaim his second coming to be utterly glorious and consider the first coming as nothing in comparison to it.Thus, whereas God and His Messenger and all the Prophets have pronounced the Masiḥ of the Latter Days to be superior on account of his achievements, it is a satanic insinuation to ask why I declare myself superior to Masih Ibn-e-Maryam.My dear ones! Since I have proven that Masih Ibn-e-Maryam has died and the Masiḥ to come is none other than I, therefore, anyone who considers the first Masiḥ to be superior should establish, by explicit statement of aḥādīth [sayings of the Holy Prophetsa] and the Quran, that the Masiḥ who was to come is of no importance—neither can he be called a Prophet nor an Arbiter—and that whatever merit there is, it belongs to the first Masiḥ.God, in keeping with His prom- ise, has sent me.Now quarrel with God.But of course, I am not just a Prophet; rather I am a Prophet on the one hand, and on the other, am also an ummati [follower of the Holy Prophetsa] so that the holy power and perfect grace of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be proven.Question (2) Your Exalted Holiness! You have written on hundreds-indeed, thou- sands of occasions that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not draw the sword in support of the Faith; but your letter to ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm contains the sentence that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, shed streams of blood in the invitation to the religion of Islam.What does this mean?

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192 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ANSWER: I still say that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not spread Islam by coercion.The sword that was raised was not meant to threaten people to accept Islam.Rather, it was done on account of two reasons: (1) For one, these battles were defensive in nature because when the disbelievers attacked with the intent to decimate Islam by the use of the sword, there was no option left except to draw the sword in self-de- fence.(2) Second, long before these battles, it had been prophesied in the Holy Quran that God would send down chastisements on those who did not accept this Prophet, be it from heaven or from earth; or would make some of them taste the sword of some others.There were also other prophecies to the same effect which were fulfilled at their appointed time.Now, it should be understood that in the letter that I wrote to 'Abdul-Hakim Khān, I only meant that if belief in the Messenger [of Allah] is unnecessary, why did God Almighty show His wrath for the sake of this Messenger such that streams of the blood of disbelievers were made to flow? It is true that no coercion was used for Islam, but since it is promised in the Holy Quran that those who deny and reject this Messenger will be killed, in order for them to be chastised, the occasion to punish them came about when those disbelievers them- selves took the initiative to wage wars.It was then that those who had drawn the sword were dispatched by the sword.After all, if rejecting the Messenger was an inconsequential matter in the sight of God, and salvation was possible despite that rejection, what was the need of sending down this chastisement which came down in such a manner that has no match in world history? Allah the Exalted says: إِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُه وَ إِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبُكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ ! Meaning that, if this Messenger is a liar, he will perish himself.But if 1.Surah al-Mu'min, 40:29 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (2) 193 he is truthful, some promises made regarding your chastisement shall be fulfilled.!* Now the point to ponder is that if belief in the Messenger of God is unnecessary, then why was the warning of chastisement issued in the case of failure to believe? It is obvious that it is one thing to coerce someone into accepting your faith and to make one Muslim by the sword, but it is quite another to punish someone who disobeys, con- fronts, and torments a true Messenger.It is not a condition that one should become a Muslim to avoid chastisement.Rather, those who― on top of rejection-came forth in conflict, became worthy of death.Even then, God Almighty offered them the reprieve that if they chose to accept Islam, that punishment would be averted.Then again, God Almighty says at another place: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأَيْتِ اللهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَاللهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انْتِقَام 3 Part Number Meaning that, those who denied the Signs of God Almighty, for them there is a severe punishment; and God is Mighty, Lord of retribution.Now it is quite clear that in this verse, too, the disbelievers are promised punishment.It was, therefore, inevitable that they should have been visited by chastisement.Thus, God inflicted upon them the chastisement of the sword.Again, He says in the Holy Quran elsewhere: إِنَّمَا جَزْوا الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا أَنْ يُقَتَلُوا أَوْ يُصَلَّبُوا أَوْ تُقَطَّعَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَاَرْجُلُهُمْ مِنْ خِلَافٍ أَوْ يُنْفَوُا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ ذَلِكَ لَهُمْ خِزْيٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ 3Part Number 6—, عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ - 1.The term 'some' was adopted, because it is not necessary, concerning prophecies comprising warnings, that they should all be fulfilled; for some of them can end with forgiveness.(Author) 2.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:5 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:34 [Publisher]

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194 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Meaning: 'Verily the retribution of those who wage war against God and His Messenger and hasten to create disorder in the earth is noth- ing but that they be slain or crucified or their hands and feet be cut off on opposite sides, or they be exiled and kept incarcerated.This is the disgrace for them in this world, and in the Hereafter they shall suffer a great punishment.' Therefore, if in the sight of God Almighty the disobedience and defiance of our Noble Prophet was an inconsequential matter, then why did the Book of Allah contain the commandment to harshly pun- ish the disbelievers who were monotheists (for example the Jews) with death, and that, too, in a variety of ways? And why were such grave punishments inflicted when there were monotheists on both sides and there was no polytheist in either group? Despite this, no mercy was shown to the Jews, and those monotheists were ruthlessly killed simply because of their rejecting and fighting the Messenger, so much so that once 10,000¹ Jews were killed in a single day although they had denied and defied only in defence of their own faith.They were staunch mon- otheists in their own estimation and believed God to be One.However, it ought to be borne in mind that, though thousands of Jews were slain, it was not to force them to accept Islam, but was only because they had fought against the Messenger of God.That is why, in the sight of God, they were worthy of punishment and their blood was spilled upon the earth like water.It is, therefore, obvious that if Tauḥīd was sufficient, the Jews were not guilty of any crime.They, too, 1.Historians have reported varying accounts of how many members of the Jewish tribe of Banū Quraizah were killed in one day.Some number them between 400-700, whereas others report 800 or 900; there may be some reports exceeding that.It seems that the intended number here may have been 1,000, but inaccurately written by the scribe as 10,000.The 'thousands' mentioned in the first sentence of next paragraph may refer to the large num- ber killed in different wars and other occasions.Allah knows best.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (3) 195 were monotheists; why did they become deserving of punishment in the sight of God merely for rejecting and fighting the Holy Prophet? Question (3) Your Honour, the letter you wrote to ‘Abdul-Ḥakim says that faith based only upon natural instinct is something accursed.I am unable to understand what this means also.THE ANSWER: The sum and substance of what I have written is that faith, which is not acquired through the Messenger of Allah, and only exists in the case where human nature feels the need for the existence of God Almighty as is the faith of philosophers—generally ends up as accursed.Since such a faith is not free from darkness, those people soon slip from their faith into atheism.At first, they emphasize the book of nature and the laws of nature.But, unaccompanied as they are by the light of the lamp of Prophethood, they soon lose their way in darkness and are misguided.Blessed and secure is the faith which is acquired through the Messenger of God, for such faith is not confined to the extent that there is a need for the existence of God.Rather, hundreds of heavenly Signs carry it to the point that God does, indeed, exist.Therefore, the fact of the matter is that faith in the Prophets, peace be upon them, serves to fortify faith in God like pegs.Belief in God can only be sustained so long as one believes in the Messenger.When faith in the Messenger is lost, faith in God also suffers a blow, and mere belief in the Oneness of God readily leads one astray.For this very reason, I said that faith based only upon natural instinct is accursed.In other words, someone whose faith is based only on the laws of nature and who relies exclusively upon nature and does not par- take of the light of the Messenger deteriorates into accursed thinking.In short, whoever believes on the basis of nature alone and is estranged

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196 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION from the Messenger of God and the miracles of the Messenger, pos- sesses faith akin to a wall of sand.He will be ruined tomorrow, if not today.Real faith is only that faith which is acquired after recognizing the Messenger of God.Such faith knows no decline, nor does it have an evil end.Similarly, the belief of a person whose submission to the Messenger is superficial, who fails to recognize him and is unaware of his light, is also of little value.In the end, such a person is bound to become an apostate, as Musailimah Kadhdhāb, ‘Abdullāh ibn Abi Saraḥ, and 'Ubaidullah ibn Jaḥsh turned apostates in the time of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; Judas Iscariot and 500 other Christians turned apostates in the time of Hadrat Īsā, and Charagh Din of Jammu and ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān in this time of mine.In your Question (4) earlier books Izāla-e-Auhām etc., it is written that the proph- ecies of earthquakes, pestilences, wars, and famines can hardly be referred to as prophetic.But now it has been noted in a number of writings that Your Honour has acclaimed these very prophecies to be grand prophecies.ANSWER: It is not correct that I have pronounced those very proph- ecies to be 'grand.Greatness or lack of greatness of anything is indi- cated by its quantity and quality and also by the accompanying cir- cumstances as being unique or ordinary.The country, about which Ḥaḍrat Īsā, peace be upon him, prophesied that it would be visited by the plague and earthquakes, is such wherein plague regularly breaks out and like Kashmir, the said country too is hit by earthquakes as a matter of course and also by famines.It has also suffered many wars.And the prophecy of Hadrat Masiḥ [the Messiah] makes no mention

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (4) 197 of any extraordinary earthquake or of any extraordinary pestilence or plague.In this condition, no reasonable person can view such proph- ecies as great and significant.¹ But in view of the circumstances of the country 2* about which I foretold the plague and terrible earth- quakes, these prophecies are indeed grand prophesies, for a study of the history of this country, extending over hundreds of years, will not prove that this country had ever suffered from the plague, let alone the kind of plague that killed hundreds of thousands of people in a short period of time.The text of my prophecy regarding the plague is as follows: 'No part of this country shall remain immune from the plague; there will be severe destruction and the destruction will last over a long period of time.' Now, can anyone prove that the kind of havoc caused by the plague, in accordance with the prophecy, was ever witnessed in this country before? Certainly not! As for the earthquake, that was also not an ordinary prophecy on my part.Rather, the prophecy contained the words that a section of this country would be destroyed by it.As is evident, the havoc wrought by this earthquake in Kangra and the Bhagsu Khas volcano is without parallel in 2,000 years' history.British researchers, too, have testified to it.Therefore, in these circumstances, criticising me amounts to reckless haste.1.Of course, it is quite possible that the original prophecies might have been altered.Whereas, one single Injil [Gospel] has been turned into a multitude of Injils, how can it be a far-fetched notion to think that some text was in fact altered? Our objection, therefore, is against the current Injīls [Gospels].God has provided us with the occasion to raise these objections by declaring that these Injils have been tampered and altered.(Author) 2.It must also be remembered that prophecies by Hadrat Masiḥ, as contained in the Gospels, comprise only mild and soft words, and there is no mention therein of any severe and dreadful earthquake or dreadful plague.But my prophecies regarding these two events contain expressions which declare them to be extraordinary.(Author)

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198 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Question (5) Your Honour has averred in several of your announcements that the world is not subjected to divine chastisement because of corruption in religion but because of insolence, mischief, and ridicule levelled at the Messengers [of God].Now you have designated the recent earthquakes in San Francisco and elsewhere as Sign in your support.One fails to understand how these earthquakes have been caused by the rejection of your claim.ANSWER: I have never said that all these earthquakes in San Francisco and other places have been caused only because of the rejection of my claim and that no other factor has played any role in it.But, of course, I do say that the rejection of my claim has been the cause for the occurrence of these earthquakes.The fact of the matter is that all the Prophets of God agree that divine practice has always been operative such that when the world commits sins of all kinds and when a variety of their sins piles it is then that God commissions someone from Himself, but a part of the world rejects him.It is then that the Messenger's advent becomes a catalyst for the punishment of the other mischievous people, as well, who have already qualified as being guilty.It is not necessary for a person who is punished for his earlier sins to be aware that a Prophet or Messenger of Allah has been raised in the world in that age.up, As Allah the Exalted says: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا ! Thus, I meant no more than to say that the rejection of my claim could 1.We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (Sūrah Bani Isrā'il, 17:16).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (5) 199 possibly be the cause of these earthquakes.This indeed has ever been the practice of God that no one can deny.Hence, although the real cause of the chastisement of the resi- dents of San Francisco and of other places, who have died due to the earthquake and other calamities, was their past sins, these earthquakes that killed them constituted a Sign of my truth.The reason is that since the beginning it has been the way of Allah that the mischievous are killed at the time of the advent of a Messenger.And also because in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and many other books of mine I had foretold that in my time many extraordinary earthquakes and other calamities shall strike the world and the world shall witness widespread destruc- tion.Thus, there is no doubt that, subsequent to my prophecies, the occurrences of a series of earthquakes and other calamities in the world is a Sign of my truth.Keep in mind that, regardless of which part of the world a Messenger of God is rejected in, other offenders are also apprehended at the time of that rejection, including those who happen to live in other countries and have not even heard of that Messenger.This is what happened in the time of Nūḥ [Noah] that an entire world was overtaken by chastisement due to the rejection of a single people.Indeed, not even animals and birds were spared in that chastisement.In short, this is how the way of Allah operates.When the repudia- tion of one who is truthful exceeds all limits or when he is persecuted, the world is visited by a variety of calamities.All the divine Scriptures testify to this and the Holy Quran also affirms it.For example, the land of Egypt was overtaken by calamities of different kinds because of the repudiation of Ḥaḍrat Mūsā [Musa].There was a rain of lice, of frogs, and of blood and there was a widespread famine, although people who lived in remote places in the land of Egypt had not even heard of Haḍrat Mūsā nor were they guilty of any sin in this regard.Moreover, the firstborn of all Egyptians were killed.Pharaoh remained safe from these calamities for quite some time, whereas those who

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200 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION were simply unaware were the first to be killed.Also, in the days of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus], those who had tried to kill Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā by cruci- fixion were not hurt at all and continued to live in comfort, but after as many as forty years when that century was drawing to a close, thou- sands of Jews were slain by Titus of Rome.Moreover, the plague also broke out.The Holy Quran affirms that this chastisement was solely due to [the rejection of] Hadrat Īsā.Similarly, in the days of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there was a seven-year famine.It was mostly the poor who died in this famine, and the principal leaders, who were the real mischief-mongers and persecutors, remained safe from retribution for a certain period.To sum up, the divine practice is operative such that whenever someone comes from God and he is rejected, a variety of calamities descends from the heavens, and mostly those are seized who have nothing to do with this rejection.Then gradually the leaders of the disbelievers are apprehended.The turn of big mischief-mongers comes in the end.It is this point at which the Holy Quran indicates in the verse: انا ناتِي الْأَرْضَ تَنْقُصُهَا مِنْ أَطْرَافِهَا.! Meaning that, slowly but surely, We continue to come closer to the earth.This statement of mine contains the answer to the objections raised by some ignorant people who allege that it was the maulawis who had pronounced the verdict of disbelief, but the poor people died of the plague and thousands belonging to the hills of Kangra and mountain of Bhagsu perished in the earthquake.What was their fault? What rejec- tion were they guilty of? Beware, therefore, that when any Messenger of God is rejected, whether it is done by a particular people or is in 1.Surah ar-Ra'd, 13:42 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (6) 201 a particular part of the land, jealousy of God Almighty is aroused to send down a widespread chastisement, and calamities descend from the heavens in general.And often it so happens that the real culprits, who are the actual source of mischief, are caught later, just as Pharaoh remained unharmed by the Signs of divine wrath, which Ḥaḍrat Mūsā showed in his presence.Only the poor perished.But in the end, God drowned Pharaoh along with his hordes.This is the way of God which no knowledgeable person can deny! Question (6) Your Exalted Holiness has written at thousands of places that it is not legitimate in any way to declare anyone who recites the Kalimah [the declaration of faith in Islam] and faces towards the Qiblah, as disbe- liever.This clearly shows that, except for the 'believers' who turn dis- believer by pronouncing you to be a disbeliever, a simple failure to believe in you does not make one a disbeliever.But to ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān you have written that everyone to whom the message has been conveyed and fails to accept you is not a Muslim.There is a contra- diction between this statement and the statements recorded in your earlier books.That is, you have written earlier in Tiryāqul-Qulub and elsewhere that failure to believe in you does not turn one into a disbe- liever, but now you write that disbelief in you makes one a disbeliever.ANSWER: It is strange that you consider the one who declares me a disbeliever and the one who disbelieves in me as two different kinds of persons; whereas, in the estimation of God, there is only one kind, for the one who does not believe in me does so for the very reason that he considers me an impostor.But Allah the Exalted says that one who forges a lie against God is the greatest disbeliever from among the dis- believers, as He says:

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202 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِايَتِهِ.Meaning that, there are only two kinds of arch-disbeliever, one who forges lies against God,2* and the other who denies the Word of God.In the opinion of one who rejects me I have forged lies about God; and, if so, I become not only a disbeliever but an arch-disbeliever.But if I am not an impostor, then, without any doubt, his disbelief shall recoil upon him as promised in this verse by God Almighty Himself.Besides this, the one who does not accept me does not accept God and His Messenger either, because the prophecy of God and His Messenger about me is on record.That is, the Prophet of God, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had prophesied that the Promised Messiah shall come from amongst his ummah in the Latter Days.The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, also said that on the night of mi'rāj [ascension] he saw Masīḥ Ibn-e-Maryam among those Prophets who had passed away from this world and that he saw him in the Second Heaven with Yaḥyā the mar- tyr [John the Baptist].Furthermore, God Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran that the Masih Ibn-e-Maryam had died.And, to bear witness to my truth, God manifested more than 300,000 heavenly Signs and the solar and lunar eclipses took place in the heavens in the month of Ramadan.Then how can such a person be a believer who does not believe what God and His Messenger say, who repudiates the Holy Quran, who deliberately rejects the Signs of God Almighty, and declares me an impostor despite hundreds of Signs? And if he is 1.Who is, then, more unjust than he who forges a lies against Allah or gives the lie to His Signs? (Surah al-A'raf, 7:38) [Publisher] 2.The term 'unjust' here means a disbeliever.The context is that like the im- postor, one who rejects the Book of God is termed unjust.Without doubt, one who rejects the Word of God is a disbeliever.As such one who does not accept me declares that I am a disbeliever by considering me an impostor.Therefore he himself becomes a disbeliever on account of rejecting me.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (6) 203 a believer, I would be deemed a disbeliever on account of my fabri- cation; for, to him, I am an impostor.Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran: 1 قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ أَمَنَا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَ لكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَ لَمَّا يَدُ خُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ! Meaning that, the Bedouins of Arabia say, 'We believe.' Tell them, 'You have not believed; you should [rather] say, “We have submitted", for faith has not yet entered into your hearts.' Therefore, when God does not call those who have submitted as 'believers', how can those people who blatantly reject the Word of God and do not desist from repudiating me-despite witnessing thou- sands of Signs manifested by God Almighty upon the earth and in the heavens-be believers in the estimation of God? They themselves aver that if I am not an impostor but am a believer, then, in that case, they have themselves become disbelievers after declaring me a liar and a disbeliever.Thus, after pronouncing me a disbeliever, they have set the seal on their own disbelief.It is the dictum of the Shariah that the one who pronounces a believer to be a disbeliever, he himself becomes a disbeliever in the end.Now that 200 clerics have pronounced me a disbeliever, and an edict was also issued imputing disbelief to me, and it is also evident from their own edict that one who declares a believer to be a disbeliever, himself becomes disbeliever and the one who declares a disbeliever to be a believer becomes a disbeliever, too.Now, therefore, the situation can easily be remedied, provided they possess a grain of honesty and faith and are not hypocrites.They should publish a detailed proclama- tion concerning these clerics, mentioning each one of them by name, to the effect that all of them are disbelievers because they are guilty of pronouncing a believer to be a disbeliever.Then I shall consider them 1.Surah al-Hujurāt, 49:15 [Publisher]

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204 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION to be believers provided they do not retain any vestige of hypocrisy and do not deny manifestly visible divine miracles; otherwise, says God Almighty: إنَّ الْمُنْفِقِينَ في الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ.Meaning that, the hypocrites shall be cast in to the lowest depths of Hell.The hadith also says: مَا زَنَا زَانٍ وَهُوَ مُؤْمَنْ وَمَاسَرَقَ سَارِقٌ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ Meaning that, no adulterer, when committing adultery, and no thief, while stealing, is a believer.How then can a hypocrite in the state of hypocrisy be a believer? If the doctrine that by pronouncing a person a disbeliever one becomes a disbeliever himself is not correct, then let them show me the edict of their own clerics to this effect and I shall accept it.But if one does become a disbeliever, then publish an announcement about the dis- belief of the 200 clerics, mentioning each one of them by name.After this, it will be forbidden for me to entertain any doubt about their pro- fession of Islam provided they do not happen to suffer from any taint of hypocrisy.1.Surah an-Nisa', 4:146 [Publisher] 2.As I have stated before, a person becomes a disbeliever by declaring a dis- believer to be a believer, for he denies the disbelief of one who is in reality a disbeliever.And I see that all those people who fail to believe in me consider those to be believers who have declared me to be disbeliever.Thus, even now, I do not consider the people who face the Qiblah to be disbelievers, but how can I consider those to be believers who have brought about the grounds for their disbelief with their own deeds.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (7) 205 Question (7) What is meant by ‘the message has been conveyed'? ANSWER: There are two essential requirements in conveying the Message.Firstly, the one who has been sent by God should inform the people that he has been sent by God and should warn them of the error of their ways-that they are wrong in such and such of their beliefs or are deficient in such and such of their practices.Secondly, he should establish the truth of his claim with the help of heavenly Signs and arguments based upon logic and scriptural evidence.This has been the way of Allah that He first grants His Prophets and Messengers the respite whereby their fame spreads to a large part of the world and people become aware of their claim.And thereafter, He conclusively proves [their truthfulness] to people with the help of heavenly Signs and rational and scriptural arguments.And it is not impossible for God to grant fame in an extraordinary way and to bring the argument to perfection with manifest Signs.Just as you see that lightning flashes at one corner of the sky and spreads to the other cor- ner in a single moment, in the same way, the Messengers of God are vouchsafed fame by the will of God.His angels descend upon the earth and instil into the hearts of the auspicious people that the paths they have chosen are not right.It is then that such people begin to search for the right path.On the other hand, God Almighty creates such con- ditions that help the news about His Imam of the Age to reach such people.In particular, the present age is such that, in a matter of days, even a notorious robber, with all his notoriety, can become well known throughout the world.How can it be, then, that the Elect of God, who are ever accompanied by God, should not be renowned in this world and remain obscure, and God should have no power to grant

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206 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION them fame? 1* I find that the grace of God Almighty is with me such that God Almighty has already ordained such means for disseminat- ing my arguments and the propagation of the Faith of His Noble Prophet that were inaccessible to any previous Prophet.Thus, in my time mutual contacts between different countries, on account of rail- ways, telegraph, the postal system, and of transport by sea and land, have improved so much that all the nations of the world seem to have become one country—or even one town.If someone wants to travel, he can return from a worldwide trip in a short span of time.In addi- tion, the writing of books has become so easy and simple, and such printing machines have been invented that, whereas earlier it was diffi- cult to inscribe a few copies of a voluminous book even in a hundred years, we can now print hundreds of thousands of its copies in a year or two and publish them throughout the country.Moreover, there are so many facilities for propagation in every aspect as were totally non-existent in our country 100 years ago.If you cast a glance at the previous fifty years from today, you will find that most of the peo- ple were illiterate and ignorant.But, on account of the abundance of schools which have been established even in villages, people have now acquired an ability to easily understand books on religion.1.This revelation about me was recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya twen- ty-five years ago.This revelation belongs to a time when I was leading a life of solitude, and, except for a few of my father's acquaintances, no one even أَنْتَ مِنِّنْ بِمَنْزِلَةِ تَوْحِيْدِى وَتَفْرِيْدِى فَحَانَ أَنْ تُعَانَ :knew me.The revelation is a follows meaning: 'You are to Me as My Tauḥid [Oneness] and Tafrid [Uniqueness].Thus, the time has come when you shall be granted help of all kinds and you shall be renowned in the world with honour.To mention the promise of granting fame, in conjunction with Tauḥīd and Tafrid constitutes an indication that to be famous with glory and majesty is truly the preroga- tive of God Almighty.Then, whoever is the recipient of the special grace of God, due to his extreme effacement [in God], becomes worthy of partaking of the Tauhid and all traces of separation are removed from him.It is then that God Almighty invests such a person with fame, honour, majesty, and glory just as He does it for His Own Self, because Tauḥid and Tafrid confer upon him the right to attain such honour.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (7) 207 On my part, I have endeavoured to communicate the message by personally visiting some cities of the Punjab and India like Amritsar, Lahore, Jalandhar, Sialkot, Delhi, Ludhiana, and others.I have com- municated the message of God Almighty in large gatherings, and pre- sented the beauties of Islam in the presence of thousands of people.And I have written some seventy books expounding the truth of Islam in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and English, about 100,000 copies of which have been published in Muslim countries.To the same end, I have published several hundred thousand pamphlets,¹* and by the grace of God Almighty and His guidance, more than 300,000 persons, as of today, have repented of their sins at my hands, and this process continues at such a fast pace that each month hundreds of people continue to enter into the covenant of allegiance with me.People of foreign lands are not unaware of my Jama'at.In fact, my message has reached even the countries of America and remote countries of Europe to the extent that in America many people have joined my Jama'at, and, on their own, they had many leading American newspapers publish my prophecies regarding the extraordinary earth- quakes as proof of my Signs.Some of the Europeans, too, have joined my Jama'at.I need not mention the Muslim world; for, as I have just stated, more than 300,000 people have entered this Jama'at and people have come to know of thousands of Signs.And most of them are pious and of good disposition.2* 1.Once I had 16,000 leaflets concerning the truthfulness of Islam translated into English and published in European and American countries, which also got published in many English newspapers.Those leaflets were sent to places in Europe and America where people were unaware of the beauties of Islam.An Englishman, Mr.Webb, who lived in America and was not a Muslim yet, came across those leaflets.After that, he embraced Islam and remains a Muslim up to now.(Author) 2.Alas! That those who raise objections against the integrity and sincerity of my Jama'at do not themselves exercise honesty and fairness.Some mem- bers of this Jama'at have displayed such examples of their steadfastness the like of which is difficult to find in this age.For instance, a God-fearing and

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208 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION fair-minded person should look with fairness at the steadfastness of Maulawi 'Abdul-Latif, the martyr, and ponder whether anyone in the world can show a better example of steadfastness than this? Maulawi ['Abdul-Laṭīf] was a mag- nificent scholar of Arabic disciplines of learning.He had spent his entire life in teaching hadith and commentaries of the Holy Quran.He was a recipient of divine revelation too.His followers and students numbered nearly 50,000.He also occupied an honourable status in the world to the extent that, in the sight of the Amirs of the state of Kabul, he was a recognised elder and scholar of the age.In the British domain, as well as in the state of Kabul, he owned a large estate.He gave up his life for acknowledging my truthfulness.He was remonstrated and urged to renounce me.But he said, 'I am not a fool.I have come to believe on the basis of my insight.I cannot give him up, but I will give up my life.' The Amir counselled him a number of times, saying 'you are an esteemed elder.People are agitating.Consider it expediency of the time.' He replied, 'I give precedence to the Faith over the world; I would rather not lose my Faith; I know that the one, with whom I have pledged the covenant of allegiance, is in the right; he is better than the entire world; he indeed is the Masiḥ who was to come; and 'Īsā is dead.' At this, the clerics raised a clamour, saying, 'He has become a disbeliever, why should he not be killed?' But the Amir still held off killing him.In the end, this excuse was put forth that these people renounce jihad inasmuch as one should not fight with sword against other nations for the sake of faith.Of course, Maulawi ['Abdul-Laṭīf] did not deny this allegation and said, "This indeed has been promised that the Masiḥ shall be helped by God from heaven, and that jihad is now prohibited.' And then he was most mercilessly stoned to death and the members of his family were arrested and banished to some far flung corner of the state of Kabul.Some of his followers joined our Jama'at.Now show some shame and remorse and reflect as to how can ‘Abdul-Ḥakim ever be compared to the eminent scholar who was so highly honoured both in worldly and religious matters and sacrificed his life for me? If he, who is totally unaware of the Arabic dis- ciplines of learning, turned apostate, what loss did the Faith suffer? Similarly, 'Imad-ud-Din, who styled himself as a maulawi, turned apostate and became a Christian.What harm did he ['Imad-ud-Din] inflict on Islam that we would think that he ['Abdul-Hakim], too, would cause some harm? Same is the case of Dharam Pāl, who has renounced Islam in these very days.What damage did he do? در کار خانه عشق از کفر ناگزیر است آتش کرا بسوزد گر بولہب نباشد In the vast world of love, apostasy is indeed unavoidable- Whom could fire consume if there was no Abū Lahab? -(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (8) 209 Question (8) Although we believe that mere barren Tauḥīd [belief in Oneness of God] cannot ensure salvation and that no one can attain salvation by performing any deeds after having distanced oneself from the obedi- ence to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; yet, we beg to ask what are the meaning of the verses cited by 'Abdul-Hakim Khān, for instance: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَ النَّطْرَى وَالبِيْنَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ And as the verse: And the verse: بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ.ن فَلَةٌ أَجْرُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ.2 وووو أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِم.تعالوا إلى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَ لَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا اربابا مِن دُونِ اللهِ.3 ANSWER: Let it be clear that the promulgation of these verses in the Holy Quran does not mean that salvation can be achieved without 1.Surely, the Believers, and the Jews, and the Christians and the Sabians— whichever party from among these truly believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good deeds-shall have their reward with their Lord (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:63).[Publisher] 2.Nay, whoever submits himself completely to Allah, while he is excellent in conduct, shall have his reward with his Lord (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:113).[Publisher] 3.Come to a word equal between us and you—that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partner with Him, and that some of us take not oth- ers for Lords beside Allah (Surah Al-e-Imrān, 3:65).[Publisher]

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210 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION believing in the Prophet.Rather, what is meant is that salvation cannot be achieved without believing in Allah, the One without any associate, and in the Last Day.1* And complete belief in Allah is possible only when one believes in His Prophets, inasmuch as they are the expression of His attributes and the existence of something is not proved until its attributes are manifested.Therefore, the cognizance of the Exalted Maker stays deficient without the knowledge of the attributes of the Exalted Maker.Take for example the attributes of Allah that He speaks, hears, knows the unseen, and has power to show mercy and to inflict punishment.How can these attributes be believed without knowing them through a Messenger? And if these attributes are not substanti- ated through observation, the very existence of God Almighty is not substantiated and in this case what would be the meaning of believing in Him? And a person who believes in God must believe in His attrib- utes also, and such belief will force him to believe in the Prophets.For instance, how can it be understood that God sends down His Word and speaks, without the specimen of God's Word; and it is only the Prophets who present this Word along with its proof.It must also be understood that the Holy Quran comprises two types of verses.One type is muḥkamāt [categorical] and explicit, for instance the verse: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ 1.Divine practice in the Holy Quran is that at places there are details and at places, it employs synopsis.And it is necessary for the reader to interpret synoptic verses in such a way that they do not become opposed to the de- tailed verses.For instance, God Almighty has clearly declared that shirk [as- sociation of partners with God] shall not be forgiven.But the Quranic verse [Surely Allah forgives all sins, (Surah az-Zumar, 39:54)] appears to contradict the verse that says shirk shall not be forgiven.Therefore, it would be heresy to interpret this verse in a sense which is contrary to cate- gorical and decisive verses.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (8) بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ سَبِيلًا.أوليكَ هُمُ الْكَفِرُونَ حَقًّا وَ أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَفِرِينَ عَذَابًا مهينا.211 Meaning that: There are those who do not want to believe in a way that they believe both in God and His Messenger, and seek to sepa- rate God from His Messengers and say, 'We believe in some and not in others' that is to say, we believe in God, but not in His Messengers or that we believe in some Messengers and not in others, and intend to adopt a halfway course—these indeed are the disbelievers, nay they are confirmed disbelievers; and We have prepared a humiliating punish- ment for the disbelievers.These are the categorical verses, the details of which I have just given at great length.The second type of verses is mutashābihāt [allegorical]; their mean- ings are abstruse and their understanding is granted only to those who are firmly grounded in knowledge.Those whose hearts are afflicted with hypocrisy do not care about the muḥkamāt at all and seek to follow the allegorical.The hallmark of the muḥkamāt is that they are plentiful in the Word of God Almighty.The Word of God is replete with them and their meanings are manifestly clear, and denying them inevitably leads to evil consequences.For example, consider this very instance that one who only believes in God Almighty but does not believe in His Messengers has to repudiate divine attributes.This is illustrated by the new sect of Brahmus who proclaim that they believe in God but do not believe in the Prophets.They repudiate the Word of God; it is obvious that if God hears, then He speaks as well.Therefore, if His speaking is not established, His hearing remains unproven.Thus, such people become like atheists by repudiating divine attributes.And just as divine attributes are in existence since eternity, so are they everlast- ing; and they are demonstrated only by Prophets, peace be upon them; and denial of the attributes necessitates the denial of the existence of God.This analysis shows that, in order to believe in Allah the Exalted, 1.Surah an-Nisa', 4:151–152 [Publisher]

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212 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION it is critical to believe in the Prophets, peace be on them; without them, belief in God is left imperfect and incomplete.Furthermore, another distinguishing mark of the muḥkamāt, apart from their abundance, is that they are supported by practical evidence; namely, the continued testimony of the Prophets of God is found in their support.Therefore, anyone who studies the Word of God, the Holy Quran, and the Scriptures of other Prophets will find that, just as the Scriptures insist upon belief in God, they also insist on the belief in His Messengers.And it is the hallmark of the mutashābihāt that if they are interpreted in a sense which contravenes the categorical verses, discord becomes inevitable, and they would contravene other verses that are in majority.No contradiction is possible in the Word of God; therefore, the few need to be harmonized with the majority.As I have already pointed out, this doubt is dispelled if one closely studies the word 'Allah.The text of the Holy Quran itself clarifies the meaning of the term 'Allah.It says that Allah is the God who has sent down Books, Prophets, and the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, so that people should obtain those spiritual stations and ranks which shall be vouchsafed to people for following the Noble Prophet; because the utterly blind cannot reach the ranks which those who follow the light of Prophethood can reach.This is the grace of God; He bestows it upon whomsoever He wills.Since God Almighty has declared the name 'Allah' to be endowed with all His actions and attributes, then why should we not pay due regard to this essential matter when interpreting the word 'Allah'? It does not concern us in what sense the Arabs used the word 'Allah' before the Holy Quran.But we must restrict ourselves to the sense in which God Almighty has used the word 'Allah' throughout the Holy Quran from beginning to end; namely, He it is who sends the Messengers, Prophets, and Books; is the Creator of the earth and the heavens, and is endowed with such and such attributes; and is One without any partner.It is true that those who have never had access to God's Word and are utterly unaware of it, will be judged according to

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (8) 213 their knowledge, intelligence, and understanding, but it is absolutely impossible for them to achieve the grades and ranks which will be bestowed upon those who follow the Holy Prophets.The utterly blind cannot reach the ranks that those who follow the light of Prophethood can reach.This is the grace of God; He bestows it upon whomsoever He wills.* Now, note the travesty that, despite hundreds of verses of the Holy Quran which proclaim emphatically that Tauḥīd alone cannot be sufficient for salvation and that belief in the Holy Prophet sa along with it is also essential, yet Miyāń ‘'Abdul-Ḥakīm does not pay heed to these verses at all; and, like the Jews, he insists upon presenting one or two verses, which are synoptic, with his distorted interpretation.Every sensible person can appreciate that if those verses mean what 'Abdul-Hakim presents, then Islam disappears from the world and the commandments like prayer and fasting etc., which have been taught by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, are rendered absurd, vain, and meaningless.If it were true that every- one could attain salvation through his own fancied version of the Oneness of God, then rejection of the Prophet would be no sin nor would apostasy do anyone any harm.Thus, it should be remembered that there is not a single verse in the Holy Quran which relieves one of the obedience to the Noble Prophet.Even if it were supposed that there are two or three verses that contravene these hundreds of verses, even then, the few should have been subordinated to the multitude instead of adopting apostasy through total disregard of the multitude.In this instance, there is not even one contradiction in the verses of the Word of Allah; it is simply the distortion of one's understand- ing and the darkness of one's nature.We ought to interpret the word 1.If this synoptic verse is to be understood like this, then why not believe in accordance with the other synoptic verse [Surely Allah forgives all sins, (Surah az-Zumar, 39:54)] that even idolatry will be forgiven.(Author)

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214 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ‘Allah', as God Almighty Himself has done and not—like the Jews— create a different interpretation.Moreover, it has always been the way of the Word of God Almighty and the practice of His Messengers, that they seek to guide every rebel- lious and hardened disbeliever by instructing him that if he believes in God in the correct and sincere manner, and loves Him, and accepts Him as One without any partner, he will then, surely, attain salvation.The purpose of this discourse is that if they would believe in God fully, they would be enabled by God to accept Islam.The Holy Quran, which these people do not study, clearly affirms that he who truly believes in God is led to belief in His Messenger, and his bosom is opened for accepting Islam.Therefore, my own practice is also that when an Āryah, or a Brahmu, or a Christian, or a Jew, or a Sikh, or any other non-Muslim persists in erroneous reasoning and does not stop it by any means, I tell him, at the end, that his arguments will not benefit him in any way but that if he believes in God with complete sincerity, He will grant him salvation on this account.But by this statement I do not mean that salvation can be achieved without following the Holy Prophets; what I mean is that if a person believes in God with complete sincerity, God will grant him the ability, and will open his heart, to believe in His Messenger.Similarly, my own experience bears out that one good leads to another good and one righteous deed enables one to perform another righteous deed.A wonderful episode is related in Tadhkiratul-Auliya' ['Memoirs of the Saints'].An esteemed saint narrates: Once it so happened that it continued to rain heavily for sev- eral days.When it stopped, I happened to go to the roof of my house.My neighbour, who was an old man, and a fire-wor- shipper, was at that time scattering lots of grains on the roof of his house.I asked him why he did that.He replied, 'The birds are starved for a few days on account of the rain.I took pity on them and am throwing them these grains so that I may be

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (8) 215 rewarded.' I said, 'Old man, you are wrong in this thought.You are an idolater because you are a fire-worshipper and an idol- ater does not get any reward.I came down after saying this.Sometime later, I had the occasion to perform the Pilgrimage and arrived in Holy Makkah.When I was making the circuits, another person who was making the circuits called me from behind, addressing me by name.When I looked back, I found that it was the same old man who, after embracing Islam, was now making the circuits.He said to me, 'Have I or have I not been rewarded for the grains I fed the birds?' So if feeding birds with grains ultimately draws a person to Islam, will someone who comes to believe in the True King, the Real Omnipotent, remain deprived of Islam? Absolutely not.اے خواجه درد نیست و گرنه طبیب هست عاشق که شد که مار بحالش نظر نه کرد " What kind of a lover is it that the [True] Beloved does not take notice of his condition? My dear, the pain does not exist, otherwise the 'Healer' is there! It should be remembered that, in the first place, Tauḥīd cannot be achieved completely without following the Noble Prophetsa.As I have just explained, the attributes of God Almighty, which cannot be isolated from His Being, cannot be observed except through the mirror of the revelation of Prophethood.They are illustrated in practice only by a Prophet.But even if someone should acquire an imperfect appre- ciation of them, it would not be altogether free from the traces of idolatry until God accepts his flawed merchandise and leads him into Islam.Whatever a person receives from God Almighty through His Messenger is heavenly water which is not tainted by his own pride and conceit, but whatever a person achieves through his own effort always develops some pollution of idolatry.This was the very wisdom why the Messengers were sent to teach

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216 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Tauhid.It has not been left dependent upon human reason alone, so that Tauhid should remain pure and should not become tainted with the idolatry of human conceit.This is why the misguided philoso- phers have never been able to grasp the pure Tauḥīd, inasmuch as they were afflicted with pride, arrogance, and conceit—and pure Tauḥīd demands negation of the self.Such negation cannot be effected unless a person sincerely believes that it is a gift of God in which his effort has no part.For instance, say a man is irrigating his field by keeping awake all night and putting himself through hardship, while another slept all night and a cloud came and filled his field with water.May I ask: Would these two be equal in their gratitude to God? Indeed, not.He whose field was irrigated without his labour would be more grateful.That is why the Word of God Almighty has repeatedly admonished man to be grateful to God, who sent Messengers and taught him Tauḥīd.Question (9) What should we think of those who opposed the Holy Prophets with good intentions, or still do; that is, those who do not acknowledge him as the Messenger, but believe in the Oneness of God, do good deeds, and abstain from evil deeds? ANSWER: The proof of a person's good intentions lies in the result- ant satisfaction.Since one cannot find satisfaction in any religion other than Islam, what would be the proof of good intention? Look at Christianity for example; they are so openly making a human being into 'God'¹—and that human being, too, who is the object of unre- lenting suffering.1.Can any conscience or enlightened heart ever accept that a helpless human being who could not demonstrate even a tiny bit greater work than the ear- lier Prophets and, instead, continued to suffer at the hands of ignominious Jews is actually God, the Creator of heavens and earth, and the Requiter

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 217 As for the Aryah Samājists, they have produced no argument in sup- port of the existence of their Parmeshwar.For, in their view, He is not the Creator and as such the Creator cannot be recognised through the study of His creation; according to their religion, God Almighty does not show miracles, nor did He show any miracles at the time of the Vedas, and as such Parmeshwar cannot be proved by means of miracles.And they have no evidence to prove that the attributes ascribed to Parmeshwar— namely, knowledge of the unseen, hearing, speaking, being all-power- ful, and being the bestower—are, in fact, present in Him.Hence, their Parmeshwar is merely an imaginary Parmeshwar.The same is the condi- tion of the Christians.A seal has been placed on the revelation of their 'God' too.Therefore, how can belief in such a 'God' or Parmeshwar be reassuring? And how can anyone who does not have complete conviction in his God love God fully, and how can he be cleansed of idolatry? God Almighty has not held back from establishing the truth of His Noble Messenger.He came like a sun and manifested his light in every respect.Therefore, he who turns away from this true Sun will not come to a good end.We cannot say that he has good intentions.Can one who is afflicted with leprosy and whose limbs have been eaten by lep- rosy, claim that he is not a leper or that he is not in need of treatment? Should he say so, can we say that he has good intentions? Should there be such a person who could not arrive at the truth of Islam, despite of the guilty? Can any logic accept that Almighty God, despite His infinite powers, should stand in need of help from someone else? It is beyond my comprehension as to what kind of ‘God' ‘Īsā was who cried throughout the night supplicating to be saved.It is indeed strange that when all the three gods were already united within him, then who was the fourth ‘God' to whom he supplicated crying throughout the night? What is more, that prayer of his was not even accepted.What reliance can one place on such a 'God', who was overwhelmed by the abject Jews who did not stop persecuting him until they hoisted him upon the cross.As for the Āryas, they do not seem to have any God at all.After all, they are themselves self-existing! Can this kind of guid- ance satisfy man in the least? On the other hand, Islam presents the God who is agreed upon by human nature and all the Prophets; who reveals His mighty attributes to the perfect followers of Islam.(Author)

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218 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION complete good faith and despite every effort such as he puts forth in seeking the world, his matter rests with God; but I have not come across any such person in my entire life.Therefore, I consider it abso- lutely impossible that anyone can prefer some other faith to Islam on the basis of reason and fairness.Naive and ignorant people learn under the dictates of their lower selves that Tauhid is enough, and that it is not necessary to follow the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; but it is to be borne in mind that it is a Prophet who is the mother of Tauhid from whom Tauḥīd is born, and the existence of God is inferred from him indeed.Who is better than God Almighty to bring the argument to perfection? He has filled heaven and earth with Signs to prove the truth of His Noble Prophet; and, now in this age also, by sending this humble servant, God has displayed thousands of Signs like heavy rain to affirm the truth of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.What then is lacking in completing the argument? He who has sense enough to oppose, why can he not think of a way to agree? He who can see at night, why can he not see on a bright day? Indeed, the way of acceptance is much easier than the ways of rejection.However, the case of a person who is like an imbecile and whose faculties are subnormal rests with God, and I cannot talk about him.He is like those people who die as infants or in childhood.But a wicked denier cannot excuse himself on the basis that he is rejecting with good intentions.It should be considered whether his faculties are capable of comprehending the questions of Oneness of God and Prophethood or not.If it appears that he is capable of comprehending them and denies out of mischief, how can he be excused? Can we excuse a person who observes the light of the sun and yet persists in asserting that it is not 1.The Faith of Islam is so consistent with human nature that its truthful- ness can be recognized even by an uninformed and uneducated Hindu within two minutes, because whatever has been adopted by other religions consists entirely of deplorable doctrines that would make a sad person burst into laughter.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 219 day but night? In the same way, can we excuse those who deliberately indulge in spurious reasoning and are unable to refute the arguments of Islam? Islam is, indeed, a living faith.Why will a person who can distinguish between the living and the dead forsake Islam and accept a dead religion?* In this age, too, God Almighty manifests great Signs in support of Islam, and I say this from my own experience.If all the nations of the world were to unite against me and a comparison be made as to whom God reveals the unseen, whose prayers He accepts, whom does He help, and for whom does He manifest great Signs, I call God to witness that I would be victorious.Is there anyone who will step forward against me for such a trial?!! God has bestowed thousands of Signs upon me just to let the opponents know that Islam is indeed the true faith.I do not seek any honour for myself but I seek honour for the one for whom I have been sent.Some foolish people say that such and such prophecy [of mine] has not been fulfilled and, on account of their ignorance, cite one or two prophecies ‘that were not fulfilleď just as the mischievous people had done in the times of earlier Prophets, but they merely desire to spit at the sun and they deceive people by enhancing their accounts with lies and fabrication.They know nothing of the ways of God Almighty.They have no knowledge of the Scriptures; or, someone has the knowledge, but says so out of sheer mischief.According to them, Prophet Yūnus [Jonah] would be deemed an impostor because his definitive prophecy, which had no condition attached to it, was not fulfilled.But the two prophe- cies of mine which they quote again and again—namely, the ones about Ātham and the son-in-law of Ahmad Baig—have been fulfilled.Since they had conditions attached to them, there were delays in accordance 1.The person who makes a human being into 'God' without any evidence or rejects God as the Creator without any reason, can he not understand the perfectly clear arguments in favour of the truth of Islam? (Author)

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220 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION with those conditions.These people do not know that it is not necessary for the prophecies of warning to be fulfilled.All the Prophets are agreed on this.I do not want to write more about it, for my books are full of the relevant details.Indeed, Ātham died in keeping with the prophecy and Ahmad Baig died as well, in keeping with the prophecy.Now they complain about his son-in-law, but they overlook the practice of God that is established concerning prophecies of warning.If they have mod- esty, decency, and fairness they ought to prepare two lists; in one they should document the prophecies which they consider unfulfilled, and in the second list I shall write those prophecies whose fulfilment cannot be denied by anyone.Then they will realize that they are presenting a mere drop that is—in their opinion—impure, before an entire ocean of limpid water.In short, it is a point worth considering that so much of their crying and clamour is simply over two prophecies! On the contrary, there are thousands of prophecies that have been fulfilled and hundreds of thou- sands of people are witness to them.If they fear God, why do they not avail of them? Even the Jews continue to insist, in the same fashion, that a majority of the prophecies made by Haḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus], peace be upon him, have not been fulfilled; for instance, the prophecy regarding the twelve thrones of the twelve disciples, and the prophecy concerning his second coming in that very age." 1* In sum, the truth of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has been established for the entire world.The rays 1.☆ The Torah of Ḥaḍrat Mūsā [Moses] contained the prophecy that he would deliver the Israelites to Syria, a country in which ran rivulets of milk and hon- ey.But this prophecy was not fulfilled.Ḥaḍrat Mūsā died on the way and the Israelites died too, only their children reached there.Similarly, the prophe- cy of Hadrat 'Isǎ that his disciples would be vouchsafed twelve thrones, also turned out not to be correct.Now, will you give up belief in the Prophethood of both Mūsǎ and 'Isā? Sayyed 'Abdul-Qadir Jilani says, meaning that sometimes a promise is made and is not kept.To create such an uproar over unfulfilled conditional prophecies of warning betrays great ignorance.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 221 of his light are shining brighter than those of the sun.How then can good intentions combine with disbelief! How can we ever say y about a person—who is guilty of rejecting a manifest truth-that he performs virtuous deeds? For the last 1,300 years, the proclamation is being made, and thousands of those who were gifted to perform miracles and marvels have, in their own day and age, furnished the proof.Has the point not been established yet? After all, a disbeliever is excusable to a certain extent, but not to the extent that—despite witnessing thou- sands of miracles, marvels, and Signs, and in spite of realizing the excel- lence of teaching and beholding pure Tauḥīd in Islam¹—he should go on saying: 'I am still not satisfied.”2* At the end of this Postscript, I conclude this dissertation by stat- ing some important issues.One of them is that Dr.'Abdul-Hakim Khān, in his booklet al-Masiḥud-Dajjāl etc., accuses me as if I have 1.It is a pity that 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān is steeped in another misguidance.He says that the word 'Islam' does not include the sense of the belief in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, even though it is the agreed doctrine of all Muslims that the faith is not complete without believ- ing in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.For this reason, the Holy Quran says that an oath was taken from every people through their Prophet that when Khatamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets] is raised, they must believe in him and help him.Another argument for the same is that the letters which the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, wrote to the Christian kings like Caesar, Muqawqis, and the king of Ethiopia contained the words aslim, taslim, meaning that, believe in Islam; thereby you will attain security.This was done, in spite of the fact that some of those kings believed in the Oneness of God and did not sub- scribe to Trinity and this is an established fact.Moreover, the Jews also did not believe in the Trinity.Then what was the purpose of inviting them to Islam-for, they were already included in ‘Islam.(Author) 2.How can we pronounce Europeans to be ignorant? They have translated and published the translations of the Holy Quran and they have themselves written commentaries [of the Holy Quran].They have translated the very ma- jor collections of aḥādīth [sayings of the Holy Prophetsª].and compiled huge tomes on Arabic Lexicon.The truth of the matter is that the extent to which there are libraries on Islam in Europe, the Muslims do not possess those books to that same extent.(Author)

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222 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION written in a book of mine that whosoever does not believe in me shall become a disbeliever and be cast into Hell even if he is unaware of my name and even if he is in a land where my message has not reached.This is a totally false imputation on the part of the said doctor.I have not written so in any book or announcement.It is incumbent upon him to produce any one of my books which contains this statement.It should be known that he has levelled this false allegation against me out of sheer cunning, as is his wont.It is something which certainly no reasonable person can ever accept.How can a person who is totally unaware of even my name be considered accountable? However, I do say that, since I am the Promised Messiah and God has openly mani- fested heavenly Signs in my support, everyone who in the estimation of God has been furnished with sufficient evidence regarding my advent as the Promised Messiah and has become aware of my claim, shall be held accountable, for no one can deliberately turn away with impunity from those who have been sent by God.The call for justice against this sin is not for myself, but is for the one for whose support I have been sent, that is, Haḍrat Muḥammad Mustafa [the Chosen One], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.He who does not accept me is disobedient not to me but to him who had prophesied my advent.I hold the same belief with regard to believing in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.He who has heard the call of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and has become aware of his advent and who, in the estimation of God, has been furnished with sufficient evidence regarding the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and dies as a disbeliever, he would be condemned to eternal Hell.The knowledge whether sufficient evidence has been furnished lies with God Almighty alone.However, reason demands that, since peo- ple are endowed with different capabilities and understanding, the furnishing of 'sufficient evidence, too, shall not take place in only one way.Therefore, if those who, on account of their intellectual capacity, can understand and recognize quite easily the divine arguments and

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 223 Signs and the merits of a faith, but reject the Messenger of God, they will belong to the foremost degree of kufr [disbelief].Those who do not occupy the same level of understanding and knowledge, but if, in the esti- mation of God, sufficient evidence has been furnished to them, in keep- ing with the level of their understanding, they too will be accountable for their disbelief in the Prophet, albeit to a lesser degree than the disbeliev- ers of the first kind.Anyway, it is not for me to determine the disbelief of each and every individual or whether sufficient evidence was furnished.Rather, it is the prerogative of the One who is All-Knowing.We can say this much that whosoever, in the estimation of God, has been furnished with sufficient evidence and, in the estimation of God, has been assessed to be a disbeliever, shall be culpable.Of course, since the Shariah is based on what is overt, we cannot declare one who rejects the message to be a believer, nor can we say that he is exempt from accountability.Someone who repudiates is indeed called kāfir [disbeliever]; because the word kafir' is opposite to 'mu'min' [believer].Kufr is of two kinds: (First) the kufr that a person rejects even Islam and does not accept the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as the Messenger of God.(Second) the kufr that a person, for example, does not accept the Promised Messiah, and despite the sufficient evidence of his truth, con- siders him to be an ‘impostor, although belief in him and his truth- fulness has been emphasized by Allah and His Messenger and by the Books of earlier Prophets too and hence, since he repudiates the imper- ative of God and the Messenger, he is a kāfir.On closer examination, the two kinds of kufr are essentially of the same nature.The reason is that if a person, after recognizing the truth, does not accept the injunction of God and the Messenger, then, he, in accordance with the explicit verdict of the Holy Quran and hadith, also does not accept God and His Messenger.Without doubt, anyone against whom the argument vis-à-vis the first or the second kind of kufr has been incontrovertibly established in the estimation of Allah, will be culpable on the Day of Judgment.However, one to whom sufficient

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 224 evidence has not been furnished in the estimation of God, and who is a disbeliever and a denier-and even if the Shariah (based as it is upon what is overt) calls them a kāfir, and we, too, in our subservience to the Shariah, call them a kāfir—he will not be deemed culpable in the estimation of God in the context of the verse: لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا Of course, we do not have the right to pronounce verdict regarding his salvation.His case rests with God; it is not for us to impose our judge- ment upon it.As I have just pointed out, only God Almighty knows that—despite the arguments based on rationality and Scriptures, excel- lence of teachings, and heavenly Signs—who it is to whom the argu- ments have not been incontrovertibly conveyed.We should not claim with conviction that sufficient evidence has not been furnished to a particular person.We have no knowledge of the inside of a person.By presenting arguments covering all dimensions and by displaying Signs, every Messenger of Allah has meant to furnish sufficient evidence of his truth to the people at large; and God, too, has been his Supporter in it.Therefore, anyone who claims that he has not been provided sufficient evidence2 is himself responsible for his denial, and the onus 1.Allah burdens not any soul beyond its capacity (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:287).[Publisher] 2.In this context, one had better consider what kind of Tauḥid and Majesty of God Almighty does the faith of a person present in comparison with Islam.The case of those whose faith neither has the Majesty of God, nor His Tauhid, nor any path to His recognition, is rather strange.How can they say that the truth of Islam has not been adequately proven to them? A Christian who believes only in a helpless human to be God, or an Aryah for whom God Almighty is neither the Creator nor can He demonstrate His existence through fresh Signs, cannot possibly claim his faith to be superior to Islam.In order to show the excellence of his faith, will he present Niyog, in accord- ance with which another man can sleep with a woman in spite of her husband being alive? (Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 225 of its proof is upon him alone.He alone will be answerable as to how sufficient evidence was not furnished to him despite all the evidence based on reason and historical record, excellence of teachings, heavenly Signs, and guidance of every kind.It would be simply senseless and absurd to contend that whoever was not furnished with complete arguments, despite knowing about Islam, would attain salvation in their state of denial.Rather, such prattle is an affront to God Almighty, for it would be insolence to the exalted station of the Almighty who sent His Messenger.Moreover, it inherently implies the breach of promise, that, despite the fact that He promised that He would furnish sufficient evidence, He could not do so vis-à-vis those who rejected Him; and they rejected His Messenger, and yet attained salvation.And when we evaluate the Signs which God manifested in support of Islam, and note the evidence based on reason and record, and discover thousands of excellences in Islam of which other religions are bereft, and when we realize that the door for making progress towards God is open only in Islam, and when we find other religions to be in a state in which they are either caught in creature worship or they do not believe that God Almighty is the Creator and Originator of all and the Fountainhead of all blessings, we pity those who spread such preposterous thinking in the world that a person who knew of Islam, but had not been furnished with 'complete arguments, will attain salvation.It is obvious that the rejection of facts, even when uninten- tional, is still harmful.For instance, suppose that doctors have issued a warning about going near women who are infected with syphilis, but someone has consorted with such a woman.Now it would be no use complaining on his part that he was unaware of this warning of the physicians so why did he contract syphilis.Bāvā Nānak spoke the.مندے کمیں نانکا جد کد مندا ہو * truth when he said 1.Meaning that, O Nanak, evil deeds will ultimately breed evil consequences.(Author)

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226 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION O ignorant ones! Now that God, in keeping with His own practice, has perfected the argument in favour of His upright Faith, what good is there in entertaining doubts in it and reiterating absurdities despite God having perfected the argument? If at all there is someone in the knowl- edge of God concerning whom the argument still remains incomplete, his case rests with God; it is not for us to debate the issue.Of course, if a person who is totally unaware of Islam, dies in the state of unawareness— for instance, the minors, the insane or the residents of a country where the message of Islam has not reached—then they stand excused.It is worth mentioning, among other things, that ‘Abdul-Ḥakim Khān, like his ilk, has made the accusation that I have been telling lies and that I am a dajjal [deceiver], corrupt, and an embezzler.In his book- let, al-Masīḥud-Dajjāl, he has listed a number of my 'vices.Thus, he has called me selfish, egotistical, arrogant, Antichrist, Satan, ignorant, insane, great liar, lazy, corrupt, one who breaks his word, and an embezzler.He has accused me of many other vices which are written in his booklet al-Masiḥud-Dajjal.Indeed, these are the same vices which the Jews still impute to Hadrat 'Īsā.It is indeed an occasion for rejoicing that the Jews of this ummah have attributed to me exactly the same vices.But I do not want to reply to all these allegations and abuses.Instead, I leave all this to God.If indeed I am what 'Abdul-Hakim and his ilk think I am, then who would be a greater enemy of mine than God Almighty? But if, in the estimation of God, I am not like this, then to my mind, the better course would be to leave it to God Almighty to rebut these allegations.Such is always the way of God that when no decision can be reached on earth, He assumes charge of the dispute regarding any of His Messengers and decides the issue Himself.Were any of my opponents to reflect, their alle- gations, too, prove to be a miraculous Sign in my support.I am [accord- ing to them] such a depraved and wicked man that, on the one hand, I have been fabricating lies about God Almighty for as many as twenty-five years, that during the night I concoct a few things and in the morning pronounce them to be the revelation from God, and on the other, I have been cruel to God's creatures in that I have misappropriated thousands

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 227 of rupees of their money, I break promises, I tell lies, harm their interests for my egotism and I possess within me all the vices of the world; yet still, the grace of God—not His wrath-descends upon me.God keeps my enemies frustrated in every plot that is hatched against me, and in spite of thousands of those sins, fabrications, injustices, and corrupt practices, I am neither struck by lightning nor made to sink in the earth.On the contrary, I am the beneficiary of assistance during [every] confrontation with all enemies.As a result, I have been saved despite the multitude of their attacks.And despite thousands of obstructions, God has increased the number of my followers to hundreds of thousands.Therefore, if this is not a miracle, then what is it? Let my opponents produce an exam- ple equal to it if they have one; otherwise, what can I say other than The curse of Allah be upon the liars].Do they have any ] لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِيْنَ precedent of a fabricator of lies for twenty-five years, who was granted hundreds of Signs of Allah's assistance and support despite his fabrica- tion of lies for such a long time, and was saved from each and every attack of his enemies? [Then produce it, if you are truthful].1.In the court of Captain Douglas, the Deputy Commissioner, a case of mur- der was filed against me.I was acquitted of this charge; rather, I was informed beforehand of my acquittal.I was also prosecuted for violation of the postal code, the punishment for which was a jail term for six months.Of this, too, I was saved and I was informed of this acquittal beforehand.Similarly, in the court of Mr.Douie, the Deputy Commissioner, a criminal case was instituted against me; from this, too, I was exonerated by God and my enemies were frustrated in their designs.In this case, too, I was informed of my release be- forehand.Again, a man named Karam Dīn filed a criminal case against me in the court of Sansar Chand, a magistrate of Jhelum.From this too, I was ac- quitted and the news of my acquittal was communicated to me beforehand by God Almighty.Another criminal case was filed against me by the same Karam Din in Gurdaspur, from which I was also acquitted and God told me of the acquittal beforehand.Similarly, my enemies mounted eight attacks against me and were frustrated in all eight.Thus, was fulfilled the divine prophecy which was recorded twenty-five years ago in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, namely [Allah will help you in every field ].Is this not a miraculous Sign? (Author)

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228 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION In short, the dispute between us and the opponents has now reached the limit.He who has sent me will now Himself adjudicate this case.If I am truthful, the heavens will certainly bear such strong testi- mony for me that people will tremble.But if I have been an offender for twenty-five years who concocted lies against God for this prolonged period, how can I escape? In such a case, even if all of you should befriend me, I am still ruined because God's hand is against me.O ye people! Bear well in mind that I am not the fabricator; I am the oppressed-I am not the impostor; I am the truthful.I have been wronged far too long.This is what God Almighty said twenty-five years ago and was published in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya, namely, the revelation of God that: دنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دنیا نے اس کو قبول نہ کیا لیکن خدا اُسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اس کی سچائی ظاہر کر دے گا.A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthful- ness with mighty assaults.This revelation belongs to the time when there was neither any invi- tation on my part nor was there any denier.These words were merely in the form of a prophecy which have been fulfilled by the opposing clerics.Thus they have perpetrated what they pleased.Now is the time for the manifestation of the second sentence of this prophecy; namely, the sentence that ‘yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truth with mighty assaults.' What a pity that they did not benefit at all from the Signs of Almighty God which were so openly manifested, whereas some of the Signs which they could not understand were used as the basis of objection.I, therefore, now know that this verdict will not take long.Great injustice was committed under heaven in that these peo- ple perpetrated whatsoever they wished and wrote whatsoever they liked against an Appointee of God.It is strange that on page 45 of his

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 229 booklet Dhikrul-Hakim, ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān writes about me: 'I have no equivocation about you, I still believe that you are the like of the Messiah, that you are the Messiah, and that you are the like of Prophets.Again, on page 12 of the same book, from line 15 to 20, there is a passage affirming my claim, which is reproduced here in bold letters: There was one Maulawi, Muhammad Hasan Baig, a mater- nal cousin of mine who was bitterly opposed to your gra- cious self.I was informed concerning him, in a dream, that if he persisted in his opposition of the Messiah of the Age, he would die of plague.His residence was outside the city in a well-ventilated and commodious house.I had related this dream to his real brother, uncle, and other relatives.A year later, he did die of plague.See 'Abdul-Hakim's booklet Dhikrul-Hakim, page 12.Now take note that, on the one hand, he not only acknowledges that I am the Promised Messiah, but also quotes a dream—which turned out to be true-as testimony to my truthfulness.Thereafter, at the end of the same book, as well as in his booklet al-Masiḥud-Dajjal, he names me as a dajjal and satan and denounces me as being an embezzler, a rogue, and an impostor.It is rather strange that ‘Abdul-Ḥakim Khān has not cared to space these two contradic- tory statements even by a few days.On one hand, he called me the Promised Messiah and testified to my truthfulness with his dream, and on the other, he called me a deceiver and an impostor.I do not care why he did this, but let everyone ponder that the condition of this man is like one who is not in his senses in that he has a glaring contradiction in what he affirms.On the one hand, he pronounces me the true Messiah and even quotes a true dream of his which was fulfilled as testimony to my truthfulness.On the other, he considers me worse than all the disbelievers.Could there be a more egregious contradiction? As for the faults that he attributes to me, he should have pondered that whereas the dream had already testified to my truthfulness to him and God Almighty had even caused Hasan Baig to die of plague as

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230 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION testimony to my truthfulness; ¹* then did God kill him for the sake of a dajjal and did God not know the faults which he ['Abdul-Hakim] came to know twenty years later? 2 His excuse that he might have had satanic dreams and that this dream was also satanic in nature would not be acceptable.I can accept this much that, on account of his innate compat- ibility [with Satan], he might have been experiencing satanic dreams and satanic revelations 3*, but I cannot accept that this dream [cited above] was a satanic dream for the simple reason that Satan has not been granted the power to kill anyone.But of course, satanic dreams and satanic reve- lations are what he currently experiences in his present state of hostility towards me, for they do not have any sign of the power of God with them.Therefore, he must try his best to ward Satan off.Among other things worth mentioning is the fact that, quite 1.Now it is incumbent upon ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm to visit Muḥammad Ḥasan Baig's grave and cry his eyes out, saying, 'O Brother! You were right in your rejection and I was wrong.Do forgive me my sin.Ask God and do let me know why He killed you for the sake of an impostor and deceiver?' (Author) 2.This too is worth considering that for a person who for twenty years, in writing and in speech, persisted in supporting me and disputing with the op- ponents, what new discovery has he now made after twenty years? The faults he has listed are, indeed, the very ones which he himself used to answer (in my defence).(Author) 3.This too is a sign of ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm not being in his right mind that he con- siders this dream of his to be satanic, a dream in which Muḥammad Hasan Baig's death was foretold and in accordance with which Muḥammad Hasan Baig also died.It seems that the frenzy of opposition has made him lose his senses.How can a dream be false when actual events proved it to be true and thus established its divine origin.False and egoistic dreams are, indeed, those which he is seeing now contravening it and which do not bear any stamp of truth.But the earlier dream did not have any trace of Satan's influence, for it was fulfilled in the shape of an awe-inspiring event.Also, the Master of Life and Death is the name of God Almighty, not of Satan.Of course, this true dream does not prove any excellence on the part of Miyań 'Abdul-Hakim, for even Pharaoh experienced a true dream in the time of Ḥaḍrat Yusuf [Joseph]; even arch disbelievers at times experience true dreams.The Elect of God are distinguished not by a solitary dream or two, but by a vast knowledge of the unseen and by the unique gift of God's help.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 231 like the rest of my opponents, 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, in his booklet al-Masiḥud-Dajjal, has tried to deceive the public by suggesting that my prophecies have been proving false.Accordingly, after quoting the prophecy about 'Abdullāh Ātham, and the one about Ahmad Baig's son-in-law and the one about Muḥammad Husain Batalavi and some of his companions, he has claimed that they were not fulfilled.However, I have written a number of times concerning these prophecies, that they have been fulfilled in conformity with divine practice.I have explained hundreds of times concerning ‘Abdullāh Ātham and also about Ahmad Baig and his son-in-law that both these prophecies were conditional in nature.The prophecy regarding 'Abdullāh Ātham stated, in as many words, that he would die within fifteen months provided he did not turn to the truth; and, additionally, it did not have the explicit wording 'pro- vided he became a Muslim."To turn to' is a phrase which relates to [the condition of] one's heart.* Accordingly, 'Abdullāh Ātham, in the same meeting comprising of about sixty to seventy persons, displayed signs of "turning to truth' after hearing the prophecy.That is, when I informed him after reading out the prophecy, that: 'In your book, you have used the term dajjal about our Noble Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; in retribution thereof, it is prophesied that your life shall end within fifteen months.At this, he turned pale, hung his tongue out, placed both his hands on his ears and said aloud that he had never given the name dajjal to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.2 From amongst the Muslims present at the meeting, there was a prominent citizen of Amritsar, perhaps named Yūsuf Shah.1.If it is prophesied about someone that he will become a leper in fifteen months and, instead of the fifteenth month, he becomes a leper in the twen- tieth month with the result that his nose and the rest of the limbs fall off, will such a person have the right to claim that the prophecy was not fulfilled? One should consider the substance of the issue.(Author) 2.It is quite clear from these words that 'Abdullāh Ātham did withdraw from saying dajjāl, and this very word was, in fact, the primary cause of this prophecy.(Author)

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232 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Also, there were a large number of Muslims and Christians; in particular, there was Dr.Martyn Clark from among the Christians who later filed a murder case against me.They should be asked to testify on oath whether this incident did or did not occur.If these words were, in fact, uttered by ‘Abdullāh Ātham, then consider whether these words were of haugh- tiness and mischief, or of humility, submission, and recantation.As for myself, I have never heard a Christian utter such words of humility and cordiality in all my life.On the contrary, I have seen most of their books to be full of invective against the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.When an adversary [i.e.'Abdullah Ātham] denied ever uttering the word dajjāl with such submission and humility in the midst of the debate and thereafter remained silent for as many as fifteen months—rather, he continued to weep—then, did he not have the right in the estimation of God Almighty that God should grant him a reprieve in keeping with the stipulation?"" Even so, he did not survive for long and died only a few months later.He never displayed any audacity after recantation.Whatever is attributed to him is the Christians' own trickery.In short, the essence of the prophecy related to his death, in keeping with which, he indeed died during my lifetime.God Almighty prolonged my life whilst He terminated his life.How unjust and bigoted it is to keep on insisting that he did not die during the prescribed period.O ignorant one! Are you unaware of the story of Yūnus [Jonah] 1.Footnote: The point worth remembering is that there was a prophecy regarding the death of 'Abdullah Ātham and there was a prophecy regard- ing the death of Lekh Rām as well.But 'Abdullāh Ātham showed humility and submissiveness; his death, therefore, took place after the delay of a few months.But Lekh Rām, after coming to know of the prophecy, showed au- dacity and, in marketplaces and gatherings, continued to vilify our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.This is why, well before the lapse of the stipulated time frame he was seized and, with over a year still to go, he was killed.With ‘Abdullāh Ātham, God Almighty manifested His attribute of Grace and with Lekh Rām His attribute of awe-striking Majesty.He is the All-Powerful, He can decrease and He can increase! (Author)

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 233 as mentioned in the Holy Quran? There was no condition attached to the prophecy of Yūnus; even then, with repentance and remorse, his people were spared, despite the definitive divine promise about his people that they would certainly perish within forty days.But did they perish within forty days in keeping with this prophecy? You can, if you so desire, study their account in Durr-e-Manthür or even review the Book of Jonah.Why are you so exceedingly impertinent? Will you not die one day? Impertinence and dishonesty can never coexist with faith.As for Ahmad Baig's son-in-law, I have pointed out again and again, as well, that this prophecy, too, was conditional.The wording of the condition, already published in my announcements, was as follows: أَيُّهَا الْمَرأَةُ تُؤين تُوبِى فَإِنَّ الْبَلَاءَ عَلَى عَقِبِكِ These are revealed words and the addressee therein is the maternal grandmother of the woman with whom the prophecy is concerned.Once at Hoshiarpur I read out this revelation to a member of Maulawi 'Abdullah's children.Perhaps the person's name was ‘Abdur-Raḥīm or 'Abdul-Wahid.The translation of these revealed words is: 'Woman, be penitent, be penitent, for the calamity is about to befall your daugh- ter and the daughter's daughter.This prophecy contained a warning regarding Ahmad Baig and his son-in-law.Accordingly, Ahmad Baig died within the [stipulated] time frame¹* and that woman's daughter was overtaken by the calamity for she was Ahmad Baig's wife and her relatives were overwhelmed by great fear due to the death of Ahmad Baig; so much so that some of them even wrote letters to me with 1.It is surprising that those who repeatedly talk of Ahmad Baig's son-in- law never mention that a part of this prophecy has already been fulfilled, because Ahmad Baig had died within the prescribed time frame.Had they even an ounce of honesty, they would have admitted that of the two parts of the prophecy, one part had been fulfilled and of the two legs, one had been broken.But bigotry is a strange curse that does not allow the word of justice to utter forth from the tongue! (Author)

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234 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION humility and earnestness requesting prayer.God, therefore, on account of that fear, and so much humility and earnestness of theirs, delayed the fulfilment of the prophecy.In respect of the prophecy regarding Maulawi Muḥammad Husain and his companions that was spelled out in the revelation of God Almighty, no date was fixed.It was merely my words in my supplication; not the words of revelation.It was only my supplication that sought something to happen within a specified time.Indeed, God Almighty does abide by His Word.He is under no obligation to meticulously observe what is supplicated from Him.This is why the prophecy as published in Arabic does not contain any time frame to the effect that he would be disgraced in a particular month or year.Of course, it is well known that in respect of the prophecies of warning, God Almighty reserves the right to delay them on account of someone's humility and earnestness or on His own accord.be upon them―agree that All Sunnis-in fact, all Prophets, peace since a prophecy of warning is a divine decree for an affliction to over- take someone, it can be averted with the help of charity, almsgiving, penitence, and seeking forgiveness.The only difference is that if God Almighty keeps the knowledge of such an affliction to Himself, and does not reveal it to any of His Messengers, it is simply known as an ordained affliction that is hidden in the will of God.But if God bestows knowledge of this affliction upon any of His Messengers, it becomes a prophecy.All nations of the world agree that impending afflictions, whether expressed in the [explicit] shape of a prophecy or hidden in the [implicit] will of God, can be averted through charity, almsgiving, penitence, and seek- ing forgiveness.This is why people are wont to give alms and charity in times of distress.Otherwise, who would indulge in a futile exercise? All Prophets agree that charity, almsgiving, penitence, and seeking forgive- ness wards off calamity.It is my personal experience that God Almighty at certain times informs me of an impending affliction concerning me or my children, or some friend of mine.When prayer is offered for averting it, another revelation comes that, 'We averted this affliction.' Hence, if

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 235 prophecies of warning are inevitable, I can be proved wrong scores of times.If our opponents and ill-wishers are so fond of indulging in reject- ing me in this way, I can keep them informed, if they so desire, of many a prophecy of this kind and of their cancellation.It is recorded in our Islamic commentaries [of the Holy Quran] and also in the Bible that once a Prophet of the time made a prophecy about a king that he had only fifteen days left in his life.But the king cried in supplication throughout the night.At this, the Prophet received another revelation that, 'We have exchanged fifteen days with fifteen years.' As I have pointed out before, this incident is recorded in our own books and those of Jews and Christians as well.Now would you say that the Prophet who had prophesied that the king had only fifteen days left of his life and that he would die after fifteen days was proven false in his prophecy? It is indeed God's mercy that the system of abrogation, by Him, of the prophecies of warning is in place, so much so that even where the warning of eternal damnation for disbelievers is made in the Holy Quran, it also contains this verse: b الا مَا شَاء رَبُّكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَقَالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ.Meaning that, the disbelievers shall abide in Hell forever, except if your Lord wishes [otherwise]; for whatever He pleases, He has the power to carry it out.But the same was not said about the dwellers of Paradise for [in their case] it is a promise, not a warning.2* 1.Surah Hūd, 11:108 [Publisher] ['Wherein 2.The Holy Quran repeatedly mentions eternal Hell as punishment for the disbelievers and the idolaters.It is repeatedly said, they shall abide for a long, long period', (Surah an-Nisa', 4:170)].Despite this, the Holy Quran also says about the denizens of Hell, what [Excepting your Lord may will', (Surah Hüd, 11:108)].The hadith too contain this: meaning that, a time shall come يَأْتِي عَلَى جَهَنَّمَ زَمَانٌ لَّيْسَ فِيْهَا أَحَدٌ وَنَسِيْمُ الصَّبَا تُحَرِّكُ أَبْوَابَهَا مُشتِ خاک را گر نہ بخشم چه کنم ,doors.Some collections mention this hadith in Persian upon Hell when there will be no one left in it—morning breeze shall rattle its ['What else can I do if I do not forgive this handful of dust!'] (Author) ایں

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236 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Finally, I say with great emphasis and with great assertion and with great discernment that, in response to all the objections Dr.'Abdul- Ḥakim Khān and the clerics of his ilk have raised against my proph- ecies, I can demonstrate that, of all the great Prophets, there is not a single Prophet who does not have an objection similar to these against one of his prophecies.I will not just present the incident of Yūnus; rather, I shall present the like of it from the prophecies of Ḥaḍrat Mūsā, Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, and the Chief of the Prophets, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, or from the Word of God.But I would like to know if all these people would be prepared, at that time, to repu- diate all these Prophets; and would they be ready, consequent to the presentation of such evidence on my part, to abuse them as they abuse me and denounce them as impostors as they have denounced me as an impostor? O ignorant and sightless ones! Why do you ruin your Hereafter? Alas! Why do you deliberately fall into the fire, and why have you deviated from faith and righteousness to the extent that you are not even fearful as to which of the holy and sacred ones will be affected by these objections? God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: إِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُه وَ إِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسرِف كَذَّابٌ.وو Meaning that, if this Prophet is an impostor, he will himself perish, for God does not allow an impostor's task to be accomplished because otherwise it would render the case of a truthful claimant and that of an impostor indistinguishable.And if this Messenger is truthful, some of his prophecies of warning will certainly come to pass.The word 'some' that figures in this verse clearly indicates that it is not necessary that all the prophecies of warning—i.e.regarding pun- ishment—that a true Messenger makes will be fulfilled.Of course, it 1.Surah al-Mu'min, 40:29 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 237 is essential that some of them must come to pass as is indicated in the Some of that which he threatens] يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ ,foregoing verse you with will surely befall you'].Just open your eyes and see the might and splendour with which the prophecy about Lekh Rām was fulfilled from amongst the few prophecies of warning I had announced! It was even prophesied about him that he would not die of an ordinary death.Instead, the wrath of God would put an end to him by means of a stratagem of some kind.And it was also foretold that his death would take place next to Ïd [Eid].It was also indicated that plague would break out in the country after his incident.Furthermore, it was also disclosed that this was not a mere prophecy; rather, this incident would be a result of my prayer against him, for his invectives [against the Holy Prophet sa] had reached their limit.Hence, the wrath of God, who does not want the honour of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to be sullied, overtook Lekh Rām and killed him with an agonizing chastisement.Also, one needs to consider how clearly the prophecy about Ahmad Baig, who was ever ready to refute me and ridiculed me day and night-manifested itself.He died of typhoid fever in a hospital in Hoshiarpur and his death caused a great tumult among his relatives.He is the same Ahmad Baig about whose son-in-law my opponents are still lamenting and wailing as to why does he not die? They do not realize that Ahmad Baig was indeed the right leg of the prophecy, and, by dying suddenly in his prime, he proved that the prophecy is true.Similarly, as was laid down in the prophecy that close to Ahmad Baig's death, other deaths of his relatives too shall take place; so this has also been fulfilled inasmuch as Ahmad Baig's son and two of his sisters died in those very days.Now let my opponents answer whether this part of the verse came true for him or not:

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238 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 1 يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ ! Therefore, when they, for their part, have to admit that some of my prophecies of warning have been fulfilled with perfect clarity, why then—despite their claim to being Muslims―can they not keep in Is it that they are secretly.يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ view the noble verse prepared for apostasy? These are strange objections that, after the prophecy, efforts were made to get Ahmad Baig's daughter's hand in marriage, and inducement was offered and letters were written.It is true that extreme prejudice turns a person blind.No maulawi can be ignorant of the fact that if the divine revelation discloses something by way of a prophecy and if one can fulfil it without recourse to mischief or illegal means, it is not only permissible but is also laudable; this was the practice of the Holy Prophet to try and bring about the fulfilment of the prophecy.The Holy Prophet's example is proof enough in this regard.That Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar made a Companion wear gold bangles is an added argument.Also, the Holy Quran had a prophecy about the progress of Islam.Why was then such an intense effort made for its progress, so much so that hundreds of thousands of rupees were given away by way of attempts to win the hearts of the people? In the pres- ent case, the original move for the acquisition of land etc.was made by Ahmad Baig himself.Moreover, it is worth pondering that, on the one hand, there are just these two or three prophecies which our opponents, on account of their lack of understanding, quote again and again—the filthy leftovers of which 'Abdul-Hakim was also forced to eat.But on the other, a river of Signs is flowing from God Almighty in my support, of which these people are not unaware.Hardly a month passes in which no Sign appears.No one casts a glance at these Signs.They 1.Some of that which he threatens you with will surely befall you (Surah al- Mu'min, 40:29).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT QUESTION (9) 239 do not see what God is saying.On the one hand, the plague is vir- tually proclaiming that the days of doom are close at hand, and on the other, such extraordinary earthquakes as had never hit this land before are announcing that the wrath of God is raging upon the earth.New calamities descend with great frequency, indicating that there is a change in the world order.It seems God Almighty intends to unleash some great terrible calamity.I am informed beforehand of every calamity that appears and I publicise it through newspaper, periodicals, or poster.Thus, I exhort again and again towards repentance, for the earth is about to be visited by so many calamities as if a sudden dark sandstorm is approaching as happened in the days of Pharaoh when the initial minor Signs were shown, and, thereafter, that ultimate Sign was shown which upon witnessing even Pharaoh had to proclaim: 1 أمَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي أَمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُوا إِسْرَاءِيلَ.By way of a Sign, God Almighty shall cause a cataclysm to happen through each of the four elements and the world will be visited by major earthquakes until it will be hit by one that resembles Doomsday.It is then that every nation shall mourn because they failed to recognize their time.This indeed is the meaning of the revelation of God: دنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دنیا نے اُس کو قبول نہ کیا لیکن خدا اُسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اُس کی سچائی ظاہر کر دے گا.A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.1.I believe that there is no God but He in Whom the children of Israel believe (Surah Yunus, 10:91).[Publisher]

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240 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION This revelation, received twenty-five years ago, was recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.It shall be fulfilled in these days.Let him who has ears, hear!¹ª * I have written here only about those two or three prophecies to which our opposing clerics and their new apprentice, ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, have repeatedly objected.As opposed to it, I wanted to demon- strate how large the number is of heavenly Signs from God that testify for me.But alas! Were all these Signs to be recorded, no book—not even one comprising 1,000 ajzā” [parts]-would be large enough to accommodate them.Therefore, only by way of specimen, I will record 140 of them.Of them, some are prophecies made by the ear- lier Prophets which have been fulfilled in my support.Some are the prophecies made by the spiritual elites of this ummah, while there are some Signs from God which were manifested at my hands.Since those prophecies have precedence over my prophecies in terms of time, it was, therefore, considered proper to accord them precedence in recording as well; and all of these prophecies will be enumerated in one series, and are as follows.1.God Almighty has not merely told me that there will be earthquakes etc., and other afflictions in the Punjab, because I have not been raised just for the Punjab.Rather, I have been commissioned for the reformation of all the inhabitants up to the farthest reaches of the earth.So I tell you truly that these calamities and earthquakes are not specific to the Punjab, but the whole world will partake of these calamities.As there are many parts that have been destroyed in America etc., the same hour is to be encountered by Europe some day and then this terrible day has been destined for the Punjab and India and every part of Asia.He who survives shall be witness.(Author) 2.A juzw comprises sixteen pages.[Publisher]

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I.FIRST SIGN― [Signs] قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَبْعَثُ لِهَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ مَنْ يُجَدِّدُ لَهَا دِيْنَهَا.رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد Meaning that, Abū Dawūd reports that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: 'At the head of every century, God will commission a Mujaddid for this ummah who will revive the Faith for its sake.' The twenty-fourth year of the present century is now nearing its end and it is not possible that a saying of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, should remain unfulfilled.If someone asks, 'If this hadith is authentic, then tell us the names of the Mujaddids [Reformers] of the twelve centuries?, the answer is that this hadith has been continually held as authentic by the scholars of the Ummah.If, at the time of my claim, even this hadith is to be declared as a fabrication, such can indeed be expected only from these maulawis.Some eminent scholars of hadith themselves claimed to be the Mujaddids of their own times, while others have tried to project someone else as the Mujaddid.Therefore, if this hadith is not authen- tic, they did not act honestly.As for the names of the Mujaddids, it is not necessary for me to remember them all.Such all-encompassing knowledge is exclusive to God alone.I lay no claim to know the unseen except for what God reveals to me.

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242 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Furthermore, this ummah is spread over a large part of the world.Divine wisdom raises a Mujaddid in one country at a certain time, and in another country at other times.Who can have full knowl- edge of the works of God and who can encompass His domain of the unseen? Will you please tell me how many Prophets have appeared in every one of the nations from Haḍrat Ādamas [Adam] to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? If you tell me this, I shall tell the names of the Mujaddids too.It is obvious that lack of knowledge about something does not necessarily mean that it does not exist.Moreover, it is a universally agreed tenet among the Ahl-e-Sunnat that the last Mujaddid of this ummah is the Promised Messiah, who shall appear in the Latter Days.Now, the point at issue is whether these are the Latter Days or not.Both the Jews and the Christians agree that these, indeed, are the Latter Days.You can ask them and find out if you so desire.Death is raging on, earthquakes are occurring one after the other, and all kinds of extraordinary calamities have started appearing.Are these days, then, not the Latter Days? The righteous ones of the Ummah have also designated these days as the Latter Days-and twenty-three years of the 14th century have already passed.As such, it is a strong argument to the effect that this, indeed, is the time for the Promised Messiah to appear.I am the only person who made the claim before the beginning of this century.And, indeed, I am the only one after whose claim as many as twenty-five years have passed, and I am still alive.And I am the only one who has convicted the Christians and the people of other faiths with Signs from God.Therefore, as long as another claimant bearing the same characteristics is not produced in opposition to my claim, my own claim to be the Promised Messiah, who is the Mujaddid of the Latter Days, stands established.God has decreed different epochs in time.There was a time when the cross broke God's truthful Masīḥ [Messiah], wounding him, but in the Latter Days it was preordained that the Masiḥ would break the

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 2 243 Cross; that is, he would eradicate the belief in the Atonement from this world through heavenly Signs-a due recompense for the damage done; no cause for complaint.2.[SECOND] SIGN―The following hadith is recorded in Sunan Dār Qutni that Imam Muḥammad al-Baqir says: إِنَّ لِمَهْدِينَا أَيَتَيْنِ لَمْ تَكُونَا مُنْذُ خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ.يَنْكَسِفُ الْقَمَرُ لِأَوَّلِ لَيْلَةٍ مِّنْ رَّمَضَانَ وَتَنْكَسِفُ الشَّمْسُ فِي النِّصْفِ مِنْهُ.Translation: There are two Signs for our Mahdi, and ever since God created the heavens and earth, these two Signs have never appeared in the time of any other Appointed One or Messenger.One of them is that in the time of the Promised Mahdi, during the month of Ramadan, the lunar eclipse will take place on its first night—i.e.on the thirteenth [night]—while the solar eclipse will take place on the mid- dle of its days-i.e.on the twenty-eighth day of the month of the same Ramadan.Such a phenomenon has never occurred at the time of any Messenger or Prophet since the beginning of the world.It is destined to occur only at the time of the Promised Mahdi.Now, all English and Urdu newspapers and all astronomers are wit- ness to the fact that the lunar and solar eclipses of this particular descrip- tion did take place in my time about twelve years ago during the month of Ramadan, and just as is reported in another hadith, these eclipses have taken place twice in the month of Ramadan—first in this country and then again in America.Both times, they took place exactly on the dates indicated by the hadith.At the time of these eclipses there was no claim- ant to being the Promised Mahdi anywhere in the world except me, nor did anyone claim these eclipses as the Sign of his being the Promised Mahdi and publish hundreds of announcements and booklets in Urdu, Arabic, and Persian to support his claim; therefore, this heavenly Sign is specifically appointed for me.Another supporting argument for the same is that twelve years prior to the manifestation of this Sign, God Almighty

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244 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION had informed me that a Sign of this kind would appear.That tiding, hav- ing been recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, had become known to hun- dreds of thousands of people before the Sign actually appeared.It is very sad that my opponents object out of sheer prejudice that, firstly, the hadith says that the lunar eclipse would take place on the first night and the solar eclipse on the middle day, but it did not happen like this.According to their contention, the lunar eclipse should have taken place on the crescent night—that is, the first night of the lunar month and the solar eclipse should have taken place on the 15th day of the lunar month, which is the middle day of the month.This line of thinking is entirely the product of their miscon- ception.Ever since the creation of this world, God Almighty's law of nature has fixed three nights [in the month] for a lunar eclipse; namely, the 13th, 14th, and the 15th.Thus, the first night for a lunar eclipse according to God's law of nature is the 13th night of the lunar month.Similarly, God's law of nature has fixed three days for a solar eclipse; namely, the 27th, 28th, and 29th day of the lunar month.Thus, of the three days meant for the solar eclipse, the 28th day of the lunar month is the middle day.In exact conformity with the intent of the hadith, the sun and the moon were eclipsed in the month of Ramadan; that is, the lunar eclipse took place on the 13th night of the month of Ramadan and the solar eclipse occurred on the 28th day of the same month of Ramadan.Moreover, according to the Arabic lexicon, the moon of the first night is never designated as qamar [which the word in the hadith].Instead, the moon for the first three days is known as hilal [crescent].According to some, for the first seven days, the moon continues to be called hilal.The second objection is that even if they concede that the first night of the moon [to eclipse] means its 13th night and the middle of the days for the sun means the 28th day, what is so extraordinary about it? Has there never occurred a lunar and solar eclipse in the month of Ramadan? The answer is that this hadith does not mean that the

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 2 245 two eclipses have never happened together in the month of Ramadan.Rather, it means that the two eclipses have never occurred together in the month of Ramadan during the time when anyone claimed to be a Messenger or a Prophet.This is borne out by the explicit wording of the hadith.In case someone claims that both these eclipses did, in fact, take place together in the month of Ramadan during the time when someone claimed to be a Prophet or Messenger, it is incumbent upon him to provide its proof.In particular, who does not know the fact that, during the 1,300 years of the Islamic calendar, many impostors claimed to be the Promised Mahdi by way of fabrication and even engaged in fighting? But who can prove that, in their time, both the lunar and the solar eclipses occurred together in the month of Ramadan? So long as this evidence is not produced, such an event, without a doubt, qualifies as supernormal; for, this is what is called supernormal-that the like of it is not found in the world.Moreover, not only the hadith, but also the Holy Quran has pointed towards it.¹ See the verse: وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ.The third objection that is raised is that this hadith is not marfü“, mut- taşil and is merely a statement of Imām Muḥammad al-Baqir, may 1.God Almighty has pointed out, in brief words, that the hallmark of the Latter Days is that the eclipses of the sun and the moon shall be timed to take place in the same month.In the following part of the same verse, God says that he who denies shall be left with no room for escape.This makes it evident that this solar and lunar eclipse shall take place during the days of the Promised Mahdi.In summary, since that solar and lunar eclipse shall take place in fulfilment of God's prophecy, the argument will be clinched vis-à-vis those who deny.(Author) 2.And the moon is eclipsed, and the sun and the moon are brought together (Surah al-Qiyamah, 75:9–10).[Publisher] 3.Marfu' means a hadith for which the chain of narrators reaches all the way up to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; muttașil means that there is no interruption in the chain of reporters.[Publisher]

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246 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Allah be pleased with him.The answer is that it was the practice of the Imams belonging to the Holy Prophet's House that, on account of their personal eminence, they did not consider it necessary to record the chain of reporters by name, reaching all the way to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.This practice of theirs is quite well known.Thus, there are hundreds of aḥādīth of this kind in the Shi'ah sect; moreover, Imām Dār Quṭnī has included it in his collection as one of the aḥādīth.Furthermore, this hadith comprises a matter of the unseen that has actually manifested after 1300 years.It says, in brief, that, ‘At the time of the Promised Mahdi, the lunar eclipse will take place on the 13th night of Ramadan, and the solar eclipse will take place on the 28th day of the same month; and an event such as this will not hap- pen in the time of any other claimant except the Promised Mahdi.' It is quite obvious that no one except a Prophet can so vividly tell about a matter belonging to the unseen.Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran: لا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِةٍ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَّسُولٍ.! Meaning that, God does not communicate His knowledge of the unseen to anyone except His chosen Messengers.Now, since this prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter, claims that the hadith is inau- thentic, or that it is a saying of Imām Muḥammad al-Baqir, are lame excuses.The fact is that these people have no desire whatsoever that any prophecy of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or of the Holy Quran, be fulfilled.The world is approach- ing its end but, according to them, no prophecy concerning the Latter Days has yet been fulfilled.What hadith can be more authentic than this hadith which does not owe its validation to the critique of hadith 1.Surah al-Jinn, 72:27-28 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 2 247 scholars, but instead has demonstrated on its own that it is at the highest level of authenticity?1** To reject the Signs of God is a separate issue; otherwise, it is a mag- nificent Sign which was long-awaited by thousands of learned people and scholars of hadith before me.They would climb upon the pulpits and remind others about it with tears in their eyes.And at the very last Maulawi Muḥammad of Lakhukay, wrote a couplet about this very eclipse during this very era in his book Aḥwālul-Ākhirat in which the time of the appearance of the Promised Mahdi is mentioned, and it is as follows: اندر ماه رمضانے لکھیا بک روایت والے تیرھویں چند ستیہویں سورج گرہن ہوسی اُس سالے [A narrator says that in that year the moon will be eclipsed on the 13th, and the sun on the 27th 2 in the month of Ramadan.] Another saint whose following couplet has been well known for hun- dreds of years says: 1711 دجال نشان خواهد بود از پیئے مهدی و در سن ناشی 3 ہجری دو قران خواهد بود That is, in the year 1311 in the 14th century of Hijrah, when the moon and the sun will be eclipsed in the same month, it will constitute a Sign for the appearance of the Promised Mahdi as well as the Antichrist.This couplet contains the exact year of the lunar and solar eclipses.But the fact is that it is not the] فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ..1 eyes that are blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that are blind, (Surah al-Hajj, 22:47)].(Author) 2.The date 27th given in this verse is either a misprint or a human error on the part of Maulawi [Muḥammad of Lakhukay], because the hadith, of which this couplet is a translation, contains the date of the 28th not the 27th.(Author) 3.In the Arabic abjad system each letter in the alphabet corresponds to a nu- merical value.Using this system, the word & equals 1311.[Publisher]

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248 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 3.THIRD SIGN-Is the appearance of a comet which was destined to appear in the time of the Promised Messiah.It has long since appeared.Its sighting prompted some English newspapers of the Christians to comment that the time of the Messiah's advent had arrived.4.FOURTH SIGN-Is the invention of a new means of transport which is a special Sign of the advent of the Promised Messiah.As is written in the Holy Quran: وَإِذَا الْعِشَارُ عُظَلَتُ Meaning that, the Latter Days are those when she-camels will become obsolete.Similarly, there is a hadith in Sahih Muslim that: وَلَيُتْرَكَنَّ الْقِلَاصُ فَلَا يُسْعَى عَلَيْهَا Meaning that, in that age 'she-camels will become useless and no one will travel on them.' During the days of the Hajj, the journey between Makkah and Madinah is undertaken on she-camels, but the day is close at hand when railways will be constructed for this journey and then it She-camels will] لَيُتْرَكَنَّ الْقِلَاصُ فَلَا يُسْعَى عَلَيْهَا will be true for this journey that become useless and no one will travel on them.] 5.FIFTH SIGN-Is the suspension of Hajj.It is recorded in an authen- tic hadith that the Hajj will be suspended for a period of time during the era of the Promised Messiah.This Sign, too, was manifested in 1899 CE and 1900 CE etc.on account of the plague.6.SIXTH SIGN-Is the publication of books and manuscripts on a large scale, as is indicated in the verse: 1.Surah at-Takwir, 81:5 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 7 249 وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَتْ It is not necessary to describe how vastly books have been published in this age on account of the printing presses.7.SEVENTH SIGN-Is the construction of a large number of canals as is indicated by the verse: وَإِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجْرَتُ There is no doubt that such a large number of canals have been con- structed in this age that rivers have almost dried up due to them.8.EIGHTH SIGN-Is the increase of mutual contacts between people and the ease of mode of interaction, as is clear from the verse: وَإِذَا النُّفُوسُ زُوجَتُ 3 Due to the railways and telegraph, this has happened in such a way as to virtually transform the world.9.NINTH SIGN―Is the frequency and gravity of earthquakes, as is indicated by the verse: يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الرَّاحِفَةُ تَتْبَعُهَا الرَّادِفَةُ 4 Accordingly, extraordinary earthquakes are occurring throughout the world.1.And when books are spread abroad (Surah at-Takwir, 81:11).[Publisher] 2.And when the rivers are made to flow forth into canals (Surah al-Infiṭār, 82:4).[Publisher] 3.And when people are brought together (Surah at-Takwir, 81:8).[Publisher] 4.This will happen on the day when the quaking earth shall quake, and a second quaking shall follow it (Sūrah an-Nāzi‘āt, 79:7–8).[Publisher]

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250 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 10.TENTH SIGN-Is the large-scale death of people in this age caused by various calamities as is meant by this Quranic verse: 1 وَ إِنْ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ اَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا.Translation: 'There is no habitation which We shall not destroy or punish to some degree a short while before the Day of Resurrection.' This is that time, for people are dying from the plague, earthquakes, storms, shocks of volcanic eruptions, and mutual warfare.Such a variety of causes of death has converged in this age, and they have appeared with such intensity, that an example of this overall state of affairs is not found in any previous age.II.ELEVENTH SIGN- -The period mentioned in the Book of Prophet Dāniāl [Daniel] for the appearance of the Promised Messiah is this age in which I have been appointed by God.It is written that in that age: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomina- tion that maketh desolate is set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.2* Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.³ 1.Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:59 [Publisher] 2.According to the Book of Daniel, one day represents a year.Here that Prophet indicates the year of Hijrah (migration) which is [counted from] the first year of the victory and dominance of Islam.(Author) 3.In the King James Version, these verses are Daniel 12:10-12.[Publishers]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER II 251 This prophecy tells about the Promised Messiah who was to appear in the Latter Days.According to Prophet Dāniāl, his sign is that the Jews will give up the rite of making burnt offerings,¹" and will fall victim to corrupt practices.The Promised Messiah is destined to appear after 1,290 years.This was the exact time of the advent of this humble one, for my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was printed and published only a few years after I was appointed and commissioned.It is amazing and I consider this to be a Sign of God—that I was blessed with converse and discourse with God Almighty exactly in the year 1290 Hijrah; seven years thereafter, Barāhin-e-Ahmadiyya— in which my claim is recorded-was compiled and published.Accordingly, the following couplet is written on the opening page of the book: 1.Footnote: In accordance with the teaching of their Scriptures, the Jews were required to make burnt offerings.They would slaughter goats and burn them in front of the temple.What the law intended was that people should, similarly, sacrifice their own self before God and should burn their selfish passions and rebellion.The Jews had abandoned this practice, in letter and spirit, during the blessed days of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and had fallen prey to other loathsome practices as is quite well known.Thus, when the Jews stopped offering this real burnt sacri- fice, i.e.sacrificing their ego in the path of God and burning their selfish pas- sions, then God Almighty's wrath deprived them even of physical sacrifice.This, in fact, was the period of rank misconduct on the part of the Jews which coincided with the advent of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the uprooting of the Jews.As a matter of fact, the Islamic custom of sacrifice offered during the Hajj of the House of Allah, the Ka'bah, is a substitute for the sacrifices which the Jews used to perform in front of Baitul-Muqaddas.The only difference is that there is no burnt sac- rifice in Islam.The Jews were a rebellious people.Deeming it necessary for them to burn their selfish passions, this symbolic sacrifice was prescribed for them.Islam, on the other hand, does not stand in need of such a sign; instead, it is enough to surrender oneself in the path of God.(Author)

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252 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION نکلی وہ واہ از بس کہ یہ مغفرت کا دکھلاتی ہے راہ تاریخ بھی یا Considering that it shows the path of salvation, How wonderful it is that the year of publication [1297 AH] is repre- sented by the phrase 'Ya Ghafür' 2 [O Forgiving Lord].Thus, the year 1290 recorded in the Book of Daniel is the year of the Promised Messiah's advent.The book, Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya, in which I announced that I was commissioned and appointed by God, was published only seven years thereafter, and I have already stated that the series of converse with Allah had started seven years earlier; i.e.in 1290 Hijrah.Again the last days of the Promised Messiah are fixed by Dāniāl at 1,335 years which resembles the revelation of God Almighty concerning my age.This prophecy is not based on presumption, for it concurs with the prophecy of Haḍrat Īsāªs [Jesus] in the Gospel concerning the Promised Messiah which also fixes the present age for the Promised Messiah.Thus, the following Signs of the time [for the advent] of the Promised Messiah are noted during that period: the plague shall break out, earthquakes shall strike, wars will rage, and the solar and lunar eclipses shall take place.Hence, there is not the least doubt that the age whose hallmarks are spelled out in the Gospel is the same about which Dāniāl prophesied.And the prophecy of the Gospel supports that of Dāniāl, for all those things have come to pass in this age.Furthermore, the Jewish and the Christian prophecy that is inferred from the Bible affirms it; namely, that the Promised Messiah will be born at the end of the 6th millennium from the birth of Adam.According to the lunar calendar, which is the original calendar of the People of the 1.The word in the original Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was ('points to').The word ('shows') as given here is a variation of the same with similar meanings.[Publisher] 2.In the Arabic abjad system each letter in the alphabet corresponds to a nu- merical value.Using this system, the value of 'Ya Ghafür' is 1,297.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER II 253 Book, my birth took place at the end of the sixth millennium—and the birth of the Promised Messiah had, since the beginning of time, been pre- ordained by God to take place at the end of the 6th millennium, because the Promised Messiah is Khatamul-Khulafa' [the Seal of the Khulafa"] and the last ought to have similarity with the first.Since Ḥaḍrat Ādamªs was born in the last part of the sixth day, it was necessary with respect to the parallelism that the last vicegerent—who is the last Adam-should also be born at the end of the sixth millennium.This is because each day of the seven days of God equals 1,000 years, as Allah Himself says: 1 إِن يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَالْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ.Authentic aḥadīth also bear out that the Promised Messiah would be born in the sixth millennium.2 This is why all those blessed with [spiritual] visions have not gone beyond the sixth millennium in fixing the time for the Promised Messiah, and the outermost limit of the time of his advent is stated as the 14th century Hijrah.3* Muslims who were gifted with spiritual visions have foretold that the Promised Messiah—who is the last Khalifah and Khātamul-Khulafa' [Seal of the Khulafa']—is like Adam in that he would be born at the end of 6th Millennium, just as Adam was born at the end of the sixth day.Moreover, like Adam, he would be born on Friday and would be a 1.And verily, a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of your reckoning (Surah al-Hajj, 22:48).[Publisher] 2.God Almighty has disclosed to me that, according to the Jumal [Abjad] system of enumeration, the numerical value of the letters constituting Surah al-Asr indicates the number of years that have passed since the beginning of Adam up to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.In accordance with this blessed Surah, when calculated up to this: age, the 7th millennium has now started.And, according to this calculation, my birth has taken place in the 6th millennium, for my age is almost sixty-eight years now.(Author) 3.See Hijajul-Kirāmah compiled by Nawab Şiddīq Ḥasan Khān of Bhopal.(Author)

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254 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION twin birth.Just as Adam was born in the manner of a twin-Adam first, and then Eve-similarly, the Promised Messiah would be born twin.So, Allah be praised and thanked that I am the fulfilment of this prophecy of the mystics.I, too, was born a twin at dawn on a Friday with the sole dif- ference that the first to be born was a girl whose name was Jannat-and she went to Jannat [Paradise] after a few days—and after her I was born.Sheikh Muḥy-ud-Dīn ibn-e-'Arabī has recorded this prophecy in his book Fusus, and has also written that he [the Promised Messiah] would be of Chinese descent.¹ In any case, these three prophesies reinforce one another.Because they have been fulfilled, they have acquired the status of certainty that no sensible person can deny.12.[TWELFTH] SIGN-Is the prophecy by Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsāªs concerning earthquakes and plague.As has been stated earlier, the advent of the Promised Messiah is certain to take place at that time.2* 1.What is meant by it is that his family shall have Turkish blood in them.This prophecy finds fulfilment in our family-which is known as Mughals― because although the truth is, indeed what God said that this family is of Persian origin, it is certain and well known that many of our mothers and grandmothers are of Mughal lineage who are Chinese by origin; i.e.residents of China.(Author) 2.A priest writes that the plague and earthquakes are no proof of the advent of the Promised Messiah, for history shows that such earthquakes and such plagues have always occurred in the world.The reply to this is that, without doubt, these earthquakes and this plague in Punjab and India are extraor- dinary.No such occurrence is on record over the past hundreds of years.Quantitatively as well as qualitatively, this plague and these earthquakes are, indeed, most unusual.If the priest disagrees, he should quote some precedent.Besides, even if there have been plague, earthquakes, and wars in the world in the past, there was no claimant to being the Promised Messiah at that time.Therefore, now that a claimant to being the Messiah has appeared prior to such unusual earthquakes and the plague and all these Signs in conformity with those given in the Gospel have come to pass, why should he be rejected? True, the stars of heaven have not [literally] fallen upon the earth.You should ask astronomers if humans and animals could survive if the stars should fall on the earth.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 13 255 13.[THIRTEENTH] SIGN―The prophecy about the advent of the Promised Messiah at the end of the sixth millennium as deduced from the Bible.14.[FOURTEENTH] SIGN―The prophecy of Ni'matullāh Walī concerning me, the couplets of which I have reproduced in my book Nishan-e-Asmānī.15.[FIFTEENTH] SIGN―The prophecy of Gulab Shāh Jamālpūrī con- cerning me which I have recorded in detail in my book Izāla-e-Auhām.16.[SIXTEENTH] SIGN-Pir ṢŞahibul-'Alam of Sindh-who had 100,000 followers and was a famous saint in his area-saw in a dream that, referring to me, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, 'He is truthful and is from me.I have already published this dream in Tuhfah-e-Golarhviyyah.Therefore, no further details are required.17.[SEVENTEENTH] SIGN―The revelation received by Maulawi Ṣāḥibzādah 'Abdul-Laṭīf, the martyr, that this person [meaning me] is in the right, and he is also the Promised Messiah.And, along with it, there were many successive dreams which bestowed such steadfast- ness upon him that he ultimately gave up his life in the land of Kabul, on the orders of the Amir of Kabul, to attest to my truth.The Amir remonstrated with him a number of times that he would be honoured even more if only he were to forego his bai'at [pledge of allegiance] to me.But he replied, 'I cannot put my life above my faith.' In the end, he sacrificed his life in this path, saying, 'I prefer to give up my life for Allah's pleasure.' He was then stoned to death, and he displayed such steadfastness that not even a single sigh escaped from his lips.For forty days his corpse lay in the stones.After this, one of his disciples, by the name of Aḥmad Nur, buried his dead body.It has been reported that his grave still smells of musk.A strand of his hair was

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256 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION brought here and it still smells of musk.It is displayed in a glass frame in a corner of my Baitud-Du'a' [A small chamber in the house of the Promised Messiah as where he used to pray].It is obvious that had this enterprise been a mere fraud perpetrated by an impostor, why would the blessed martyr receive revelations about my truthfulness while he was living such a long distance away, and why would he see repeated dreams while he was even unaware of my name? Only God informed him concerning me that the Promised Messiah had appeared in the Punjab.It was then that he began to investigate the news coming from the Punjab, and when he learnt that, indeed, a person in Qadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab, does claim to be the Promised Messiah, he hastened towards me, leaving everything behind, and stayed here for about two months.Upon his return, he was arrested on the report of wicked inform- ers.After his arrest, when he was told to meet his wife and children, he replied, 'I need not meet them anymore.I entrust them to God.' When the verdict was delivered that he would be stoned to death, he said, 'I shall not remain dead for more than forty days.This was a reference to what is written in the Scriptures that a believer is brought to life a few days, or at the most forty days, after his death and is raised to Heaven.This is the same controversy that continues to persist between me and my opponents regarding the rafa' [ascension] of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, peace be upon him.In keeping with the Book of God, I believe in his spiritual ascension, whereas they believe in physical ascension, in contravention of the Book of God and in defiance of the God's injunction: قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَّسُولًا.And they say that I am the Dajjāl [Antichrist] because it is written that 1.Say, 'Holy is my Lord! I am not but a man sent as a Messenger' (Sūrah Bani Isra'il, 17:94).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 17 257 as many as thirty dajjāls will appear.They fail to realize that if thirty dajjāls were to come, then, according to this measure, there should have come thirty Messiahs as well-one for every dajjal.What a travesty that thirty dajjāls did appear, but there has not been a single Messiah.How unfortunate is this ummah that it only has dajjāls in its lot and it is yet to see the face of a true Messiah, whereas hundreds of Prophets appeared among the Israelite dispensation.In short, is it righteousness to criticize a Movement in which God raised people as truthful as 'Abdul-Latif, the martyr, who were bestowed with revelation from God, who sacrificed their lives in this path, and who testified to my truth on the basis of the revelation received from God? How can a pious and righteous scholar show such loving fervour for an impostor? کس بہر کسے سرند بد جان ندید نفشاند عشق است که این کار بصد صدق کناند No one dies or lays down his life for anyone else.It is love [alone] that compels a person to perform this task with the utmost sincerity.عشق است که بر خاک مذلت غلطاند عشق است که در آتش سوزاں بنشاند It is love that makes one sit in the raging fire.It is love that makes one wallow in the dust of humiliation.عشق است کریں دام بیکدم برهاند بے عشق دے پاک شود من نپذیرم I do not believe that a heart could be purified without love.It is love that hastens to rescue [us] from this [mundane] snare.Ṣāḥibzadah Maulawi ‘Abdul-Latif, the martyr, testified to the truth Steadfastness has a] الْإِسْتِقَامَةُ فَوْقَ الْكَرَامَةِ [with his own blood [as is said higher status than a miracle'], but the practice of most of the ulema of today is that they are wont to alter their fatwas [edicts] for a paltry couple of rupees.They speak not out of the fear of God, but under the upsurge of their ego.On the contrary, 'Abdul-Latif, the blessed

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258 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION martyr, was such a veracious and righteous man of God that he cared neither for his wife, nor children, nor his own dear life in the path of God.Such indeed are the true divines whose words and deeds are worthy of emulation and who proved true to their commitment in the path of God until the very end.ہر جا کہ گرد خاست سوارے دران بجو از بند گان نفس رو آں یگان مپرس Do not seek to know the path to that Incomparable One from the slaves of the self; Seek the rider wherever dust clouds appear.محبتش گزیں و قرارے دران بجو رو اں کس کہ ہست از پے آن یار بے قرار One who feels restless because of that Beloved, Let him go seek His company and find peace.بر آستان آنکه ز خود رفت بهر یار بچوں خاک باش و مرضی یارے دران بجو At the threshold of the one who lost himself for the sake of the Beloved, Be like dust and seek in it the pleasure of the Beloved.حرقت گزیں وفتح حصارے دران بجو بدورسند مردان بتلخ کامی و حرقت The enterprising ones reach out to Him after tasting great ardour and spite; Go and court this ardour, and seek within it the conquest of the citadel.این نفس دون بسوز و نگارے دران بجو بر مند غرور نشستن طریق نیست The right way is not to be seated on the throne of arrogance; Consume the lower self and seek the Beloved by doing so.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 18 259 18.EIGHTEENTH SIGN―God Almighty has said: وَ لَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ.لَاخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ.ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ.Meaning that, had this Prophet falsely attributed any sayings to Us, We would have seized him by the right hand and severed that vein which is his life-vein [i.e.jugular vein].Although this verse has been revealed regarding the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, it is of general application, quite like the idiom of the entire Holy Quran where most of the commands and prohibitions are apparently addressed to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but others are also addressed in these commandments, or such commandments are exclusively meant for others as is this verse: فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أَفْ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَ قُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا.Meaning that, never say unto your parents any word expressive of ennui, and do not say to them such things as lack regard for their esteem.The addressee of this verse is the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but this commandment is, in fact, directed toward the Ummah, because the father and the mother of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had passed away when he was very young.This commandment also contains a point to pon- der, namely, that a sensible person can appreciate from this verse that if this commandment is addressed to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, admonishing him to respect his parents and pay due regard to their exalted station in all conversation, how much respect others need to show towards their parents.This is what another verse points to: 1.Surah al-Haqqah, 69:45-47 [Publisher] 2.Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:24 [Publisher]

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260 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا.Meaning that, your Lord has ordained that you should worship only Him and show benevolence towards parents.In this verse the idola- ters who worship idols are admonished thus: 'Idols are nothing and idols have done no favour to you; they did not create you, nor did they provide for you in your tender age.Had God permitted the worship of anyone other than Himself, He would have enjoined that you should worship parents too; for, figuratively speaking, they are also sustainers, and everyone—even beasts and grazing animals-pro- tect their offspring in their tender years.Thus, after God's sustaining Lordship, they also play their role in nurturing, and this impulse to nurture, again, is from God.After this short digression, let me turn to the main subject.God says about the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that, had he lied against Us, We would have destroyed him.This does not mean that God has expressed His jealousy only with reference to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in that were he an impostor, God would have destroyed him; but His jealousy is not roused in the case of others no matter how much they lie against God or concoct false revelations and ascribe them to God.Such a concept is as irrational as it is against all of God's Scriptures.The Torah still contains the sentence that whoever lies against God and makes a false claim to Prophethood shall be destroyed.Besides, Muslim scholars have long been quoting the verse 2 before the Christians and the Jews as evidence of the veracity of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.It is obvious that an argument is of no use unless it has a general application.How can this be an argument that had the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings 1.Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:24 [Publisher] 2.If he had falsely attributed [even a trivial statement to Us] (Sūrah al-Haqqah, 69:45).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 18 261 of Allah be upon him, fabricated [against God], he would have been destroyed and the whole undertaking would have come to naught, but God is not offended if someone else fabricates [against Him]; rather, He loves such a person and grants him respite more than He did to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and even helps and supports him! This should not be called an argument.Rather, it is a claim which itself stands in need of an argument.Alas! In opposing me, they have stooped so low as to attack even the Signs of the veracity of the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him.Since these people know that more than twenty-five years have elapsed since my claim of being a recipient of divine revelation and inspiration, exceeding even the tenure of minis- try of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as that was twenty-three years; while, in my case, it is close to thirty years and I do not know how long the extent of my period of call is in the knowledge of God.This is why these people, despite being hailed as maulawīs, assert that one who lies against God and is a false claimant of revelation can even survive for as long as thirty years from the begin- ning of his fabrication and that God can help and support him, and yet they do not produce any precedent for it.O impertinent people! Remember, lying is akin to eating dung.The way God has treated me with His grace and kindness is so much so that during this lengthy period¹ of time, each day was a day of progress for me, and in every lawsuit that was filed to ruin me, God disgraced my enemies.Do produce, if you have any precedent of such [divine] support and succour over such a period of time.Otherwise, in keeping 1.It may be borne in mind that, if the duration of my period of revelation is counted from the time when Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, Part I was written, the period during which I have been receiving revelations from that year approx- imates twenty-seven years; if it is counted from Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, Part IV, then twenty-five years have elapsed; and if the time when I first started receiving revelations is taken into account, then this period amounts to thirty years.(Author)

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262 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION with the verse the fulfilment of this Sign has been proven and you will be called to account about it.19.NINETEENTH sign-Is that Khwājah Ghulām Farīd, the pir [spiritual mentor] of the Nawab of Bahawalpur, saw a dream testifying to my truthfulness, on account of which God Almighty imbued his heart with love for me.And on this very account, Khwājah [Ghulām Farīd], in the book Ishārāt-e-Farīdī, which consists of his sayings, repeatedly testifies to my truthfulness.It is the practice of saintly peo- ple that they rarely get involved in theological controversies.They believe in what God Almighty communicates to them through dreams, visions, or revelations.Therefore, since Khwajah Ghulām Farīd was pure of heart like Pīr Ṣāḥibul-'Alam, God disclosed to him the fact of my truthfulness.Many a cleric, like Maulawi Ghulām Dastagīr, arrived at the village of Khwajah [Ghulām Farīd] with the intent to make him reject me.The respected Khwajah himself has narrated these facts in the book Ishārāt-e-Farīdī.Khwājah [Ghulām Farīd] received a letter from some Ghaznavis as well, but he paid no heed to anyone and gave these unenlightened mullahs such crushing replies as silenced them completely.By the grace of God, he died a believer testifying to my truthfulness.The letters he wrote to me also show how great a love God had placed within his heart for me and how great a spiritual insight concerning me God had bestowed upon him out of His grace! The respected Khwajah has repeatedly responded to the criticism of my opponents in his book Ishārāt-e-Farīdī.For instance, it is reported at one place in Ishārāt-e-Farīdī that someone submitted to Khwajah [Ghulam Farīd] that Ātham died after the stipulated time frame.He replied mentioning my name: 'What difference does it make! I know 1.Surah al-Haqqah, 69:45 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 19 263 that Ātham died merely on account of his breath'; in other words, it was his attention and resolve that finished Ātham off." * Someone asked him in reference to me: 'How can we accept him as the Promised Mahdi (the Divinely Guided One) when he does not fulfil all the Signs detailed in the aḥādīth?' The respected Khwājah was displeased at this remark and replied: 'Tell me a Prophet or Messenger in whom all of the proposed Signs were fulfilled that people had previ- ously conceived? Had that been the case, why would some believe and others disbelieve?' This indeed is the divine practice that all the Signs recorded in the prophecies about a Prophet-to-come are never fulfilled literally.At places there are allegories, and at places a difference occurs resulting from one's own understanding, while yet at other places old accounts suffer some distortion.Therefore, the way of righteousness is to derive benefit from what has been fulfilled, keeping in view the time and the need.Had it been necessary to reconcile all the preconceived Signs accord- ing to one's own understanding, we would have to give up all Prophets and the consequence would have been nothing but deprivation and 1.I have written repeatedly that the prophecy regarding Ātham was fulfilled in its sum and substance.Had Ātham not publicly retracted in the presence of sixty or seventy persons from using the term dajjal, it could be said that the prophecy was not fulfilled.But since Ātham had retracted, it was but neces- sary for him to have benefited from the provision.On the contrary, the divine promise would have been exposed to objection had Ātham died within the fifteen months despite the fact that he publicly retracted in the presence of a gathering of Christians, paying no heed to his honour and reputation.In such a case, it could have been said that the prophecy was not fulfilled.But to raise objection now despite his retraction behoves only those who have no regard for faith and fair play.Of course, when Ātham became rather audacious after the fifteen months had elapsed and ceased to be grateful for God's benevo- lence, in keeping with another prophecy, he died within fifteen months of my last announcement.In any case, his death could not go beyond fifteen months.Thus, a reasonable person, despite being Christian, has admitted that the prophecy about Atham was most clearly fulfilled and to deny it is nothing but sheer obduracy.(Author)

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264 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION faithlessness, because there has not been any Prophet concerning whom all the preconceived Signs have been literally fulfilled; somehow or other, there has been some shortfall.The Jews used to say about the first Messiah namely, Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā—that he would appear only when Prophet Ilyas [Elijah] had returned to the earth before him.But did Ilyas come? Similarly, the Jews used to insist that the awaited Khatamul- Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets] would be from among the Israelites.Did he appear from among the Israelites? When, defying the Jewish expectation to which all their Prophets agreed, the Khātamul-Anbiya' did not come from among the Israelites, why is it any wonder then if the Promised Mahdi has not appeared from the House of the Fatimids or the Abbasids? God's prophecy carries many a hidden secret; a trial is also intended." Therefore, Muslims should take a lesson that the Jews were deprived of faith as the consequence of insisting upon their own interpretation, for an authentic hadith foretells that in the Latter Days some from among the Muslims will become Jews; that is, they will adopt the atti- tude of the Jews and will follow in their footsteps as is written that if a Jew had committed incest with his mother, so will they [the Muslims] do.Indeed it is an occasion to tread warily; most of the Jews failed to accept Hadrat Īsās and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, only because they considered it unlawful to accept until they would see all the marks and signs being fulfilled in them in accordance with their own preconceived ideas.Consequently, they 1.Study the aḥādīth with careful deliberation, for they are so disparate about the Promised Mahdi as if they were a collection of contradictions.Some aḥādīth say that the Mahdi will be a Fatimid, some say he will be an Abbasid, while others report that he will be a person from among my Ummah.And the hadith of Ibn-e-Mājah has repudiated all these reports, for this hadith has these words meaning that, ‘Īsā himself is the Mahdi; there is no Mahdi besides him.Moreover, the aḥādīth concerning the Mahdi are such that none is beyond question, and none of them can be described as authentic.Therefore, the way the prophecy manifested itself and the verdict that was given by the Promised Arbiter is what is correct.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 20 265 fell into the pit of disbelief.They continued to insist that Ilyās [Elijah] must come first and then the Messiah, and the Khātamul-Anbiya' must be from among the Israelites.In short, God Almighty had blessed Khwājah Ghulām Farīd with the inner light that he could distinguish between the truthful and an impostor at a single glance.May God bless him with His mercy and grant him a place in His nearness.Āmin.20.TWENTIETH SIGN-Some thirty years ago, I received the rev- elation from Almighty God: 'You shall witness a distant progeny.Hundreds of people are witness to this revelation.It has been published a number of times.So it came to pass in conformity with it.I saw the children who did not exist at the time of the prophecy, and then I saw the children of the children, and I do not know how far the effect of this prophecy will continue.21.TWENTY FIrst sign―Some thirty years ago, my respected father-may God bless him with His mercy-fell ill near the end of his life.On the day he was destined to breathe his last, I received the revelation at noon: وَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الطَّارِقِ.Simultaneous with it, I was made to think that it indicated his demise and its meanings are: 'I swear by the heavens and I swear by the tragic incident which shall befall after sunset.' It was a message of condolence from God Almighty to His humble servant.I understood thereby that my father would die after sunset.Many people were informed of this revelation.I swear by Allah the Almighty-in whose hands my life rests and to lie against whom is an act of Satan and of an accursed one- -that it happened accordingly.On that day, my father's real illness, which was renal colic, had been cured.Only slight dysentery remained and he could go to the toilet on

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266 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION his own strength, without any assistance.When the sun set, on return from the lavatory, as soon as he sat down on the bedstead, death's rattle started.In the same condition of death rattle, he said to me, 'See what this is.' Then he lay down.Before this, I had never had the occasion to see anyone speak during the death rattle and talk clearly and firmly in the state of a death rattle.After this, exactly as the sun set, he passed away from this transitory world.[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return].This was the very first of all the revelations and was the first prophecy that God disclosed to me.God informed me at noon that this was going to happen and it came to pass after sunset.It is an honour for me and I will not forget that God Almighty condoled with me at the time of my father's demise and swore by the death of my father the way He swore by the heavens.Those who have a satanic spirit rampant within them would wonder how it could be that God Almighty confers such honour on someone that by declaring his father's death to be a great shock, He should swear by it.But, once again, I swear by the God of Honour and Glory that this incident is true and that it was God, indeed, who informed me about it by way of condolence and said: وَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الطَّارِقِ.[By the heaven and the Morning Star.] And it came to pass accordingly.[So Allah be praised for all this].22.TWENTY SECOND SIGN-As I have just written, when I was apprised of the news that my father would pass away after sunset, I, being human, was distressed upon hearing this news.Moreover, most of the means of our livelihood were contingent upon his life.He received a pension from the British Government as well as a large sum of gratuity, which was contingent upon him being alive.Therefore, the thought crossed my mind as to what would happen after his demise.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 22 267 The anxiety surfaced in my heart that perhaps we would face days of deprivation and hardship.All this concern flashed across my mind in the fraction of a second, quite like lightning.At that very moment, I felt drowsy and received the second revelation: أَلَيْسَ اللهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ.Meaning that, is not God sufficient for His servant? My heart was strengthened by this revelation from Allah as a gravely painful wound is instantly healed with a balm.The fact is that it has been verified repeatedly that divine revelation has an intrinsic quality to grant comfort.At the root of this quality lies the certainty which one acquires regarding God's revelation.Alas! What kind of revelations do these people have that, despite their claim of being the recipients of revelation, they also confess that their revelations are only conjectural affairs and they do not know whether they are satanic or divine? The harm of such revelations is greater than their benefit.But I swear by God that I believe in these revelations of mine just as I do in the Holy Quran and other Scriptures.Just as I believe with certainty and conviction that the Holy Quran is the Word of God, so do I believe the Word that descends upon me to be the Word of God, for I behold the refulgence and light of God with it and I find Signs of God's prov- idence accompanying it.In short, I immediately understood that God would not let me be wasted when I received the revelation: أَلَيْسَ اللهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ.[Is not God sufficient for His servant?] After this, I wrote down the revelation and handed it to Malawāmal who is a Hindu, a khatri by caste, a resident of Qadian, and is still alive.I related the entire incident to him and despatched him to Amritsar so that, through the good offices of Ḥakīm Maulawi Muḥammad Sharif

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268 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of Kalanaur, he may get it engraved in a stone and get a stamp made.I selected this Hindu gentleman for this task with the sole intention of making him a witness to this grand prophecy, and so that Maulawi Muḥammad Sharif should become a witness too.As a result, through the agency of the respected Maulawi, the signet ring was prepared at the cost of five rupees and delivered to me.It is still with me.Its tracing is: I received this revelation at a time when our means of livelihood and comfort were wholly dependent upon my father's meagre income.Not even a single person from the outside knew me, for I was an unknown individual lying in obscurity in a desolate village like Qadian.After this, God, in keeping with His prophecy, turned a world towards me and helped me financially with such successive victories for which I do not have the words to express my gratitude.Considering my dire con- dition, I did not expect that even ten rupees a month would come.But God Almighty, who raises the poor from dust and reduces the arro- gant to dust, helped me so much so that I can say with confidence that, until now, about 300,000 rupees, or perhaps even more, have already come.This income may be estimated from the fact that the monthly expenditure for the Langar Khanah [public kitchen] alone has been running at 1,500 rupees on an average for so many years, and other categories of expenses like the school etc.and the printing of books are besides it.Hence it is worth noting, indeed, with what clarity, might, and glory this prophecy has been fulfilled: أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ.[Is not God sufficient for His servant?] 1.Although thousands of rupees have come by money orders, many more have been given from devotees by hand or in the form of currency notes that came in letters.Some devotees sent currency notes or gold without disclosing their names and I still do not know what their names are.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 23 269 Is this the work of an impostor? Or are these satanic insinuations? Certainly not! On the contrary, it is the work of the Almighty in whose hands lie honour, dishonour, adversity, and prosperity.If you do not trust this statement of mine, you may examine the official postal records of the past twenty years and you would know how the door of income has been opened during this period of time, though this income was not limited to delivery by post.Thousands of rupees are received when people donate in person by coming to Qadian, and there is also the income in the form of the currency notes sent in envelopes.23.TWENTY-THIRD SIGN-Is the prophecy about Deputy 'Abdullāh Ātham which has been very clearly fulfilled.The fact is that these were two prophecies.The first was that he would die within fifteen months, and the second was that if he would desist from his published state- ment that God forbid—the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the Dajjāl, he would not die within fifteen months.1* _ As I have already stated, the basis of the prophecy for his death was that in one of his books Andrūna-e-Bible ['Inner Nature of the 1.Thousands of people might know that when Ātham, in accordance with the condition laid down in the revelation, was granted respite, he expressed no gratefulness at this respite; rather, presuming that the calamity had been warded off, he chose to hide the truth, and said that he had not been afraid; and yet he refused to testify to it on oath, although all the pious ones of the Christian faith have [all along] been swearing on oath.It is evident from the Gospel that Ḥaḍrat Masīḥ himself testified on oath, and so did Paul and Peter.Therefore, after he had thus concealed the truth, God revealed to me that he would now die soon.It was then that I issued a handbill concerning it.And it is peculiar that he did die within fifteen months from the date of the publication of the handbill that I had published about his death according to this second revelation.Hence, God retained the same fifteen months for Atham when he had forsaken the path of truthfulness and had concealed the truth about which there is so much lamentation and wailing in the quarters of my opponents.(Author)

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270 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Bible'], Ātham had pronounced our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to be the Dajjal.It is true that in the prophecy fifteen months was the stipulated time frame for Atham's death, but along with it there was the condition, the wording of which was: 'provided he does not turn to the Truth'.But Ātham retracted in the same public meeting.In great humility, he stuck his tongue out and with both hands on his ears, he expressed remorse at having used the word Dajjal [Antichrist].Not one or two but as many as sixty or seventy people are witnesses to it—about half of them being Christians and about half being Muslims.I think about fifty of them might still be alive in whose presence Ātham had retracted from using the word Dajjal and then, until the day of his death, he never uttered any such word again.Now it should be considered what maliciousness, wickedness, and dishonesty it is that, despite Ātham's unequivocal retraction in the presence of some sixty or seventy witnesses, it should be asserted that Ātham did not retract.Divine wrath was entirely based upon the word Dajjal.This was the basis for the prophecy and retraction from this very word was the condition.For him to become a Muslim is not at all mentioned in the prophecy.Hence, when he retracted in all humility, God also turned to him with mercy.God's revelation never implied that, unless Ātham accepted Islam, he would not escape death, for all the Christians share their disbelief in Islam.God does not compel anyone to accept Islam.It would be entirely irrational to prophesy that if a certain person did not accept Islam, he would die within a certain period of time.The world is full of people who deny Islam.And I have stated again and again that in this world no chastisement can visit anyone simply on account of denying Islam.The reckoning for this sin will only occur on the Day of Judgment.As such, what was so special about Ātham that his death—but not of oth- ers—be prophesied on account of his denying Islam? The sole cause of this prophecy was that he had used the word Dajjal about the hallowed status of the Holy Prophet, may peace and

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POSTSCRIPT—SIGN NUMBER 24 271 blessings of Allah be upon him, from which he retracted in the pres- ence of some sixty or seventy people, including many who were noble and respectable, who were present in that gathering.Then, after he had retracted from this word, and, indeed, continued to weep afterwards, he became deserving of mercy in the sight of God Almighty, but only to the extent that his death was delayed by a few months and he died in my lifetime.So, in accordance with the debate, which was a kind of prayer duel, he was proven to be a liar on account of his death.Has the prophecy still not been fulfilled? Of course, it was fulfilled—and fulfilled very clearly! God's curse is upon such hearts as do not desist from finding faults with such definitive Signs.If they so desire, I can produce some forty witnesses to Ātham's retraction.This is why he did not dare swear on oath even though all Christians have been making statements on oath throughout; Hadrat Masiḥ himself swore on oath.I need not prolong this discussion Ātham is not alive anymore; it has been more than eleven years since he died.24.[TWENTY-FOURTH] SIGN-On 30 June 1899, I received the reve- lation: 'First unconsciousness, then coma, then death.' And the under- standing given at the same time was that this revelation pertained to a sincere friend whose death would cause me sorrow.So this revelation was announced to several members of my Jama'at and it was published in al-Hakam of 30 June 1899.Thereafter, towards the end of July 1899 a very sincere friend of mine, Dr.Muḥammad Burhey Khan, Assistant Surgeon, died suddenly in Qasur.He first lost consciousness, then sud- denly entered into a coma and then passed on from this mortal world.There was a difference of only 20-22 days between the time of his death and this revelation.25.TWENTY-FIFTh sign―Is the prophecy regarding the criminal case which Karam Dīn of Jhelum had filed against me at Jhelum.The words of the prophecy from God Almighty were:

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272 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION رَبِّ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خَادِمُكَ.رَبِّ فَاحْفَظْنِى وَانْصُرْنِي وَارْحَمْنِن.[O my Lord, everything is Your servant.So O my Lord, protect me and help me and have mercy on me].There were also other revelations containing the promise of acquittal.Thus, God Almighty brought about my exoneration in this case.26.TWENTY-SIXTH SIGN-Is my acquittal from the criminal case of Karam Dīn of Jhelum filed against me in the court of Chandū Lāl and Ātma Rām Magistrate, Gurdaspur.The prophecy had spelled out that in the end I would be acquitted.Accordingly, I was acquitted.27.TWENTY-SEVENTH SIGN-Is the prophecy about the punishment of Karam Din of Jhelum.Accordingly, he was punished in the end.See my book Mawabibur-Rahman [Bounties of the Gracious God'] page 129, line 8.¹ These three prophecies are recorded in great detail in Mawāhibur- Rahman.This book Mawāhibur-Raḥmān was compiled and published at a time when the outcome of the prophecy was totally unknown.The text of the prophecy published in the said book runs as follows: وَ مِنْ آيَاتِي مَا أَنْبَأَنِيَ الْعَلِيْمُ الْحَكِيْمُ فِى أَمْرِ رَجُلٍ لَئِيْمِ.وَبُهْتَانِهِ الْعَظِيْمِ وَأُوْحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ يُرِيْدُ أنْ يُتَخَطَّفَ عِرْضَكَ.ثُمَّ يَجْعَلَ نَفْسَهُ غَرَضَكَ.وَأَرَانِي فِيْهِ رُؤْيَا ثَلَثَ مَرَّاتٍ وَ أَرَانِي أَنَّ الْعُدُو أَعَدَّ لِذَالِكَ ثَلَاثَةَ حُمَاةٍ لِتَوْهِيْنِ وَ أَعْنَاتٍ وَ رَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّيْ أُحْضِرْتُ مُحَاكَمَةً كَالْمَأْخُوْذِيْنَ وَ رَبَّيْتُ أَنَّ أُخِرَ أَمْرِى نَجَاتٌ بِفَضْلِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِيْنَ.وَلَوْ بَعْدَ حِيْنِ.وَ بُشِّرْتُ أَنَّ الْبَلَاءَ يُرَدُّ عَلَى عَدُوّى الْكَذَّابِ الْمُهِيْنِ.فَاشَعْتُ كُلَّمَا رَئَيْتُ وَ الْهِمْتُ قَبْلَ ظُهُورِهِ فِي جَرِيدَةٍ يُسَمَّى الْحَكَمُ وَفِي جَرِيدَةٍ أُخْرَى يُسَمَّى الْبَدْرُ.ثُمَّ قَعَدْتُ كَالْمُنْتَظِرِينَ.وَ مَا مَرَّ عَلَى مَا رَبَّيْتُ إِلَّا سَنَةً فَإِذَا ظَهَرَ قَدَرُ اللَّهِ عَلَى يَدِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٍ اسْمُهُ كَرَمُ الدِّيْنِ...وَقَدْ ظَهَرَ بَعْضُ أَنْبَاءِهِ تَعَالَى مِنْ أَجْزَاءِ هَذِهِ الْقَضِيَّةِ فَيَظْهَرُ بَقِيَّتُهَا كَمَا وَعَدَ مِنْ غَيْرِ الشَّكِّ وَالشُّبْهَةِ.Translation: ‘Of my Signs is one in which God, the All- Knowing and the Wise, informed me about a mean person and 1.This reference appears on p.350 starting at line 1 of Ruhani Khazā'in, vol.19, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 27 273 his great calumny against me and apprised me through His rev- elation that this man would attack me in order to humiliate me, but would himself become my target in the end.God conveyed this truth to me in the course of three dreams.He disclosed to me in the dream that this enemy would engage three helpers to achieve success so as to somehow insult me and to grieve me.I was shown in the dream as if I was hauled into some court like a prisoner and I was shown that I would be acquitted in the end, even if after an interval.I was given the good news that the affliction would be recoiled upon this lying mean enemy himself.I, therefore, published all these dreams and revelations beforehand.Of the newspapers in which they were published, one is al-Hakam and the other is al-Badr.Then I kept wait- ing for the developments as to when these things indicated in the prophecy would come about.After the passing of one year, these predestined events happened at the hands of Karam Dīn.(That is, he brought criminal charges against me unjustly).A part of the prophecy was thus fulfilled when he filed the suits.The remaining part of it, namely my acquittal from these cases and his own eventual punishment, will also be shortly fulfilled.' It is obvious from this part of the text [of Mawāhibur-Raḥmān] that, at the time of the publication of that book, I had not been absolved and acquitted from the cases filed by Karam Din, nor had he been pun- ished.Instead, it had all been written by way of a prophecy.¹ Given above is the translation of the prophecy recorded in Arabic.It says 1.The dates on which the cases filed by Karam Din were decided by the courts at Jhelum and Gurdaspur, also clearly show that the prophecy about Karam Din's punishment and my acquittal had been published in my book Mawāhibur-Rahman before the verdict in these cases.Anyone interested can go to the court and see the dates of these judgments.Maulawi Thana'ullāh of Amritsar, Maulawi Muḥammad etc.who were present in the court of Ātma Rām are witnesses of the fulfilment of this prophecy.(Author)

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274 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION that Karam Din will file criminal cases to get me punished and many a supporter will help him; in the end, he himself will be punished and God will rescue me from his mischief.This is exactly what happened.Now it should be considered how much of the unseen this prophecy comprises.Can a human being or Satan make such a prophecy that ordains my honour and the enemy's humiliation? 28.TWENTY-EIGHTH SIGN-Is the prophecy regarding the death of Ātma Rām's children.Accordingly, within twenty days, two sons of his died.Witnesses to this prophecy are those members of the Jama'at who were with me during the court case in Gurdaspur.29.TWENTY-NINTH SIGN-Is the prophecy about the demotion of Lālah Chandū Lāl, Extra Assistant Magistrate, Gurdaspur.Accordingly, he was transferred from Gurdaspur to Multan and posted as a Sub-judge.30.THIRTIETH SIGN―There was a person named Dowie, living in America.He claimed to be a Prophet.He was a bitter enemy of Islam and aspired that he would exterminate Islam.He believed Hadrat Īsā to be God.I wrote to him, challenging him to a mubahalah [prayer duel] with me.With it, I also wrote that even if he did not accept the challenge, God would still destroy him.This prophecy was published in a number of American newspapers and also in our own English magazine.The end result of this prophecy was that he was dispossessed of property worth hundreds of thousands of rupees.He was utterly dis- graced and he was stricken with paralysis to the extent that now he cannot move a single step on his own.People carry him everywhere.According to the American doctors, he is beyond treatment and will probably die within a few months.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 31 275 31.THIRTY-FIRST SIGN—Was the prophecy about my exoneration in the murder case which Doctor [Henry] Martyn Clark had filed against me.Thus, in accordance with this prophecy, I was found innocent.32.THIRTY-SECOND SIGN-Is the prophecy regarding the tax case.Some mischievous people had filed a complaint about me to the British Government that my income amounted to thousands of rupees and it should be taxed.God Almighty revealed to me that they would remain unsuccessful.That is exactly what happened.33.THIRTY-THIRD SIGN-A criminal case was fabricated by the police against me in the court of Mr.Douie, Deputy Commissioner, Gurdaspur with the intent of having me sentenced.In regard to this, God Almighty informed me that the perpetrators of this act will be frustrated, and thus it happened.In this context, God Almighty told me: إِنَّا تَجَالَدْنَا فَانْقَطَعَ الْعَدُوُّ وَأَسْبَابُهُ.Meaning that, We fought with the sword and, as a consequence, the enemy was destroyed and its resources were also destroyed.The enemy here refers to the Deputy Inspector [of Police] who had falsely framed the case out of enmity.In the end, he died of the plague.34.THIRTY-FOURTH SIGN-Is that a son of mine had died and my enemies—as is their wont—were overly jubilant at his death.At this, God granted me the glad tidings, saying that instead another son would soon be born; his name would be Mahmood.I was shown his name inscribed on a wall.It was then that I published this prophecy among thousands of friends and foes by means of a green handbill.Seventy days had not yet passed since the death of the first son when this son was born and he was named Mahmood Ahmad.

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276 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 35.thirty-fifth sign―Is that after the birth of my previous son, Mahmood Ahmad, God gave me the glad tidings of the birth of another son.This too was publicly announced by means of a handbill.Accordingly, the second son was born and he was named Bashir Ahmad.36.THIRTY-SIXTH SIGN-Is that God gave me the glad tidings of the birth of yet another son after Bashir Ahmad.This too was published for the people by means of a handbill.Thereafter, the third son was born and he was named Sharif Aḥmad.37.THIRTY-SEVEnth sign—Is that, after this, during [my wife's] pregnancy, God Almighty gave me the glad tidings of a daughter and said concerning her: تُنَشَّأُ فِي الْحِلْيَةِ.Meaning that, she will be brought up among ornaments; that is, she would not die young, nor would she face privation.Accordingly, a daughter was subsequently born who was named Mubārakah Begum.Seven days after her birth—exactly on the day of the aqiqah [Islamic celebration of the birth of a child]—the news was received that Pandit Lekh Rām was murdered, in conformity with the prophecy.Thus, two Signs were fulfilled at one and the same time.38.THIRTY-EIGHTH SIGN-Is that after the birth of the daughter, I was given the glad tidings of the birth of yet another son.In keeping with the previous practice, that happy news was publicly announced.And then, a son was born and he was named Mubarak Aḥmad.39.THIRTY-NINTH SIGN-Is that I was informed through divine revelation that another daughter would be born, but she would die [shortly thereafter].Therefore, that revelation was communicated to

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 40 277 many people beforehand.Later that daughter was born and died a few months later.40.FORTIETH SIGN-Is that after that daughter, the glad tiding of another daughter was given whose words were: وخت کرام.[The daughter of noble ancestors].This revelation was published in either one or both the newspapers Al-Hakam and Al-Badr.A daughter was then born, who was named Amat-ul-Hafiz, and is still alive.41.FORTY-FIRST SIGN-Is that some twenty to twenty-one years have passed since I published a handbill that God had promised me that He would grant me four sons who would live long.In my book Mawāhibur-Rahman on page 139¹ is a reference towards this prophecy in the following words: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى الْكِبَر أَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الْبَنِيْن وَأَنْجَزَ وَعْدَهُ مِنَ الْإِحْسَانِ.That is, all praise and encomium belongs to Allah the Almighty who bestowed four sons upon me in my old age, and thus fulfilled His promise (that I shall give you four sons).Accordingly, those four sons are: 1.Mahmood Ahmad 2.Bashir Aḥmad 3.Sharif Ahmad 4.Mubarak Aḥmad All of them are alive and well.1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.19, page 360, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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278 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 42.FORTY-SECOND SIGN-Is that God had promised a fifth 'son' in the form of a grandson; this prophecy is recorded, in the same book, Mawāhibur-Raḥmän, on page 139,' in the following manner: وَبَشَّرَنِيْ بِخَامِسٍ فِي حِيْنٍ مِّنَ الْأَحْيَانِ.Meaning that, God gave me the good news of a fifth son—who was destined to be born as a grandson in addition to the four-that he would certainly be born at some time.I received another revelation about him which was published long ago in the newspapers al-Badr and al-Ḥakam.It runs thus: إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَم نَافِلَةً لَّكَ نَافِلَةٌ مِّنْ عِنْدِي.Meaning that: We give you the glad tidings of yet another 'son' who will be a nāfilah [grandson]; that is, the son of a son.This nāfilah is from Us.Thus, some three months ago, a son was born to my son Mahmood Ahmad who was named Naṣir Aḥmad.So this prophecy was fulfilled after four and a half years.43.FORTY-THIRD SIGN—Is that I had prophesied in my book Kashti- e-Nuḥ [Noah's Ark] that we would not need any vaccination in the time of plague; God would Himself protect me and all those who are in my house and, comparatively, we would remain safe, but some of those vac- cinated would suffer loss of life.Indeed, this is what actually happened.Some of those who had been vaccinated suffered to the extent of losing their eyesight and some suffered malfunction of other organs.Most of all, in Malakwal, district Gujrat, as many as nineteen people died from the vaccination at the same time.1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.19, page 360, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 44 279 44.FORTY-FOURTH SIGN-Is that 'Abdur-Rahim Khān, son of Sardar Nawab Muḥammad 'Alī Khān, 1 Chief of Malerkotla, once fell sick due to severe typhoid fever and there appeared to be no chance of survival; he seemed as good as dead.At that time, I prayed for him and learnt that it was, as if, an immutable decree.At this, I humbly submitted to God Almighty: 'O God, I intercede on his behalf.' In response to this God Almighty said: مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَةَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ.Meaning that, who can dare intercede for anyone without the permission of God? At this I fell silent.Then, without a pause, I received this revelation: إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْمَجَاز.Meaning that: 'Permission is granted to you to intercede.' Then I started praying with great pathos and fervour.Thence God Almighty accepted my prayer and it was as if the boy climbed out of the grave and the signs of health appeared.He had become so frail that it was a long time before he was able to regain his original form and become healthy.He is still alive and well.45.FORTY-FIFTH SIGN-Is that Maulawi Noor Deen, a sincere friend of mine, had lost a son.This was his only son.At his death, some imprudent enemies expressed great jubilation at the thought that Maulawi [Noor Deen] had been left without issue.Upon this, I prayed for him a great deal.After the supplication I was informed by God: ‘In response to your prayer, a son shall be born.' As a Sign of the fact that he would be born exclusively as the result of prayer, I was informed that he would develop multiple boils on his body.Accordingly, the son 1.The said Nawab migrated from his state headquarters and has settled down in Qadian for the last five years.He is one of my early followers.(Author)

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280 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION was born and was named ‘Abdul-Ḥayy.Multiple boils of an unusual nature appeared on his body, the scars of which are still present.This Sign regarding boils had been announced through a pamphlet before the birth of the boy.46.FORTY-SIXTH SIGN―Is that, at a time when there was no trace of the plague in any district of the Punjab except one place, God Almighty revealed to me that the plague would spread throughout Punjab, and every locale therein would be afflicted by the plague.Death would be rampant, thousands would succumb to the plague, and many villages would be totally ruined.I was shown that black trees of plague had been planted everywhere and in every district.I, therefore, publicized this prophecy in this country by means of thousands of pamphlets and periodicals.Soon thereafter, plague broke out in every district [of the Punjab].As a consequence, as many as 300,000 lives have been lost so far and people are still dying.God Almighty said that the plague shall certainly not leave this country until these people change.47.FORTY-SEVENTH sign—Is that a person named Charāgh Dīn of Jammu was a follower of mine but later retracted and claimed to be a Messenger and said that he was a Messenger of ‘Īsā [Jesus]; he called me a dajjal and said that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā had bestowed upon him a staff with which to kill this dajjāl.I prophesied, concerning him, that he would die of the disease of God's wrath 1*—namely, the plague—and that God would destroy him.Accordingly, on 4 April 1906 he died of plague along with both of his sons.48.FORTY-EIGHTH SIGN-Is that I had prophesied concerning Mirza Aḥmad Baig of Hoshiarpur that he would die within a period of three years.Accordingly, he died within the time frame of three years.1.See the booklet Dāfi'ul-Bala'i wa Mi'yāru Ahlil-Iṣṭifa'['Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God'].(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 49 281 49.FORTY-NINTH SIGN-Is that I had prophesied concerning an earthquake, as was published in the newspapers al-Hakam and al-Badr that a powerful earthquake is destined to strike and become the source of terrible devastation in some parts of the Punjab.The entire wording of the prophecy is as follows: زلزلہ کا دھکا.عَفَتِ الدِّيَارُ مَحَلُّهَا وَمُقَامُهَا.The shock of earthquake.Temporary residences and perma- nent ones will be wiped out.Accordingly, that prophecy was fulfilled on 4 April 1905.50.FIFTIETH SIGN-Is that I had also prophesied that this earthquake would be followed by another earthquake during the time of Spring.One text of this prophecy was: پھر بہار آئی خدا کی بات پھر پوری ہوئی.Spring has come around again and God's Word has again been fulfilled.Thus, that earthquake struck on 28 February 1906, and much damage was caused in mountainous regions due to loss of life and property.51.FIFTY-FIRST SIGN-Is that I had made another prophecy that the earthquakes would take place one after the other for some time.Of them, four shall be the major ones and the fifth will be like Doomsday.Accordingly, earthquakes still continue to happen.Hardly a couple of months pass during which no earthquake occurs.And it should be remembered with certainty that, after this, great earthquakes are going to appear; in particular, the fifth earthquake which will be like Doomsday.Addressing me, God has said that:

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282 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION یہ سب تیری سچائی کے لئے نشان ہیں.All these are Signs of your truthfulness.52.FIFTY-SECOND SIGN-Is that when the mischief of Pandit Dayanand, who was like a Gurū to the Āryas, crossed all limits, I was shown [in a vision] that his life would end shortly.Thus, he died in the same year.I had communicated this prophecy to an Āryah named Sharampat, a resident of Qadian, long before its fulfilment and he [Sharampat] is still alive.53.FIFTY-THIRD SIGN-Is that Bishambar Dās, a brother of the aforesaid Sharampat, was sentenced in a criminal case to a prison term of perhaps a year and a half.Being in a state of dire distress during that time, Sharampat requested me for prayer.Therefore, I prayed for him and, thereafter, I saw in a dream that I had gone to the office where the registers containing the names of the prisoners were kept and in those registers the term of imprisonment of each prisoner was recorded.At this, I opened the register in which the duration of Bishambar Dās's term of imprisonment was inscribed and, with my own hand, I reduced his term of imprisonment to half of its length.When an appeal was made to the Chief Court regarding his imprisonment, it was shown to me that the end of the case would be that the file of the case would come back to the District [Court] and the term of Bishambar Dās's imprisonment would be reduced by half but he would not be acquitted.I had communicated all these details to his brother Lālah Sharampat before the end of case became known.The entire matter unfolded exactly as I had foretold.54.fifty-fourTH SIGN-Is the prophecy about the execution of Maulawi Ṣāḥibzādah ‘Abdul-Laṭīf, the martyr, that is recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 55 283 55.FIFTY-FIFTH SIGN— –Is the prophecy about a failure on the part of Miyān 'Abdullah of Sanaur.He himself is a witness to the fulfilment of this prophecy.56.FIFTY-SIXTH SIGN―Is that I had made a prophecy regarding my marriage in Delhi.I had communicated this revelation to many people who are still alive.In this connection, Barahin contains this revelation, indicating that this [marriage] alliance will be with Sayyeds: اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِي رَبَّيْتَ خَدِيجَتِي.* 1* [Recall My bounty, you have seen My Khadijah.] 57.[FIFTY-SEVENTH SIGN]―There is a prophecy recorded in Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya regarding Maulawi Abū Sa‍īd Muḥammad Ḥusain of Batala that he would endeavour to declare me a disbeliever, and would write down a petition for a verdict to declare me a disbeliever.58.FIFTY-EIGHTH SIGN―There is a prophecy recorded in Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya that Maulawi Nadhir Husain of Delhi would issue a verdict proclaiming me a disbeliever.59.FIFTY-NINTH SIGN―The prophecy about Sheikh Mehr Ali of Hoshiarpur; that is, I saw in a dream that a fire broke out in his house and that I had put it out.It contained the indication that he would ultimately be released as a result of my prayer.I informed Sheikh Mehr Ali about it by writing this entire prophecy in a letter.After that, in accordance with the prophecy, he suffered the hardship of imprisonment.Then, in keeping with the second part of the prophecy, he was released after the imprisonment.1.Haḍrat Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, is the maternal grand- mother of all Sayyeds.Therefore, this revelation contained the hint that: firstly, my wife shall be a Sayyed by descent; and secondly, it contained the prophecy that a large progeny will be born from her offspring.(Author)

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284 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 60.SIXTIETH SIGN-Later on, another prophecy was made concerning Sheikh Mehr Ali that he would be afflicted by another grave calamity.Accordingly, subsequently he suffered paralysis.His condition is unknown since.61.SIXTY-FIRST SIGN-Is the prophecy about the death of my brother, Mirzā Ghulām Qādir.I received a revelation, as if one of my sons had said: عمتی بازی خویش کر دی و مرا افسوس بسیار دادی.اے [O uncle! You played away your life and left me deeply sorrowful].This prophecy was also communicated to the same Āryah Sharampat ahead of time.This revelation meant that my brother would die an untimely and sudden death which would cause much grief.The day I received this revelation or a day earlier a son was born to the aforementioned Sharampat, whom he named Amin Chand.He came to me and informed me of the birth of the son whom he had named Amin Chand.I told him: 'I have just received the revelation: اے علمی بازی خویش کر دی و مرا افسوس بسیار دادی.[O uncle! You played away your life and left me deeply sorrowful.] However, its meaning has not yet been disclosed to me and I am afraid it might well refer to your son, Amin Chand, for your visits to me are so frequent, and occasionally one happens to receive a revelation about someone who is in close contact.' He was alarmed at this statement and, the moment he went back home, he changed the name of his son and named him Gokal Chand instead of Amin Chand.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 62 285 That boy is still alive and is a Reader in the Resettlement Department of some district.It was later disclosed to me that this revelation was an indication of my brother's death.Accordingly, my brother died suddenly two or three days thereafter, and that son of mine was grieved by his death.Sharampat, who is an extremely prej- udiced Āryah, became a witness by getting involved in this chain of events.If you ask why the meaning of the divine revelation was not dis- closed at that very moment, my rejoinder is that the meanings of the Quranic acronyms have not been disclosed even until now.Who knows what means, and what 2 means, and what 3 means? 4919 13117 Moreover, about the verse, hadith reports that the Holy Prophet said, 'I still do not know its meaning.' He also said, 'I was given a bunch of heavenly grapes that was meant for Abū Jahl.I could not understand its implication until Ikrimah, his son, embraced Islam.' Also, he had said: 'I was shown the land to which I was to migrate but it did not occur to me that it was Madinah.In short, such objections arise in the hearts on account of ignorance about the ways of Allah.62.SIXTY-SECOND SIGN-Is the prophecy about the ruin of the Turkish Consul, the details of which are recorded in my books.63.SIXTY-THIRD SIGN―There is a prophecy of God Almighty recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya that I shall be saved from assassina- tion attempts and other machinations.Accordingly, despite a number of attacks, God Almighty has saved me to this day from the evil of the enemies.1.Surah Tā Hā, 20:2 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Qalam, 68:2 [Publisher] 3.Surah Maryam, 19:2 [Publisher] 4.The hosts shall soon be routed (Surah al-Qamar, 54:46).[Publisher]

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286 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 64.SIXTY-FOURTH SIGN-There is a prophecy on record in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya that I will win all the cases filed against me.Accordingly, I was victorious in all litigation.65.SIXTY-FIFTH SIGN―There is a prophecy in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya that so many people will flock towards me that I will nearly become exhausted from the profusion of visitors.Accordingly, hundreds of thousands of visitors have come to me.66.SIXTY-SIXTH SIGN-There is a prophecy recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya about Ashabuş-Şuffah.' Accordingly, many dev- otees have migrated from their native lands and have settled, along with their families, in certain portions of my house; the foremost of them all being our brother Maulawi Hakeem Noor Deen.67.SIXTY-SEVENTH SIGN―Barāhin-e-Ahmadiyya contains a proph- ecy that I will be granted proficiency and eloquence in the Arabic lan- guage such that no one will be able to challenge it.2" Accordingly, no one has thus far been able to do so.1.See footnote for Aşḥābus-Suffah on page 102.[Publisher] 2.In this connection, I had received this revelation from God Almighty: Your discourse has been made eloquent by the] كَلَامُ أُفْصِحَتْ مِنْ لَّدُنْ : رَبٍ كَرِيمٍ.Lord, the Benevolent'].Of the books I have composed in Arabic thus far, some are in prose and some in verse, the equal of which the opposing ulema have not been able to produce, their detailed list is as follows: (1) The booklet as part of Anjām-e-Ātham: page 73 to 282; (2) At-Tabligh at- tached to A'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām; (3) Karāmātuṣ-Ṣādiqin; (4) Ḥamāmatul- Bushrā; (5) Siratul-Abdāl; (6) Nūrul-Ḥaqq, Part I; (7) Nūrul-Ḥaqq, Part II; (8) Tuhfa-e-Baghdad; (9) I'jāzul-Masīḥ; (10) Itmāmul-Ḥujjah; (11) Hujjatullāh; (12) Sirrul-Khilafah; (13) Mawāhibur-Raḥmān; (14) I'jāz-e-Aḥmadi; (15) Khutbah Ilḥamiyyah; (16) Al-Hudā, and (17) ‘Alāmātul-Muqarrabin as part of Tadhkiratush-Shahadatain; and those books which have been compiled in Arabic but have not yet been published are (18) Targhībul-Mu'minin; (19) Lujjatun-Nür; and (20) Najmul-Hudā.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 68 287 68.SIXTY-EIGHTH SIGN -The prophecy of [A shattering witness] contained in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, the fulfilment of which is recorded with details in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya.69.SIXTY-NINTH SIGN-In Hamamatul-Bushra, which I had published many years before the outbreak of the plague, I had writ- ten that I had prayed for the outbreak of plague.Thus, that prayer was accepted and the plague broke out in the country.70.seventieth sign―As recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, God had informed me that the plague would break out on account of rejection.And so the plague broke out in the Punjab twenty-five years later.71.SEVENTY-FIRST SIGN-Is that, as I have written in the book Sirrul- Khilafah, page 62,' I had prayed against my opponents—that is, such of the opponents as are destined not to attain guidance—to suffer from the plague.Hence, years after this supplication, the plague prevailed in this country and many staunch opponents perished.The following was the supplication I made:² وَ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِ الرِّجْزَ حَقًّا وَ دَمِّر (1) وَ خُذْ رَبِّ مَنْ عَادَى الصَّلَاحَ وَ مُفْسِدًا وَ مَزِّقُ خَصِيْمِنْ يَا الْهِنْ وَ عَفْرٍ (2) وَ فَرِّجْ كَرُوبِی يَا كَرِيْمِنْ وَ نَجِّنِيْ 1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.8, page 391, published in 2008.[Publisher] 2.(1) O my Lord! Seize the one-who is inimical to righteous path and deed, and creates mischief—and strike him with the chastisement of plague and destroy him.(2) Dispel my anxieties and relieve me of my grief, O my Benevolent Master! Decimate my enemy and reduce him to dust.This prophecy was made at a time when there was no sign of plague in any part of this country (see my book Sirrul-Khilafah).(Author)

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288 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION And the following prophecy is on record in the book I jāz-e-Aḥmadī:¹ عَلَى مُعْتَدٍ يُؤْذِي وَ بِالسُّوءِ يَجْهَرُ إِذَا مَا غَضِبْنَا غَاضَبَ اللَّهُ صَائِلًا When We are angry-God punishes him who crosses all limits and intends egregious evil.وَ هَلْ يُهْلَكَنَّ الْيَوْمَ إِلَّا الْمُدَمَّر و يَأْتِي زَمَانٌ كَاسِرٌ كُلَّ ظَالِم The time is nigh when He will destroy everyone unjust and cruel.Only they will die who have [already] been murdered by their own sins.صَغَارُ يُصَغَرُ اهَانَتِهِمْ جَزَاءَ وَإِنِّي لَشَرُّ النَّاسِ إِن لَّمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ I would be the worst of the worst, if the reward for their insolence is not their own humiliation.فَذَالِكَ طَاعُوْنُ أَتَاهُمْ قَضَى اللهُ أَنَّ الطَّعْنَ بِالطَّعْنِ بَيْنَنَا ليُبْصِرُوا God has decreed that ta'n [piercing reproach] should beget ta'n [piercing illness-the plague].Hence this plague' is what would overtake them.تَمَنَّيْتُ لَوْ كَانَ الْوَبَاءُ الْمُتَبرُ وَلَمَّا طَغَى الْفِسْقُ الْمُبِيدُ بِسَيْلِهِ Only when pernicious impiety exceeded all limits, did I wish for the dev- astating plague.After this, I received the following revelation: اے بسا خانہ دشمن کہ تو ویراں کر دی.[How many homes there are of the enemy that You have destroyed].1.These couplets are extracted from a long Arabic poem on p.150-201 of Ruhani Khazā'in, vol.19, published in 2008.[Publisher] 2.* This prophecy is on record in Hamamatul-Bushra.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 71 289 pres- It was published in al-Hakam and al-Badr.And then all the above-mentioned supplications, which were made only after suffering extreme persecution from my enemies, found acceptance in the ence of Allah, and, in accordance with the prophecies, the chastisement of the plague rained down upon them like fire and thousands of ene- mies, who rejected and reviled me, perished.I will mention here some bitter opponents by way of illustration.Thus, first, Maulawi Rusul Bābā, resident of Amritsar is worth mentioning, who wrote a book in my refutation; he used very abu- sive language and lied out of love for this temporary life.Eventually, in keeping with the promise of God, he was destroyed by the plague.After him, there was another person named Muḥammad Bakhsh, a Deputy Inspector at Batala, who girded up his loins for hostility and persecution.He too died of the plague.After him another person, named Charagh Dīn of Jammu, arose.He claimed to be a Messenger.He referred to me as the Dajjāl [Antichrist] and claimed that during a dream, Hadrat Īsā had given him his staff that he might kill this Dajjāl with the staff of ‘Īsā.He, too, along with both of his sons died of plague on 4 April 1906 in accordance with my prophecy that was specifi- cally about him and was published during his lifetime in my booklet Dāfi'ul-Bala'i wa Mi'yāru Ahlil-Iṣṭifā'.Where did the staff of ‘Īsā go with which he sought to kill me? And what happened to his 'revela- tion, namely [I indeed am of the Messengers']? Alas! Most people pronounce their egoistic suggestions to be revelation prior to self-purification.This is why they eventually die in ignominy and disgrace.Besides these, there were many others who had crossed all limits in inflicting injury and insolence and did not fear the wrath of God Almighty.Day in and day out, they were busy hurling ridicule, taunts, and abuses at me.In the end, they all fell prey to the plague.For instance, Munshi Maḥbūb ‘Ālam Aḥmadī writes from Lahore: 'I had an uncle named Nūr Aḥmad who was a resident of village Bhiri Chatha, Tehsil Hafizabad.One day he asked me why Mirza Sahib did not demonstrate any Sign in support of his claim of being the Messiah?

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290 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ☆ I replied, "Among other Signs in his favour there was the plague, which broke out after the prophecy.It continues to devour the world." At this, he blurted, “Plague will not touch me.Rather, this plague has come in order to kill Mirza Sahib instead.1 It will have no effect on me at all.It will affect Mirza Sahib alone." The conversation ended at this much discussion.One week later, when I reached Lahore, I received the news that my uncle Nūr Aḥmad had died of plague.A number of the residents of that village are witness to this conversation and it is an incident which cannot be concealed.' Miyāń Mi'raj Dīn writes from Lahore: 'Maulawi Zainul-'Abidin, who had passed his exams with Honours in Arabic and Persian, and was related to Maulawi Ghulam Rasul of Qila, had graduated in theological studies and was a popular teacher in the Anjuman-e-Himāyat-e-Islām, Lahore.At a shop in the Kashmiri Bazaar, he entered into a mubahalah [prayer duel] with Maulawi Muḥammad Ali of Sialkot regarding the truth of Your Holiness's claim.Then, a few days later, he died of plague.Not only he but his wife, too, died of plague, and his son-in-law, who was an employee of the Accountant General's Department, also died of plague.Similarly, seventeen members of his family died of plague after the mubahalah? How peculiar! Can anyone understand the mystery behind these people believing me to be the liar, impostor, and Dajjāl, yet they are the ones who die when there is a mubāhalah? Could there possibly be―God forbid l—a misunderstanding on the part of God? Why is the wrath of God being inflicted on such ‘pious' people who are subjected to death, suffering from humiliation and disgrace on top of it? Further, Miyāń Mi'raj Dīn writes: 'Similarly, Karīm Bakhsh, a contractor in Lahore, used to be very insolent and offensive to Your Holiness and behaved like that most of the time.I remonstrated with him a number of times but he would not desist.Eventually, his life was cut short in his prime.' 1.In the sight of God Almighty, these words were tantamount to the challenge of mubahalah [prayer duel].(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 72 291 Sayyed Hamid Shāh of Sialkot writes: 'Hafiz Sultān of Sialkot was a bitter enemy of Your Holiness.He is the one who intended to throw ashes at you in Sialkot as your ride passed by.In the end, he died of plague in this very year of 1906, along with nine or ten members of his family.Similarly, it is common knowledge in the city of Sialkot that Hakim Muḥammad Shafi', who had become an apostate after entering into the covenant of allegiance and had founded Madrasatul-Quran, was your bitter enemy.This unfortunate one, due to his selfish motives, could not hold fast to the covenant of allegiance and joined hands in animosity and opposition with the residents of the sub-division Loharan of Sialkot who were bitterly opposed to you.In the end, he too became a victim of the plague.His wife, his mother, and his brother all died of the plague one after the other.Furthermore, the donors of his seminary also perished.' Similarly, Mirza Sardar Baig of Sialkot, who had exceeded all limits in inflicting insolence and vituperation and whose constant practice entailed ridicule and derision, would say everything with sarcasm and impertinence.He was afflicted with severe plague and perished.Once, addressing a member of Jama'at-e-Aḥmadiyya, he said, 'Why are you always blabbing about the plague? I will only believe if I contract the plague!' Consequently, two days later, he died of the plague.72.SEVENTY-SECOND SIGN-Some bitter enemies, who by way The curse of Allah] لَعْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ of mubahalah had pronounced be upon the liars'], died as divine chastisement overtook them; for example, Maulawi Rashīd Aḥmad Gangohī first became blind and then died of a snake bite.Some died after becoming insane; for exam- ple, Maulawi Shah Dīn of Ludhiana.Maulawi ‘Abdul-Aziz, Maulawi Muḥammad and Maulawi 'Abdullah of Lodhana-who were my worst enemies all three passed away.Similarly ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud- Din of Lakhukay, after his own revelation that the chastisement of God would descend upon the one who is the liar, passed away.

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292 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 73.SEVENTY-THIRD SIGN―Similarly, Maulawi Ghulām Dastagīr of Qaşur unilaterally entered into a mubahalah with me and in his book prayed thus: 'May God kill him who is a liar.' He himself died a few days after this prayer.What a great Sign this was for the opposing Maulawis, if they could only but understand! 74.SEVENTY-FOURTH SIGN―Likewise, Maulawi Muḥammad Hasan of Bhein died in fulfilment of my prophecy as I have recorded in detail in my book Mawāhibur-Raḥmān.75.SEVENTY-FIFTH SIGN-On pages 35 to 38 of my book Nurul- Haqq,' I had recorded my prophecy that God had conveyed to me that the lunar and solar eclipses that took place in the month of Ramadan were precursors of the coming chastisement.In accordance with this prophecy, such a plague broke out in the country that about 300,000 people have died so far.76.SEVENTY-SIXth sign-In Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya there is a prophecy of God Almighty about me, namely: الْقَيْتُ عَلَيْكَ مَحَبَّةٌ مِّنِّى وَلِتُصْنَعَ عَلَى عَيْنِي.Meaning that, God Almighty says: 'I shall instil your love in the hearts of people and I shall bring you up before My eyes.' This revelation is of the time when not a single person had any affil- iation with me.Then, after a lengthy period of time, this revelation was fulfilled and God raised thousands of people whose hearts He filled with love for me.Some sacrificed their lives for my sake; some endured financial losses for my sake; some were driven out of their native lands on my account.They were persecuted and tormented.And there are 1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khaza'in, vol.8, pages 47-52, pub- lished in 2008.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 77 293 thousands who preferred me over their personal needs and offered their cherished belongings to me." 1 I reckon that their hearts are filled with love.Should I ask them to completely surrender their wealth or sacrifice their lives for my sake, there are many who are prepared to do so.When I witness sincerity and devotion of such a high standard in most of my followers, I cannot help declaring: 'My Omnipotent Lord! Indeed, You have dominion over every single particle.You are the One who has drawn these hearts towards me during these tumultuous times and has endowed them with steadfastness.This Sign of Your might is, indeed, a great Sign!' 77.SEVENTY-SEVenth sign―Bashir Aḥmad, my son, once fell ill with an eye condition so much so that no medicine was of any help.There was fear of him losing his eyesight.When the illness reached its utmost severity, I prayed to God and received the revelation: 1.Footnote: I had reached this far in my writing and no sooner had I finished writing this sentence than I received a letter from a sincere devotee who is a member of my Jama'at.Since I received that letter precisely at the moment I was writing this sentence and it was relevant to it, I reproduce it below: It is my great desire that on the Day of Judgment I may be counted among the blessed Jama'at under Your Honour's aegis as I am now.Amin.Honourable sir! Allah the Almighty knows well that my love for your holy person is so great that all my possessions and my life are at your service.May I be sacrificed for you a thousand times! May my brothers and parents be sacrificed for you! May I end my days in your I] می پریدم سوئے کوئے تو مدام من اگر میداشتم بال و پرے.love and obedience.Amin would forever be busy flying to your place, if only I had wings.Humbly yours, Sayyed Nāṣir Shāh, Overseer; stationed at Baramulla Kashmir.15 August 1906 In fact, this sincere young man possesses the highest degree of sincerity.Impelled by his love for me, he has donated 2,000 rupees or even more.This letter was also accompanied by fifty rupees.(Author) Letter of Sayyed Năşir Shāh

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294 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION بَرَّقَ طِفْلِي بَشِيرٌ.Meaning that: 'My son, Bashir, began to see.' Then, either the same day or the next he recovered.This incident, too, would be known to 100 persons or so.78.SEVENTY-EIGHTH SIGN-When I built the smaller mosque that is attached to my residence and is built above an alley, I thought of finding a date in terms of numerical value'.At this, the following words were revealed from God Almighty: مُبَارِكٌ وَ مُبَارَكٌ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ مُّبَارَكِ يُجْعَلُ فِيْهِ.[This mosque is a source of blessings, and is blessed itself.In it will be performed every blessed deed].This was a prophecy from which the date of the foundation of the mosque is also derived.79.SEVENTY-NINTH SIGN―There is the following prophecy recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya about the progress of this Jamā'at: كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَأَزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوْقِهِ.Meaning that, initially it will be a seed which will send forth its sprout, which will then become stronger and then stand firm on its stems.It was a great prophecy which was made twenty-five years ago before the inception of the Jama'at, and was about its growth and pro- gress.It was made at a time when there was no Jama'at nor had anyone 1.In the Arabic abjad system each letter in the alphabet corresponds to a nu- merical value.Using this system, the date of the founding of the mosque, year 1300 of the Hijrah calendar, equals the sum of the numerical values of each Arabic letter used in the sentence.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 80 295 pledged allegiance to me; indeed, none of them even knew my name! Thereafter, the grace and bounty of God Almighty created this Jama'at which today numbers more than even 300,000.I was like a small seed which was planted by the hand of God Almighty.I remained hidden for quite some time and then my advent took place and a great number of branches formed a bond with me.Thus, this prophecy was fulfilled entirely by the hand of God Almighty.80.EIGHTIETH SIGN- -Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya contains the following prophecy: يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَ لَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَفِرُونَ.Meaning that: 'The opponents will desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths and Allah will perfect His light though the disbelievers might resent it.' This prophecy dates back to the time when I had no opponents; in fact, no one even knew my name.Subsequently, in accordance with the description of the prophecy, I became known throughout the world with honour and thousands accepted me.Then the opposition grew so intense that the people of Makkah were conveyed misleading com- ments and edicts of kufr [disbelief] against me were obtained from Makkah.An uproar was raised about my 'disbelief”, edicts were issued urging my assassination, authorities were incited [against me], and commoners were alienated from me and my Jama'at.In short, every effort was made to annihilate me.But, in keeping with the prophecy of God Almighty, all these maulawis and their ilk remained frustrated and defeated in their efforts.Alas, how blind are the opponents! They fail to see the grandeur of these prophecies, when they were declared, and the majesty with which they were fulfilled! Is this the work of anyone besides God Almighty? If it is, then produce its like.They fail to realize that if this had been the work of man and if it had been against the will of God, they would not

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296 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION have remained frustrated in their efforts.Who kept them frustrated? The same God who is with me.81.EIGHTY-FIRST SIGN―There is another prophecy recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya: يَعْصِمُكَ اللهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَلَوْ لَمْ يَعْصِمُكَ النَّاسُ.Meaning that, Allah will Himself safeguard you from all calamities, even though people do not wish to see you saved from the calamities.This prophecy goes back to the time when I lived in obscurity, and no one had any relationship with me, either of baiat or that of enmity.Subsequently, when I claimed to be the Promised Messiah, all the maulawis and their ilk flared up like fire.In those days, a clergyman by the name of Dr.[Henry] Martyn Clark, instituted a case of murder against me.This trial brought home to me the fact that the maulawis of the Punjab were thirsty for my blood, and that they considered me even worse than a Christian who is the enemy of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and abuses him; because some maulawis appeared in the court against me and even testified as witnesses on behalf of the clergyman, while others were busy praying that the clergyman and his people should win.I have heard it on good authority that they would pray in the mosques crying, 'O God, help this clergyman and grant him victory.However, God the Omniscient heard none of their supplications.Neither the witnesses succeeded in their testimonies, nor were the prayers of the supplicants accepted.So much for the ulema-so-called 'Defenders of the Faith'-and so much for the so-called 'Nation' for which they clamour so much! They exerted their utmost, employing all their machinations, to send me to the gallows, and supported an enemy of God and His Messenger.Here the question naturally crosses one's mind as to who saved me from this blazing fire while all the maulawis and their followers had

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 82 297 become my mortal enemies, and eight or nine witnesses had already appeared before the court to secure my conviction? The answer is that He saved me who had given the promise twenty-five years ago [say- ing] that though your nation will not protect you and will even try to destroy you, I shall protect you.As He had already said, and which had been recorded twenty-five years ago in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya: فَبَرَّاهُ اللهُ مِمَّا قَالُوا وَ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَجِيْهَا.Meaning that, God exonerated him of the charge brought against him, and he is honoured in God's estimation.82.EIGHTY-SECOND SIGN—.-Is this prophecy that has been recorded a number of times in my books: إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّهُ أَوَى الْقَرْيَةَ.Meaning that, God shall not remove this plague from this people and shall not change His will as long as people do not change the condition of their hearts and God will eventually extend His protection to this village [i.e.Qadian].And He said: لَوْلَا الْإِكْرَامُ لَهَلَكَ الْمُقَامُ.Meaning that, had it not been out of My regard for you, I would have destroyed this entire village and would not have spared anyone.And He said: وَ مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَ أَنْتَ فِيْهِمْ.And God is not such that He would have destroyed them all while you dwelt amongst them.Bear in mind that the phrase used by God Almighty & slä

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298 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION means that, after some chastisement, God Almighty will extend His protection to this village.It does not mean that the plague will not visit it at all.The Arabic word (s) refers to the refuge offered to a person who is first afflicted with calamity to a certain extent and then enters peace.For instance, Allah the Almighty says: 1 الَمْ يَجِدُكَ يَتِيمًا فَأَوَى.Meaning that, God found you an orphan and saw you suffering from an orphan's miseries and then granted refuge.And as He says: أويلهما إلى رَبُوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ 2 Meaning that, We gave shelter to 'Isā and his mother after Jews had tyrannized them and wanted to crucify Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsāªs [Jesus], and helped them both reach a mountain which was higher than the rest of the mountains—namely, the Mountain of Kashmir—a region with refreshing water and a place of great amenities and comfort.And as is said in this verse of Surah al-Kahf: 3 Part Number 15, Surah al-Kahf- 1919 W فَا وَا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنْشُرُ ا Meaning that, come into the protection of the cave; thus, shall God extend His mercy upon you.That is, you will escape the persecution at the hands of the cruel king.In short, the term (5) is invariably used when a person, after suffering some hardship, is granted peace.The same prophecy applies to Qadian.Thus, only once did the plague break out in Qadian with some intensity, after which it gradually subsided 1.Surah aḍ-Duḥā, 93:7 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Mu'minun, 23:51 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-Kahf, 18:17 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 83 299 to the point that this year not a single person died of the plague in Qadian, although hundreds of people died of the plague in its sur- rounding vicinity.83.EIGHTY-THIRD SIGN— -Once I was sitting upstairs in my room, which is attached to the smaller mosque, and has been named Baitul- Fikr [the Meditation Room] by God Almighty.An attendant of mine named Hamid 'Ali was with me kneading my feet when I received the revelation: تَرى فَخِذًا أَلِيمًا.Meaning that, you shall see a painful thigh.I said to Hamid 'Alī, 'I have received this revelation just now.' He replied to me, 'There is a small pustule on your hand, perhaps it refers to this.' I said to him, "There is a world of difference between a hand and a thigh.This interpretation is irrelevant and unreasonable.And the pustule is not even painful.Also, the revelation means, “You shall see” and not “You are seeing it now." After this we both went downstairs to go to the large mosque to offer Prayer.As we descended, I noticed two horsemen approaching me.They were riding two horses without the saddles.Both of them were less than twenty years old.On seeing me, they stopped.One of them said, ‘My brother who is riding the other horse is very sick due to pain in the thigh and is incapacitated.We have come here so that you may prescribe some medicine for him.' At this, addressing Hamid 'Alī, I said, 'Allah be praised that my revelation has been fulfilled so quickly that it took only as little time as it took us to go downstairs.' Sheikh Hamid 'Ali is still alive.He is a resident of the village Theh Ghulam Nabi and is with me these days.Nobody can sacrifice his faith for the sake of another person.In particular, if a relationship of spiritual allegiance exists, and someone were to say to his follower, ‘I have concocted a false miracle in my support.You should bear witness to it in my favour.' The follower in his heart of hearts would certainly

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300 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION say, 'He is a deceitful and evil man; it was wrong on my part to pledge allegiance to him.' Similarly, thousands of my disciples are witnesses to the truth of all of my prophecies that I have recorded in this book.An ignoramus might object that the testimony of a disciple is not reliable.I say that no testimony is quite like this testimony, for such a relationship is exclusively for the sake of faith.One chooses to be a disciple of him alone, who, in his mind, is the most pious natured, righteous, and truthful in the entire world.If the spiritual mentor is such that he concocts hundreds of false prophecies, and beseeches his disciples to lie for his sake and to project him as a saint in one way or another by telling lies, then how can the disciples say that he is a right- eous man and how can they serve him with heart and soul? Rather, they will call him a satan and become estranged from him.For my part, I curse any such disciple who ascribes false miracles to me, and similarly accursed is any such mentor who concocts false miracles.84.[EIGHTY-FOURTH] SIGN—On 5 August 1906, the lower half of my body became numb and I could not move one step.Since I had systematically studied books on Greek medicine, I apprehended that these were symptoms of stroke.There was severe pain with it.I was restless.I could not even turn over in bed.During the night, when I was in great pain, I was fearful-only for the sake of faith and for no other reason that my opponents would gloat over it.Then I suppli- cated before the Almighty, ‘Of course death is an unavoidable matter.But You know that such a death, and an untimely death, will cause the enemies to rejoice at this misfortune.' Thereupon, the revelation came to me in a light slumber: إِنَّ اللهَ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْزِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.Meaning that, God has dominion over everything; and God does not disgrace the believers.Thus, I call to witness God, the Benevolent—in whose hand my

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 85 301 life is, and who is also observing at this very moment whether I am lying against Him or telling the truth-that with this revelation I fell asleep for, perhaps, half an hour and when I woke up suddenly, I found that there was no trace of illness left.All were asleep and I got up and began to walk as a test; it was confirmed that I was perfectly well.On witnessing the great might of my Almighty God, I shed tears in grati- tude to Him, thinking how Mighty our God is and how fortunate we are to believe in His Holy Word, the Holy Quran, and to follow His Messengers, and how unfortunate, indeed, are those who have failed to believe in this God who possesses such wonders.85.[eighty-fiftTH] SIGN-Once I fell seriously ill with dysenteric colic.For as many as sixteen days I passed blood in stools.The pain was too severe to describe.During those days the late Sheikh Rahim Bakhsh, the revered father of Maulawi Abū Sa'īd Muḥammad Husain of Batala, visited me to inquire about my health and he saw my criti- cal condition.And I heard him tell some people that this disease was spreading like an epidemic in those days and that he had just come after offering funeral prayers for who had died of the same disease in Batala.And it so happened that a person named Muḥammad Bakhsh, a barber and a resident of Qadian, fell ill the same day with the same disease and died on the eighth day.someone After the sixteenth day of my sickness, signs of hopelessness became evident and I noted that some of my relatives were crying behind the wall, and, in accordance with the tradition [linked to the Holy Prophetsa], Surah Ya Sin was recited to me thrice.When my condition deteriorated to this stage, God Almighty put in my heart: 'Stop every other treatment and rub river sand having water with it on your body, while glorifying God and invoking blessings on the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.' Promptly such sand was procured from the river and I began to rub that sand over my سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ العظيم body, simultaneously reciting the prayer ['Holy is Allah and worthy of all Praise; Holy is Allah, the Great'] and

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302 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Durüd Sharif [invocation of blessings upon the Holy Prophetsa].Each time the sand touched my body, it was as if my body was delivered from fire.In the morning, the illness had totally disappeared.By the morning I received the following revelation: وَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوْا بِشِفَاءٍ مِّنْ مِّثْلِهِ.[If you are in doubt concerning what we have sent down to Our servant, then cite a cure like it.] 86.[EIGHTY-SIXTH] SIGN-Once I had a severe toothache and could not find a moment's peace.I inquired of someone if there was any cure for this.He said [The only cure for an aching tooth is its extraction'].But I shrank from extraction of the tooth.At that time, I felt drowsy.I was sitting on the floor feeling restless and there was a bedstead nearby.While restless, I placed my head on the foot of the bedstead and a light sleep overtook me.When I woke up there was no sign of the ache, and this revelation was on my lips: إِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِي.Meaning that: 'When you fall sick, He heals you.' [.So Allah be praised for all this] فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ 87.Eighty-Seventh sign—It is about a prophecy regarding my marriage which took place in Delhi.I had received this revelation from God Almighty: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الصِّهْرَ والنَّسَبَ.Meaning, All praise belongs to Allah who honoured you as the son-in- law and the son.In other words, you are the scion of a noble house and your spouse

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 87 303 too shall be a Sayyed.This revelation was a prophecy about my mar- riage.It made me anxious as to how I would meet the expenses of the marriage, for I had no money at the time, and how I would be able to bear the lifelong burden of this responsibility.I prayed to Allah the Almighty that I do not have the capacity to bear these expenses.Thereupon, I received the revelation: و آنچه در کار شما باشد عطائے آں کنم ہر چہ باید نو عروسی را ہمہ ساماں Meaning that, I shall provide whatever you need for the marriage, and I shall grant you whatever you need from time to time.And this is how it happened.To meet all the necessary expenses per- taining to the marriage, Munshī ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq, Accountant at Lahore, advanced me a loan of 500 rupees and another gentleman, Hakim Muḥammad Sharif of Kalanaur, who practised medicine at Amritsar, lent me 200 or 300 rupees.Munshi 'Abdul-Haqq, the Accountant, reminded me at the time that marriage in India was tantamount to keeping an elephant at one's door.I told him that God had already undertaken [to bear] these expenses.Then, after marriage, the series of victories began.There was a time when I found it hard to maintain a household of five or seven persons owing to my meagre sources of income.But now, on an average, some 300 persons with their spouses and children, along with many of the poor and indigent, are fed daily at my community kitchen.This prophecy was communicated beforehand to Lālah Sharampat and Malāwāmal, both of whom are Āryas residing in Qadian.Sheikh Hamid 'Ali and some other acquaintances were also informed of it.And I do not think Munshi ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq Accountant of Lahore will withhold the evidence [about the prophecy] even though he belongs, at this time, to the coterie of opponents.[And Allah knows best].

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 304 -When it was 88.EIGHTY-EIGHTH SIGN― repeatedly published in the newspapers that Dalīp Singh would return to the Punjab, I was shown [in a vision] that he would never return and that he would be stopped instead.I had informed some 500 people of this prophecy.I also pub- lished this prophecy in brief in a twin page handbill.Eventually, it tran- spired exactly this way.89.EIGHTY-NINTH SIGN-I had prophesied about Sayyed Aḥmad Khan that in the latter part of his life he would experience some hard- ships and that his days were numbered.The subject matter was pub- lished in handbills.After this, Sayyed Ahmad Khan had to suffer great sorrow and grief because of the embezzlement of funds by a mischie- vous Hindu.Thereafter, he lived only for a few days and died of the same sorrow and grief.90.NINETIETH SIGN-Once a case was filed against me for violating postal regulations, the punishment for which was a fine of 500 rupees or imprisonment for six months.Apparently, there seemed to be no way of escape.Then after prayer, it was disclosed to me by God Almighty that the suit would be dismissed.The complainant in this case was a Christian named Ralya Rām, an advocate of Amritsar.I also saw in a dream that he had sent a snake towards me which I had returned to him after frying it like a fish.Since he was an advocate, the precedent of my case was, perhaps, useful to him and was like the fried fish.Accordingly, this case was dismissed in the very first hearing.91.NINETY-FIRST SIGN—Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, which was distrib- uted twenty-five years ago in all countries; that is, it was sent to all parts of the Punjab, India, Arabia, Syria, Kabul, and Bukhara-in short, to all Islamic countries—contains the prophecy:

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 91 رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَّأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوِرِثِيْنَ.305 This revelation from God contains this prayer on my behalf: 'O my Lord, do not leave me alone as I am now, for who is a better inheritor than You.' That is, though I do have children, a father and a brother at this time, in the spiritual sense I am alone at present, and I seek from You such people who may become my spiritual heirs.This prayer contained a prophecy about the future that God Almighty would grant me a community that would have a spiritual relationship with me and would repent at my hand, and God be thanked that this prophecy has been so clearly fulfilled.Thousands of pious people from the Punjab and other parts of India have joined in the system of bai'at [pledge of allegiance] at my hand.Similarly, a large number of people have pledged allegiance to me from the dominion of the Amir of Kabul.It is enough for me that thousands of people have repented of all kinds of sins at: my hand.The transformation that I have seen among thousands of people after they have pledged bai‘at to me, cannot come about except through the hand of God.I can declare on oath that thousands of my true and faith- ful followers have attained such pure transformation that each one of them is in himself a Sign.True, they had the potential of goodness and virtue already ingrained in their nature, but it did not find expression until they entered into my bai'at.Thus, the testimony from God proves that I was alone to begin with, and there was no Jama'at with me, but now no opponent can hide the fact that thousands of people are with me.Thus, the proph- ecies of God are such that they are accompanied by His help and suc- cour.Who can refute my statement that when God Almighty granted me this prophecy—which was written and published in Barāhīn-e- Aḥmadiyya—I was alone, just as God had testified, and there was no one with me except God? Even in the eyes of my kith and kin, I was of no consequence; for, they followed their path, and I followed my path.Moreover, all the Hindus of Qadian, despite their strong opposition to

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306 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION me, cannot but testify that in those days I lived a life of obscurity, and there was no sign whatsoever at that time that such people would join me who would have great devotion and love for me and would be ready to lay down their lives for my sake.Now tell me: Is this prophecy not a miracle? Can a man be capable of such a thing? If so, produce any precedent for it from the present age or the past.1 فَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَ لَن تَفْعَلُوا فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ الَّتِي وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَفِرِينَ.[But if you do it not—and never shall you do it—then guard against the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, which is pre- pared for the disbelievers.] 92.NINETY-SECOND SIGN-Is the mubahalah—the prayer duel- which was held eleven years ago with ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq Ghaznavi at Amritsar.This, too, is a Sign from Allah the Exalted.'Abdul-Haqq had insisted a great deal on holding the mubahalah, whereas I was reluctant to hold the mubahalah with him because the late Maulawi 'Abdullah Ghaznavi, under whom he claimed to have studied, was a pious person in my estimation.Had he lived long enough to witness my era, I believe that he would have accepted, and not rejected, me and my claim.But that pious gentleman passed away before my claim.He cannot be held accountable for any flaw in his belief as there is no penalty for an error of interpretation.Accountability begins after the claim has been made and its truth incontrovertibly established.But there is no doubt that he was righteous and truthful, that he was pre-eminently devoted [to God] and detached [from this world], and that he was among the righteous servants of God.After he had passed away I once saw him in a dream during which I told him: 'I have seen in a dream that I am holding a sword whose han- dle is in my hand and its point is into the skies.I am wielding the sword 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:25 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 92 307 from right to left and with each stroke of it, thousands of opponents die.' I enquired about its interpretation.At this, he said: “This is the sword of incontrovertible proof which shall reach out from the earth to the skies and no one will be able to stop it; when you saw the sword being brandished now on the right and now on the left, it signified that you will be vouchsafed both kinds of arguments; namely, rational and documentary as well as those of the fresh Signs from God Almighty.Thus in both ways, truth shall be incontrovertibly established in the world and finally the opponents shall be silenced by these arguments as if they were dead.' He [Maulawi ‘Abdullāh Ghaznavi] further said: 'When I was in the world, I hoped that such a person would be born.And the] وَ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ These are the words he actually uttered curse of Allah be upon the liars."] When he was alive, I met him once at Khairdi and then at Amritsar.I said to him: 'You are a recipient of revelation.I have a wish, please pray for its fulfilment, but I will not disclose what the wish is.' He It is] در پوشیده داشتن برکت است و من انشاء الله دعا خواهم کرد و الهام امراختیاری نیست replied good to keep it secret.By God's grace, I shall pray; but revelation is not by choice.] What I wished was that Allah may help the Faith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, on whom be blessings and peace, which was declining by the day.After this I returned to Qadian.A few days later I received his letter in the mail which read as follows: ایس عاجز برائے شما دعا کرده بود القاش وَ انْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَفِرِينَ.فقیر رائم اتفاق می افتد که بدیں جلدی القا شود این از اخلاص شمامے بینم.[This humble one prayed for you and received the ilqa'—a flash across the mind—'Do You grant us succour against a people who deny.' It is very rare that my humble self has such prompt response.To my mind, it is because of your sincerity.] In short, after great insistence on the part of 'Abdul-Haqq, I wrote to him that I did not want to have a mubahalah [prayer duel] with any Muslim who recited the Kalimah [the declaration of faith in Islam].He wrote Letter of 'Abdullah Ghaznavi

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308 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION back, 'Since we have issued the edict of disbelief against you, we are there- fore disbelievers in your eyes, so what is the harm in holding the muba- halah? In short, at his insistence, I came to Amritsar for the mubahalah.Since I had sincere love for Maulawi 'Abdullah of blessed memory and I considered him a harbinger to this spiritual station of mine, quite like Yaḥyā [John] who appeared before ‘Īsā—I therefore did not wish to invoke a curse against 'Abdul-Ḥaqq.Rather, in my view he was pit- iable, for he did not realize who he was maligning.He thought he was showing his indignation for the sake of Islam and was unaware of what the will of God was in support of Islam.Anyway, he said what he liked during the mubahalah.As for me, the sole object of my prayer was my own self.I only pleaded in the court of God that if I am a liar, I should be destroyed quite like liars; but if I am truthful, then, may God grant help and succour to me.Eleven years have passed since this mubāhalah was held.The help and succour that God accorded me during this period is simply impossible for me to describe in this small treatise.It is no secret to anyone that at the time of the mubahalah, I only had a few followers who could be counted on fingers, but more than 300,000 persons have now entered into the covenant of bai'at with me.Financial circumstances were so straitened that even twenty rupees were not received per month and I had to borrow.But now, the monthly income from all branches of the Community amounts to about 3,000 rupees.After this (i.e.the mubahalah) God manifested mighty Signs.Whoever opposed, perished in the end.As would be evident from a glance at these Signs-some of which have been listed here by way of illustration God helped me in a variety of ways.Thousands of simi- lar Signs of Allah's succour have already appeared, of which only a few have been mentioned here as an illustration.These Signs should suffice to testify to my truthfulness to anyone who has a sense of modesty and fairness.Regarding the objection that Ātham did not die within the stipu- lated time frame and that the Christians were so abusive and insolent

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 92 309 [towards me] please consider: Don't the Christians abuse the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and ridicule him; have they not written hundreds of thousands of books denigrating the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; and have they not mocked him to the extreme? But did the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, become suspect by such mischief from these wretched people or was he disgraced by it? Allah the Exalted says: يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِهُونَ.1.Bu Meaning that, no Messenger has ever come who was not ridiculed by the ignorant.What needs to be considered is whether they were justi- fied in their ridicule, or was it sheer devilish mischief and wickedness on their part? It is an established fact that Ātham remained alive for a few days in accordance with the prophecy and then, in accordance with the prophecy, he died within fifteen months.The delay in his death was due to his retraction.It is common knowledge that Ātham, in the pres- ence of some seventy witnesses, retracted from his statement of using the word Dajjal [for the Holy Prophets₁].Therefore, God delayed his death by a few months, but after a few days He caused him to depart this world because the second prophecy also stipulated that, even though it was delayed, still Ātham would die within fifteen months.Thence, eleven years have elapsed since he died, but I am still alive.Did Ātham not retract from his statement of using the word Dajjāl [for the Holy Prophets] in the presence of some seventy persons? Therefore, was it not necessary that he should have been granted some respite? I am utterly astounded as to why people deny such a clear and precise prophecy? In the end, one cannot help saying that those with flawed thinking cannot understand what is plain and simple.They call 1.Alas for mankind! There comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him (Surah Ya Sin, 36:31).[Publisher]

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310 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION themselves Muslims, yet support the Christians and are not afraid of the warning ["The curse of Allah be upon the liars'].No one can succeed through falsehood and slander.Humiliation and disgrace is the fate of the liar, and truth does triumph in the end.My books written after the mubahalah contain the detailed account of all the revelations of support and succour from Allah that I received after holding the mubahalah with 'Abdul-Haqq, and of the majesty and glory with which they were fulfilled.Let anyone check it if he so desires.I need not repeatedly recount them.I only briefly state that, as soon as I returned home after the mubahalah, I began to receive revela- tions about Allah's support and succour, and God gave me glad tidings repeatedly, and, addressing me, He promised that He would bless me with great honour in this world, transform me into a large community, manifest great Signs for my sake, and open the door to all blessings for me.So, in accordance with these prophecies, many hundreds of thou- sands joined my Jama'at who are eager to sacrifice their lives in this path.Since then more than 200,000 rupees have been received, and so many gifts poured in from all sides that if they were collected together, they would occupy quite a few buildings.And the opponents filed suits against me and tried to destroy me, but they, one and all, had to bite the dust.The end result in each litigation was honour for me and failure for them.After the mubahalah, three sons were also born to me and God blessed me with such fame and honour in this very world that thou- sands of respectable people joined my Jama'at.Remember for a certainty that everyone who knew my circum- stances before the mubahalah—that is, what the level of my honour was, what the size of my Jama'at was, what the magnitude of my income was, what the number of my children was, and what growth was expe- rienced after it—will have to acknowledge, no matter how bitterly 1.Should anyone have any doubt, let him refer to the revelations I published after the mubahalah which are recorded in my books and the newspapers.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 93 311 opposed they are to me, that after the mubahalah God testified to my truthfulness by bestowing blessings after blessings upon me.Let 'Abdul-Haqq be asked now what blessings, if any, he received after the mubahalah? The truth is that this miracle is so unmistakably manifest that even a blind person might well see it.Pitiable indeed is the condition of those who see at night but become blind during the day.Since the day of the mubahalah, bounties have continued to be showered upon me.As God Almighty had addressed me thus: دیکھ میں تیرے لئے آسمان سے برساؤں گا اور زمین سے نکالوں گا.Look! I shall send for you from the sky and shall produce for you from the earth.So has He treated me.He bestowed upon me such bounties and showed such Signs that I cannot count.And He gave me such honour that hun- dreds of thousands are submitting to me with the utmost humility.93.NINETY-THIRD SIGN―Is a prophecy concerning matters of my inheritance.Some non-occupant relatives, who were co-owners in our property in Qadian, filed a lawsuit in a court at Gurdaspur for its acqui- sition.At that I prayed they should fail in their lawsuit.In reply to this, God Almighty said: أجِيبُ كُلَّ دُعَائِكَ إِلَّا فِي شُرَكَائِكَ.Meaning that, I shall accept all your prayers but not in the matter of your collaterals.* 1.The same revelation was also vouchsafed to me in Urdu words I shall accept all your] میں تیری ساری دعائیں قبول کروں گا مگر شرکاء کے بارہ میں نہیں.دایکیکی prayers but not in the matter of your collaterals'].It is clear that God has greatly honoured this humble servant of His in the words of this revelation.Such a sentence is used in affection and for particular persons; it is not used for all and sundry.(Author)

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312 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION It was then that I realized that—in this or in some other court-the plaintiffs would finally succeed.This revelation descended with such force that I thought it might perhaps have been heard by close neigh- bours.After being informed of divine will, I went home.My brother, the late Mirza Ghulām Qādir, was still alive.I narrated the entire mat- ter to him in the presence of all members of the family.He replied, "We have already spent quite a lot of money.Had you said it earlier, we would not have contested the suit.' But this objection on his part was only perfunctory; he was quite convinced of his success and triumph.So he did succeed in the lower court; however, the plaintiffs succeeded in the chief court, and not only did we incur all the courts' expenses, but we also had to pay back all the money we had borrowed ourselves to pursue the case.Thus we suffered a loss of thousands of rupees.My brother was greatly shocked.Although I had told him a number of times that our collaterals had sold their share to Mirzā A'zam Baig of Lahore, and that he [Mirza Ghulām Qādir] should invoke his pre-emptive rights by making the payment, he did not accept this advice and the opportunity was lost.Therefore, he regretted why he did not follow the revelation of God.This episode is so well known that nearly fifty persons are aware of it, for many people including some Hindus were apprised of this revelation.94.NINETY-FOURTH SIGN-Once I was travelling from Ludhiana to Qadian by railway train.I was accompanied by Sheikh Hamid 'Alī, my attendant, and a few others.After covering some distance, I felt a little drowsy and received the revelation: نِصْفُ تُرَا نِصْفَ عَمَالِيْقِ رَا.[Half to you and half to your collaterals.] At the same time, I was made to understand that it related to inher- itance accruing to me on the death of some heir, and that the term

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 95 313 [amaliq] referred to my cousins who were opposed to me and happened to be tall in stature too.In other words, God compared me to Moses and them to the opponents of Moses.When I reached Qadian, I learnt that one of our collaterals, named Imām Bibi was suffering from diarrhoea due to hepatic causes.She died a few days later.Except for our two groups [us and our cousins] she had no heirs.Her land, therefore, was equally shared by us and our cousins.Thus was the prophecy fulfilled to the prior announcement of which a large number of people including Sheikh Hamid ‘Alī, who is still alive, are a witness.95.NINETY-Fifth sign-Once I had the occasion to travel from Ludhiana to Patiala.I was accompanied by the same Sheikh Ḥāmid 'Ali; another person named Fateḥ Khan, resident of a village adjoining Tandah, district Hoshiarpur; and a third person named Sheikh 'Abdur- Rahim of Ambala Cantonment.There were also some others whom I do not remember.On the morning we were to take the train, it was disclosed to me through revelation that I would suffer some loss and some inconvenience during the journey.I said to all these companions of mine, ‘Offer the Șalāt [Prayer] and supplicate, for I have received this revelation.' Therefore, everyone supplicated and after that we boarded the train and reached Patiala in perfect safety.When we arrived at the station, we found that the Chief Minister of the State, Khalifah Muḥammad Hasan, along with all the prominent officials of the State, riding as many as eighteen carriages, were present to welcome us.As we advanced further, there were some 7,000 citizens of all ranks to receive us.It was all well so far; neither did we suffer any loss nor did anything untoward happen.When we wanted to return, the same Minister along with his brother, Sayyed Muhammad Husain, who is probably a member of the State Council these days, accompanied me to the station to see me 1.The literal meaning of (amālīq) is ‘super' or ‘gigantic.[Publisher]

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314 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION off at the train.He was also accompanied by the late Nawab Muḥammad Khan of Jhajjar.When we reached the station, there was still some time before the departure of the train.I decided to offer the 'Asr [afternoon] Prayer there.I took off my cloak with a view to performing ablutions and handed it to an attendant of the Minister.Subsequently, I put it back on and offered the Prayer.In the cloak, there was some cash to meet the expenses of the journey and I had to pay for the train fare out of it too.When it was time to purchase the ticket, I put my hand into my pocket to give the money for the ticket, and discovered that the handkerchief containing the money was missing.It seems that it fell somewhere when I had taken off the cloak.But, instead of being unhappy, I was pleased that a part of the prophecy had been fulfilled.Then, after making arrangements for the purchase of tickets, we boarded the train.It was about ten o'clock in the evening when we arrived at Doraha station where the train was to stop only for five minutes.Sheikh Abdur-Raḥīm, a member of my party, asked an Englishman if we had arrived in Ludhiana.Out of mischief or some other personal motives he replied that we had.At this we hurriedly dis- embarked along with our baggage.In the meantime, the train left.The moment we disembarked we realized by the desolation of the station that we had been misled.The station was so desolate that there was not even a bedstead to sit on, nor could any arrangement be made for food.But in view of the fact that, by encountering this incon- venience, the second part of the prophecy had been fulfilled, I was as pleased as if somebody had invited us to a sumptuous dinner and as if we got every kind of delectable food.Afterwards the Station Master came out of his room and regret- ted that someone had caused us such trouble by unjust mischief.He said that a goods train would arrive at midnight and he would help us board it if there was some space available.After this he checked it up through telegraph and was told that space was available.At midnight we boarded the train and arrived at Ludhiana.It seems that this jour- ney was simply for this prophecy.

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 96 315 96.NINETY-SIXTH SIGN-Once, the late Nawab Ali Muhammad Khan, Chief of Ludhiana, wrote to me that some of his means of income had been blocked and, therefore, he desired that I for their restoration.When I supplicated, I received the revelation: pray گھل جائیں گے.“They will be restored.I communicated this to him through a letter, and two to four days later those means of income were restored and his faith in me was greatly strengthened.On another occasion, he sent me a letter regarding some of his pri- vate matters.The moment he had posted the letter, it was revealed to me that a letter with such and such contents would come from him.Without delay, I wrote to him that he would send me a letter with this subject.His letter arrived the next day.And when he received my letter, he was astounded as to how I came to know this secret information, because no one had been privy to his secret.As a result, his faith in me increased so much that he was totally lost in his love and devotion to me.He recorded both these Signs in a small diary which he would always keep with him.As has been mentioned above, when I went to Patiala I met Sayyed Muḥammad Hasan the Minister.In the course of conversation there was some discussion of the miracles and Signs manifested at my hands between the Minister and the Nawab [Ali Muḥammad Khan].At that time the late Nawab, taking out the diary from his pocket, presented it to the Minister and said, 'The reason behind my belief and devotion are the two prophecies recorded in this diary.And then, when after some time, I went to his home at Ludhiana to enquire about his health a day before his death, he had become very weak on account of piles and was bleeding profusely.He got up despite his condition, went to his inner room and brought back the same little diary and said, 'I have kept it close to my heart and I draw reassurance from looking at it.' And

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316 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION he showed me the place where both prophecies were recorded.Then at midnight or a little later, he passed away.[Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return].I am certain that the diary must still be available in his library.97.NINETY-SEVENth sign—This is a prophecy, namely: تُخْرَجُ الصُّدُوْرُ إِلَى الْقُبُوْرِ.[The leading ones will be driven to their graves.] It was printed and published in the newspapers al-Hakam and al-Badr.Its understanding provided by God Almighty was that the chief maulawis of the Punjab, who are considered to have the authority to issue edicts and are the teachers and guides of the junior maulawīs, will head for their graves after this revelation.Following this, the doyen of all the clerics, Maulawi Nadhir Husain of Delhi bade farewell to this world.He was the first among those who issued the edict of kufr [disbelief] against me.He was Maulawi Muḥammad Husain Batālavi's teacher and, upon the latter's request for an edict, had written these sentences concerning me that such a per- son was misguided, misleading, and outside the pale of Islam and that such people should not be buried in Muslim graveyards.This maulawi had set the entire Punjab ablaze with these edicts [against me].People were frightened to such an extent that they were loath to even shake hands with me lest even this much contact might make them disbe- lievers.Then Maulawi Ghulām Dastagir of Qasur was the renowned person who, with a view to proving my ‘disbelief”, had procured edicts to this effect from Holy Makkah.He, too, died after declaring his uni- lateral mubahalah.What a pity that the Makkans were not apprised of his death, or they would have withdrawn their edicts.Similarly, Mufti Maulawi Muḥammad, Maulawī ‘Abdullāh and Maulawi ‘Abdul- 'Aziz all belonging to Ludhiana—who by way of mubāhalah had The curse of Allah be upon the لَعْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ repeatedly invoked

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 98 317 liars'], died after this revelation.Then there was Mufti Maulawi Rusul Bābā of Amritsar who also passed away.Likewise, many a maulawi belonging to the Punjab and some belonging to [other parts of] India departed from this world.If their names were listed here in all, it would occupy a whole volume.What has been recorded here should suffice to establish the truth of the prophecy.If anyone is not satisfied with this, I can provide a long list.98.NINETY-EIGHTH SIGN—A few years ago, Seth 'Abdur-Raḥmān, a businessman of Madras, and a very sincere member of my Jama'at, came to Qadian.His business matters had suffered some disarray and trou- ble.He requested prayers.Thence I received the following revelation: قادر ہے وہ بارگہ ٹوٹا کام بنادے.بنا بنایا توڑ دے کوئی اس کا بھید نہ پاوے.Almighty is He.He sets aright a ruined business and breaks up a running one.None has access to His secret.The purport of these revealed words was that God Almighty would set aright a ruined undertaking but, after a while, He would again break up what is all set.This revelation was communicated to Seth ['Abdur- Raḥmān] while he was still in Qadian.Within a few days, God caused a sharp upturn in his business affairs and certain factors came into play from the unseen that brought him financial benefit.But after some time, the running business collapsed.99.NINETY-NINTH SIGN-Once, at the time of Fajr,' I received the revelation: آج حاجی ارباب محمد لشکر خان کے قرابتی کاروپیہ آتا ہے.Today some money will arrive from a relative of Ḥāji Arbāb Muḥammad Lashkar Khān.1.Obligatory prayer performed at dawn.[Publisher]

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318 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION I communicated this prophecy to two Āryas of Qadian, Sharampat and Malāwāmal, in the morning; that is, long before the mail delivery time.But, on account of their religious hostility, both the Āryas insisted that they would only believe if one of them went to the Post Office.The sub-postmaster also happened to be a Hindu.I accepted their request and when the time of postal delivery approached, Malāwāmal out of the two, went to collect the mail.He returned with a letter in which it was stated that Sarwar Khan had sent ten rupees.This gave rise to a new dispute as to who Sarwar Khan was and whether or not he was related to Muḥammad Lashkar Khan.The Āryas had a right to settle this matter so that the truth may be ascertained.A letter was, thereafter, written to Munshī Ilāhī Bakhsh, Accountant and author of Asa-e-Mūsā, who was in Hoti, Mardan, at the time, and had not yet turned against me, about the dispute at hand and the matter that required the answer, namely, whether Sarwar Khan was related to Muhammad Lashkar Khan or not.A few days later, Munshi Ilāhī Bakhsh's reply was received from Hoti, Mardan, in which it was written that Sarwar Khan was the son of Arbāb Lashkar Khan.Upon this, both the Āryas were left speech- less.Now understand that this is the kind of knowledge of the unseen which reason cannot propose anyone besides God to be capable of! In this prophecy, the witnesses on both sides are my opponents.That is, on the one hand there are the two Āryas to whom I had communicated the prophecy and one of them had gone to the Post Office to collect the letter; and, on the other hand, is Munshi Ilāhī Bakhsh, who is sta- tioned at Lahore these days and who published the book Aṣā-e-Mūsā against me and criticised me to his heart's content.Of course, I only ask this much that these witnesses on both sides be required not merely to state, but to testify on oath, because both Malāwāmal and Sharampat are two bigoted Āryas who have published advertisements against me, and Munshī Ilāhī Bakhsh has tried to mis- lead many people by compiling ‘Așa-e-Mūsā against me.Therefore, no option is left without testifying on oath.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER IOO 319 In addition, there are so many others who know about this proph- ecy.They also know that a letter was sent to Munshi Ilāhī Bakhsh and that the aforesaid reply had, in fact, been received.Hence, it is abso- lutely impossible for the two Āryas to deny the prophecy or for Ilāhī Bakhsh to refuse to acknowledge that he sent the letter.Even if they do refuse, the point can still be settled whether Sarwar Khan does or does not have any relationship with Arbāb Lashkar Khan.100.HUNDREDTH SIGN-Is the prophecy recorded on page 241 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which reads as follows: لَا تَيْنَ مِنْ رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ.أَلَا إِنَّ رَوْحَ اللَّهِ قَرِيْبٌ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيْبٌ يَأْتِيَكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ، يَأْتُونَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ يَنْصُرُكَ اللهُ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ.يَنْصُرُكَ رِجَالٌ نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ.وَ لَا تُصَعِّرْ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ وَ لَا تَسْتَمْ مِّنَ النَّاسِ.(Translation) 'Despair not of the mercy of Allah.Hearken! indeed the mercy of Allah is near.Hearken, the help of Allah is near.' Help will come to you by every track.People will come to you by every route so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.Allah will help you from Himself.It is incumbent upon you not to be arrogant towards them and you must not get tired of receiving them in large numbers.' See Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, p.241, published 1881 and 1882, printed at the Safir-e-Hind press, Amritsar.¹ Twenty-five years have now passed since this prophecy was published in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.This prophecy dates back to the time when I was hidden in obscurity and none of these people, who are now with me, knew me.And I was not one of those who are renowned for any authority.In short, there was nothing and I was just one in a crowd, utterly unknown.With the exception of a few people who 1.The referenced text appears in the 2016 English translation of Barāhīn-e- Aḥmadiyya, Part 3, p.208-209 and 211-212, and also Rūḥāni Khaza'in, vol.1, pages 267-268, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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320 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION already knew my family, there was not a single person who had any bond with me.This is such an event that none of the inhabitants of Qadian can testify against.Thereafter, in order to fulfil this prophecy, God Almighty caused His servants to turn towards me and people came to Qadian in droves and continue to do so; they have given to me and continue to give-cash and goods and gifts of every variety with such profusion that I simply cannot count.The maulawis did create obstacles, and tried their utmost to stop people from turning to me, so much so that religious edicts were obtained even from Makkah, and nearly 200 maulawis issued edicts of apostasy against me.Even edicts that I deserved to be killed were published.But they were frustrated in all their efforts and the result was that my Jama'at spread throughout all the towns and villages of the Punjab, and took root in many places throughout India.In fact, even some Europeans and Americans embraced Islam and joined this Jama'at.So many people flocked to Qadian that the road to Qadian became rutted at several places by the sheer number of horse-driven carriages.One must reflect very carefully upon this prophecy, and deliberate over it with careful consideration: Had this prophecy not been from God, this storm of opposition that had arisen, causing the population throughout the entire Punjab and India to turn against me to the point they wanted to crush me under their feet, would certainly have succeeded in its arduous efforts and would have destroyed me.But they failed one and all.And I know that all their uproar and all their efforts to destroy me, and the raging storm in my opposition, was not because God had intended to destroy me; rather, this occurred so that the Signs of God might appear and that the Lord of Power, who cannot be subdued by anyone, may demonstrate His might and power against those people, and manifest the Sign of His power.And thus He did.Who was aware and who had the knowledge that I—who had been sown as a tiny seed, and was trampled thereafter under the feet of thousands, while tem- pests blew and storms raged, and the clamour of rebellion swept like a

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POSTSCRIPT―SIGN NUMBER IOI 321 flood over the insignificant seed that I was—would yet have survived all these calamities? This seed, by the grace of God, was not to be wasted.On the contrary, it sprouted and grew and flourished and stands today as a giant tree under whose shade rest as many as 300,000 people.Such are the Works of God that transcend human comprehension.God can- not be defeated by anyone.O people! Will you not, for once, display a sense of shame before God? Can you produce any such precedent from the life of an impostor? Had this been a human enterprise, there was no need at all for you to oppose and take so much trouble to kill me; God alone was sufficient to destroy me.When the plague broke out in the country, many peo- ple claimed that this man [i.e.me] would be killed by the plague.But awe-striking is the providence of God that all those people—one and all-themselves died of the plague; whereas, addressing me, God said: 'I shall protect you, and the plague shall not come close to you.' Indeed, He also told me to tell people: 'Do not threaten us with fire (i.e.the plague).Fire is our servant; nay rather, it is the servant of our servants.' He also said to me: 'I shall stand guard over this house of yours; and everyone who is within these four walls, shall remain immune from the plague.' This is exactly what happened.In this vicinity everyone knows that entire villages were wiped out by the ravages of the plague and all around us it was like Doomsday, but God kept us safe.IOI.ONE-HUNDRED FIRST SIGN—In 1904 when I was travelling to Jhelum in connection with Karam Dīn's criminal case, I received the revelation: أُرِيْكَ بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنْ كُلِّ طَرَفٍ.Meaning that: 'I shall show you my blessings in every aspect.This revelation was immediately communicated to the entire Jama'at and was even published in the newspaper al-Ḥakam.This prophecy

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322 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION found its fulfilment in the following manner:¹* When I approached Jhelum an estimated more than 10,000 persons were gathered to meet me.The entire road was crowded with people who were full of such humility as bordered on prostrating.The crowd at the District Court and its environs was so large that the officials were simply stunned.As many as 1,100 men and about 200 women pledged bai'at with me and were initiated into this Jama'at.The suit which Karam Dīn had filed against me was dismissed.And many, out of devotion and humility, gave gifts and presents.Thus, I returned to Qadian enriched with bless- ings from every direction and thus did God Almighty fulfil the proph- ecy with great clarity.102.ONE HUNDRED-SECOND SIGN―There is the following proph- ecy recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya: سُبْحَانَ اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى زَادَ مَجْدَكَ ، يَنْقَطِعُ أَبَاؤُكَ وَيُبْدَءُ مِنْكَ.(Translation) 'God is free from every imperfection.He is the Lord of all blessings.He will enhance your prestige; the name and remembrance of your forefathers will be cut off 2* and God shall lay the foundation 1.On the way onward from Lahore at Gujranwala, Wazirabad, Gujrat etc., so many people came to the stations to meet me that it became difficult to maintain order at the stations.Platform tickets were sold out and people thronged the platforms even without tickets.Due to the large crowds [on the platform], the train was halted for longer periods and it was with extremely polite persuasion that the railway personnel were able to peel people away from the train.At some stations people kept hanging on to the moving train for some distance.It was feared that someone might get killed.Hostile newspapers like Panja-e-Foulad also reported these events.(Author) 2.This revelation also indicated that all my parental sources of income would dry up and God Almighty would bestow new blessings.Accordingly, some of the sources of my father's income were confiscated by the Government and some passed on to the collaterals and I was left empty-handed.God then gave me everything from Himself.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 103 323 of your family's prestige through you.' See Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, page 490.¹ This prophecy belongs to a time when no excellence of any kind was attributed to me.I was so obscure as if I did not exist in this world.Some thirty years have passed since this prophecy was made.What is remarkable is the clarity with which this prophecy has been fulfilled, for thousands now belong to the fold of my Jama'at.Who could have foreseen that my renown in the world would spread to such an extent? Pitiable indeed is the condition of those who do not ponder over the Signs of God.Moreover, as was promised in this prophecy, the foundation was laid of the abundance of my progeny, because I was blessed with four sons, one grandson, and two daughters who had not been born at that time.103.ONE HUNDRED-THIRD SIGN-Once during the days of rampant plague when Qadian was also affected, Maulawi Muḥammad ‘Alī M.A.developed severe fever.He believed that most probably it was plague and, like a dying person, he made a will and apprised Mufti Muḥammad Şadiq of everything.He was living in a part of my house about which God had revealed: إِنِّي أُحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ.[I shall safeguard all those who dwell in this house.] At that time, I visited him to inquire about his health.Finding him anxious and worried, I said to him, 'If you have contracted plague, then I am a liar and my claim to be the recipient of revelation is false.Having said this, I put my hand on his pulse.I witnessed this magnifi- cent example of the providence of God that as soon as I touched him, I found his body to be cool without any trace of fever.1.In Rūḥāni Khaza'in this prophecy is in vol.1 on p.582.In the 2016 English translation of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part IV, this prophecy is on p.367.[Publisher]

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324 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 104.ONE HUNDRED-FOURTH SIGN-Once my younger son, Mubarak Aḥmad, fell ill.He was experiencing a series of fainting spells.I was busy praying in the house beside him.A number of ladies were sitting near him when one of them suddenly cried out, Now stop it [praying], for the child has died!' At this, I came close to the child and placed my hand over his body and turned my attention to God Almighty, and after two or three minutes, the boy began to breathe and I could feel the beat of [his] pulse and the child came to life.Thereupon, it occurred to me that the raising of the dead by 'Isā, peace be upon I him, was also of this kind, but then the ignorant exaggerated it.105.ONE HUNDRED-FIFTH SIGN-Once it was shown to me in a dream concerning my brother, the late Mirzā Ghulām Qādir, that only a few days were left of his life and they were, at the most, fifteen days.After this he suddenly became very ill and was reduced to a mere skeleton.He became so emaciated that when he was lying in bed, it was hardly noticeable whether someone was lying in the bed or it was empty.He had incontinence of stools and urine and he was unconscious most of the time.My father, the late Mirzā Ghulām Murtaḍā, who was a very skilled physician, declared his condition to be hopeless and beyond cure, and that his life was merely a matter of a few more days.I was full of youthful vigour at the time and had the strength to undertake spiritual exercises.I am, by nature, a firm believer in the Omnipotence of God.Indeed, who can ascertain the limits of His powers? Nothing is impossible to Him, except for things that are contrary to His promise, or inconsistent with His glory and counter to His Oneness.Therefore, despite this hopeless condition, I started praying for him.I had appointed in my mind that through this prayer I wished to enhance my spiritual cognition with regard to three things: First, I wanted to see if I am worthy enough in the sight of the Lord of Honour that my prayer is accepted.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 106 325 Second, is it possible for the dreams or revelations received in the form of a warning to be deferred or not? Third, is it possible for a patient, who has been reduced to a mere skeleton, to be cured through prayer or not? Thus, I started to pray on this basis.I swear by Him in whose hands my life is, that his condition began to change for the better simultaneously with the prayer.In the meantime, I saw him in another dream walking in the courtyard on his own feet, whereas his real con- dition was such that he needed assistance even to change his side on the bed.After I had prayed for fifteen days, there were visible signs of recovery in his condition and he expressed his desire to walk a few steps.He got up with a little assistance and started walking with the help of a stick and then he discarded the stick.He was restored to full health in a few days.After this, he lived for fifteen years and then he died, which shows that God had changed the fifteen days of his life into fifteen years.Such indeed is our God who also maintains the power even to change His prophecies; albeit our adversaries aver that He is not Omnipotent.106.[ONE HUNDRED-SIXTH] SIGN-Once I beheld God Almighty in a spiritual manifestation.I wrote many prophecies with my own hand which meant that such and such events should happen and then I presented that paper to God Almighty for His signature.Allah the Almighty signed it without any hesitation in red ink.At the time of signing, He flicked the pen as one does when the pen carries more than the required amount of ink-then He affixed His signature.I was very emotional at that time with the thought of how great the kindness and favour of God Almighty is upon me that God Almighty has placed His signature on whatever I desired without any hesitation.Right at that moment I woke up.Miyāń ‘Abdullāh of Sanaur was kneading my feet at that time in the mosque chamber.In front of him, out of nowhere, drops of red ink fell on my shirt and on his cap also.The strange thing

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326 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION is that the falling of the red drops and the flicking of the pen was simul- taneous-there was not a second's difference between the two.An uninitiated person will not understand this mystery.He will doubt it, because to him it will merely appear to be a matter of a dream.But one who has knowledge of spiritual phenomena cannot doubt that God can create something out of nothing in this very fashion.In short, I related the entire incident to Miyan 'Abdullāh; at that time tears were streaming down my eyes.'Abdullāh who is a witness to this was deeply moved and he acquired that shirt of mine as a holy relic which is still in his possession.107.[ONE HUNDRED-SEVENTH SIGN] -I had announced in the newspapers on many occasions prior to the earthquakes, that major earthquakes shall strike the world to the extent that the earth shall be turned upside down.Everyone knows about the earthquakes which struck San Francisco and Formosa in accordance with my prophecy.But the terrible earthquake that recently hit the state of Chile in South America on 16 August 1906 was no less devastating than the earlier ones; it destroyed fifteen cities and towns of varying sizes and thousands of lives were lost.A million people are still homeless.Those who are igno- rant might object: How could this be a Sign since these earthquakes did not touch the Punjab? But they do not know that God is the God of the entire world and not merely of the Punjab.He has given these warnings not just to the Punjab, but to the entire world.It is indeed unfortunate not to pay heed to the prophecies of God Almighty, and not to read the Word of God with careful consideration, and to try all the time to somehow conceal the truth.But the truth cannot be con- cealed by such denials.Bear in mind that God has informed me about the coming of earthquakes in general.So know it with certainty that just as, in keeping with the prophecy, there have been earthquakes in America and also in Europe, so will they occur in different parts of Asia, and some of them will be like the Doomsday.There will be death on such a large scale

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 107 327 that streams of blood will flow.Even birds and grazing animals will not escape this death.Such destruction will overtake the earth as has not happened since man was created.Most places will be turned upside down as if they had never been inhabited.There will also be other ter- rible afflictions, both in heaven and earth to the extent that every sen- sible person will realize that they are not ordinary phenomena, and no trace of them will be found in books of physics or philosophy.Then people will be seized by anxiety and they will wonder what is going to happen? Many will be delivered, and many will perish.Those days are near, indeed they are at the door, when the world shall witness the spectacle of a doomsday.Not only the earthquakes, but other terrible calamities will also appear, some from heaven and some from earth.This will occur because mankind has abandoned the worship of their God, and have fallen upon materialism with all their heart, all their resolve, and all their thoughts.Had I not come, these calamities might have been delayed a little, but with my coming the hidden designs of God's wrath that had remained hidden for a long time, have been manifested as God said: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا.! And those who repent shall find security and those who fear before the calamity overtakes them will be shown mercy.Do you reckon that you will be safe from these earthquakes, or that you can save yourselves by your own machinations? Absolutely not.All human works will come to an end that day.Do not imagine that America etc.were hit hard by severe earthquakes while your country remains safe from them.Rather, I see that perhaps you will encounter greater adversity than them.1.We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (Surah Bani Isrā'il, 17:16).[Publisher]

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328 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION O Europe! You are not safe! And O Asia! Neither are you secure! And O the dwellers of Islands! No artificial 'God' will come to your aid.I see cities falling and habitations in ruin.That One and Unique God remained silent for a long time.Abominations were committed before His eyes and still He remained silent.But now He shall reveal His countenance in an awe-striking manner.Let him who has ears hear that the Hour is not far.I strived to bring everyone under the protec- tion of God, but the ordained decrees had to be fulfilled.I say it truly that this country's turn is also drawing near.The age of Nūḥ [Noah] shall appear before your eyes, and you will witness with your own eyes the incident of the land of Lūt [Lot].But God is slow to wrath.Repent so that you are shown mercy.He who abandons God is a worm, not a man; and he who does not fear Him is dead, not alive.108.[ONE HUNDRED-EIGHTH] SIGN―The Sign recorded in Barāhīn- e-Aḥmadiyya, namely: أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَسْتَخْلِفَ فَخَلَقْتُ أَدَمَ Meaning that, I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] so I appointed Adam as the Khalifah.For as many as twenty-five years, this revelation has been recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.Thus, God named me 'Adam' here in Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya.In fact, this is a prophecy indicating that just as the angels had found fault with Adam and rejected him, yet God ultimately appointed that very Adam as the vicegerent and all had to submit to him; accordingly, God affirms that the exact same will tran- spire here as well.Thus, the opposing ulema and their ilk did not spare any effort in criticizing me, nor did they spare any tricks to destroy me.But in the end God made me victorious and He will not relent until He has trampled falsehood under His feet.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 109 329 109.[ONE HUNDRED-NINTH] SIGN—The Sign that has already been published in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, is as follows: وَ كَذلِكَ مَنَنا عَلَى يُوْسُفَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَ الْفَحْشَاءَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَنْذِرَ أَبَاؤُهُمْ فَهُمْ غُفِلُوْنَ.See Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya page 555¹.(Translation): 'Thus did We favour this Yūsuf [Joseph] with Our Signs so that We may save him from the vices and faults which will be ascribed to him.We shall do this to enable you to warn the negligent through the grandeur of those Signs, for the truth is that people are moved only by the words of those whom God Himself invests with eminence and distinction.' Here, God Almighty named me Yūsuf.This, in fact, is a proph- ecy that means that just as Yusuf's brothers caused much distress to Yusuf on account of their ignorance and left no stone unturned to kill him, God says that the same will happen here as well, and indicates that these people who are my brethren in faith will also hatch big plots to kill and destroy (me), but will eventually fail.God will make them realize that He has adorned the one they wish to humiliate with the crown of honour.Then, it will become evident to many that they were in the wrong, as He says in another revelation: يَخِرُّونَ عَلَى الْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْلَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ.تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَثَرَكَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَ إِنْ كُنَّا لَخَاطِئِينَ.لَا تَثْرِيْبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللهُ لَكُمْ.وَ هُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ.Meaning that: They will fall in prostration with their chins on the 1.This reference text appears in the 2016 English translation of Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya, Part 4, Sub-Footnote Number Four, pages 442-443, and also Rūḥāni Khaza'in, vol.1, Sub-Footnote Number Four, pages 661-662, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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330 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ground, saying 'O our Lord! Forgive us, we were in error.They will address you thus, 'By God! God has chosen you out of us all, and we were in error.' Then God will address those who repent, 'There is no reprimand for you this day because you have come to believe; God shall forgive you your earlier offences as He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.In short, this prophecy foretells two events of the unseen: (1) Firstly, in the future, bitter opponents will appear from amongst my compatriots and the flame of jealousy will rage in them as it did in the brothers of Yusufs.This will turn them into bitter enemies and they will hatch plots of all kinds for [my] death and destruction.That opponents will arise from amongst [my] compatriots and will com- mit great mischief is a prophecy because it is recorded in Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya and twenty-five years have lapsed since.At that time, I had no enemy from among my people, for even Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya had not yet been published and there was no reason for any opposi- tion.Hence, without doubt, the news that a time would come when such bitter enemies would make their appearance who, on account of the Islamic brotherhood, were like brethren before, is news from the unseen that God disclosed before the event and was recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.(2) The second event of the unseen in this prophecy is that the eventual outcome of this opposition had been disclosed that, in the end, the opponents will remain frustrated and unsuccessful; and many from among them, quite like Yusuf's brothers, will repent.At that time, quite like Yusuf, God will adorn my humble self with the crown of honour and bestow such majesty and grandeur as would be beyond anyone's expectation.A substantial part of this prophecy has already been fulfilled, for many enemies have emerged who seek my destruction.The fact of the matter is that they are even worse in their evil intentions than Yusuf's brothers.But God Almighty has humiliated them by subordinat- ing hundreds of thousands of people to me and by bestowing special

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POSTSCRIPT―SIGN NUMBER IIO 331 honour and glory upon me.And the time is close at hand when God Almighty shall manifest my honour even more, and those who are aus- picious from among the staunch opponents will be forced to admit Sablé (SÚ) TÍË TE ['Our Lord! Forgive us; surely, we were in error'].Moreover, they will have to concede before Allah that Allah has exalted you above us'].[We testify 110.[ONE HUNDRED-TENTH] SIGN- -The following prophecy is in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya: إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَكَ الْكَوْثَرَ ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِيْنَ وَثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْآخَرِيْنَ.See Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya page 556¹.(Translation:) 'We shall give you a large following.Firstly an early group who will believe before calamities descend, and secondly the other group who will believe after witnessing wrathful Signs.' I have written a number of times that twenty-five years have elapsed since all of those prophecies were recorded in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya, and they belong to a period [in my life] when I did not have a single person with me.If this statement is incorrect it would mean that my entire claim is false.Therefore, let it be clear that this prophecy, too, is recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya which, at the time when I was alone and helpless, gave the news of a time when thousands would pledge bai'at to me.So this prophecy has now been fulfilled.Except for God, no one had the power to give news about the unseen.The knowledge of the unseen is the exclusive prerogative of God.But in the eyes of our opponents, even the knowledge of the unseen is no longer exclusive to God.One is left wondering how low they will sink! 1.The two parts of this citation appear in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.1, page 617 and 664 respectively in the sub-footnotes.In the 2016 English translation of Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya, Part IV, the two parts of this citation appear on pages 396 and 434, respectively.[Publisher]

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332 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION III.[ONE HUNDRED-ELEVENTH] SIGN―Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya contains the following prophecy: میں اپنی چکار دکھلاؤں گا اپنی قدرت نمائی سے تجھ کو اُٹھاؤں گا.دنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دُنیا نے اس کو قبول نہ کیا.لیکن خدا اُسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اُس کی سچائی ظاہر کر دیگا.I shall demonstrate My light and shall raise you with a demonstration of My power.A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.As many as twenty-five years have passed since the announcement of this prophecy.It belongs to a time when I was nobody.The essence of this prophecy is that on account of bitter opposition—both internal and external-there would be no visible prospects for this Movement to be established, but God, with His lustrous Signs, would draw the world towards it and would display mighty assaults to attest to my truth.Thus, the plague is one of these 'assaults' which was foretold long ago.Also among those assaults are the earthquakes that are shaking the world.No one knows what other assaults will occur! As had been foretold in this prophecy, there is not the least doubt that God has established this Jama'at through the sheer manifestation of His power; otherwise, in the face of such nationwide opposition, it was simply inconceivable that hundreds of thousands would accept me in such a short time.The opponents tried hard, but remained utterly helpless in opposition to the will of God.112.[ONE HUNDred-twelfth] sIGN-I had a case pending in a court at Tehsil Batala, District Gurdaspur, against some hereditary tenants.I was told in a dream that in this suit the court will decree [in our favour].I related this dream to a number of people.Among them

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER II2 333 was a Hindu gentleman named Sharampat who used to visit me and is still alive.To him, too, I had communicated this prophecy that we would win this suit.Later, it so happened that no one attended the court on our behalf on the day when the final judgment was to be delivered.But the respondents, some fifteen or sixteen persons, did attend.In the afternoon, they all came back and announced in the marketplace that the case had been dismissed.Soon after, the same person came rushing to me in the mosque and sarcastically declared, 'Sir! Your suit has been dismissed.' I asked, 'Who told you?' He said that all the respondents had returned and were announcing it in the marketplace.I was surprised at this, for those who had brought this news were not less than fifteen in number; some of them were Muslims and some Hindus.The shock and grief I felt at this is simply indescribable.After saying this, the Hindu gentleman gleefully left for the marketplace, happy in the thought that he had been given occasion to malign Islam.For my part, the way I suffered is beyond description.It was the time for ‘Așy prayer and I retired to a corner in the mosque deeply anguished at the thought that this Hindu would always taunt how confidently I had made the prophecy about the decree which turned out to be false.Immediately then a voice spoke from the unseen.It was so loud that I thought somebody had called me from outside.The wording of the voice was: ڈگری ہو گئی ہے مسلمان ہے ! The suit has been decreed; are you a Muslim! Meaning that, do you not believe? At this I got up and looked around in the mosque, but found no one.This convinced me that the voice I had heard was that of an angel.I immediately summoned the Hindu gentleman back and told him about the voice of the angel.But he did not believe it.The next morning, I personally went to the Tehsil office

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334 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION at Batala.The Teḥṣildār [Revenue Officer] was a gentleman named Hafiz Hidayat Ali.He had not yet arrived at the court, but his clerk Mathra Dās, a Hindu gentleman, was there.I enquired from him if my case had been dismissed? He replied, No! Instead, a decree has been issued [in your favour].' I told him that the respondents had announced in Qadian that the case had been dismissed.He replied, 'In a sense they, too, have spoken the truth.The fact is that when the Teḥṣildar was writing the judgment, I had left the court to attend to an urgency.The Teḥṣīldār had just taken over.He did not know anything about the history of the case.The respondents produced a verdict before him that the hereditary tenants were allowed to cut down trees from the land they occupied, without the permission of the real owner.The Teḥṣīldār, after looking at the verdict, dismissed the case and permitted them to leave.When I returned, the Teḥṣildär gave me the verdict to be filed along with the case.After reading it, I submitted to the Teḥṣīldār that he had made a serious mistake, because the grounds on which he had issued this verdict had already been set aside by the Appellate Court, and that the respondents had mischievously deceived him.At that very time, I produced before him the verdict of the Appellate Court, which was part of the file.Thereupon, the Teḥṣīldār tore up his first decision and decreed the suit.' This is a prophecy to the truth of which a large number of Hindus and many Muslims have witnessed.Among them is the same Mr.Sharampat who had so gleefully brought the news that the suit had been dismissed US [So Allah be praised for all this].God's works appear with wonderful manifestation of power.This prophecy earned its distinction by the fact that no one happened to be there on our behalf and the Teḥṣildar announced a flawed judgement to the respondents.In fact, all this was done by God; without this, the prophecy could never have acquired such special grandeur and distinction.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 113 335 113.[ONE HUNDRED-THIRTEENTH] SIGN―This is a prophecy contained in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, namely: شَاتَانِ تُذْبَحَانِ، وَكُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ.Meaning that, two goats will be slaughtered and every one on earth shall die in the end.This prophecy is recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya which was published twenty-five years ago.I did not understand its import for long and applied it, solely as an interpretation, to a number of other situations.But when Maulawi Ṣāḥibzādah ‘Abdul-Laṭīf and his aus- picious disciple Sheikh ‘Abdur-Raḥmān were murdered by the unjust tyranny of the Amir of Kabul, it became clear as the bright day that these two saintly persons were implied by this prophecy; for, the word öl [shāh—goat] in the Scriptures has been used only for a righteous person and, so far, no one except these two saints has been martyred in our Jamā'at.Further, the term öɩ [shāh—goat] cannot apply to those who do not belong to our Jama'at and are bereft of faith and integ- rity.The added reason for this is that the revelation is accompanied by the additional clause ['slacken not, and be not grieved'] which shows that these deaths would be such as to cause me grief and bereavement.It is rather obvious that the death of an enemy cannot be the cause of any grief.Also when Ṣāḥibzādah Maulawī ‘Abdul-Laṭīf, the martyr, was here in Qadian, I received this revelation about him during that time as well: وَ قُتِلَ خَيْبَةً وَ زِيدَ هَيْبَةً.Meaning that, he will be murdered, disappointed with his opponents, and his murder will be most dreadful.

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336 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 114.[ONE HUNDRED-FOURTEENTH] SIGN-About the outbreak of the plague, I received the revelation: الْأَمْرَاضُ تُشَاعُ وَالنُّفُوسُ تُضَاعُ.Meaning that, diseases will be spread and lives will be lost.Anyone can verify for himself, should he so desire, that I had published this revelation in the newspapers al-Ḥakam and al-Badr long before the plague's outbreak.Subsequently, plague in the Punjab became so rampant that thousands of homes were laid to waste by death.115.[ONE HUNDRed-fifteenth] SIGN―The booklet Siraj-e-Munir contains this prophecy about the outbreak of the plague: يَا مَسِيحَ الْخَلْقِ عَدْوَانَا.Meaning that: O Messiah who has been sent for mankind's sake! Take note of our plague.After this, severe plague broke out and thousands of servants of God, frightened as they were by the plague, rushed towards me as if crying.Just as this prophecy is recorded in my book Siraj-e-Munir, similarly hundreds of persons were informed of it long before its fulfilment.116.[ONE HUNDRED-SIXTEENTH] SIGN-One morning, the words عبد اللہ خان ڈیرہ اسمعیل خان.'Abdullah Khan Dera Ismail Khan issued forth from my tongue by way of God's revelation, from which I was made to understand that on that day a gentleman bearing this name would send me some money.I communicated this revelation of

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 116 337 God to certain Hindus who deny the continuation of revelation and consider that all of it terminated with the Vedas.I said to them, 'If the money does not arrive today I am not in the right.' One from among them, Bishan Dās, a Hindu and Brahman by caste, who is now posted somewhere as a patwārī [village registrar], blurted out, 'I shall test this matter and I shall go to the Post Office.' In those days, the mail used to arrive in Qadian at 2 PM.He immediately went to the Post Office and returned wonderstruck with the news that, in fact, one 'Abdullāh Khan by name who was an Extra Assistant at Dera Ismail Khan had sent some money.That Hindu, deeply amazed and surprised, repeatedly asked me, ‘Who has informed you about this matter?' His face showed signs of amazement and bewilderment.I told him, 'He has informed me who knows the hidden secrets; He is the God whom we worship.' Since Hindus are simply unaware of the Living God who always demonstrates the testimonials to His power and the truth about Islam, therefore, generally speaking, the Hindus are wont to initially deny the wonder- ful miracles of God Almighty, and when they happen to come across someone at whose hands the hidden phenomena of the unseen are manifested, they are overwhelmed by bewilderment and amazement.This is also what happened in the case of Lālah Sharampat.As I have stated earlier, his brother Bishambar Dās and another person named Khushal were sent to prison because of some crime.Not because of reverence [in me] but with intent to test, Sharampat had enquired of me what would be the outcome of this trial.He had also requested for prayer.So I continued to pray for him for a number of days.Ultimately, God Almighty, who is the Knower of the Unseen, disclosed to me at night that the resolution of the trial will be that Bishambar Dās's prison term would be reduced by half.This is what I had seen in a revelatory vision that I had cut half of his prison term with my own pen.But it was disclosed to me that Khushal would have to serve his full prison term and not a day would be reduced and that the reduction of Bishambar Das's term by half would simply be due to the effect of prayer.However,

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338 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION none of the two would be acquitted and the file of the case would surely come back to the District [Court] and the outcome would be as stated.I remember that when all these things had been fulfilled, Sharampat was amazed and the powers of our God Almighty left him utterly aston- ished.He wrote a letter to me that all these things had been fulfilled on account of your good luck.But alas, he failed to derive any benefit from the light of Islam.He is an Aryah [Samājist] these days.Let alone being guided [to Islam], I do not even expect that these people could ever testify truthfully.Although they boastfully preach that one ought to support the truth, they do not practise it.However, I do believe that a witness like Sharampat will come out with the truth if he is required to testify on oath and in the oath he is made to state that perjury on his part may adversely affect his offspring.He is witness to a number of prophecies made by me.It may be that, as a tactic for evasion, he would pretend that he doesn't remember.But the oath is such a thing as would surely revive his memory.In case he lies, my God will certainly punish him.This, too, will be a Sign that will be manifested.He is witness to as many as nine clear Signs.I thank God Almighty that not only Muslims but all the nations in the world are witness to my Signs.EU's [So Allah be praised for all this].117.[ONE HUNDRED-SEVENTEENTH] SIGN― -Once an Āryah by the name of Malawāmal, contracted tuberculosis and his condition was becoming increasingly hopeless.He saw in a dream that he was bitten by a poisonous snake.Having despaired of his life, he came to me one day and cried [for help].I prayed for him and received the answer: قُلْنَا يَانَارُ كُوْنِيْ بَرْدًا وَّ سَلَامًا.Meaning that, We told the fire of fever to be cold and peaceful.So, he recovered [from his illness] within a week and is still alive.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 118 339 See Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya page 227.' However, I am certain that his testimony will also require an oath.118.[ONE HUNDRED-EIGHTEENTH] SIGN-Once, when I was in Gurdaspur in connection with a criminal case (which Karam Din of Jhelum had filed against me), I received the revelation: يَسْتَلُوْنَكَ عَنْ شَأْنِكَ.قُلِ اللَّهُ.ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُوْنَ.Meaning that, they will enquire about your stature—that is, what your stature and rank is—say, 'It is God who has bestowed this rank upon me' and then leave them to their frivolities.So I communicated this revelation to the Jama'at who happened to be with me at Gurdaspur and were no less than forty in number, includ- ing Maulawi Muḥammad ‘Alī M.A.and Khwājah Kamāl-ud-Dīn B.A, the pleader.Later, when we went to the court, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs asked me the same question, namely 'Is your status and station such as is described in the book Tiryāqul-Qulüb?² I said, 'Yes, by God's grace, this is the station.It is He who has bestowed this station upon me.' With this, the revelation I had received in the morning was fulfilled close to Asr [late afternoon Prayer] and led to enhancing the faith of all our Jama'at.1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.1, page 252 published in 2008.[Publisher] 2.This is a mistake.It should be Tuhfa-e-Golarhviyyah.We have obtained the certified copy of the court file of the case of Ḥakim Faḍl Dīn versus Maulawi 'Abul-Fadl Muḥammad Karm-ud-Din Dabir of unknown parentage, resident of village Bheeń, Tehsil Chakwal, District Jhelum.It contains the words: Tuḥfa-e-Golarhviyyah, is my composition.It was published on the first of September 1902.It was written in refutation of Pir Mehr 'Alī, but not in re- sponse to Saif-e-Chishtiya'i.'Question: Is what you have said about certain persons on page 48-50 of this book, applicable to you? Answer: 'By God's grace and Mercy, it is applicable to me.' (Publisher)

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340 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 119.[ONE HUNDRED-NINETEENTH] sign—It so happened, in the year 1900, that one of my paternal cousins, Imām-ud-Din, who was bitterly opposed to me, created the nuisance that he built a wall across the front of our house in such a location that the access to the mosque was blocked and the guests who came to see me in my sitting room or came to the mosque were stopped from coming.Thus, my Jama'at and I suffered great hardship as if we were besieged.Left with no other option, we filed a complaint in the Civil Court of Munshi Khudā Bakhsh, District Judge.After the complaint had been filed, we learnt that this case was not winnable.The difficulty in it was that, with regard to the land on which the wall had been erected, it was established by the decree of some earlier time that Imām-ud-Din, the defendant, had long been in possession of it.This piece of land had originally belonged to another co-sharer by the name of Ghulām Jilānī but it had gone out of his possession and he had sued in the Civil Court at Gurdaspur with the plea that Imām- ud-Din was the seizer.That suit was dismissed on the basis of evidence of adverse possession.Since then Imām-ud-Dīn had continued to be in possession of it.Now Imām-ud-Din had erected a wall on the same land claiming that it was his land.Thus, after we had filed the suit, review of an old decree placed such an insoluble problem for us that clearly indicated that our claim would be dismissed, for, as I have mentioned, this old decree established that Imām-ud-Dīn was in possession of that land.In face of this grave diffi- culty, our lawyer, Khwāja Kamāl-ud-Din, had advised us to settle the matter through compromise.That is to say, we should appease Imām- ud-Din by offering him some money.I had reluctantly agreed to this suggestion, but he was not a person who would agree.He harboured a personal grudge against me, and indeed against the faith of Islam itself.He had realized that we had no way to sue him, and therefore became even worse in his mischief.In the end, we resigned the matter to God Almighty.But, as far as we and our

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 119 341 advocate were concerned, we knew that there was no chance of success, for the old decree established the possession of Imām-ud-Din.And Imām-ud-Din had such an evil intention that he would resist and hurl abuses in the courtyard in front of our house where our visitors yakkās [horse-drawn carriages] arrived.What is worse, he had also planned that after our case had been dismissed, he would erect a long wall in front of the doors of our house in order to besiege us like prisoners and make it impossible for us to exit our houses or go out.These were days of great anxiety for us, so much so that the situation described in the following verse applied to us perfectly: 1 ضَاقَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَرْضُ بِمَا رَحْبَتْ.It was a calamity that had appeared out of nowhere.Thus, supplication was made in the court of Allah and help was sought from Him.Then, after the supplication, I received the revelation which fol- lows.These revelations are not of different times, but were revealed together at one time.I remember that at that time, Sayyed Faḍl Shāh of Lahore, brother of Sayyed Nāṣir Shāh, an overseer stationed at Baramulla, Kashmir, was kneading my feet.It was noon time when this series of revelations relating to the case pertaining to the wall began.I told Sayyed [Faḍl Shāh] that this revelation was about the lawsuit relating to the wall and he should write it down as it was revealed.He therefore took the pen and paper.It so happened that every time divine revelation would come sentence by sentence while a state of drowsi- ness overtook as is the way of God—and after one sentence was com- pleted and written down, drowsiness would recur and the next sen- tence of divine revelation would flow from my tongue, until the entire 1.The earth seemed too narrow for them despite all its vastness (Surah at-Taubah, 9:118).[Publisher]

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342 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION divine revelation had descended, and had been written down by the pen of Sayyed Fadl Shāh of Lahore.1* In it I was given to understand that it is related to the wall that had been erected by Imām-ud-Din, the case pertaining to which was pending in court, and I was made to understand that in the end victory would be ours in this case.So, I announced this revelation from God to a large number of my followers and informed them of its meaning and the occasion of its revelation.They were also published in al-Hakam and I told everyone that, though the case appeared hopeless, God Almighty would create the means whereby we would win, for such indeed was the sum and substance of the revelation from Allah.I will now write the text of this revelation from Allah, along with its translation.It is as follows: الرَّحَى تَدُورُ وَيَنْزِلُ الْقَضَاءُ إِنَّ فَضْلَ اللَّهِ لَاتٍ وَّلَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ أَنْ يُرَدُّ مَا أَتَى قُلْ إِنْ وَرَبِّي إِنَّهُ لَحَقِّ لَّا يَتَبَدَّلُ وَ لَا يَخْفَى وَيَنْزِلُ مَا تَعْجَبُ مِنْهُ، وَحَى مِّنْ رَّبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ الْعُلى.إِنَّ رَبِّي لَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَنْسى ظَفَرٌ مُّبِينٌ.وَإِنَّمَا يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى.أَنْتَ مَعِيَ وَأَنَا مَعَكَ.قُلِ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُ فِي غَيْهِ يَتَمَطَّى.إِنَّهُ مَعَكَ وَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَمَا أَخْفَى لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يَعْلَمُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَيَزى.إِنَّ اللهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا والَّذِينَ هُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ الْحُسْنَى إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا أَحْمَدَ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ فَأَعْرَضُوا وَقَالُوْا كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ.وَ جَعَلُوْا يَشْهَدُونَ عَلَيْهِ وَيَسِيلُوْنَ إِلَيْهِ كَمَاءٍ مُنْهَمِرٍ.إِنَّ حِبِّي قَرِيْبٌ.إِنَّهُ قَرِيْبٌ مُّسْتَتِرُ.1.Footnote: The state of drowsiness at the time of divine revelation is also a supernormal phenomenon.It is not brought about by physical causes of the body.Whenever it is required, drowsiness comes about merely by the prov- idence at the time of need and prayer.Material causes have nothing to do with it.This refutes the doctrine of the Āryah Samājists, because they confine human life and the chain of all events to physical causes.This is why they do not believe that something can come out of nothing.According to them, for the manifestation of anything, existence of a physical cause is a must.Incidentally, it also proves that they deny God's revelation too.(Author) 2.It is peculiar that the good news contained in this revelation opens with the word faḍl and the name of the person who took down the revelation as it came was also Faḍl [meaning ‘grace'].(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 119 343 (Translation): 'The mill shall revolve and divine decree shall descend', i.e.the case will take on a new aspect, quite like the revolving millstone when the [visible] part in front, goes back and becomes invisible and what was invisible before, becomes visible in turn.It means that, in the present state of the lawsuit, the aspect of the case as perceived by the presiding judge, which is harmful and damaging to our interest, shall no longer remain so and a different situation shall appear that shall be favourable to us.Just as the part of the revolving millstone that is in front of the face goes back and the part in the back comes in front of the face, so shall the hidden and concealed matters come in the front of the face and become visible and what are visible shall become inconsequential and invisible.Then God added: "This is the grace of God that has been promised; it certainly shall come; no one can dare to ward it off.That is, this matter has already been decreed in heaven that the present condition of the lawsuit which exudes desperation and hopelessness, shall be removed at once and an entirely new situation shall manifest that is helpful to our plaint and of this no one has any knowledge.Then God Almighty added: 'Say, “I swear by my God, that this indeed is the truth; neither shall it change at all, nor shall it remain hidden.A matter will arise which will amaze you.This is the word of God who is the God of the high heavens.My Lord does not deviate from the straight course that He practises with His exalted servants and He does not forget those of His servants who are deserving of help.So you will have a clear victory in this case but this verdict is delayed until such time as has been preordained by God." You are with Me and I am with you.Say, “All matters are in the control of my God" and then leave the opponent in his error, pride, and arrogance.' This sentence of God's revelation is meant to provide solace, for after the lawsuit was filed, most of the jurists had come to realize that the plaint was baseless and that it would be certainly dismissed; and Imām-ud-Din, the respondent, had also been informed from every

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344 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION quarter that under the law, the door to our success was closed.For this reason, his arrogance had increased greatly and he confidently claimed that the suit would be dismissed shortly; rather, it was as good as dismissed.The mischief-mongers supported him.Thus, the news had spread almost throughout the entire village that according to our opponents, the case had been virtually decided in their favour.Therefore, God says in this context: 'Why do you show such pride and arrogance? Everything is in the control of God Almighty.He has dominion over everything.Then addressing me He said: 'The All-Powerful is with you and He knows all that is hidden.Indeed, even matters that are utmost secret and beyond the comprehension of man, are known to Him.' The sum of this sentence of God's revelation is that herein too lies a secret which has so far remained unknown to you, your counsel, or the judge in whose court this case is pending.Then He said: "This God alone is truly worthy of worship, there is none else worthy of worship; man should not rely upon anyone else, as if he worshipped him.It is only God who has this qualification.He is the only one who knows everything and who sees everything.And that God is with those who adopt righteousness and fear Him and when they do something good, they attend to all its fine requirements.They do not do good superficially or in a flawed manner; rather, they attend to its most subtle elements and perform it with perfection.Such are the ones whom God helps, because they are in the service of His favoured paths.They tread them and help others to tread them.' Then He said: 'We sent Aḥmad'—that is this humble one- -'to his people, but his people turned away from him and they said, “He is a great liar, submerged in worldly greed"; that is, profiting from such tricks he wants to earn worldly gains by such and such machinations."They testified against him in courts to get him arrested and they are falling upon him with their attacks like a strong flood that rushes down from above, but he says, “My Beloved very near to me;" He is near indeed but is concealed from the eyes of the opponents.'

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 119 345 This was a prophecy that was made at a time when the opponents confidently claimed that the suit would surely be dismissed.With regard to me, they said that they would torment me by building the wall in front of all the doors of my house such as to make me a vir- tual prisoner.As I have just mentioned, God informed me through this prophecy: 'I shall bring to light a fact because of which the conquered would become the conqueror and the one who is the conqueror would become the conquered.' This prophecy had been publicised so widely that some mem- bers of our Jama'at committed it to memory.Hundreds knew about it and wondered how it would come to pass.In short, no one can deny that this prophecy had been widely publicised beforehand, even months before the judgment.Having been published in the newspa- per al-Hakam, its news had reached people who lived far-off in the country.Then came the day of judgment.Our opponents were jubilant that day that the order of the dismissal of the suit would be announced.They said that, from then on, they would find an opportunity to torment me in every conceivable manner.That indeed was the day when the true import of the statement of the prophecy that 'it is a matter concealed with which the case would turn around and it will be revealed in the end', was to be exposed.It so happened that on that day our lawyer, Khwājah Kamāl-ud- Din, thought of examining the index; i.e.the appendix of the old file which contains a summary of the essential orders.When it was examined, what was discovered in it was something entirely unex- pected.That is, the certified copy of the order of the competent authority was discovered, to the effect that this land was not under the possession of Imām-ud-Dīn alone, but also of Ghulam Murtada; my father.i.e.When this information was presented to the [presiding] judge, he ordered the index to be produced forthwith and, upon consulting it, the truth became evident to him.Therefore, he straightaway passed a

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346 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION decree against Imām-ud-Dīn with costs.Had that document not been produced before the competent authority, what option would he have except to dismiss the suit and we would have to suffer at the hands of the malicious enemy! Such are the ways of God.Indeed this prophecy comprises not one, but two prophecies because firstly there is the promise of the victory in it and secondly there is the promise of exposing a secret matter that was concealed from everyone.It is with great pleasure and gratitude to God that we acknowledge that the providence of God also transformed the presid- ing judge of the case into a witness of the truth of this prophecy.He cannot dissociate himself from this testimony even though he—Sheikh Khuda Bakhsh, District Judge-is our religious opponent.He can tes- tify that my counsel did not present this strong argument despite so many hearings and that it was only at the end of the case that this mys- tery was laid bare by the sheer grace of God.Thus, anyone who happens to see the judgment of Sheikh Khuda Bakhsh would at once realize that our counsel relied for a long time on evidence based on hearsay which did not hold water against the judicial verdict.The file which the respondent Imām-ud-Din pro- duced in order to establish his exclusive possession of the land con- tained only the name of Imām-ud-Dīn—my father's name was not included in it.The secret lay in the fact that the original owner of the land, Ghulām Jīlānī, did file the suit against Imām-ud-Din and only Imām-ud-Din had been named as the respondent in his complaint.And after receiving the news, my father, through his attorney, got his name to be registered as one of the respondents.The purport of it was that both of them were in possession [of the property].Those docu- ments had been lost through some mishap and only Imām-ud-Din's name was left as the respondent on the complaint of the plaintiff from which it was understood that Imām-ud-Din alone was in possession of the land.This, therefore, was the hidden secret to which we were not privy.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 119 347 When God Almighty so willed, this hidden fact was brought to light with the help of the index.As foretold in the prophecy, the millstone turned in a moment.Obviously, with the movement of the millstone, that part of the millstone that is hidden from the eye presents itself to the eyes and what is in front, becomes invisible.The same thing happened of this case.The issues that were before the judge earlier—namely, that the plaintiff Ghulām Jīlānī in his plaint had indicated only Imām-ud-Dīn to be in possession—disappeared instantly with the presentation of the index; and quite like the hidden side of the millstone, new issues presented themselves.The hidden matter which God Almighty had promised to reveal in this prophecy had disclosed itself.The fact of the matter is that the complaint filed by Ghulām Jīlānī belonged to a dis- tant period over which some forty years had passed; that case belonged to my father's time.I knew nothing about it.Since only Imām-ud-Din was named as the respondent in the plaintiff's complaint and all other documents had been destroyed and thirty years had passed, and mean- while my father and—after him—my elder brother too had died, I had no knowledge of all these concealed matters.Now one ought to think how great this prophecy is that is steeped in divine succour.We cannot vouch for the Islam of those who deny even such prophecies.What a pity that these people do not respect even divine succour.There was a time when the Christian ministers alleged, out of their sheer prejudice, that there was no prophecy in the Holy Quran.Muslim scholars did answer them, but the truth is that, to refute the one who denies prophecies and extraordinary Signs, is the task that can be done only by the one who can himself show a proph- ecy.Otherwise, this matter cannot be settled merely by talk.Thus, when the denials of the Christian ministers reached the limits, God sent me to bring the Muḥammadan argument to complete fulfilment.Where are the Christian ministers now to stand up to me? I did not come untimely.I came at a time when Islam was being trampled under the feet of Christians.

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348 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Oye blind ones! Who has taught you to oppose the truth? Faith has been ruined; external attacks and internal innovations have wounded all the limbs of the Faith, and twenty-three years of the [fourteenth] century have also passed; millions of Muslims have renounced Islam and have become enemies of God and His Messenger, but you keep insisting that no one has come from God yet the Dajjal [Antichrist] has indeed appeared.Show me any Christian cleric now who says that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, made no proph- ecy.Remember that time has long since passed before me.Now the time has come when God desires to demonstrate that the Messenger, Muḥammad of Arabia, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who has been vilified and denigrated and in whose rejection the unfor- tunate Christian clerics have written and published millions of books in this age, is truthful, and indeed the Chief of the truthful.He was vehemently rejected, but in the end, it was this very Messenger who was bestowed the crown of honour.I am one of his servants 1* and subordinates to whom God speaks and converses and upon whom the gate of the divine mysteries and Signs has been opened.O ye ignorant ones! You may allege it to be disbelief or whatever else you like, but what value can your denunciations have in the eyes of one who, under divine command, is constantly engaged in the service of the Faith and witnesses divine bounties pouring like rain! The same God who descended upon the heart of Ibn-e-Maryam 1.There is a revealed couplet about this: احمد کی شان ہے جس کا غلام دیکھو مسیح الزمان ہے Beyond fancy and imagination is the glory of Aḥmad[a], Whose servant, you can see, is the Messiah of the age! = بر ترگمان و و هم (Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 119 349 [the son of Mary] has descended on my heart too, but in greater glory; he was a human being and I am a human too.Just as sunshine falls upon a wall, but the wall cannot claim to be the sun; similarly, the two of us cannot draw any conclusion about the personal merit of our own selves, because that Real Sun can say, 'What merit do you have apart from Me? Try to go away and see.' Similarly, Īsā [Jesus] said on one occasion that he was the son of God and on another as alleged by the Christians—he walked behind Satan.Had he possessed any intrinsic light, he would not have suffered this trial.Can Satan ever tempt God? Since ‘Īsā was human, he experienced trials peculiar to human beings.His supplications, too, lacked authority.Just like a human being, he merely made humble and respectful submissions to the Divine Majesty.This is why he wept so profusely during his supplication in the garden [of Gethsemane] that his clothes were soaked with tears; yet despite this, according to Christians, that prayer was still not accepted.But I say that it was, indeed, accepted and God saved him from the cross.He merely entered the tomb like Yūnus [Jonah], and, like Yūnus, he entered alive and came out alive.His weeping and the melting of his soul was like death itself.Such supplications, like the one offered by Ibn-e-Maryam [the son of Mary] in the garden, are accepted." ☆ اس درگاہ بلند میں آساں نہیں دُعا جو منگے سو مر رہے مرے سو منگن جا It is not easy to supplicate in that exalted threshold.Supplication is veritable death; so first annihilate yourself, then go for supplication.1.It seems to me that Prophet ‘Īsā must have seen some dream about his cru- cifixion, and dreaded that in the event of his crucifixion, the mischievous Jews would impute to him the stigma of being accursed.This is why he prayed ve- hemently and that prayer was accepted.God changed that destiny such that, apparently, he was put on the cross, and was even interned in the tomb, but, like Yūnus, he entered alive and came out alive.Prophets are ever so brave; he was never afraid of the wretched Jews.(Author)

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Letter of Mufti Muḥammad Sadiq 350 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 120.[ONE HUNDRED-TWENTIETH] sign―The Almighty mani- fested for me a Sign regarding Anjuman-e-Himāyat-e-Islām, Lahore.Since Mufti Muhammad Ṣādiq, Editor of the newspaper Badr is the prime witness to this Sign, the letter written by his own hand is repro- duced below as evidence.بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّىٰ عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الْكَرِيمِ.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.] My Holy Master, Mentor, and Guide, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, May Allah's blessings, peace, mercy, and bounties be upon you: Sir, I submit, to the best of my knowledge, that when the book Ummahatul-Mu'minin ['Mothers of the Faithful'] was pub- lished by the Christians in April 1898, the members of Anjuman- e-Himāyat-e-Islām, Lahore sent a memorial to the Government to the effect that the publication of this book be stopped and its author, who has penned such a filthy book, be required to show cause.In those days, I was employed in the Accountant General's Office at Lahore and happened to briefly visit Qadian.I can recall well this memorial being mentioned in Huḍūr's presence as Ḥuḍūr was proceeding to the garden for a stroll in the company of quite a few people including Hadrat Maulawi Muḥammad 'Ali M.A., Huḍur said, 'It was an error on the part of the Anjuman; I am very much opposed to this memorial.' Accordingly, Huḍūr sent a dissenting note to the Government in the form of a memorial and also published it on 4 May 1898, against which the Anjuman raised a great hue and cry and wrote articles in the press in repudiation of Huḍūr's point of view.One of those days when Ḥuḍūr went

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POSTSCRIPT―SIGN NUMBER 120 out for a walk, Huḍūr had said, 'Regarding this conduct on the part of Anjuman-e-Himāyat-e-Islām, Lahore, I have received this revelation: سَتَذْكُرُوْنَ مَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ وَ أُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِيَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ.[You will soon recall my admonition; I commit my cause to Allah.] In its translation and commentary, Ḥuḍūr had said, 'The Anjuman will shortly recall my statement that the kind of approach they have adopted is bound to fail.As for the posi- tion I have taken—namely, to rebut and answer the objections raised by the opponents—I resign the matter to God Almighty.In other words, God will be the Patron of my effort.But the Anjuman people will never succeed in their intent to get the author of Ummahatul-Mu'minin punished.They will only recall afterwards that what they had been told in advance was factual and correct.' When I returned to Lahore a couple of days after listen- ing to this revelation, as usual a public meeting was held in the mosque situated in Gumti Bazaar, Lahore, where I used to give a report of my visit to Qadian.So I related this reve- lation of Huḍur and its explanation to a large number of peo- ple.I had hardly finished when someone brought the news that the Anjuman had received the Lt.Governor's reply that their Memorial had been rejected and that the author of the booklet Ummahatul-Mu'minin could not be prosecuted under the law.This news break greatly reinforced the faith of all those present in the meeting and they all praised God Almighty for His won- drous ways! (The Writer) Most humble servant of yours, Muḥammad Ṣādiq 351

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352 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 121.[ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY FIRST] SIGN―In the days when the earthquake of 4 April 1905 struck, I had been told by God Almighty that it was not just one earthquake and there would be more earthquakes.This is why, by way of precaution, I, along with my fam- ily members and most of my Jama'at members, shifted to the garden and stayed there in two marquees in a large open ground.During those days, my wife fell seriously ill and was suffering from constant fever that was accompanied by cough.She was under the treatment of my sincere friend Maulawi Hakeem Noor Deen but no improvement was felt.Things came to such a pass that she became almost immobile; in the evenings, her lady attendants made her sit on a cot and carried her to the marquee and in the mornings they would carry her back to the garden.She was getting weaker and weaker by the day.Eventually, I fervently prayed and received the revelation: إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِيْنِ.Meaning that, my Lord God is with me; He shall presently inform me what the disease is and also about its treatment.Within a few minutes of this revelation it was put in my heart that her illness was due to the inflammation of the liver and that the prescription set out in the book Shifā'ul-Asqām would be helpful for it.That pre- scription was prepared.It was in the shape of tablets.After she had taken three or four tablets, I saw in my dream one morning that a person named 'Abdur-Raḥmān entered our home and he stopped and said that the fever is broken.It is a wonderful manifestation of the providence of Allah that no sooner had I seen the dream than I checked her pulse only to find no trace of the fever.Then I received the following revelation: تو در منزل ما چو بار بار آئی خدا ابر رحمت ببارید یا نے Since you came to My Mansion, time after time, Then did God send down the rain of mercy or not?

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POSTSCRIPT―SIGN NUMBER 122 353 Many people are witness to this prophecy as well.Whoever wishes, may ago, ask them.122.[ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY SECOND] SIGN―Some thirty years I saw in a dream once that there was a raised platform which looked like a shop; perhaps it had a roof too.An extremely handsome boy aged about seven was sitting there.It occurred to me that he was an angel.I do not remember whether he called me or whether I went up to him on my own, but when I stood close to the platform he handed over to me a refined and shining loaf of bread that was very large as if equal to the size of four [regular] loaves, and said, 'Take this loaf, it is for you and for the dervishes [mendicants] who are with you.' Thus ten years later, this dream was fulfilled.If someone with an unbiased heart were to come and stay in Qadian, he would find that twice a day we receive from the unseen the same bread the angel had given.Many a person with family is fed here twice a day.Many of the blind, crippled, and indigent carry their meals twice daily from the Langar Khānah [Community Kitchen].Guests converge here from all over.The aver- age number of those who eat twice a day here at this Langar is 200, and, at times, 300; sometimes even more.This does not include the cost of the other requirements of hospi- tality.Despite exercising extreme frugality, the average monthly cost is Rupees 1500 and this is in addition to other expenses.I have been witnessing this divine miracle for twenty years; namely, that we are supplied with this bread out of the unseen.We do not know where it will come from the next day, but nevertheless it does come.The disciples of Haḍrat ‘Īsā had prayed to God to grant them their daily bread, but the Benevolent God has been bestowing our daily bread upon us even without our asking.Just as the angel had announced, "This bread is for you and for the dervishes who are with you, so does God Himself send this feast for me and my dervishes daily.Thus, every day a new feast from Him is a new Sign for us.

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354 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 123.[ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY THIRD] SIGN— -Once a Hindu gentleman whose name I do not recall₁* came to see me in Qadian.He said he wanted to convene a religious conference2* and requested me to write an article about the beauties of my religion to be read out at the conference.At first, I demurred but he insisted that I must write.I know that I cannot do anything on my own strength—indeed, I do not have any strength at all.I can't speak unless God makes me speak, nor can I see anything unless He makes me see.I, therefore, prayed to God that He may reveal to me a discourse that may triumph over all the speeches of that conference.After this supplication, I found that a strength had been breathed into me.I felt in me a stirring of this heavenly power.My friends who were present at the time know that I did not write any preliminary draft of this discourse.Whatever I wrote, I wrote extempore.And I was writing with such speed and haste that the cop- yist found it hard to keep pace with me.When I finished writing the discourse, I received this revelation from God Almighty: مضمون بالا رہا.The paper has been declared supreme.Thus, when that dissertation was read out in that conference, the audience was in an ecstasy while it was being read out and applause was heard from every direction, so much so that the Hindu gentleman who presided over the conference could not help exclaiming,³* ‘This paper has been declared supreme over all others!' 1.I now recall; his name was Swami Shugan Chandar.(Author) 2.The name advertised for this conference was Dharam Mahotso Jalsa-e- 'Azam Mazāhib [Conference of Great Religions].(Author) 3.Since the paper dealt with all aspects of the five advertised questions, the time allotted for it was not sufficient to read it completely.Therefore at the heartfelt insistence of the audience the meeting was extended by one day.This was also an indication of its general approval.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT―SIGN NUMBER 124 355 An English newspaper, the Civil and Military Gazette, which is published from Lahore, also published its testimony that the paper transcended all others.About twenty Urdu newspapers also gave the same testimony.With the exception of a few prejudiced individuals, it was on every tongue in that conference that this paper had triumphed.To this day there are hundreds of people who continue to give the same testimony.Thus, with the testimony of every sect, as well as of the English newspapers, my prophecy, 'The paper transcended all others', was fulfilled.This challenge was like the one that Prophet Mūsas [Moses] had to take up against the sorcerers, for in this con- ference exponents of different schools of thought delivered speeches about their respective faiths.Some of them were Christians, some were Hindus of Sanatan Dharam or Āryah Samāj, some were Brahmūs, some were Sikhs, and some were Muslims who oppose us.All of them had turned their staffs into imaginary snakes, but when God unleashed the rod of Islam's truth against them in the form of a pure and pro- found discourse, it turned into a python and devoured all of them.To this day people are all praise for the discourse that had issued from my.[o Allah be praised for all this فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.mouth 124.[ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY FOURTH] SIGN-When I was writ- ing Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, people were not inclined towards me at all, nor was I well known in the world.I happened to have an acute need for funds for which I prayed to God.It was then that I received this revelation: دس دن کے بعد میں موج دکھاتا ہوں.اَلَا إِن نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيْبٌ فِي شَائِلِ مُقْيَاسِ.دن ول یو گوٹو امر تسر.Meaning that, money will most assuredly come after ten days; noth- ing will come before it.The help of God is near and just as when the she-camel raises her tail to deliver, her delivery is imminent, so close

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356 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION indeed is Allah's help.Then God said a sentence in English that when the amount is received after ten days, 'then will you go to Amritsar.I communicated this prophecy to the three Hindus—namely, Sharampat, Malāwāmal, and Bishandās—all of whom are Āryas, and told them to remember that the money would arrive by mail and that for ten days, nothing would arrive by mail.In addition to these Hindus, quite a few Muslims were also apprised of this prophecy beforehand to make it well known, for this prophecy had two unique features: (1) It was categorically stated that nothing would come for ten days, and that on the eleventh day money would arrive without delay and without pause; and (2) The other peculiar feature was that with the arrival of the money, it would so happen that I would have to go to Amritsar.Thus did this marvellous Sign of God's providence appear that for ten days after receiving the revelation not a single penny arrived.The above-mentioned Āryas visited the Post Office daily to investigate.In those days the sub-postmaster also happened to be a Hindu.When the eleventh day dawned, it was a day of odd spectacle for these Āryas.They so eagerly waited for the prophecy to turn out to be false.Some of them went to the Post Office and returned, looking rather glum.They said that Muḥammad Afḍal Khan, a Superintendent of Settlement, Rawalpindi had sent 110 rupees and so had another gentleman remitted twenty rupees.In short, 130 rupees in all were received and sufficed for the needs at that time.On the same day that this amount was received, a summons from the Summary Court, Amritsar, was also delivered to me to appear as a witness.As I have stated, many people are witness to the fulfilment of this prophecy.A reference to the Postal Register, Qadian will also bear out that for a full ten days prior to the date on which these 130 rupees were received, no money order worth a penny is on record against my name in the aforesaid Register.Again, if you study the office record of the Summary Court, Amritsar, of the same date, you will find my depo- sition there in the file of the lawsuit about one Rajab Ali, a Christian

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 357 missionary.This Sign was manifested in the year 1884 CE.Under the same reference, the Postal Register can be examined and under the same reference, my deposition in the Summary Court, Amritsar can be traced.In case the Hindu witnesses refuse to testify, they may be obliged to speak the truth under oath.This prophecy is recorded on pages 469¹ and 470 of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and the names of these Āryas are referred to.If those people did not happen to be the eyewit- nesses to this prophecy, it doesn't stand to reason that they should have remained silent for so long despite being extremely hostile.Why did they remain silent from 1884 CE until now, 1906 CE, despite the knowl- edge that in my books and pronouncements I have repeatedly written their names as witnesses? It was their right to refute all the testimo- nies concerning them as recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.It must be remembered that three Hindus are mentioned in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya as witnesses of the prophecies: first of all is Lālah Sharampat Khatrī, second is Lālah Malāwāmal Khatrī, and third is Bishandās Brahman.Wherever the term Āryas occurs in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya these alone are meant; others too are meant elsewhere.Furthermore, this prophecy contains an English sentence which is also a Sign in my favour as I do not know English at all.By stating this prophecy in Urdu, Arabic, and English, God has fully laid bare its intent.It is a great Sign indeed, but only for those whose eyes are not blinded by prejudice.125.[ONE HUNDRED-TWENTY fifth] sign—Let it be clear that the Sign of Pandit Lekh Rām's death is among the awe-inspiring and majestic Signs.My books, Barakātud-Du'ā, Karāmātuṣ-Ṣādiqīn, and A'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām are the basic sources of the fundamental prophecy about it, in which it was foretold that within six years Lekh Rām would depart from this world as a result of an assassination, and the day of his assassination would be the very next day after Ïd; that 1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol.1, page 559-561, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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358 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION is, it would be a Saturday.It was appointed this way so that the day of 'Id which was a Friday should signify that the day when there will be two Ids in the homes of Muslims, the following day would bring two mournings in the homes of the Aryas¹*.This prophecy is not only recorded in my books, but Lekh Rām himself quoted it in his book and, thereby, made it known to his own community prior to its fulfilment.In response to this prophecy, he wrote in his book concerning me, that 'My Parmeshwar has revealed to me that this man (meaning this humble one) will die of cholera within three years, for he is a liar."2" This 'revelation' of Lekh Rām stipulating three years was quite like the one ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān has now published, stipulating three year period about my death.Indeed, this prophecy of mine was against Lekh Rām and was in the form of a mubāhalah [prayer duel].The books by Lekh Rām are still available and are very well known among the Āryas wherein Lekh Rām has recorded the prophecy ascribing it to his Parmeshwar.Similarly, my own prophecy that stipulated Lekh Ram's death within six years had become famous among hundreds of thousands of peo- ple.For example, this prophecy was recorded in my book Karāmātuṣ- Sadiqin, published in Șafar 1311 Hijrah, which is an Arabic book; its translation is as follows: 1.☆ Lekh Rām was assassinated on Saturday.Ïd al-Fitr fell on Friday which in its own right is a day of 'Ïd [festival] in Islam.In other words, the indication was that the day prior to Lekh Rām's assassination, Muslims would celebrate two Ids; and the day after the twin Ïds, the house of the Aryas would be afflicted with twin mournings—one because their leader had been killed and the other because the fulfilment of my prophecy had proven their religion false.(Author) 2.See Takdhib Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya.Pages 307 and 311 and Kulliyāt-e-Aryah Musafir page 501 wherein it is also written that within three years I will be finished and no one of my progeny will survive.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 359 After granting my prayer concerning Lekh Rām, God has informed me that he would perish within six years, and his crime is that he vilified the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and reviled him with blasphemous language.Five years prior to Lekh Rām's death, this book had been widely published in Punjab and [the rest of] India.And then, in the public announcement of 22 February 1893 which forms part of my book, A'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām, I had prophesied unequivocally, long before his death, that Lekh Rām would be cut to pieces like the calf of Samiri, and this indicated the fact that the fate of Lekh Rām would be like that of the calf of Samirī that was cut to pieces on a Saturday.And it alluded to his assassination.Accordingly, Lekh Rām was assassinated on Saturday.Only a day before-on Friday—it had been Ïd for the Muslims in those days.The calf of Sāmirī had similarly been cut to pieces on a Saturday, and that had been a day of Ïd for the Jews.Just as the calf of Samirī was burnt after being cut to pieces, so was Lekh Rām burnt after he had been cut to pieces.His assassin first cut his intestines, and then the surgeon further opened up his wound, and he was finally cremated.His bones were then cast into the river just like Sāmirī's calf.God Almighty likened him to Sāmirī's calf because just as the calf was quite lifeless and was like the modern toys that produce sound when their button is pressed; a sound emanated from this calf too.Thus, God Almighty affirms that Lekh Rām was lifeless and devoid of spiritual life.His sound was quite like that of Samiri's calf, and he was not endowed with true knowledge, true perception, true relationship with God, and true love for Him.It was the fault of the Āryas that they accorded to this lifeless person—who had no life of spirituality within him and was simply a corpse-a position that should have been accorded to a living person.Therefore, his end was like that of Samiri's calf.When I made this prophecy, some of newspapers mounted attacks

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360 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION against me too.The Editor of Anis-e-Hind of Meerut in its issue of 25 March 1893, had attacked me, saying that in case Lekh Rām happened to have a mild headache or fever, it would be claimed that the prophecy had been fulfilled.In response, I wrote in my book, Barakātud-Du'ä' ["The Blessings of Prayer'], that I would be answerable if something so insignificant happened, but if its fulfilment took the form in which the wrath of God was clearly manifest, then know that it was from God.This answer was printed on the first page of Barakātud-Du'a'.You can find it for yourself if you so desire.As for the prophecies which establish that he [Lekh Rām] would be assassinated, let it be clear that there are three in number.The first is the prophecy which was published in Barakātud-Du'ä' in the lifetime of Lekh Rām.It clearly foretells his assassination, namely: عِجْلًا جَسَدًا لَّهُ خُوَارٌ ، لَهُ نَصْبٌ وَعَذَابٌ.Meaning that, Lekh Rām is Samiri's calf.It is lifeless and is a mere noise which has no spirituality.He will, therefore, suffer the same punishment as was awarded to Samiri's calf.Everyone knows that Samiri's calf was cut to pieces, then cremated and then cast into the river.Thus, this prophecy clearly and evidently indicates Lekh Rām's assassination, for he has been ordained to suffer the same punishment as was appointed for Samiri's calf.The second prophecy that foretells Lekh Rām's assassination consists of a vision which is recorded in the footnote of the booklet Barakātud- Dua'.Its text runs as follows: 'On 2 April 1893 CE, I saw a huge person with a terrifying visage, as if his face was dripping with blood and as if he was not a human being, but rather one of the terrifying and awe-striking angels.He came and halted before me.His presence filled hearts with terror.I beheld him as if he were in the shape of one who was out to kill.He asked me where Lekh Rām was.He also named another person,

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 361 and said where was he.At this, I understood that this person had been appointed to punish Lekh Rām and the other person.' See the title page of Barakātud-Du'ä', published April 1893.Later Lekh Rām was killed by assassination on 6 March 1897.About five years before his death, this vision had been printed and published in the booklet Barakātud-Du'ä'.It should be remembered that the prophecy about Lekh Rām's murder was not simply a prophecy; rather, I had prayed for his death and had been informed by God Almighty that he would be killed within six years.Had he not trespassed all limits in vituperation and had he avoided publicly slandering our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he would have died after completing the stipulated six years.But his unbridled vituperation did not even allow him to live that period to completion.There was yet one year remaining when he was seized by the jaws of death.In contrast, Deputy ‘Abdullāh Ātham adopted a softer approach, so much so that whenever I visited Dr.[Henry] Martyn Clark's residence for the debate, he used to stand up on seeing me as a mark of respect.The mean-spirited Christians used to dissuade him, but he would never fall short of this respectful demeanour.Not only this, he also publicly retracted from calling [the Holy Prophet³] the Dajjāl [Antichrist], and cared nothing about the Christians.As a result, God granted him res- pite beyond the stipulated time limit.Lekh Rām was the one who, on account of his insolence, could not even complete the originally stip- ulated period.'Abdullāh Ātham, on the other hand, was the one who, on account of his respect and politeness, lived for fifteen months more than the original time period, but in any case, died within the fifteen months.God granted him the reprieve and yet did not go back on His 1.Footnote: I still do not know who the other person is.The blood-drenched angel did name him, but I forgot the name.I wish I had remembered it so I could warn him so that I might, through admonition and advice, persuade him to repent.But the indications are that this person is the like of Lekh Rām or you might say his mirror image and his equal in slander and abuse.[And Allah knows best].(Author)

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362 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Word.In any case, the fifteen months period stipulated for his death, was upheld.Addressing [Sir] Sayyed Aḥmad Khan, I had written in my book Barakātud-Du'a': 'I have prayed for Lekh Rām's death and the prayer has been accepted.Therefore, this example of the acceptance of prayer should suffice for you, a disbeliever as you are in the acceptance of prayer.But this writing of mine was held up to ridicule, for Lekh Rām was still alive and fully healthy and extremely active in reviling Islam.In order that people might commit this prophecy to memory, I addressed Sayyed Aḥmad Khan in verse.The following are those verses, as recorded in my book Barakāt-ud-Du'a' which were published while Lekh Rām was still alive.A letter in verse to Sayyed Aḥmad Khan C.S.I.who denied the acceptance of prayer می در خند در خور و می تابد اندر ماهتاب روئے دلبر از طلبکاران نمیدارد حجاب The face of the Beloved is not veiled from seekers.It shines in the sun and is reflected in the moon.عاشقه باید که بردار ند از بهرش نقاب لیکن آں روئے حسیں از غافلاں ماند نہاں But that Lovely Countenance is indeed hidden from the eyes of the heedless; It is only for a sincere lover that the veil is lifted.پیچ راہے نیست غیر از عجز و درد و اضطراب دامن پاکش زنخوت با نمی آید بدست Arrogance can lead no hand to reach the hem of His holy garment; There is no way to reach Him except through the door of humility, pain, and anguish.جال سلامت بایدت از خودرویها سر بتاب بس خطرناک است راه کوچه یار قدیم Fraught with perils is the path to the Eternal Beloved; Abandon your ego if you value your life.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 هر که از خود گم شود او یا بد آن راه صواب تا کلامش عقل و فہم ناسزایاں کم رسد The understanding and wisdom of the unworthy cannot fathom His Word; Only he finds the right path who loses his self to find it.ذوق آن میداند آن متے کہ نوشد اس شراب مشکل قرآن نه از ابنائے دنیا حل شود The mysteries of the Holy Quran cannot be understood by the sons of the world; Only he can appreciate the true taste of that wine who partakes of it.363 در حق ماہر چہ گوئی نیستی جائے عتاب ایکه آگاهی ندادندت زانوار دروں Oye who have not been granted enlightenment! I care not for what t you say about me.تامگر نہیں مرہمے بہ گردد آن زخم خراب از سر وعظ و نصیحت ایس سخنها گفته ایم I only say all this as admonishment and honest advice, So that this balm may heal your putrid wound.چوں علاج کے زمے وقت خمار و التهاب از دعا کن چاره آزار انکار دعا With prayer remedy the loss you have incurred by rejection of prayer; If not yet intoxicated, more wine is the remedy.سوئے من بشتاب بنمایم ترا چون آفتاب ایکہ کوئی گر دعا با را اثر بودے کجاست یعنی دعاے موت لیکھرام Oye who say, Show me if there is any power in prayer'! Hasten towards me; I will show you its power which is as clear as the shining sun.قہ کو نہ گن ببین از ما دعائے مستجاب ہاں مکن انکار نہیں اسرارِ قدرتہائے حق Beware! Do not deny the wonders of Omnipotence of God; In short, come now, witness from me the acceptance of prayer!* i.e., prayer about the death of Lekh Ram.1.* See pages 2, 3, 4 of the title page of [the book] Barakātud-Du'a'.(Author)

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364 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION This entire quotation is the copy of the original and contains the explana- tion that this prayer was offered seeking Lekh Rām's death.A couplet has been recorded in the book Karāmātuṣ-Ṣādiqīn to the effect that Lekh Ram's death would be close to the day of Ïd.Thus Ïd fell on Friday and Lekh Rām was assassinated on Saturday.That couplet runs as follows: سَتَعْرِفُ يَوْمَ الْعِيْدِ وَالْعِيْدُ أَقْرَبُ وَبَشَّرَنِي رَبِّي وَ قَالَ مُبَشِّرًا Meaning that, God gave me the tidings about Lekh Ram's death and said: 'You will recognise this event on the day of 'Ïd, and Ïd will be close to it.' This prophecy that Lekh Rām's death would occur close to the day of Ïd has been published in some of the Aryah Samāj newspa- pers; for instance, in Samachar.Let it be clear that the prophecy about Lekh Rām's death has reached ḥaqqul-yaqin [true certainty].Anyone who wishes to acquaint himself fully with this prophecy, should first read the leaf- let about my book Ä'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām and then carefully read that passage of my book Barakatud-Du'a' in which I had addressed Sayyed Aḥmad Khan: ‘Be informed that I had prayed for Lekh Rām’s death.Therefore, note for certain that he will die within the stipulated time frame.' Then, the seeker after truth should read my note that forms part of the leaflet about the book A'ina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām, in which addressing the Āryas, I have written the following: 'My prayer regarding Lekh Rām's death has been accepted, now if your faith is true, do beseech your Parmeshwar and pray that he may be spared this certain death.' The seeker after truth should also study a vision of mine recorded at the end of Barakātud-Dua', in which I have written thus: 'I saw an angel with blood dripping from his eyes.Accosting me, he asked, where is Lekh Rām? 1* He also named another person and enquired his whereabouts.' 1.These words of the bloodthirsty angel are a hint that Lekh Rām would be assassinated.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 365 Then, the seeker after truth ought to study the verse contained in Karāmātuṣ-Ṣādiqin which says that Lekh Rām will die on the day close to Ïd.He should then study the revelation recorded in Ã’ina-e- Kamālāt-e-Islām, which says about Lekh Rām: عِجْلٌ جَسَدٌ لَّهُ خُوَارٌ لَهُ نَصْبُ وَعَذَابٌ.Meaning that, he is a lifeless calf which is devoid of spiritual life; it is nothing but noise.Therefore, He will be cut to pieces like the calf of Sāmirī.لَهُ كَمِثْلِهِ نَصَبُ is لَهُ نَصَبُ وَعَذَابٌ Bear in mind that the clarification of according to the understanding given by God, and this is exactly what happened.As I have already stated that there are three revelations about Lekh Rām's assassination: (1) A bloodthirsty angel appeared to me and asked where Lekh Rām was; (2) This very revela- meaning that Lekh Ram is Samiri's عِجْلٌ جَسَدٌ لَّهُ خُوَارٌ، لَهُ نُصُبُ وَعَذَابٌ.tion calf and will be cut into pieces like Sāmiri's calf; and (3) The couplet that was divinely revealed to me and was published beforehand; that is, five years before the death of Lekh Rām.It reads as follows: الا اے دشمن نادان و بیراه از شیخ بُران محمد بترس Meaning: 'O Lekh Rām! Why do you revile Ḥaḍrat Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? Why are you not afraid of the sword of Hadrat Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that will cut you down to pieces?' Here I reproduce all the verses of which the above-mentioned revealed couplet forms part.Below them I will reproduce the photo- graph of Lekh Rām's corpse, as was published by the Āryas themselves.Indeed, I am deeply saddened at Lekh Rām's plight that he, after vilifying Islam for a few days, died so young in the end.He had stayed in Qadian in company with me for about two months.At first he did not have this disposition but wicked people spoiled his disposition.

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366 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION He had agreed with great eagerness to accept Islam if he found Islam to be the faith in which the Signs of God Almighty are manifested and matters of the unseen are revealed.But some wicked residents of Qadian led him astray.Those unworthy Hindus told him false stories about me to make him loathe my company.As a result of this bad company, he deteriorated to a decadent state by the day.To my mind, his condition was not so decadent in the beginning; he only had reli- gious zeal and every believer in religion is entitled to argue in support of his faith abided by truth and justice.A year before his assassination, he met me once in a small mosque at the Lahore Railway Station.I was performing ablution at the time.After doing Namaste [traditional greeting of Hindus], he stayed for a few minutes, and then left.I regret that I could not talk to him at that time due to Șalāt.I deeply regret that the Hindus of Qadian did not give him the chance to listen to me and out of sheer mendacity incited him.I know for a fact that his blood is upon them.Despite all his zealotry, he did have a certain naivety in his disposition as he would let himself be swayed by the remarks of mischievous people, without scrutiny or investigation.This is why God Almighty compared him to a calf.At any rate, I cannot help feeling sad at his sudden death.But what could I do? That which was decreed by God Almighty was bound to be fulfilled.Underneath the verses reproduced below we will show a pho- tograph of Lekh Ram's corpse published by the Aryas.It shows Lekh Rām after he had been murdered and placed on a bier surrounded by a large number of people.I have reproduced it in this treatise so that it may possibly serve as a lesson for others and help them avoid the course that displeases God in religious debates.God knows that I bear no malice against anyone.Although I am happy to see the prophecy of God Almighty come true in the case of Lekh Rām; on the other hand, I am sad that he had to die in the prime of his life.Had he turned towards me, I would have prayed for him so that this calamity would have been averted.He did not have to become a Muslim to avert this calamity; all he had to do was refrain from using

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 367 abusive and foul language.It was rank injustice on his part to call our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, a liar and an impostor without full knowledge and information.He also used to vil- ify other Prophets, peace be upon them.As for the Chosen Prophet of God, he appeared at a time when the whole of Arabia, Persia, Syria, Rome, and the whole of Europe were engrossed in creature worship.And by Pandit Dayanand's own admission, the entire land of the Āryas was steeped in idol worship dur- ing that time.In no part of the earth had Tauḥīd [belief in the Oneness of God] remained inviolate.This Prophet alone re-established Tauhid through his advent, and established the awe of the majesty and glory of God on earth, and demonstrated his own truthfulness through thou- sands of Signs and miracles and his miracles continue to manifest up until now.Was it, then, in keeping with the norms of decency and civility to use vulgar obscenities for such a grand Prophet who manifested God's majesty on earth, obliterated idol-worship, and re-established Tauḥīd; and to never relent [from this vilification]? He was vilified in marketplaces, in ordinary assembly [of people], and in every street and alley.God is slow to wrath, and He is Most Benevolent and Most Merciful, but in the end, He seizes the rebellious and the shameless.The Hereafter as yet belongs to the realm of the unseen, but one has to admit that a religion that demonstrates living Signs of the Living God has to be from God.Man can duplicate every good teaching, but cannot duplicate the Signs of God.Hence, in accordance with this cri- terion, Islam alone is the living religion on the face of the earth.Yet, despite all this, we cannot say that the sages and avatars of the Hindus were liars and deceitful, nor do we abuse them, God forbid.On the contrary, God Almighty teaches us that there is no human habitation or country to which He has not sent a Prophet, as He Himself says:

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368 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION وَ إِنْ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ.Meaning that, there are no people amongst whom a Prophet of God did not appear.But we cannot comprehend the belief that, since the beginning of time, God's interest was confined only to the territory of the Āryas despite the vast habitations and countries that stood in need of His guidance, and [the belief that] all are His creation yet the other nations were deprived of His direct guidance.We also find the existing Law of God contradicting it as well for He discloses Himself even now through His word and revelation in other countries.Such partisanship and partiality cannot be imputed to God.He inclines with mercy to everyone who turns to Him heart and soul.Indian or Arab, He wants no one to lose.His mercy is universal and is not restricted to any par- ticular country.We similarly observe that, physically speaking, God's bounties are found everywhere.There is water in every country just as there is in the land of the Aryas; there is grain in every country just as there is in land of the Āryas.Every country is blessed with the same bounties that are found in the land of the Aryas.While God has not discriminated between peoples and countries in His physical bounties, how can one possibly think He has done so spiritually? Black, White, Indian or Arab; all people are His creation.Therefore, God, who has limitless attributes, cannot be restricted to any limited sphere; to try to limit Him is nothing but narrow-mindedness and folly.Below I record the verses that contain the prophecy about Lekh Ram's assassination.As pointed out earlier, these verses were printed and published throughout the Punjab and [the rest of] India.They are given below with a photograph of Lekh Rām's corpse attached at the end.1.Surah Fățir, 35:25 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 Verses عجب نوری است در جان محمد عجب لعلیت محمد در کان How wonderful is the light in the person of Muḥammadsa; And marvellous indeed is the ruby in the mine of Muḥammadsa.که گردد ز ظلمت با دے آنگه شود صاف از محتان محمد The heart is cleansed of all darkness When it joins the lovers of Muḥammadsa.که رو تابند از خوان محمد عجب دارم دل آں ناکسان را Alas for the hearts of those unworthy ones, Who turn their backs upon the hospitality of Muḥammadsa! ندانم پیچ نفے دو ور عالم که دارد شوکت و شان محمد I know of no one in both the worlds Who has an exalted station equal to Muḥammadsa.خدا زال سینه بیزارست صدبار که هست از کینه داران محمد God is most displeased with the person Who bears a grudge against Muḥammadsa; عدوان محمد از که باشد خدا خود سوزد آن کرم دنی را God Himself burns that worthless worm, Which is among the enemies of Muḥammadsa.اگر خواہی نجات از مستی نفس بیا ور محمد ذیل مستان If you wish to be delivered from the stupor of the lower self, Come and join the ranks of the lovers of Muḥammadsa.بشو از دل ثنا خوان محمد اگر خواہی که حق گوید ثنایت If you desire that God should praise you, Become a true admirer of Muḥammadsa.369

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION محمد اگر خواہی دلیلے عاشقش باش بربان If you desire a proof [of his truthfulness], be his lover; For Muḥammad himself is the proof of Muḥammadsa.سرے دارم فدائے خاک احمد دلم ہر وقت قربان محمد My body craves to be sacrificed for the dust of Aḥmad’s³ª feet; My heart is ever eager to die for Muḥammadsa.که هستم بگیسوئے رسول اللہ کہ بستم نثار روتے تابان By the tresses of the Prophet of God, I would die for the illumined countenance of Muḥammad³ª.دریس ره گر گشندم ور بسوزند نتابم روز ایوان محمد Cut me to pieces or burn me to death, I will not turn away from the court of Muḥammadsa.سهل است از دنیا بریدن بیاد احسان محمد How easy it is to renounce the world When one contemplates the beauty and grace of Muḥammadsa! که دیدم حسن پہنان محمد رہش ہر ذرة من فدا شد در Every particle of my being has been sacrificed in his path; For, I have witnessed the latent beauty of Muḥammadsa.دگر اُستاد را نامے ندانم که که خواندم در دبستان محمد I know not the name of any other teacher; I have studied at the school of Muḥammadsa.بدیگر دلبرے کارے ندارم که آن محمد I have no affiliation with any other beloved; I have fallen prey to the loving ways of Muḥammadsa.370

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371 POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 125 مرا آن گوشه چشم بیاید دل زارم نہ نخواهم حجز گلستان محمد I crave but just a single glance; I need nothing but the garden of Muḥammadsa.پهلویم مجوئید که بتيمش بدامان محمد Search not for my anguished heart in my bosom, For I have surrendered it to the lap of Muḥammadsa.من آن خوش مرغ از مرغانِ قدسم که دارد جا به بستان محمد I am the merriest among the birds of Paradise, Who have built their nests in the garden of Muḥammadsa.فدایت جانم تو جان ما منور کردی از عشق اے جان محمد You have illumined my heart and soul with love; My life is an offering to you, O Muḥammadsa.صد جاں دریں راہ دریغا گرد هم نباشد نیز شایان Were I to sacrifice my life for him a hundred times— Alas! It would still be unworthy of the high station of Muḥammadsa.به میدان محمد کہ ناید کس چه بیبت با بداوند این جوان را So awe-inspiring is the station granted to this champion; No one can even dare to compete with Muḥammadsa رو مولے کہ گم کردند مردم بجو ور و اعوان محمد آل The path to God-which mankind has lost- Search for it in the progeny and helpers of Muḥammadsa.از تیغ بران محمد بترس اے دشمن نادان وبے راہ الا Beware-0 foolish and misguided enemy - Beware of the sharp sword of Muḥammadsa!

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372 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION الا اے منكر از شان محمد محمد نور نمایان از ہم Beware, O denier of the status of Muḥammadsa, And of the manifest light of Muḥammadsa! غلمان محمد j کرامت گرچه بے نام و نشان است بیا Even though miracles are no more, Come and witness them among the devotees of Muḥammadsa.1* حریک تصویر پینڈے لیکرام های Photo of the dead body of Pandit Lekh Rām.1.Lekh Rām had repeatedly written to me that he wanted to see a miracle.He also repeatedly said in his books that he be shown a miracle.But, God, who is Wise, shows miracles according to an individual's condition.Since, Lekh Rām's tongue worked like a knife in abusing our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he had injured the sentiments of thousands, God too manifested the Sign of a knife and his foul-mouthing pierced into his body having taken the form of a knife and cutting his entrails to pieces.This is the very Sign of God's wrath; those who have ears should pay heed to this.When he was alive, he also used to say that he would not accept unless a star falls from the sky.Thus, it so happened that since he considered himself to be a star of the Āryah nation and his nation also acknowledged him to be a star, that star fell.His fall was very heavy for the Āryas; it caused lamentation in every household.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 126 373 126.[ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SIXTH] SIGN-In Ludhiana, there was a gentleman named Mīr ‘Abbās ‘Alī.He was among those who had entered into baiat [pledge of allegiance] with me.Within a few years, he made such progress in his sincere devotion that, on the basis of his spiritual condition at that time, I once received the revelation: أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ.Its roots are firm and its branches spread into heaven.This revelation only meant that at that time he was a firm believer.At that time he displayed signs that supported this.There was no incantation for him besides talking about me, and he used to copy out, in his own hand, every letter that I wrote to him considering them to be extremely blessed, and he admonished and advised other people.Even if there was a dry piece of my leftover bread, he would eat it, considering it to be blessed.He was the one who was the first from Ludhiana to come to me in Qadian.At one time, I was shown by God that 'Abbas 'Ali would stumble and draw away from me.Even that letter of mine he copied into his collection of my letters.Thereafter, when he met me he expressed surprise over my vision saying, 'How can that be, for I am ready to lay down my life for you?' I replied that whatever is destined for you, shall be fulfilled.Subsequently, the time came when I put forward my claim of being the Promised Messiah.He found the claim unpalatable.In the beginning he was disgruntled in his heart.Later on, at the time of my debate with Maulawi Abū Sa'id Muḥammad Husain in Ludhiana, he had the opportunity of associating with my opponents for a few days.Then the divine decree became manifest and he clearly revolted.He deviated completely, so much so that the conviction of his heart and the light of his face all vanished and the darkness of apostasy became evident.After he had rejected me, he met me once at Pir Iftikhar Aḥmad's residence in Ludhiana and proposed, 'You and I can settle the matter if we are locked up in a room and remain locked for ten days, then the one who is a liar, shall die.' I replied, 'Mir Şahib, why resort to such tests that are

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374 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION opposed to the Shariah? No Prophet tried to test God.However, God is watching you and me.He has the power, on His own, to kill the liar vis-e-vis the truthful.As for Signs from God Almighty, they are pour- ing down like rain.If you are a genuine seeker of truth, come to Qadian with me!' He replied that he could not go because his wife was ill or perhaps she was away or something to that effect which I do not recall.I responded, 'Now just wait for God's verdict.' Later, he died the same year and there was no need left for being locked up in any room.This indeed is an occasion to fear [God], as to what the fate of 'Abbas 'Ali was! After such [spiritual] progress, he fell into the pit of decadence in an instant.His events demonstrate that even if there is a revelation about pleasure in respect of a certain person, that pleasure is quite often valid only for a particular time; i.e.as long as he does what pleases God¹* as, in the Holy Quran, God Almighty repeatedly expresses His anger in respect of the disbelievers, but as soon as any one of them becomes a believer, the erstwhile anger changes into pleasure.Similarly, divine pleasure at times changes into wrath.That is why it is on record in hadith that sometimes a person performs deeds like those of the denizens of Paradise, so much so that there is a distance of just one hand's breadth left between him and Paradise.But in reality, he is destined to be cast into Hell.So ultimately he becomes guilty of such a deed or belief that he is thrown into Hell because of it.Similarly, someone is destined for Paradise, but behaves like those who deserve Hell, so much so that there is a distance of just one hand's breadth left between him and Hell.But ultimately destiny prevails and he begins to perform good deeds.He dies in this condition, and he is admitted into Paradise.The proof of the truth of this prophecy, which no opponent can 1.This is why God has taught us this prayer in Șalāt [prescribed Prayer] (He has made it mandatory that, without it, the prescribed Prayer is not com- plete.): ['Not of those who incurred Your wrath']; that is, we should be careful lest, after being [the blessed ones], we once again become a [those who have incurred divine displeasure].We should, therefore, always fear God, who is in need of no one.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 127 375 deny, is Mir Abbās ‘Ali's notebook in which he has inscribed my prophecy in his own hand (which has been fulfilled); it is still availa- ble.I saw once in my dream after his death that he was dressed in black clothes from head to toe.He was standing at a distance of about 100 paces from me and begged me for something as assistance.I answered him, “The time is now past.Now there is a great distance between me and you.You cannot reach me.' 127.[ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVENTH] SIGN-A person of the name of Sehaj Rām was the Reader in the Court of the Commissioner at Amritsar.Prior to that, he had been the Reader to the Deputy Commissioner at Sialkot.He was often engaged in religious discussions with me.By his very nature, he carried a grudge against Islam.It so happened that my elder brother, who had appeared in the competitive examination for the post of Teḥşildar and had been successful, was still at home in Qadian awaiting his assignment to a post.One day, at the time of Asr [the afternoon Prayer] I was occupied with reading the Holy Quran in the upper chambers of the house.As I was about to turn over to the next page, in that very condition I expe- rienced a state of vision.I saw Sehaj Rām dressed in black and standing before me in a tone of great humility and supplication as if trying to persuade me to intercede for him that he might be shown mercy.I said to him, 'Now there is no time for mercy'; and simultaneously, Allah the Almighty made me understand that Sehaj Rām had expired at that very moment, but no information had yet been conveyed about it.Thereafter, I descended from my room and found that my brother was sitting in the company of six or seven people and their conversation related to the matter of my brother's assignment to a post.I said, 'Should Pandit Sehaj Rām die, that post is also good.Those present burst out in laughter upon hearing my statement and said, 'Why do you wish the death of a person who is hale and hearty?' On the second or third day, the news arrived that Sehaj Rām had died suddenly at that very hour.

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376 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 128.[ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHTH] SIGN—On 11 February 1906, a prophecy was made about Bengal, the exact wording of which is as follows: پہلے بنگالہ کی نسبت جو کچھ حکم جاری کیا گیا تھا اب اُن کی دلجوئی ہوگی.Concerning the order that had been issued with regard to Bengal, they will now be consoled.As everyone knows, its details are that the Government had imple- mented the order concerning the division of Bengal.This order had so frustrated the Bengalis as to cause veritable mourning in Bengali homes.They tried hard to stop the division of Bengal, but failed.On the con- trary, the Government officials did not like their agitation.I do not even need to get into the details of the action Government officials took in this regard.In particular, they [Bengalis] considered Lt.Governor Fuller as their angel of death.It so happened that when the Bengalis were suffer- ing at the hands of their officials and were near to death due to Sir Fuller's administration, I received the revelation mentioned above that is: پہلے بنگالہ کی نسبت جو کچھ حکم جاری کیا گیا تھا اب اُن کی دلجوئی ہو گی.Concerning the order that had been issued with regard to Bengal, they will now be consoled.I, therefore, published this prophecy during those very days.This prophecy came to be fulfilled thus: Fuller, the Lt.Governor of Bengal, at whose hands the Bengalis had suffered so much so that their cries had reached the heavens, suddenly resigned.The papers showing the cause of his resignation have not been published.But the jubilation the Bengalis have expressed at Fuller's resignation—as is indicated by the Bengali newspapers-is a witness above all others that the Bengalis have felt consolation by the resignation of Fuller.Their joyous meetings and shouts of jubilation testify that Fuller's resignation has indeed consoled them; nay rather, they were entirely consoled and they

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 128 377 considered Fuller's resignation to be a great favour of the Government upon them.In short, the expediency with which the reason of Fuller's resignation was concealed by the Government is being exposed by the extreme delight of the Bengalis.What greater proof of the fulfilment of the prophecy could there be than that the Bengalis themselves have acknowledged their consolation in this episode and have expressed extreme gratitude to the Government? This prophecy of mine was not only published in our journal, the Review of Religions, but was also published by a number of newspapers of the Punjab.Even some famous newspapers of Bengal had published this prophecy.Another proof that this prophecy has been fulfilled is that Amrita Bazaar Patrika, Calcutta, the most well-known English language newspaper of the Bengal, writes—and the following lines which have been reproduced by the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore in its issue of 22 August 1906: The likelihood is that his [i.e., Fuller's] successor [the new Lt.Governor] will follow a quite conciliatory policy.Of course this is very desirable...These words of the above-mentioned paper also show that it has expressed its satisfaction that the new Lt.Governor would be duty-bound to keep on consoling the Bengalis.As such the above-mentioned newspaper too is a witness to the fulfilment of the prophecy.In the end, I produce here another strong argument in support of the fulfilment of the prophecy.A British officer who has held a senior Government post: for fifty years, writes in a long letter published in the newspaper, the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, in its issue dated 24 August 1906, in which it is disclosed that Sir Fuller's resignation is in exact conformity with the wishes of the Bengali bābūs [respectable citizens]:

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378 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION...under our regime these schoolboys have political potential- ities so powerful that their action has compelled the resigna- tion of a Lieutenant-Governor! His successor has, no doubt received and accepted a "mandate" [from the higher authorities] to deal in a conciliatory spirit with these Babu urchins.Now mark the clarity with which this prophecy was fulfilled.God con- tinues to manifest ever fresh Signs.Alas! How heedless are the hearts that they still do not accept.I have become so filled with conviction because of these successive Signs as an ocean is filled with water.But what a pity! My opponents have not tasted even a single drop of this pure water.One simply cannot imagine the enormity of this misfortune.There is not a single nation among whom the Signs in my favour have not appeared, and there is not a sect that is not a witness to my Signs.It would be no exaggeration to say that the number of witnesses to these Signs is as much as 100,000,000.But the plight of the oppo- nents is pitiable indeed that they did not derive any benefit from these Signs.Had these Signs that have been shown to them, been shown to the Jews at the time of Ḥaḍrat Īsā Ibn-e-Maryam [Jesus son of Mary], they would not have been characterized as those smitten with abasement'].Had Lūt's [Lot's] people witnessed these Signs, they would not have been buried under the earth on account of that massive earthquake.But, woe be upon these hearts that proved to be harder than stone! The darkness that has overtaken their hearts exceeds every kind of darkness.The fact of the matter is that just as the world has pro- gressed in respect of all kinds of material means, so has it advanced in disbelief and lack of faith.Hence this 'advanced' disbelief requires that it should not be visited by any ordinary chastisement, rather it should be overtaken by a chastisement the like of which has never descended since the beginning of the world.At any rate, thousands of thanks be to God that the light that our opponents refused to accept and remained blind, the same light became the cause of advancement of our own sight and spiritual insight.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 129 379 عُيُونِ اللَّهِ مَاءًا شَرِبْنَا مِنْ بِوَحْيِ مُشْرِقٍ رَوَيْنَا We drank water from the springs of Allah— The water of resplendent revelation—until we were satiated.رَأَيْنَا مِنْ جَلَالِ اللهِ شَمْسًا فَامَنَّا وَ صَدَّقْنَا يَقِينا We witnessed a Sun of Allah's glory, So we believed and testified with certainty and conviction.وَ أُخرى فِي عَشَائِرِ كَافِرِيْنَا قَطِيعِى تَجَلَّتْ مِنْهُ أَيُّ فِي One kind of His Signs appeared among my own Jama'at, While the other kind appeared among the disbelieving horde.129.ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINTH] SIGN-Maulawi Rusul Baba of Amritsar had written a wholly nonsensical and absurd pamphlet named Hayatul-Masih [i.e, “The Life of the Messiah'] against me.It was his statement that if this plague was a Sign of the Promised Messiah's truth, why did he [Rusul Bābā] himself not contract the plague? In the end he was seized by the plague.Right in the midst of his illness with plague, I received this revelation on Friday: يَمُوْتُ قَبْلَ يَوْمِن هَذَا.Meaning that, he would die before the next Friday.Accordingly, he departed from this mortal world before the next Friday, 8 December 1902, at 5:30 AM.This revelation of mine had been published before his death.It has also been published in al-Ḥakam.Along with it, I received the following revelation: سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ، سَلَامٌ عَلَى أَمْرِكَ، صِرْتَ فَآئِزًا.Meaning that: Peace on you, O Ibrāhīm [Abraham].Peace be upon your affair.You became victorious.

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380 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 130.[ONE HUNdred thirtieth] SIGN-In my book Anjām- e-Atham, I invited many opposing maulawis, by name, to a muba- halah [prayer duel], and wrote on page 66 of the book that should any one of them enter into a mubahalah with me, I would pray that some of them may become blind, some may become paralysed, some may become insane, some may die of snakebite, some may meet an untimely death, some may be disgraced, and some may suffer financial loss.Although all the opposing maulawis were not courageous enough to accept the challenge of a mubahalah, they continued to slander me behind my back, and persisted in their denial.Rashid Aḥmad of Gangoh, for instance, has not only invoked [The curse of Allah be upon the liars'], but has also called me ‘'Satan' in one of his posters.Ultimately, the result of this was that of all fifty-two oppos- ing maulawis, only twenty have survived thus far, and even they are ensnared by one calamity or another.The rest have all died.Maulawi Rashid Aḥmad became blind and later died of snakebite, as was in the prayer of the mubahalah.Maulawī Shāh Dīn died after becoming insane.Maulawi Ghulām Dastagīr became a victim of the mubahalah initiated by himself.As for those who are still alive, none of them has escaped the above named calamities, even though they have not yet entered into the mubahalah in the prescribed manner.131.[ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIRST] SIGN-Readers would note in this book that I had, at one point, prophesied about Bishambar Dās, a brother of Sharampat Khatrī, that although he would not be acquitted outright in the criminal case in which he was implicated, the term of his imprisonment would be reduced by half.Later when Bishambar Dās was released after serving half the term of his imprisonment, as was intimated in the prophecy, his kin falsely announced that Bishambar Dās had been acquitted.It was night-time and I had gone to our main mosque for offering Prayer when Ali Muḥammad, a mullah, resident of Qadian, narrated it in the

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 131 381 mosque that Bishambar Dās had been acquitted and that he was being congratulated in the marketplace.I was shocked when I heard the news and was rather apprehen- sive that the bigoted Hindus would now object and say: 'You had prophesied that Bishambar Dās would not be acquitted.Know now that he has, in fact, been acquitted!' Under the stress of this grief, each rak'at of the prayer felt as long as a year, and when I prostrated at the end of a rak'at, my distress reached the extreme.Then, in that very state of prostration, God, addressing me aloud, said: لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْأَعْلَى.Meaning that, have no fear at all; you indeed are victorious.After this, I waited as to how this prophecy would be fulfilled.But no Sign appeared.I enquired of the very same Sharampat over and over again if it was true that Bishambar Dās had been acquitted.He would give the same answer: 'Yes he has, in fact, been acquitted and why should I lie?' In the village, anyone of whom I enquired, would invariably reply, 'We too have heard that he has been acquitted.' Meanwhile, six months or thereabouts passed.Mischievous people would mock and jeer as is their wont.But Sharampat did not mock or jeer which convinced me that he had behaved decently towards me on that occasion.Still I felt embarrassed in his presence, [think- ing] how emphatically I had communicated to him the news of his brother's non-acquittal! And now the situation had come to such a pass! Despite all this, I had firm faith in my God and I was certain that He would demonstrate some Sign of His providence and may be he would be apprehended again after acquittal.But I knew not that the very news of his acquittal was a mere fabrication.Then it so 1.A single cycle of standing through prostration in the prescribed Islamic Prayer known as Șalāt.There are a set number of these cycles for each of the five daily Prayers.[Publisher]

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382 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION happened that one Teḥṣildār of Batala, Ḥāfiṇ Hidāyat ‘Ali whom I have mentioned earlier, came to Qadian at eight o'clock in the morn- ing on an official visit to Qadian, for Qadian is part of Tehsil Batala.He came to our residence and had not yet dismounted his horse when a few Hindus, as is their wont, assembled to greet him, and Bishambar Dās was among them.On seeing Bishambar Dās, the Teḥṣildar said, 'Bishambar Dās, I was pleased to hear that you had been released from jail, but alas you were not acquitted.' On hearing this, I fell in grateful prostration to God.Immediately I summoned Sharampat and asked him why he had lied to me for so long that Bishambar Dās had been acquit- ted and aggrieved me for nothing.He said he had to lie because of a consideration—namely, that his people are highly critical of even minor flaws when they choose to enter into new marital relationships, and it is very hard to obtain agreement from the girl's side when some- one is proven to be guilty of a wrongdoing.It was because of this con- sideration that he continued to misrepresent the facts and publicize this falsehood.132.ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SECOND SIGN-I have recorded ear- lier that at the time of the earthquake of 4 April 1905, we had moved to our garden with all of our family members and selected a parcel of our land sufficient to accommodate 5,000 people as our sleep- ing place.We had two tents put up and screened them with a tent wall all around.Even then there was danger from thieves as the area was wooded and in some of the villages nearby there are renowned thieves who have been repeatedly convicted.On one occasion, I saw in my dream at night that I was keeping watch and after I had gone few steps I encountered someone who said that angels are on the watch ahead; meaning that, there is no need for you to keep watch as the angels are guarding your camping ground.Then I received the revelation: a

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 133 امن است در مقام محبت سرائے ما.383 The house filled with our love is an abode of peace.A few days later it so happened that a well-known thief, who belonged to one of the surrounding villages, crept into our garden to steal.His name was Bishan Singh.It was the latter part of the night when he snuck into our garden with that intent, but not finding an opportunity, he sat down in an onion field.He uprooted a large quantity of onions and piled them up.He was then spotted by someone.He attempted to run away.He was of very strong build and it would not have been possible even for ten people to hold him down had it not been that he was already held down by divine prophecy.As he ran, his foot was caught in a hole.Even then he recovered, but in the meantime he was surrounded by people.So, Sardar Bishan Singh was captured despite his utmost struggle and was convicted by the court without delay.Sometime later a large poisonous snake appeared in our residential house in the garden where we used to spend our day.The snake was very long but it also received its punishment as the thief had.In this way we were furnished with immediate proof of the protection by the angels.* 133.[ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-THIRD] sign—I do not know English at all, yet God Almighty has, by way of granting me His bounty, revealed to me certain prophecies in English.For instance, the fol- lowing were recorded as far back as twenty-five years ago in Barāhīn- e-Aḥmadiyya on pages 480, 481, 483, 484, and 522:² 1.The witnesses to this prophecy include Mufti Muḥammad Ṣādiq, Maulawi Muḥammad 'Ali M.A., and the rest of the members of the Jama'at who were with me in the garden.(Author) 2.These revelations appear in Rūḥānī Khazā'in, vol.1, pages 571, 572, 575, 576, and 623, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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384 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION I love you.I am with you.Yes, I am happy.Life of pain.I shall help you.I can, what I will do.We can, what We will do.God is coming by His army.He is with you to kill enemy.The days shall come when God shall help you.Glory be to this¹ Lord God, Maker of earth and heaven.2* This is the prophecy that the One God, who has no partner, made in English despite the fact that I am not an English speaking person and am totally unaware of this language.But it was the will of God to publish His promises about the future in all the renowned languages of this country.Thus, in this prophecy, God reveals [to me saying] that: 'I shall efface your present condition of pain and suffering and I shall help you; and I shall come to you with an army and destroy the enemy.' A large part of this prophecy has already been fulfilled and God Almighty has opened the door to every kind of bounty upon me and thousands of human beings have entered into bai'at with me, heart and soul.Who knew at the time of this prophecy as to when so much [divine] help would arrive? As such it is a marvellous prophecy indeed.Its very diction is a Sign in its own right; namely, the English language, and its meaning is a Sign too, for they foretell the future.1.In Haqiqatul-Waḥī, this phrase was scribed as 'Glory be to the Lord'.The citation in the text above follows the original wording as given in Barāhin- e-Aḥmadiyya, Part IV, Rūḥāni Khaza'in, vol.1, p.623, published in 2008.[Publisher] 2.As these revelations are in a foreign tongue and divine revelations are swift, there may possibly be a slight variation in the delivery of some words.It has also been observed that sometimes God is not bound by human idiom or fol- lows an archaic idiom and sometime does not even follow the rules of gram- mar.There are several such instances in the Holy Quran for instance the verse [Certainly these two are magicians.' (Surah Ṭā Hā, 20:64)] in accordance with man-made grammar would read as.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 134 385 134.[ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FOURTH] SIGN―There is a detailed description of this Sign on page 523¹ of Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya.The sum and substance of it is that once I received the revelation: بست و یک روپیہ آنے والے ہیں.Twenty and one rupees are coming.So this revelation, too, was communicated to the Āryas whose names have been mentioned above a number of times.With the revelation, I was given to understand that the money would arrive the same day.Thus, one Wazir Singh, a patient, came and gave me one rupee that day.Then it occurred to me that perhaps the remaining twenty rupees would come by post.Therefore, a reliable person was sent to the Post Office who reported that the postal clerk said he had only received five rupees from Dera Ghazi Khan, accompanied by a postcard.I was very perplexed by this news, for I had already informed the Āryas that I would receive twenty-one rupees on that day.They knew one rupee had already come.I was so distressed by the postal clerk's report that cannot be described in words, since the news that only five rupees had been received from Dera Ghazi Khan had made me lose all hope of receiving additional money.There were indications that the Aryas who were privy to the earlier report, were ecstatic that they were finally given a chance to prove me wrong that day.I was in extreme distress.Then suddenly I received the revelation بست ویک آئے ہیں اس میں شک نہیں.Twenty and one have arrived; there is no doubt in this.I communicated this revelation to the Āryas only to cause even greater laughter, for a government employee who was the sub-postmaster had 1.This Sign appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.1, page 624, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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386 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION publicly announced that only five rupees had come.After this, one from among those Āryas happened to visit the Post Office.The postal clerk on inquiry or on his own, told him, ‘In fact, twenty rupees have been received; I had just inadvertently blurted out that only five rupees had been received.' Accompanying it there was also a postcard from Munshi Ilāhī Bakhsh, Accountant.This sum had arrived on 6 September 1883 exactly the day I received the revelation.In commemoration of this auspicious day and to make the Āryas bear witness to it, sweets worth one rupee was distributed which was fetched by an Āryah and it was given to the Āryas and others so that, if not otherwise, they should remember the occasion by eating sweets.135.[ONE HUNDred thirty-fiFTH] SIGN-Once on account of diabetes, from which I have suffered for the last twenty years, I was quite fearful about my eyesight, for in case of such ailments one is in danger of developing epiphora.It was then that God Almighty in His grace and kindness reassured, consoled, and comforted me through the revelation which is as follows: نَزَلَتِ الرَّحْمَةُ عَلَى ثَلث.اَلْعَيْنِ وَعَلَى الْأَخْرَيَيْنِ.Meaning that, blessing has been brought down to three organs-eyes and two others, which have not been specified.I swear in the name of God Almighty that I am about seventy years old and my eyesight even in this age is as good as it was when I was fifteen or twenty years old.This is the very blessing which was promised in the revelation of God Almighty.136.[ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIXTH] SIGN-On account of mental fatigue and migraines, I had become so weak that I was afraid I would not be able to continue writing anymore.Such was my weakness that I felt no energy in my body.In this condition, I received the revelation:

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 136 387 تُرَدُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْوَارُ الشَّبَابِ.Meaning that, the glows of youth are restored to you.Thereafter, within a few days I began to feel that my lost powers were being restored, and I soon became so strong that I can write two chapters of a new book every day with my own hand.Not only writing, but also the capacity to reflect and think that are necessary for such creative writing was fully restored.Of course, I suffer from two ail- ments, one relating to the upper part of my body, and the other to the lower one.In the upper part, I suffer from migraine, and in the lower, I suffer from frequent urge to pass water.I have suffered from these two ailments ever since I published my claim that I had been appointed by God.I even supplicated for relief from these ailments, but received a negative reply.I was also made to understand that it had been decreed from the beginning that the Promised Messiah would descend clad in two yellow sheets, with his hands resting on the shoulders of two angels.These [two illnesses] are thus the same two yellow sheets which are applicable to my physical condition.All Prophets are in agreement that the interpretation of a yellow sheet is an ailment.The two yellow sheets symbolize two ailments, which relate to two parts of the body.God, too, has disclosed to me that the two yellow sheets stand for two ailments.And the word of God was bound to be fulfilled.It should be kept in mind that, from among the hallmarks of the Promised Messiah, the following are on record: 1.He will descend with two yellow sheets.2.He would descend resting his hands on the shoulders of two angels.3.Disbelievers will die from his breath.4.He will appear as if emerging after just having bathed and drops of water will appear to be trickling down from his head like pearls.5.He will perform the circuit of the Ka'bah opposite the Dajjal.6.He will break the Cross.7.He will kill the Swine.

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388 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 8.He will take a wife and have children.9.He will be the one who slays the Dajjal.10.The Promised Messiah will not be killed but shall die [a natural death] and will be interned in the tomb of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.[.And these are the perfect ten] وَ تِلْكَ عَشَرَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ.Hence, I have explained, regarding the two yellow sheets, that they are the two ailments that were destined, from the very first day, to afflict the body of the Promised Messiah as a hallmark so that his [otherwise] unusually good health might also be a Sign.And the two angels symbolise the two supports from the unseen, upon which depends the incontrovertibility of his claim: 1.God-given knowledge regarding incontrovertible evidence based on reason and record, that shall be vouchsafed to him without any effort and exertion on his part.2.Secondly, the incontrovertible argument through Signs which will be sent down by God without any human intervention.Furthermore, his descent with his hands resting on the shoulders of two angels indicates that the means of his progress will become accessible from the unseen, and will help him accomplish [his] task, and his work will advance with their support.Earlier on, I have narrated a dream in which I saw that I was given a sword in my hand whose handle was in my hand but whose point was in heaven; I was wielding it on both sides, and hundreds of people were killed by the attack in either side.During the dream itself, a righteous person interpreting the dream said that it was the sword of incontrovertible argument, that its attack on the right side stands for the incontrovertible argument which would be through means of Signs, and on the left side it symbolises the incontro- vertible argument that would be based on reason and record.And both

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 136 389 kinds of incontrovertible arguments would become manifest without human effort or artifice.Killing the disbelievers with his breath means that the disbelievers will perish because of the Promised Messiah's breath; that is, his atten- tion.The appearance of the Promised Messiah as if he has just come out of the bath after taking a bath, with drops of bathwater, quite like pearls, dripping from his head, means that through his repeated repentance and supplication the Promised Messiah will keep refreshing his relationship with God as if he bathes all the time and the pure drops of the pure bath drip from his head like pearls-not that he has something supernatural in him, contrary to human nature.Certainly not! Certainly not! Have people not already witnessed the [dire] conse- quences of a supernatural phenomenon attributed to ‘Īsā bin Maryam, which turned tens of millions of people into the fuel of Hellfire! Do you still cherish the spectacle that contrary to [normal] human prac- tice, Īsā should descend from heaven, angels accompanying him, and kill people with his breath and drops should drip from his body like pearls? In short, my interpretation of the dripping of pearl-like drops from the Promised Messiah's body, is correct.The Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw gold bangles on his wrists.Did it only mean ‘gold bangles'? Similarly the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw cows being slaughtered; did it only mean 'cows'? No, not at all; rather, they meant something quite different.Similarly, for the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to see the Promised Messiah as if he comes just after having his bath and the drops of the bath trickle down from his head like pearls, means that the latter would seek forgiveness and turn [to God] much and his contact with God would always remain refreshed as if he were bathing con- stantly, and the pure drops of pure penitence were dripping from his head like beads of pearls.In another hadith, too, turning to God is likened to taking a bath.For instance, referring to the beauties of Prayer, the Holy Prophet,

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390 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said, ‘If there is a [running] stream in front of the door of one's home and he bathes in that stream five times a day, can there remain any dirt on his body?" The Companions [of the Holy Prophetsa] submitted, 'No.' At that he said, 'Similar is the case of the one who offers Prayer five times a day' (which comprehends repentance, seeking forgiveness, supplication, humility, submission, and praising and glorifying God).On such a person, too, no dirt of sinfulness can possibly remain, as if he bathes five times a day.It is evident from this hadith that the Promised Messiah taking his bath also means the same thing; otherwise, what is particularly meri- torious about a physical bath? For that matter the Hindus also take a bath in the morning every day, and drops [of water] after the bath drip too.What a pity! The literalists drag every spiritual phenomenon into a physical one and, like the Jews, they are unaware of [spiritual] secrets and verities.The fact that both the Promised Messiah and the Dajjāl will perform circuits of the Ka'bah proves that this does not mean that they will physically perform circuits of the Ka'bah, for in that case we would have to concede that the Dajjal will succeed in entering the Ka'bah or that he will become a Muslim.Both of these assertions go against the clear purport of aḥādīth [sayings of the Holy Prophetsa].This hadith has to be interpreted, and the interpretation which God has made manifest to me is that a group of people will emerge in the Latter Days who will be called the Dajjal.This group will be a bitter enemy of Islam, and, in order to completely tear down the edifice of Islam, it will go circuiting round the Ka'bah, which is the centre of Islam, like a thief.As against this, the Promised Messiah will also per- form the circuit of the centre of Islam, which the Ka'bah symbolises.The purpose of the Promised Messiah in performing the circuit of the Ka'bah would be to apprehend the thief named Dajjal, and to safe- guard the centre of Islam from his designs.We know that a thief goes around the houses at night and so does a watchman, but while the pur- pose of the thief is to rob and plunder a household, the purpose of the

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 136 391 watchman is to apprehend the thief and to have him securely locked behind bars so that people are safe from his mischief.1,1*.It is to this battle that the hadith refers.It says that in the Latter Days the thief known as Dajjal will try his utmost to demolish the struc- ture of Islam, while the Promised Messiah will carry his supplications to heaven in support of Islam, and all the angels will join him so that he will be victorious in the final battle.He will neither get tired, nor dejected, nor will he slacken his efforts, but will try his utmost to catch the thief.When his supplications reach their climax, God will see how his heart has melted in his love for Islam.Heaven will do what the earth cannot, and the victory that cannot be achieved by man will be won at the hands of angels.In the Latter Days when this Messiah appears, great calamities shall descend, terrible earthquakes shall visit, and peace shall depart from the whole world.These calamities shall strike on account of that Messiah's supplications.Then, after these Signs, he shall be victorious.These indeed are the angels, [resting] on whose shoulders-figuratively speaking the descent of the Promised Messiah has been prophesied.Who can dare imagine today that human efforts could remove this lat- ter day trouble fomented by the Dajjāl—the mischief of which refers 1.Footnote: In the Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, [the opening chapter of the Holy Quran] God Almighty teaches us that the Dajjal who is being warned about, is none other than the misguided Christian clerics of the Latter Days who have strayed from the path of Ḥadrat ‘Īsāªs.It is because God teaches us this very prayer in the noble chapter that we beseech God lest we be like such Jews who were the recipients of wrath on account of disobeying and opposing 'Isǎas, nor be like such Christians who abandoned the teaching of ‘Īsāªs, made him into God, and adopted a lie which is greater than all lies; and in support of which they resorted to extreme deceit and sham.This is why in heaven they have been designated the Dajjāl.Had someone else been the Dajjal, then ref- uge from him must have been sought in this verse, meaning that, wa lad-Dajjal [nor Dajjāl]; should have been used in place of Ý— ['nor of those who have gone astray'].Events too have borne out these meanings, because the final mischief which was warned against has come to pass in this age, which is the mischief of exaggeration of the Trinity.(Author)

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392 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION to the machinations of the Christian clerics—who are ever engaged in promoting misguidance? No, not at all! On the contrary, the God of the heavens will dispel it Himself.He shall strike like lightning, emerge forth like a hurricane, and shake the world like a furious wind when the time of His wrath arrives.But God is Independent.The fire of the stone of providence requires the striking of human supplications.But alas, how difficult is the task! Alas, how difficult it is indeed! We have to offer a sacrifice.Until we give that sacrifice, the breaking of the Cross shall not occur.No Prophet has ever succeeded until such sacrifice was given by him.It is this sacrifice to which the following noble verse [of the Holy Quran] refers: وَاسْتَفْتَحُوا وَ خَابَ كُلُّ جَبَّارٍ عَنِيد Meaning that, the Prophets sought victory by putting themselves through the fires of spiritual exertion.What happened then was that every obstinate tyrant met destruction.It is to this fact that the following couplet refers: بیچ قومی را خدا رسوا نکرد تا دل مرد خدا نامد بدرو Until the heart of a man of God was filled with anguish, No people were ever disgraced by God.Also, it is a grave mistake to believe that breaking the Cross means that the crosses made of wood or gold and silver shall be broken; such crosses have always been broken in Islamic wars.Rather, it means that the Promised Messiah will demolish the doctrine of Crucifixion, after which the doctrine of Crucifixion will not thrive in the world and will never be restored up to the Day of Judgment.It will not be broken by human hand.Instead God, who is Almighty, shall annihilate this mis- chief in the same way He permitted it to emerge.1.Surah Ibrāhīm, 14:16 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 136 393 His eye watches everyone, and every truthful one and liar falls within His sight.He will not give this honour to anyone else, but the Messiah made with His hand shall be bestowed this honour.There is no one who can disgrace the one who is honoured by God.That Messiah has been raised for a great task.Therefore, that task will be accomplished at his hand.His rise will cause the decline of the Cross.The lifespan of the doctrine of the Cross shall end with his advent and people will grow disillusioned by the doctrine of the Cross on their own.This is what is currently happening in Europe.As is obvious, the Christian cause is being run by paid clergymen while enlightened peo- ple are fast turning away from this doctrine.In short, the wind against the doctrine of Crucifixion has begun to blow across Europe and it is gathering strength and speed by the day.These indeed are the Signs of the Promised Messiah's advent.Those two angels that were destined to descend with the Promised Messiah are working against the doctrine of Crucifixion.The world is moving from darkness to light and the time is close at hand when the magic cast by the Dajjal will be palpably broken, for its time is over.The prophecy that he [the Promised Messiah] will kill the swine, means that he will overwhelm a wretched and foul-mouthed enemy and that such an enemy shall be destroyed on account of the Promised Messiah's prayer.Furthermore, the prophecy that the Promised Messiah will have children signifies that God Almighty shall raise, from among his prog- eny, the one who will be his successor and will support the religion of Islam as has been foretold in some of my prophecies.The prophecy that he will kill the Dajjāl means that with his advent the mischief of Dajjal will start to decline and shall continue to subside on its own and the hearts of the wise will revert towards Tauhid [Oneness of God].Let it be clear that the word dajjāl has been interpreted in two ways: First is that dajjal signifies a group which supports falsehood and works with cunning and deceit.Second is

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394 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION that dajjal is the name of Satan who is the father of all falsehood and corruption.Hence, killing it means that the satanic mischief shall be eradicated so effectively that it will never rise again up to Doomsday as if Satan will be killed in this last battle.And to interpret the prophecy that, after his demise, the Promised Messiah will be interned in the grave of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to mean that—God forbid—the grave of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, will be reopened, is the error of the literalists.Such concepts are replete with insolence and disrespect.Rather, it means that the Promised Messiah will be so close to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in nearness of station that, after his death, he will achieve the rank of nearness to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his soul shall meet the soul of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as if the two were in the same grave.This alone is the true meaning [of this prophecy]; if someone wants to interpret it differently, it is up to him.Spiritual people know that after death physical proximity has no meaning.On the contrary, it means that everyone who has spiritual nearness to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his soul is brought close to the soul of the Holy Prophetsa, as Allah the Almighty, says: فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبْدِي وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي ) Moreover, the prophecy that he will not be killed, points to the fact that the killing of Khatamul-Khulafa' [the Seal of the Khulafa'] is tantamount to defiling Islam.For the same reason the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was saved from being killed.1.So enter you among My chosen servants.And enter you My Garden (Sūrah al-Fajr, 89:30-31).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 137 395 137.[ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEnth] sign―This grand Sign relates to the mubahalah [prayer duel] of Lekh Rām.Let it be clear that in the end of my book Surmah Chashm-e-Āryah, I had invited the Āryas to a mubahalah and had written that the teaching attributed to the Vedas is not correct and that the Āryas are false in their repudiation of the Holy Quran.If they claim the teaching ascribed to the Vedas to be true or that the Holy Quran, God forbid, is not from God, then let them enter into a mubahalah contest with me.It was also written that the foremost person I challenged to a mubā- halah was Lālah Murli Dhar,¹ whom I had debated at Hoshiarpur.Next to him, my addressee was Lālah Jīvan Dās, Secretary of the Āryah Samāj, Lahore, and, after him, anyone from amongst the Āryas deemed to be respectable and scholarly was being addressed.In response to this writing of mine, Pandit Lekh Rām engaged in a mubahalah with me through his book Khabṭ-e-Aḥmadiyya, which he published in 1888 as is recorded at the end of the book.Thus, on page 344 of his book Khabṭ-e-Aḥmadiyya, he writes the following as the preamble for the mubahalah: Since our respected and esteemed Master Murli Dhar and Munshi Jivan Dās have no time on account of their official duties, therefore, of my own volition and in response to their command, I have assumed charge of this task too.Thus, in keeping with a wise man's saying that a liar should be taken to the end of his tether, I accept Mirza Sahib's latest request (i.e.a mubāhalah) as well, and I hereby make the mubahalah well known by getting it printed.1.It is obvious that it did not take much time to pen the few lines of the muba- halah, for the essence of a mubahalah is only this sentence that, naming one- self and the other party, one supplicates to God that whoever of the two of us is false be destroyed.Were Master Murli Dhar and Munshi Jivan Dās too busy to write even these two lines? Rather, the fact of the matter is that they both were fearful to face the truth.However, Lekh Ram, on account of his bad luck, was impudent and [spiritually] blind, so he took upon himself their punish- ment due to his wanton impudence.Ultimately, after engaging in the muba- halah, he passed away from this world on 6 March 1897, a Saturday.(Author)

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396 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Text of the Mubahalah by Lekh Rām Text of the Mubāhalah¹ I, Lekh Rām, a humble individual, son of Pandit Tāra Singh Sharma, the author of Takdhīb-e-Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya and of the present treatise, hereby depose solemnly and in full possession of my senses that I have read the treatise Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah, cover to cover, not once but several times, fully understanding its arguments.What is more, I published their refutation in the present treatise according to Sat Dharam [the True Faith].I was not at all impressed by the arguments of Mirza Sahib, nor are they related to the truth.I hold my Parmeshwar, who is the Universal Father, as witness and sol- emnly declare that, as the teaching enjoined in the four Vedas is the basis of guidance, I firmly believe that my soul and all souls are never subject to annihilation, that is non-existence never happened, nor will it ever happen to the souls.No one created my soul from nothingness.(In other words, there is no one who created my soul; it has existed on its own since eternity).Rather, it has remained and shall forever remain under eternal 2* providence of Parmātmā.2 Similarly, my physical matter, i.e.1.Parenthetical comments given within the text of this mubahalah as well as its footnotes that follow are not from Pandit Lekh Rām [Publisher] 2.Footnote: What an absurd sentence this is that it has forever been and shall forever remain under the eternal providence of Parmātmā.It is self-evident that whereas the souls, as alleged by the Āryah Samāj, are self-existent since eternity, with all their strength and capabilities, what relationship do they possibly have with Parmeshwar's providence! Parmeshwar can neither increase nor decrease these powers, nor can He, for that matter, expropri- ate them in any form whatsoever.According to the Āryas all souls are their own 'Parmeshwars.They are not under the least obligation to Parmeshwar.Therefore, it must be remembered that the claim of Lekh Rām and the rest of his religious fraternity that souls remain and shall continue to remain under

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 137 397 the eternal sovereignty of Parmātmā is nothing more than an artifice to cover up their erroneous creed, because human conscience constantly condemns him for such absurd beliefs.If God is not the Creator of souls and their powers and of particles and their powers, then He cannot possibly be their God either.Also false is the assertion that even though we cannot call souls, in their virgin state, God's servant or creation as they were not created by Him, yet when He infuses souls into bodies, He becomes their God by this much of His action because the Parmeshwar who did not create souls and particles along with all their powers, cannot reasonably be said to be capable of putting them together.Also, joining some of them with others will not entitle Him to become the Parmeshwar.If that were so, He would be like the baker who procures flour from the bazaar, firewood from a timber shop, and fire from a neighbour and then bakes the bread.In such a case, there would be no proof at all of the existence of Parmeshwar because if souls with all their powers are self-exist- ent since eternity, what is the argument to refute that the union and disunion of souls and particles has existed spontaneously since eternity, as contended by atheists? This is why the Aryah Samājists cannot offer any argument for the existence of their Parmeshwar, nor do they have any such argument.This, indeed, is the sum total of the Vedic wisdom which is taken pride in.It is obvious that two kinds of arguments can possibly be advanced in sup- port of the existence of God.One kind of argument is established when His being is acknowledged as the fountainhead of all bounties and only He is accepted as the Creator of every being.As a consequence, it will necessarily follow that, whether the particles of the universe are considered or the souls or the material bodies― all these creations have a Creator.The other method of knowing God is His ever fresh Signs that are mani- fested through the Prophets and Saints.The Āryah Samājists deny them too.Thus, they have no evidence for the existence of their Parmeshwar.It is rather strange that though the Āryas so frequently refer to their Parmeshwar as pitā [father], as Lekh Rām has written just recently in his article about the mubahalah, one wonders what kind of pitä He is.Is He the kind of pitä as when an adopted son addresses a stranger as his pitä, or is He the kind of pitā who is supposedly made through Niyog, when the wife of an Aryah, having destroyed her chastity, has illicit relations with another man, and thus the husband of that woman becomes the father of this child which is obtained through Niyog? For our part, we need not comment if the Parmeshwar of the Āryas is this kind of pitä.However, if He is the kind of pitä who is the Source of souls and particles of the universe with all their capac- ities, and which exist because of Him, then this view is against the principle belief of the Aryah.If you ask why is it against their principle, then let it be

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398 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION my elements or particles are eternal or self-existing, is under the sovereign control of Permātmā, and shall never become extinct; and no one else, is the Creator of the universe.I am not the master or the maker of the world like Permātmā; neither do I encompass it, nor am I omniscient.Rather, I am a humble serv- ant of the All-Powerful One.But I have always existed in His knowledge and power.I have never ceased to exist; nor is there such a thing as non-existence.In fact, nothing is non-existent.Similarly, I acknowledge Veda's just teaching that Mukti or salvation is granted according to the deeds till Maha-Kalpa¹ after which, in accordance with the judgment of Parmeshwar, human shape has to be assumed once again.(Meaning their salvation is not permanent, it is only for a fixed period.) clear that, according to the Aryah principles, all souls are eternal partners with Parmeshwar which were not created by Him.How then can we call the Parmeshwar their pitä? They have existed on their own as Parmeshwar has existed on His own.But this principle is erroneous.Those with an insightful eye can under- stand that the potentialities, characteristics, and qualities that are present in the father are found in the son too.Thus, since the souls are from the hand of God and possess the same colour, reflectively, as is present in the being of God and this 'colour' becomes more and stronger as the servants of God advance, by means of love and devotion to Him, in piety and purity until divine light begins to manifest in such people reflectively.We see it clearly that the holy characteristics of God are latent in human nature that become manifest through self-purification.For instance, God is Raḥim [Ever Merciful]; so does man, after self-purification, partake of the attribute of mercy.God is Jawwad [Generous]; so does man, after self-purification, par- take of the attribute of generosity.Similarly God is Sattar [Concealer], God is Karim [Benevolent], God is Ghafür [Forgiver] so man too, after self-purifi- cation, partakes of all these attributes.Now who has invested the soul of man with these higher virtues? If God has done it, it proves that He is the Creator of souls.If someone alleges that they have existed on their own, sufficient for a reply is["The curse of Allah be upon the liars'].(Author) 1.According to Hindu mythology, a kalpa is a period of time consisting of 4.32 billion years.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 137 399 Limited actions do not have unlimited reward.(Actions are limited indeed but the intention of the sincere devotee is not limited; besides the limitation of the actions is not by his choice).I sincerely believe in all these teachings of the Vedas...I also believe that Parmeshwar does not at all forgive sins.(What a strange Parmeshwar!) I do not rely on any intercession or recommendation.(Meaning that the prayer offered by someone for another is not accepted.) I do not reckon God to be Rashi or to be cruel.(The word is murtashi which means one who accepts bribe, the word is not rashi.This is an example of the scholarship of Lekh Rām; he writes rashi instead of murtashi.) In accordance with the Vedic teaching, I perfectly and rightly believe that all four Vedas are certainly divine revelation.There is not an iota of error or falsehood or mythology in them.Permātmā [God] reveals them for the guidance of all in every new world order.In the beginning when creation of man- kind started, Permātmā revealed the Vedas to the souls of the four Rishis or sages, namely: (1) Shirī Agnī, (2) Shirī Vāyū, (3) Shirī Adityā, and (4) Shiri Angira.He did so directly and not through Gabriel or any other courier.* 1.☆ Footnote: A look at the bodily system shows that man hears by means of air, and sees by means of sunlight.Why are these two 'couriers' appointed to the bodily system although the physical and spiritual laws of God should be

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400 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION He did it Himself for He is not in the heavens or on the Throne, but is Omnipresent.I also believe that the Vedas alone are the scriptures of the most perfect and holy divine wisdom, that the entire world learnt excellence from the land of the Āryas, and that the Āryas alone are the first [and foremost] teachers of all.It is claimed by Muslims that 124,000 Prophets have appeared over the last five to six thousand years outside the land of Aryas and brought the Torah, Zubūr [Psalms], Gospel, and the Quran.After closely studying and understanding these scriptures...I consider all the religious teachings contained in them to be spurious and counterfeit to defame the true revela- tion...They have no proof in favour of their truth except greed or foolishness or the sword...Just as I consider other things that are opposed to the truth to be false, so do I believe the Quran mutually consistent.What a pity! The Vedic wisdom stands in contradiction to the laws of nature in every situation.Who says God is not Omnipresent? He, on the other hand, is not only Omnipresent but is also the Lord of the Throne.An ignorant person would not understand this fine insightful point.It is a point worth pondering that although everything in this world happens under Allah's command, yet in order to enforce His will, He has ordained certain means.Take for instance, a poison that kills a man and an antidote that benefits.Can we imagine that these two affect the human body on their own? No, not at all! On the contrary, they exert adverse or beneficial effect by the will of God.Thus, they too represent a type of angels.Indeed, each and every particle of the universe whereby a variety of changes takes place is an angel of God.And [our belief in] Tauḥid [Oneness of God] is not complete, unless and until we acknowledge each and every particle to be an angel of God, because if we do not accept all causes that exist in this world to be the angels of God, we will have to admit that all these changes in the human body and in the universe are taking place on their own without the knowledge, intention, and approval of God Almighty.If so, we will have to admit that God is simply idle and unaware.Hence, this is the secret behind the belief in angels that without it, Tauḥīd cannot stand, and we have to concede that every object and every effect is beyond the will of God.This, indeed, is un- derstood about angels that these are things that are functioning under divine command.Since this is a necessary and established law, why then should the existence of Gabriel and Michael be denied? (Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 137 and its principles and teachings that are against the Vedas, to be erroneous and false.(.[The curse of Allah be upon the liars ] لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِيْنَ) But my opponent is Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.He believes the Quran to be the Word of God and considers all its teachings to be correct and right.Just as after studying the Quran etc., I consider the Quran to be false, so does he, the totally illiterate and absolutely bereft of Sanskrit and Nagri, believes the Vedas to be false without studying or perusing them." O Parmeshwar! Do judge truly between the two of us; for a liar can never be honoured like a truthful one in Your presence! Your eternal servant, Lekh Rām Sharma Sobha Sad, Āryah Samāj, Peshawar Presently Editor, Āryah Gazette, Ferozepur, Punjab 401 1.Footnote: If I have not read the Vedas, at least Lekh Rām has mastered all four of them.Here too what more can be said than―, لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ ["The curse of Allah be upon the liars']! A debate is [always] over principles.Whereas the Aryah Samājists have themselves published the Vedic princi- ples, then every reasonable person has the right to discuss them and it is ab- solutely wrong [to allege] that I have not read the Vedas.I have read from end to end the translations of the Vedas published in this country.I have also perused Pandit Dayanand's Ved Bhash and for some twenty-five years, I have been constantly debating with the Āryas.To say that I know nothing about the Vedas is a blatant lie.If the Āryah Pandits have acknowledged Lekh Rām's Vedic scholarship, I am eager to see that certificate.On the contrary, his sta- عِجْلٌ جَسَدٌ لَّهُ خُوَارٌ.tus is not one bit more than what God has said about him ['He is just a lifeless body of a calf out of which issues a disagreeable sound.] (Author)

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402 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Pandit Lekh Rām incorporated this mubāhalah prayer in his book Khabt-e-Ahmadiyya on page 344 to 347.After this, the verdict which God has delivered from heaven and the way He has exposed the igno- miny of the liar and the honour of the truthful one is what happened after 4 o'clock on Saturday, 6 March 1897.Behold! This is the Verdict of God.The verdict which Lekh Ram sought from his Parmeshwar so that the difference between the truthful and the liar may become evident.Photo of the dead body of Pandit Lekh Rām.

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 138 403 Remember that there are not one but two Signs in it: 1.First is that the death of Lekh Rām is itself a grand prophecy in which the day of his assassination was foretold, the manner of his death was foretold, the term was foretold, and the time was foretold.2.Second is that no trace of the killer could be found despite every effort and search, as if he had ascended to the heavens or disappeared into the earth.Had the killer been arrested and hanged, the proph- ecy would have not retained its present value.In that case everyone could have said, Just as Lekh Rām was killed, so was his killer.' But the killer vanished in such a manner that one wonders whether he was human or an angel who had ascended to the heavens! 138.[ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHTH] SIGN-Bear in mind that acceptance of prayer is one of the primary Signs to know the status of the servants of God.In fact, there is no Sign like the acceptance of prayer because acceptance of prayer proves that a humble human is respected and honoured in the court of Allah.Although it is not nec- essary that prayer be accepted in every situation—at times the God of Honour of Glory pursues His own pleasure—nevertheless, there is no doubt that it is the unique Sign of the Elect of God that their prayers are accepted with great preponderance in comparison to others and no one can vie with them in the distinction of acceptance of prayer.I declare in the name of God Almighty that thousands of my prayers have been accepted.If I were to write them all, it would produce a massive volume.I have written about this earlier to some extent, and here again, I record the acceptance of some of those prayers.is Among others, one incident of the acceptance of my prayer that a sincere follower of mine, Sayyed Nāṣir Shāh, now an overseer in Baramulla Kashmir, was very distressed under his superior officers.His promotion was being obstructed and, in fact, his service was in jeopardy.Once he firmly resolved to resign in order to spare himself the daily torture.I told him not to do so, but he was so fed up with

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404 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Letter of Sayyed Năşir Shāh his employment that he begged repeatedly and humbly for permission, saying that his life was in the grip of a calamity.He insisted beyond the extreme and complained that the door to promotion was closed for him and he even feared lest he might suffer irreparable loss at the hands of some tyrant.At this, I said to him, ‘Be patient for a few days.I will pray for you and if you still face hardships, you are permitted [to resign].Then, I prayed to the Almighty for him and begged the Lord of Honour for his success.The result was that, instead of the earlier situation of risking his job, he was unexpectedly promoted.Below I reproduce the letter from Sayyed Nasir Shāh, indicating the effect of the prayer on his [dire] condition.It runs as follows: To: Your Holiness, the esteemed Master and Mentor! May your benign shade remain forever.This humble one, Sayyed Nāṣir Shāh, after saying may Allah's peace and His mercy and blessings be upon you begs to report that Your Holiness's prayer has produced this effect that due to the blessing of Your Holiness's prayer an increase in rank and salary took place.I distinctly remember the words of Your Holiness when I, feeling dejected, had submitted that I would then resign from this employment, Your Holiness had observed with great kindness and compassion, Need not worry; I will pray.God has the power to turn these very enemies into your friends.' So Your Honour! God be praised that it transpired in accordance with those very words of Your Honour.The same enemies later became friends and supporters for me.God inclined their hearts towards me due to your Honour's prayer.Another great miracle took place due to the blessing of your Honour that the higher authorities had raised the objec- tion against me that since Nāṣir Shāh has not graduated from college, nor does he carry any diploma or degree, he cannot

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 139 possibly deserve an increment in rank.On the one hand was this objection and on the other your Honour's letter that you had prayed as much as possible.Indeed, your Honour, that was the day when papers concerning me were put up before the council.My boss spoke strongly for me.The strange part of it is that the erstwhile opponents of mine were the ones who sup- ported my case genuinely and with good intentions sponsored my promotion, with the result that the resolution for my pro- motion was passed without any hindrance.Allah be praised for it! Huḍūr, yesterday I sent a sum of fifty rupees by post.Kindly do accept it and pray for my safety from the vicissitudes of life and for my righteous end.Amin! 405 Humbly Yours, Sayyed Naşir Shāh, Overseer, Baramulla, Kashmir 139.[ONE HUNDRED-THIRTY-NINTH] SIGN-Once Nizām-ud-Din, a mistri [master mason] and member of my Jama'at, wrote to me from his residence in Sialkot that a dangerous criminal case had been filed against him and there was no ostensible chance of acquittal, that he was deeply fearful and his enemies wanted him to get entrapped and were very jubilant.He added that he had written to me after being despaired of obvious recourses.He further said he had pledged in his heart that he would send fifty rupees to me in gratitude to God Almighty in the event of his acquittal.This letter of his was shown to a number of people and I suppli- cated earnestly and he was intimated about it.After a few days, his letter, accompanied by fifty rupees, came saying that God had rid him of that calamity.Then, after a few weeks, another letter came saying that the Government advocate had reopened the case on the plea that the [earlier] judgment was flawed and the Deputy Commissioner, after granting the plea of the advocate, had forwarded the English version of

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406 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the judgment, along with his recommendation, to the Commissioner.He wrote that this new attack was, therefore, more dangerous than the earlier one and was much more worrisome.He further said, 'In this state of anxiety, I have again promised to myself that if I survive the attack this time, I shall present another sum of fifty rupees as a token of my gratefulness.Please do pray fervently for me.” This is a summary of the two letters following which supplication was made.After this, hardly a fortnight had passed when the letter of Nizam-ud-Din Mistri arrived which is reproduced below as is: Letter of Nizam-ud-Din Mistri بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الْكَرِيمِ.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.] O our Messiah and Mahdi! The Incontrovertible Proof of God on Earth! May Allah's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.For your sake alone, Allah the Almighty has once again shown mercy to me.Yesterday Commissioner Lahore rejected and So] فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالْمَنَةِ.returned the appeal of the opposing party Allah be praised and thanked for it].My humble self will per- sonally appear before [your Honour] to present the fifty rupees that I had previously pledged.Your humblest servant, Nizam-ud-Din Mistri Sialkot City Near Post Office 140.[ONE HUNDRED FORTIETH] SIGN-Sardār Khān, a brother of Hakim [physician] Shāh Nawaz Khān, resident of Rawalpindi, wrote to me that his brother Shāh Nawaz Khān along with one of the

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 141 407 opposing party were required to produce security bonds in a court of law.Both the parties had appealed against it after which I was requested for prayer (by the former).As a result of the blessing of the prayer, Shāh Nawāz's appeal was accepted and that of the other party was rejected.Jurists had said that it was useless to appeal as both the parties had secured bails against each other.It was the effect of the prayer that the opposing party remained under bail while Shāh Nawaz Khān was released from it.141.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIRST] SIGN-I once received a suc- cession of letters from Miyāń Nūr Aḥmad, teacher at the school at Co-operative Settlement Waryam Kamlana, Post Office Dab Kalan, Tehsil Shorkot, District Jhang, to the effect that a false case had been instituted against his friends Qasim, Rustum, La'al and others by someone named Pathana Kamlana and that the case had taken a sin- ister turn, so I was requested to pray.Thus, when he insisted in every letter with great humility, my heart turned towards it because I, indeed, found their condition to be pitiable.I, therefore, supplicated a lot.At last, my prayer was accepted.Thus, on 12 September 1906, a letter from the same Miyan Nur Aḥmad came concerning the success in the trial.The letter is reproduced below: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّي عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الْكَرِيمِ.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.] Our holy Mentor and Master, the Promised Messiah, may peace and blessings be upon him.Peace be upon you and mercy of Allah and His blessings! After humble salutation, I submit that the false suit that had been instituted by Pathana Kamlana against my poor friends Letter of Nur Aḥmad

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408 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Qasim, Rustum, La'al, and others has been won on 31 August 1906 by God's grace with the blessing of your prayers.Please accept my congratulations.Glory be to God that the Sublime God accepted the supplications of His beloved Imam, exalted him, and our faith was enhanced.We can never adequately thank that Supreme Judge of all judges for His bounties.Your Obedient Servant, Nur Aḥmad, Teacher at the School in the Co-operative Settlement, Waryam Kamlana, Post office Dab Kalan Tehsil Shorekot, District Jhang 142.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SECOND] SIGN-I received a telegram from a true friend of mine and a very sincere devotee, Seth 'Abdur- Raḥmān, merchant of Madras, that he was suffering from carbuncle; that is, from a deadly pustule caused by cancer.I was much concerned and anxious on account of his illness because Seth ['Abdur-Raḥmān] is a devotee of the foremost rank.It was about 9 AM and I was sitting in this state of grief and anxiety when I was abruptly overtaken by a light slumber and my head bowed down; suddenly I received a revelation from God, the Lord of Honour and Glory: آثار زندگی.'Signs of life.' Afterwards another telegram was received from Madras that the condi- tion was better and there was no cause for worry.Later another letter written by his brother, the late Ṣaleḥ Muḥammad, arrived to the effect that Seth ['Abdur-Raḥmān] suffered from diabetes before it.Since the carbuncle in diabetes is almost

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 141 409 incurable, grief and anxiety dominated again and this grief reached an extreme.This grief was because I had found Seth ['Abdur-Raḥmān] to be extremely sincere and he had practically demonstrated, to the high- est order, his sincerity and he had been helping our Langar Khānah [the Community Kitchen] with thousands of rupees only out of the sincerity of his heart with no interest other than earning the pleasure of God.He was so moved by sincerity and devotion that he would always send a large monthly sum for our Langar Khānah.His faith was so steeped in love as if he were totally lost in love and sincerity.It was therefore but proper that I should have prayed a great deal for him.Ultimately my heart was overwhelmed to pray for him in a manner that was extraordinary and I continued to pray for him day in and day out with extreme concentration.It was then that God Almighty also brought about an extraordinary outcome and delivered Seth 'Abdur-Raḥmān from such a deadly disease as if he were granted a new life.Thus, he writes in his letter, 'In response to your prayer, God caused a great miracle to happen, for there was no hope for life at all; after the operation, the wound began to heal.Close to it, a new boil appeared which once again had put me in great fear and panic.But later it was found that it was not a carbuncle.In the end, after a few months, I recovered completely.I know it for certain that this is, indeed, bringing the dead back to life.Carbuncle and then diabetes and old age with it! Doctors are only too well aware that recovery from this terrifying condition is virtually impossible.Our God is Most Benevolent and Merciful, and among His attributes is the attribute of Revival [of the dead].Last year, on 11 October 1905, a sincere friend of mine, Maulawi ‘Abdul-Karim of blessed memory, died of the same disease-carbuncle, that is, malig- nant tumour.For him too I had prayed fervently, but not a single rev- elation held out any hope for him.Instead the following revelations were received repeatedly:

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410 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION کفن میں لپیٹا گیا.1.Was wrapped up in a shroud.۴۷ برس کی عمر إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُوْنَ.2.Forty seven years of age.Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.إِنَّ الْمَنَايَا لَا تَطِيْشُ سِهَامُهَا.3.The arrows of death do not miss.When supplication was made even after this, I received this revelation: يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ.4.Meaning that, O people! You should worship the God who created you; that is, deem Him alone as the Doer of all your tasks and trust Him.تُؤْثِرُوْنَ الْحَيَوةَ الدُّنْيَا 5.Do you adopt the worldly life? The point here was that considering a person to be so indispensa- ble that his death will cause irreparable loss is tantamount to shirk [associating partners with God] and to be so desperate for his life is a kind of worship.After this, I kept quiet and realized that his death was inevitable.So, he died on Wednesday at Așr time, on 11 October 1905.But God did not forget the anguish which rocked my heart during my prayers for him and was pleased to replace one loss with another suc- cess.For this Sign, He selected Seth ‘Abdur-Raḥmān.Although He took 'Abdul-Karim away from us, He returned 'Abdur-Raḥmān back to us.He was afflicted with the same disease; he recovered through the prayers for all this].o Allah be praised فَالْحَمْدُ لِلهِ عَلى ذلِكَ,of this very servant It is my experience of hundreds of times that God is so Benevolent

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 143 411 and Merciful that when, in His wisdom, He does not accept a prayer, He accepts some other similar prayer in its stead.As God Almighty says: 1 مَا نَنْسَحْ مِنْ آيَةٍ أَوْ نُنْسِهَا نَأْتِ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْهَا أَوْ مِثْلِهَا أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ.143.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-THIRD] SIGN-After this, God Almighty blessed me with another joyous Sign, which is as follows: During those days, I once prayed that God may let me witness a fresh Sign.At that, as has been published in the newspaper Badr of 30 August 1906, I received this revelation: آج کل کوئی نشان ظاہر ہو گا.Some Sign will soon appear.The indication was that some Sign was destined to appear soon.Accordingly, the (Promised) Sign appeared in the following manner: On a number of occasions, I saw ill-boding dreams which clearly indi- cated that some calamity is to appear concerning the family of Mir Nasir Nawab, who is my father-in-law.Thus, once I saw a goat's leg hanging in the house, portending someone's death.And once I saw Dr.'Abdul-Hakim Khān, Assistant Surgeon, standing outside juxtaposed to the door near the room upstairs in which I live.Then someone, addressing me, says that Isḥāq's mother has invited 'Abdul-Hakim Khān to come inside the house (Ishaq's mother is the wife of Mir Nāṣir Nawab and Ishaq is their son).They all live in our house.On hearing this, I answered, 'I will never allow 'Abdul-Hakim Khān to enter my home as it amounts to our insult.' At this, he disappeared from view and did not enter.1.Whatever Sign We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than that or the like thereof.Do you not know that Allah has the power to do all that He wills? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:107) [Publisher]

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412 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION It must be remembered that interpreters of dreams have written in the science of dream interpretation-and it has thus been repeatedly experienced—that if [in a dream] an enemy enters someone's house, it portends a catastrophe or death in that house.Since 'Abdul-Hakim Khān is my sworn enemy these days and awaits day and night for my downfall, God Almighty made him appear in the dream as if he wanted to enter our home and Ishaq's mother, Mir Nasir Nawab's wife, invites him.The interpretation of such an invitation is stated to be that such a person invites disaster into his house primarily on account of the spiritual lapses on his part, of which God alone has the knowledge; meaning that, his present [spiritual] condition calls for a visitation of some calamity.Obviously man is not free from misdeeds and sins, and human nature, except for a special few, is not immune to mistakes; and the mistake asks for a [heavenly] warning.This experience is shared by the whole world.Hence, the interpretation of this dream was that some mistake on her part sought to invite the enemy into the house, but the intercession stopped it.In the dream I prevented 'Abdul- Ḥakīm Khān from entering the house; meaning that, the grace of God Almighty which accompanies me prevented the enemy from the occa- sion to exult.Thus when, after receiving so many revelations, it became definitely clear to me that some trouble for the family of Mir [Nāṣir Nawab] was in store, I started supplicating in earnest.It so happened that he, along with his son Ishaq and the rest of the family, was about to leave for Lahore.I related these dreams to him and stopped him from going to Lahore.He said he would not go to Lahore at all without my permission.Next morning Ishaq, the son of Mir [Nāṣir Nawab] suffered high fever and became very restless.Tumours appeared in his groin on both sides, and it became certain that it was plague, as plague had broken out in some villages of this district.It was then that I understood that this was the interpretation of the above-mentioned dreams, and profound grief developed in [my] heart.I told the family members

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 144 413 of Mir [Nasir Nawab] that I was indeed supplicating, but they must repent and seek [God's] forgiveness much, because I had seen in the dream that they had invited the enemy to their house, which indicated some wrongdoing on their part.Although I knew that death was the eternal law of nature, yet it occurred to me that if someone died of the plague in my household an uproar of pronouncing me as a liar would develop, and, after that, even if I were to present a thousand Signs, they would be of no avail against this particular objection because I had already written and publicized hundreds of times and told thou- sands of people that all members of my household would remain safe from death by the plague.In short, I cannot describe the condition of my heart at that time.I immediately engaged myself in supplication.After the supplication, I witnessed a wondrous spectacle of divine providence that, within two to three hours, Ishaq's fever miraculously subsided and no trace of the tumours was left.He not only sat up, but started moving, walking, playing, and running, as if he had never been ill! This, indeed, is giving life to the dead! I proclaim it on oath, that the raising of the dead by Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā was absolutely nothing more than this.People can exaggerate his miracles now as much as they like, but this is what the reality was.He who really dies, passing away from this world and the Angel of Death taking his soul away, does not come back at all.Take note that Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran: 1 فيمُسِكُ الَّتِي قَضَى عَلَيْهَا الْمَوْتَ.144.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FOURTH] SIGN-Maulawi Ismā'il, a resident of Aligarh, was the first to gird his loins in hostility and, as I have mentioned in my book Fatḥ-e-Islām ['Victory of Islam'], he pub- licised concerning me that I prophesy with the help of geomancy and astrology and that I keep astrological instruments in my possession.I 1.And then He retains those against which He has decreed death (Surah az-Zumar, 39:43).[Publisher]

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414 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION replied “The curse of Allah be upon the liars'] con- cerning him.And I wished chastisement from God Almighty for him as, while writing the book Fath-e-Islām, I had published it and I had written the following [Quranic prayer challenge]: تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَ نِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَ اَنْفُسَنَا وَ اَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ.[Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and our people and your people; then let us pray fervently and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars.] Accordingly, about a year had elapsed since this mubahalah [prayer duel] that he suddenly suffered some unexpected illness and died.In his book that he had published against me in rebuttal, he had written jblji žź zásil al [‘Truth has come and falsehood has vanished'].Thus did God make it manifest to all as to who is in the right that stood firm and who was false that ran away.Some sixteen years have elapsed since he died after this mubahalah.1 ཎྜ་ 145.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-FIFTH] SIGN2-In his booklet, Fath- e-Raḥmānī, that was published to refute me in 1315 Hijrah and was printed at the Ahmadi press, Ludhiana, Maulawi Ghulām Dastagīr Qaşūri prayed against me in the form of a mubahalah this maledictive prayer of his on page 26 and 27 of the said book: Mubahalah of Ghulam Dastagir our Allah, O Master of Glory ] اللَّهُمَّ يَاذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ يَا مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ and Honour, O Lord of Sovereignty]! Just as in response to the prayer and effort of a godly scholar, Ḥaḍrat Muḥammad Ṭāhir 1.☆ Maulawi Ismā‘il, in one of his pamphlets, had prayed against me invoking my death, then soon after this curse he died and his curse recoiled upon him- self.(Author) 2.This is being repeated to provide further details.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 145 [Gujarati], author of Majma' Biḥārul-Anwar, You destroyed the false Mahdi and fake Messiah (who was born in his time), similar is the prayer and petition of this humble one— Qaşūrī, may God be on his side, who is exerting to the best of his abil- ity in support of Your true religion-that You may enable the Mirza of Qadian and his companions to genuinely repent, but if that is not so decreed, then make them the object of this verse of the Holy Quran: فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَبِالْإِجَابَةِ جَدِيرٌ.أَمِينُ.415 Meaning, 'the last remnant of the people who did wrong shall be cut off and praised be God; You have the power to do everything and You accept prayers.' Amin.Again, in the footnote on page 26 of the aforementioned book, the Maulawi has written about me: meaning: 'May he and his followers perish.Thus, I am still alive by the grace of God Almighty and the number of my followers is about fifty times greater than it was at that time.As is obvious Maulawi Ghulām Dastagir had left the decision which فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا regarding my truth or falsehood to the verse in this context means that the root of whosoever is unjust will be cut off, and it is no secret to any scholar that the application of the aforesaid verse is general and it affects the one who is the wrongdoer.Therefore, it was but necessary that the wrongdoer should be destroyed by virtue 1.So the very roots of the people who did wrong were cut off; and all praise belongs to Allah (Surah al-An'ām, 6:46).[Publisher] 2.Surah at-Tahrim, 66:9 [Publisher] 3.Surah al-An'am, 6:46 [Publisher]

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416 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of this verse.Since in Allah's sight Ghulām Dastagir Qaṣūrī was the wrongdoer, he did not even get the respite to see the publication of his book, and died even before its publication; everyone knows that he died within a few days after his prayer.Some ignorant maulawis write that Ghulām Dastagir did not do the mubahalah; he had only prayed against the wrongdoer.But I say that when he had sought God's adjudication with my death and had declared me to be the wrongdoer, why then did that malediction backfire upon him? Why did God single out Ghulām Dastagīr for death at such a critical time when people were eagerly awaiting the verdict from God; whereas he wished my death in his prayer in order to prove to the world that just as a false Mahdi and false Messiah had died as a result of Muḥammad Tahir's malediction, so would I die as a result of his prayer? Why then was the effect of his prayer exactly the opposite? It is true that a false Mahdi and a false Messiah had died as a result of Muḥammad Tahir's malediction and emulating that same Muḥammad Ṭahir, Ghulām Dastagīr had prayed against me.It is indeed a point to ponder as to what the effect of Muḥammad Tahir's malediction was and what the effect of Ghulām Dastagīr's prayer was.Should you now assert that Ghulām Dastagīr died by chance, then you should also affirm that the false Mahdi, too, died by chance and that it was no mir- The curse of Allah be] لَعْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِيْنَ !acle of Muhammad Tahirs upon the liars!] About eleven years have passed since the death of Ghulam Dastagīr.God killed him who was wrongdoer and ruined his house.Now speak up with justice! Who was uprooted and upon whom did the prayer befall? Says Allah the Almighty: 1.Ghulām Dastagīr's intention about me was that I would die as a result of his malediction and that it would be the proof that I was a liar and fabricator; and like Muḥammad Tahir it would prove the miracle of Ghulam Dastagir.In this regard my God, addressing me said 51 ) [‘I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you'].In the end, Ghulām Dastagīr perished by the verdict of God and I am still alive by the grace of God and this is a mag- nificent Sign.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 146 417 يَتَرَبَّصُ بِكُمُ الدَّوَابِرَ عَلَيْهِمْ دَابِرَةُ السَّوء Meaning that: O Prophet! These evil minded enemies wait for all kinds of calamities to befall you.They themselves will be overtaken by calamities.Thus, according to this noble verse, it is the way of Allah that if anyone invokes a curse upon a truthful person, that very curse backfires on him.This way of Allah is evident from the explicit dicta of the Quran and aḥadīth.Now, tell [me], has Ghulām Dastagīr—after invoking this curse died or not? Therefore, explain to me the mystery behind why a false Messiah fell dead from the malediction of Muḥammad Tahir, yet the one who prayed against me fell dead himself.God extended my life so that I have remained alive for eleven years, yet He did not grant Ghulam Dastagir even a single month's respite._ 146.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIXTH] SIGN-Nawab Muḥammad Ḥayāt Khān who was a Divisional Judge, had been suspended on a criminal charge.There seemed to be no possibility of his acquittal.That is when he requested me for prayer, and I did pray.Thereupon, God revealed to me that he would be acquitted.This news was communicated to him and to many others beforehand as was recorded in detail in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya.Eventually, he was acquitted by the grace of God Almighty.147.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVENTH] SIGN-Once in March 1905, owing to sparse income, the budgetary position of the Langar Khānah [Community Kitchen] was rather lean; guests were coming in multitudes but its income was comparatively meagre.Therefore, supplication was made.On 5 March 1905, I saw in a dream that a person who appeared to be an angel, came in front of me and put a large sum of money in my lap.I asked his name.He said there was no name.I said he must have some name after all.He said his name was Tichi.In Punjabi, 1.Surah at-Taubah, 9:98 [Publisher]

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418 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION tichi means 'appointed time' or 'the one who comes exactly at the time of need.Thereupon I woke up.After that, by God's grace, monetary donations poured in by post and by hand in such great abundance as was beyond expectation and imagination.Thousands of rupees were received.Anyone interested in verifying this only has to review the postal record from 5 March 1905 through the end of the year; he will see how much money was received.It should be borne in mind that this is the way of God Almighty with me that most of the time He informs me beforehand through rev- elation or dream when I am about to receive cash or presents etc.Signs of this kind must number more than 50,000.148.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-EIGHTH] SIGN-Once it so happened that I was perusing the poetry of Ni'matullah Wali in which he has given the news of my advent through a prophecy, has even mentioned my name, and has foretold that the Promised Messiah would appear at the end of the thirteenth century [of the Hijrah].Moreover, he has written this couplet concerning me: ہر دو را شہسوار می بینم مهدی وقت و عیسی دوران Meaning that the one who is destined to come will be both the Mahdi and ‘Īsā; both names will apply to him and he will make claims of both kinds.At the time when I was reciting this couplet, exactly while reading, I received this revelation: از پئے آں محمد احسن را روزگار تارک می بینم Meaning that, I see that Maulawi Sayyad Muḥammad Aḥsan of Amroha has given up his employment that he had in Bhopal State so as to present himself to the Promised Messiah appointed by God and to strive in support of his claim.This was a prophecy that was very clearly fulfilled afterwards as the distinguished Maulawi Ṣāḥib, with great

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 149 419 resolve and determination, compiled a number of books in support of my claim, held debates with people and is still engaged in the same task.May Allah bless his work and reward him for this service.Amin.149.[ONE HUNDRED FORTY-NINTH] SIGN-On page 522¹ of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, the following prophecy is on record: بخرام کہ وقت تو نزدیک رسید و پائے محمد یاں بر منار بلند تر محکم افتاد.[Now, come forward and go forth, as your time is near.The time is now coming that the people of Muḥammad will be lifted from the pit and their steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower.] More than twenty-five years have elapsed since the time when this prophecy from the God of Honour and Glory was published in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.Its connotation was: 'The days of your good fortune are about to dawn which will exalt the glory and honour of the faith of Muḥammad.As all know, that was a time when I lay hidden and concealed in the corner of anonymity.I did not have a single person with me nor did anyone ever expect that I would be granted this sta- tion.Indeed, I myself was totally unaware of such future magnificence and glory.The truth of the matter is that I was nothing at all.Later, God selected me entirely out of His grace and not because of any talent on my part.I was unknown-He made me known and He did it with such rapidity as the lightning that suddenly reveals its flash from one end to the other; I was ignorant—He granted me knowledge from His own; I did not have any financial capacity—He rained hun- dreds of thousands of rupees on me; I was alone-He subjected hun- dreds of thousands of people to me; and He manifested Signs in my favour both in heaven and on earth.I do not know why He did this for 1.This text appears in Rūḥāni Khaza'in, vol.1, page 623, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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420 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION me, for I see no merit in myself.I find it befitting my condition to recite this couplet of Sheikh Sa'dīta in the presence of the Lord of Honour: آمد پسند z زما کہترانت رسند پسندید گانے بجائے Those who were numbered among Your Elect reached their destination, I wonder what merit You found in a person as humble as me.My God helped me in every respect; everyone who stood up against me in enmity was forced to fall down.For each one who dragged me into the courts to penalize me, my Lord granted me victory in all those litigations; to each one who invoked a curse upon me, my Master reverted that very curse upon him.The ill-fated Lekh Rām, driven by his false hopes, made an announcement about me that I, along with all of my sons, would die within a period of three years.The final outcome was that he himself died issueless in accordance with my prophecy and no one was left in the world from among his progeny.So did 'Abdul-Haqq Ghaznavi arise, who sought my destruction with his malediction by way of a mubahalah.Well! All that success I enjoyed in every respect was after his mubāhalah.Hundreds of thousands became my followers and hundreds of thousands of rupees poured in.In almost all the world, I came to be known to the extent that people belonging to foreign lands entered my Jama'at; I was subsequently blessed with a number of sons, but 'Abdul-Haqq remained issueless which is tantamount to death." He failed to receive even an iota of blessing from God Almighty nor did he receive any honour afterwards and [the following verse] became fully applicable to him: 1.Repeatedly addressing 'Abdul-Ḥaqq Ghaznavi after the mubahalah, I have written in my book Anwarul-Islām: 'If you can escape the after-effects of the mubahalah by your prayer, do try to see that a son is born to you so that you do not remain issueless, which otherwise will be considered to be one effect of the mubahalah.Therefore, after so much insistence, he must have made supplications after the mubahalah.In the end he remained issueless.What greater Sign could there possibly be than this? (Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 149 421 إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْابْتَرُ Then Ghulam Dastagir Qaşūrī arose.He was eager to earn fame among his people by praying against me.That is, as Muḥammad Tahir had prayed against a false Messiah and Mahdi, who perished thereafter; similarly, he sought my destruction by praying against me.But, after this prayer against me, he was quickly destroyed in an unprecedented manner.No maulawi is able to explain the mystery that, whereas Muḥammad Tahir's prayer killed the false Messiah of his time by pray- ing against him, Ghulām Dastagīr himself died after praying against the Messiah of his time.This is an example of the silent help of God.More tangibly, God Almighty has bestowed upon me such awe that no Christian priest can dare confront me.There was a time when those people publicly shouted at the top of their voices alleging that no miracle was performed by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and that the Holy Quran contains no prophecy, whereas, now, God has struck such fear in their hearts that they dare not face themselves in my direction, as if they have all departed from this world.I declare in the name of God in whose hands rests my life that if a Christian priest chooses to face me for this confrontation, God will abase him and make him suffer such chastisement that will have no parallel and he will not have the power to demonstrate—with the help and power of his imaginary ‘Goď—what I demonstrate, and my God will rain down Signs for me from both heaven and earth.Truly do I say that this blessing has not been bestowed on people belonging to other faiths.Therefore, is there any Christian cleric on the face of this earth- from the east to the ends of the west-who can demonstrate divine Signs in comparison with me? I have won the battle; no one can dare confront me.Indeed, this is what God Almighty had, by way of a prophecy, proclaimed twenty-five years ago: 1.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue (Surah al-Kauthar, 108:4).[Publisher]

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422 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION بخرام کہ وقت تو نزدیک رسید و پائے محمد یاں بر منار بلند تر محکم افتاد.[Now come forward and go forth, as your time is near.The time is now coming that the people of Muḥammad will be lifted from the pit and their steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower.] God is my Witness that we, the followers of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, firmly stand on a high minaret and everyone is under our feet! 150.[ONE HUNDRed-fiftieth] SIGN¹*.-On pages 35 to 38 of my book Nurul-Haqq, Part II, which was published before the plague broke out in the country, is the following prophecy about the plague: إِعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ نَفَثَ فِي رَوْعِن أَنَّ هَذَا الْخُسُوْفَ وَالْكُسُوْفَ فِي رَمَضَانَ أَيَتَانِ مُخَوِّفَتَانِ لِقَوْمِ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّيْطَانَ وَلَئِنْ أَبَوْا فَإِنَّ الْعَذَابَ قَدْ حَانَ.(See page 35 to 38 of the book Nurul-Haqq).² (Translation): God has breathed into my heart through His revelation that the solar and lunar eclipses are a prelude to a chastisement; namely, of the plague which is near.Now for the sake of God, carefully study my book Nūrul-Ḥaqq, Part II and see how long before the plague broke out, it contains the prophecy about the coming of the plague.Can a human being have the power to make such a prophecy on his own? God Almighty says: لَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبةٍ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَّسُولٍ 3 1.Repeated to provide further details.(Author) 2.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.8, page 227-228, published in 2008.[Publisher] 3.Surah al-Jinn, 72:27-28 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 151 423 Meaning that, to open the door of the unseen to someone to the extent that he dominates the unseen and the unseen is in his control, is the kind of access to the knowledge of the unseen that is not granted to anyone except the chosen Messengers of God, so that the doors of the unseen are opened to him with respect to quality and quantity.True, even ordinary people may occasionally see a true dream or receive a true revelation-and even that is not free from darkness— but the doors to the unseen are not thrown open to them.This gift is granted only to the chosen Messengers of God.151.[ONE HUNDREd fifty-first] sigN-When I wrote my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which is the first of my books, the difficulty I faced was that I did not have any money to get it published.I was an obscure person and I did not know anyone.At that time, I prayed to God Almighty and then, I received the following revelation: هُنَّ إِلَيْكَ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ تُسَاقِطْ عَلَيْكَ رُطَبًا جَنِيًّا.(See Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, page 226)¹.(Translation): 'Shake the trunk of the date-palm tree, the fresh ripe dates will fall upon you.' Therefore, in compliance with this directive, I wrote a letter first of all to Khalifah Sayyad Muḥammad Hasan, a Minister of State of Patiala.As God had promised, He made him inclined towards me and he sent 250 rupees immediately and then contributed another 250 rupees a sec- ond time.Some others also provided monetary assistance.Thus was the book published against all hopes and the prophecy fulfilled.These incidents are such that there are not just one or two witnesses to them, but a large number of people, including Hindus, too.The point to bear in mind is that the revelation of God, 1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.1, page 250, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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424 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Shake the branch of date-palm tree'] is, in the Holy ] هُزِّ إِلَيْكَ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ Quran, addressed to Ḥadrat Maryam [Mary] when she had grown very 1.I have written above in the text of this book that first God named me 'Maryam' in the book Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya and then said that, having breathed into this 'Maryam' the spirit of truth, He named me ‘Īsā.This was as if 'Isā was born from a Maryam-like state.So was I named the Ibn-e-Maryam [the Son of Mary] in the Word of God.The Holy Quran, too, has a clue in this context and it constitutes a prophecy about me; meaning that Allah the Almighty compares certain persons from among the Ummah to Maryam in the Holy Quran and then adds that the Maryam became j pregnant with 'Īsā.It is evident that no one, except me, in the Ummah claimed that God had named him 'Maryam' and then breathed into this 'Maryam' the spirit of ‘Īsā.Since the Word of God cannot be false, it was but necessary that it should apply to someone from among the Ummah.See for yourself after deep reflection and search the world, you will not find anyone except me in the whole world to whom this verse of the Holy Quran applies.Hence this prophecy in Surah at- Taḥrim applies specifically to me and the verse in question reads: وَمَرْيَمَ ابْنَتَ عِمْرَنَ الَّتِي اَحْصَنَتْ فَرَجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيْهِ مِنْ رُوحِنَا See Surah at-Taḥrim, [66:13], Part Number 28 (Translation): The second example of the individuals of this ummah is that of Maryam the daughter of ‘Imran who preserved her chastity and into her womb We breathed the spirit by Our authority; that is, the spirit of ‘Īsā.It is evident in the context of this verse that the Maryam of this Ummah can be compared to the first Maryam only if the spirit of ‘Īsā is breathed into him as God Himself has mentioned the breathing of the spirit in this verse.It is but necessary for the Word of God to be fulfilled.Thus, in the entire Ummah, it is only me whom God first addressed as 'Maryam' in Barāhīn- e-Aḥmadiyya and later He said only about me that We breathed into this 'Maryam' the spirit by Our authority, and then, after breathing in the spirit, only I was named ‘Īsā.As such, I am the one to whom this verse applies.And except for me no one in the 1,300 years has ever claimed that first God named him 'Maryam' and then breathed into Maryam the spirit by His authority transforming him into Īsā.Fear God and reflect upon it.When God said this in Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya, I myself was totally unaware of this subtle point as I also recorded in Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya my erstwhile belief that ‘Īsā would descend from heaven.This belief of mine testifies that there is no fabrication on my part and that, before receiving guidance from God, I could not com- prehend it at all.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 151 425 weak after giving birth to her son and was in need of God Almighty's help for food.In the same way, Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was quite like an infant to me that was just given birth.There is a well-known idiom about writing that it is the product of one's nature; meaning, one's nat- ural children.Thus, as Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya was like a newborn baby for me, , and at the time of its birth I was weak in my financial condition just as Maryam was weak, and I could not find food for its upbring- ing-meaning, its publication on my own—then, similar to Maryam, I was given the same command: هُزِّ إِلَيْكَ بِجِذْعِ النَّخْلَةِ [Shake the branch of the date-palm tree.] Thus, according to this prophecy, the funds for this book became available and the prophecy was fulfilled.This money was entirely unexpected because I was completely unknown and this was my first compilation.It is also worth remembering that in Barāhīn-e- Ahmadiyya, God Almighty named me 'Maryam' before calling me by the name of 'Īsā and for quite some time this was my name in God's estimation.Later, God addressed me and said: 'O Maryam! I have breathed into you the spirit of truth.' Figuratively speaking, this 'Maryam' became 'pregnant' with the spirit of truth.And then God named me ‘Īsā at the end of Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.In other words, when that spirit of truth which had been breathed into Maryam became manifest, it was given the name of ‘Īsā.Thus, I was called Ibn- e-Maryam [the son of Mary] in the Word of God.This is the very meaning of the revelation: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَكَ الْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ [All praise belongs to Allah, who has made you Masiḥ Ibn-e-Maryam].

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426 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION آنکه گوید ابن مریم چون شدی ہست او غافل ز راز ایزدی He who questions how I became Ibn-e-Maryam Is oblivious to the hidden secrets of the Divine.آں خدائے قادر و ربّ در براھیں نام من مریم نہاد العباد The Almighty God, the Lord of His servants, Himself named me Maryam in Barahin.ہرتے بودم برنگ مریمی دست یہ پیران زمی ناداده For long I remained in a Maryam-like state, Without following the contemporary divines.حق نا آشنا از رفیق ہنچو بکرے یافتم نشو و نما راه Like a virgin was I raised― Unaware and unaccompanied-on the path of truth.روح عیسی اندران مریم دمید بعد ازاں آں قادر و رب مجید Later, God Almighty, the Lord of Grandeur Breathed into Maryam the spirit of Īsā [Jesus].زاد زاں مریم مسیح این زمان پس به نفخش رنگ دیگر شد عیاں With His breath new life was created: The Messiah of the age was delivered by her.زانکه مریم بود اول گام من زیں سبب شد ابن مریم نام من This is the reason that I was named 'son of Maryam', For it was as Maryam that I took my first footsteps.شد ز جائے مریمی بر تر قدم بعد ازاں از نفخ حق عیسی شدم Thereafter, God infused me with the spirit of ‘Īsā, And I was elevated beyond the status of Maryam.

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راہیں POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 151 427 دانی دانی براہین ایں ہمہ گفت است رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ گرنمی All this is the Word of God, the Lord of all the worlds, Inscribed in Barahin for those who do not know.حکمت حق راز ها دارد بسے نکته مستور کم فہد کے Divine wisdom is full of mysteries; Its subtleties cannot be fathomed but by a few.کار بے فیضان نمی آید درست نخست فهم را فیضان حق باید There is no enlightenment without the grace of God; Nothing can be set straight without His grace.گرنداری فیض رحمان را پناه ظلمته در ہر قدم داری براہ Unless you take refuge with God's grace, Every step of yours will be shrouded in darkness.ہاں مروچوں تو سنے آہستہ باش فیض حق را با تضرع کن تلاش Seek the grace of God through humble supplication.Do not run like wild horses but move with a gentle step.اے پئے تکفیر ما بستہ کمر فکر دگر در خانه ات ویراں Oye who so eagerly declare me a a kafir ! Your own house lies in ruins, yet you fret about others! صد ہزاراں کفر در جانت نہاں روچه نالی بہر کفر دیگراں Your life is full of a thousand transgressions.Be away! Why do you shed tears for the faults of others? نکته چین را چشم می باید خیز و اول خویشتن راگن درست Arise and reform yourself first.The critic himself is most in need of vision.

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428 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION لعنتی گر او نه برما خویش را رُسوا کند برما کند لعنتة Let the accursed, curse me; He only condemns his own fate.لعنت آن باشد که از رحمان بود اہل جفا آسان بود Easy it is to bear the curse of the wicked, For only the curse of God is worthy of fear.152.[ONE HUNDred fifty-second] SIGN-Addressing me in a general sense, God had said: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ Meaning that: I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.This prophecy has been fulfilled against hundreds of my enemies.This book is not enough to accommodate all the details.A great many of these people remarked about me, ‘He is an impostor and will die of the plague', but through God's power, they themselves died of the plague.There are a great many who put forth their 'revelation' that God had informed them [about me] that this man would die soon.Glory be to God that they themselves died shortly after such of their 'revela- tions.Still others had prayed against me that I may soon die, but they themselves died very soon thereafter.People might recall the revelation of Maulawi Muḥy-ud-Din of Lakhukay, who proclaimed that I was a disbeliever and had likened me to Pharaoh, and had published his 'revelations' about the torment that was to befall me.In the end, he himself died, and it has now been sev- eral years since he departed from this world.Maulawi Ghulām Dastagīr of Qaşur had similarly crossed all limits in hurling abuses at me.He had procured edicts of disbelief against me from Makkah.He, too, would pray against me day in and day out, and [The curse of Allah be upon the liars'] was his routine invocation.But that was not all.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 152 429 As I have just pointed out above, he also became eager to pray against me in a vain effort to emulate Sheikh Muḥammad Tahir, the author of Majma'ul-Bihār so that his miraculous power be proven.During the time of the author of Majma'ul-Bihār, some foul-natured people had claimed to be the Mahdi and the Masiḥ out of sheer imposture.Since they were iniquitous, God Almighty granted Muḥammad Tahir's prayer and destroyed them in the very lifetime of Muḥammad Tahir.Therefore, Ghulam Dastagīr became inspired by reading this tale and thought that he, too, should pray against 'this false Mahdi and Masīḥ so that my death would prove his 'miraculous power.But he failed to remember the following couplet of Sheikh Sa'dī: شائد که پلنگ خفته باشد ہر بیشہ گماں مبر که خالی است Think not every jungle uninhabited; Tread easy, it may be that a leopard sleeps.Had I been an impostor, I would have certainly died in response to such a prayer that was offered with great concentration and fervour, and Miyān Ghulam Dastagīr would have been considered Muḥammad Tahir, the Second.But since I was truthful, Ghulām Dastagir fell prey to the revelation of God Almighty: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] And the eternal disgrace which he had wished for me, backfired his own self.upon This incident alone would have been sufficient to remove the veil of negligence, had any maulawi been God-fearing.It is incumbent upon everyone who seeks the truth to reflect upon the fact that a false Masiḥ and Mahdi was killed as a result of Muḥammad Tahir's prayer, but when Miyāń Ghulām Dastagīr, in his imitation—nay rather, to demonstrate his likeness-prayed against me even mentioning this

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430 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION in his book Fath-e-Raḥmānī, and at the time of praying against me, he wrote in his book Fath-e-Raḥmānī these words concerning me acy which mean that I and all my followers be destroyed; there- upon he died within a few weeks and the mark of disgrace that he wished for me by asking for my death, was sealed as his own eternal fate.Will someone answer me whether this is a mere coincidence or if it came to pass by the will of God Almighty? I am still alive by the grace of God Almighty but more than eleven years have passed since the death of Ghulām Dastagīr.What do you all think now? Did God dislike the false Masiḥ and Mahdi of Muḥammad Tahir's time, bear- ing enmity to him, while God looked upon the 'false Masih' born in the time of Ghulam Dastagīr with affection and honoured him to the extent that he killed Ghulām Dastagīr during his lifetime and—return- ing his own curse to him-made him drink from the cup of death and cast this stigma of disgrace upon him until the Day of Judgment? Had I died as a consequence of the prayer of Ghulām Dastagīr against me and had Ghulām Dastagīr continued to live up until now, would my enemies—indeed, the enemies of Islam—not have clam- oured and proclaimed my falsehood with the beat of a kettledrum? Then why are the elders of the Ummah so tongue-tied now? Is this their righteousness? And [strange indeed it is] to say that this was not a mubahalah! Suppose this is not a mubāhalah, but it still is a prayer against me in imitation of Muḥammad Țähir; in contrast to it is my revelation: إِنِّي مُهِينٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] How is it that I was not adversely affected by this malediction but a clear effect was shown by God Almighty's revelation: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 152 431 And that very malediction was made to descend upon Ghulām Dastagir in keeping with the Quranic verse: عَلَيْهِمْ دَابِرَةُ السَّوء The man who wished to be the like of Muḥammad Tahir, God made him the like of the false Masīḥ.After his death, blessing upon blessing was showered upon me.Hundreds of thousands of people became my followers and three sons [of mine] were born subsequent to his death.Hundreds of thousands of rupees poured in and God granted me fame with honour virtually across the entire globe.Perhaps our opponents will now claim that the false Masiḥ and Mahdi who died as a consequence of Muḥammad Tahir's malediction was actually a coincidental death, not the effect of Muḥammad Tahir's prayer.Thus, how far can we answer such claims? They might as well become athe- ists as it already appears-and proceed to say that Ghulam Dastagīr's death was a coincidence.دل میں اُٹھتا ہے میرے سو سو اُبال کیوں نہیں لوگو تمہیں حق کا خیال Why do you care not for truth, O people? It torments my heart greatly.جس سے کچھ ایماں جو تھا وہ سڑ گیا اس قدر کین و تعصب بڑھ گیا Malice and prejudice have increased so much That it has caused to rot whatever little offaith remained.جس کے باعث سے تمہارا نام تھا کیا یہی تقولے یہی اسلام تھا Was this the very righteousness—the very.Islam― For which you were renowned? 1.Let evil befall them instead (Sūrah at-Taubah, 9:98).[Publisher]

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432 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION In short, the divine revelation: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] was powerfully manifested at hundreds of places and is still being manifested.What is the secret behind the Omnipotent supporting me only that He does not desire His beloved to this extent? The secret to fail.شیریں خصلتی اے جانِ جانم چہ شیریں منظری اے دلستانم چه How beautiful You are, O Captivator of my heart! How lovely are Your attributes, O Love of my life! نمانده غیر تو چو دیدم رُوئے تو دل در تو بستم اندر جہانم Ever since I beheld Your face, I have given You my heart; Besides You, no one else exists in my world.بسوزد استخوانم ہجرت I can renounce both the worlds, تواں برداشتن دست از دو عالم مگر But any separation from You burns.my bones.ز ہجرت جاں رود باصد فغانم در آتش تن بآسانی تواں داد It is easier to consign one's body to fire, But any separation from You terrifies me out of my wits.153.ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THIRD SIGN-By adding the words The curse of Allah be upon the liars'] in the margins] لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِيْنَ of my book Ijaz-e-Aḥmadi,' Maulawi Muḥammad Ḥasan of Bhein 1.This is a misprint: I'jāz-e-Aḥmadī must be replaced by I jāzul-Masiḥ because The curse of] لَعْنَتُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ Maulawi Muhammad Hasan had recorded Allah be on liars'] on the margin of Ijazul-Masih.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 154 433 entangled himself into the mubahalah.Hardly a year had elapsed since He wrote these words that he passed away from this world in a state of great anguish.He died in the prime of his life.I have in my possession the mubahalah written by his own hand.Whosoever wishes to see it can do so.154.[ONE HUNDRed fifty-fourth] SIGN-In his book Saif-e- Chishtiya'i Pir Mehr ‘Alī Shāh of Golra dubbed me a plagiarist; meaning that, in his opinion I had copied my subject matter from the works of others.God punished him for this calumny insofar as he himself was found guilty in a court of law for plagiarizing the notes of Muḥammad Hasan Bhein during the course of Karam Dīn's litigation, where the evidence was presented under oath.Thus, the Sign of God Almighty appeared by the fulfilment of the revelation: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] 155.[ONE HUNDRED fifty-fifth] SIGN-It was also a Sign of God Almighty that after 1882 He prevented the publication of the final part of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya for twenty-three years for the fulfilment of His Word that He might make Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya as a Sign; for, it contained a number of prophecies that were yet to be fulfilled, and there were such promises about me as had not yet been realized.It was necessary that the fulfilment of all those Signs and those promises be shown in that very book so that the book Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya would become worthy of its name.Had Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya been com- pleted before the fulfilment of those prophecies, it would have been an imperfect book.This is why God, whose works are all based on wisdom and appropriateness, was pleased to will that the printing and publica- tion of the remaining portion of Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya be postponed until the prophecies recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya were fulfilled; because that book, as its name Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya suggests, has been

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434 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION written so that it would make manifest the proofs that Islam possesses, and the foremost among its convincing arguments are heavenly Signs which have nothing to do with the human power.Therefore it was essential that as many heavenly Signs be recorded in it as would suffice to clinch the argument vis-à-vis the enemy.As it was promised to docu- ment three hundred heavenly Signs in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya, God was pleased to will the fulfilment of those words.The opponents, out of ignorance, continued to clamour and falsely accuse me to have stopped the publication of Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya forever to misappropriate people's money; however, what I have described is the very wisdom for the delay in the publication of Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.I am certain that no reasonable person would deny this, but only those will who are bereft of faith and honesty.وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَتَى مُنْقَلَبٍ يَنْقَلِبُونَ Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ لَا نُزَلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةٌ كَذلِكَ لِنُنَيْتَ بِهِ فَؤَادَكَ Meaning that, the disbelievers ask why the Holy Quran did not descend all at once.It had to be this way so that We would comfort your heart from time to time, and so that those truths and verities which are con- nected to time should be manifested only at their own time, because it becomes difficult to understand something before its due time.Due to this wisdom, God revealed the Holy Quran over a period of twenty-three years so that during that period the promised Signs would also become manifest.Therefore, I believe that before twenty-three 1.And the wrongdoers will soon know to what place of return they shall return (Surah ash-Shu'ara, 26:228).[Publisher] 2.Surah al-Furqan, 25:33 [Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 156 435 years are completed for the delay in the book Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya, its fifth volume will be published in the country; and God Almighty has alluded to twenty-three years in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya as well, for God says: يَا أَحْمَدُ بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيْكَ.الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أُنْذِرَ آبَاؤُهُمْ، وَلِتَسْتَبِيْنَ سَبِيْلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ.قُلْ إِنِّى أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.O Aḥmad (this is the figurative name of this humble one)! God has infused you with blessing.The Gracious God has taught you the Holy Quran; meaning that, you are not indebted to any of your contemporaries.God is your Teacher.God has taught you the Holy Quran so that you may warn those whose forefathers were not warned and so that God's argument be completed and the way of the sinners becomes manifest.Proclaim to them that I have been appointed by God and I am the foremost to believe in this matter.And because the teaching of the Holy Quran to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was completed in a twen- ty-three year period before this, it was therefore necessary in order to establish a resemblance, that now the period for teaching the Holy Quran should also have been fixed at twenty-three so that all the Signs that were promised could be fulfilled.Rūmī also speaks of this: سالها با نیست تا خوں شیر شد مذتے ایس مثنوی تاخیر شد The composition of this Mathnavi has been delayed; Time is needed for the blood to turn into milk.156.[ONE HUNDred fifty-sixth] SIGN―I have previously writ- ten this Sign in the closing pages of Tadhkiratush-Shahadatain.The Sign is that in October 1903 I had decided to write a booklet about the martyrdom of Ṣāḥibzādah ‘Abdul-Laṭīf and Sheikh Abdur-Raḥmān― who were put to death with the utmost cruelty.I had proposed

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436 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Tadhkiratush-Shahadatain as the title of the booklet.However, it so happened that I began to suffer from renal colic.I had intended to finish the booklet by 16 October 1903, for it was necessary to go to Gurdaspur to appear in a criminal case which one of my opponents had filed against me.At that time, I supplicated before God, '‘O my Allah! I want to write a booklet about the blessed martyr 'Abdul-Latif and renal colic has started.Grant me cure.' I had once before suffered from renal colic for ten continuous days and had come to the verge of death on account of it.On this occa- sion, too, I feared the same.I told the members of my family that I would pray and they should say Āmīn.Then, in this state of severe pain, I prayed for the cure, and they said Amin.So I say under oath in the name of God Almighty, oath in whose name is greater than all evidence, that I had not yet completed my prayer when I was overtaken by drowsiness and I received the revelation: سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِّنْ رَّبِّ رَّحِيْم [Peace is the word from the Merciful Lord.] I immediately communicated this revelation to the members of my family and to all those present at the time.Allah, the All-Knowing is well aware that before six o'clock in the morning I recovered fully and I completed half the book the same day.[So Allah be praised for all this].See the last part of Tadhkiratush-Shahadatain.157.[ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SEVENTH] SIGN―The martyrdom of Ṣāḥibzādah Maulawi ‘Abdul-Laṭīf is also a Sign of my truth, for, ever since God created the world, it has never happened that a person should knowingly sacrifice his life for the sake of an impostor, charlatan, and liar; put his wife through the misery of becoming a widow; be willing to make his children orphans; and embrace death by stoning for himself.True, there are hundreds of people who are killed unjustly, but

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 157 437 when I proclaim here the martyrdom of Ṣāḥibzādah Maulawi ‘Abdul- Latif to be a grand Sign, it is not because he was killed unjustly and was martyred; rather, it is because he demonstrated such steadfastness at the time of his martyrdom that there cannot be any greater miracle than that.On three different occasions, the Amir counselled him gently that if he would only renounce the oath of allegiance to the man from Qadian who claimed to be the Promised Messiah, he would be freed, and, indeed, he would be honoured even more than before; otherwise, he would be stoned to death.But every time he replied: 'I am a man of learning and have experienced the world.I have entered into his bai'at [pledge of allegiance] by way of enlightened conviction.I know him to be better than the whole world.' He was kept in prison for many days and was gravely tortured.He was tied from head to foot with a heavy chain.He was then counselled time and again and was promised honour if he renounced his bai'at, for he had a long-standing relationship with the State of Kabul, and pos- sessed privileges in the state due to his services.But he repeatedly said: ‘I am not insane.I have found the truth.I am absolutely convinced that the Messiah who was to come is none other than the one in whose hands I have pledged bai'at.Then, despairing of him, they put a string through his nose, and led him in chains to the ground for stoning.Just before stoning him to death, the Amir once again advised him, 'There is still time for you to revoke the bai'at and renounce.' He replied, 'This shall never be.Now my end is near.I would never prefer the life of this world over my faith.' It is reported that after witnessing such perseverance on his part, hundreds of people were awestruck and their hearts trembled and they declared: 'How unshakeable is this faith! We have never seen any- thing like it.' And there were many who said, 'If the man, to whom he pledged allegiance had not been from God, Ṣāḥibzādah 'Abdul-Latif

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438 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION could never have shown such perseverance.' Thereafter, this innocent man was stoned to death but he did not let out so much as a sigh.For forty days his dead body lay in the pile of stones.His last words were that he would not remain dead more than six days.In response to this, the Amir posted a guard at the place of his stoning for fear that it was some sort of trickery.But what he meant by this statement was that within six days his soul would be raised to Heaven with a new body.Ponder over it with honesty and fairness.Can the people belonging to a Movement which is based on nothing but fraud, deceit, lies, and fabrication, demonstrate such steadfastness and courage that they willingly agree to be crushed by stones without any regard for their children and wives? They surrender their lives with such courage and refuse to give up this path despite repeated promises of freedom contingent upon breaking their covenant.Similarly, Sheikh ‘Abdur-Raḥmān was slaughtered in Kabul.All the while he remained resolute and did not offer to break his bai'at in exchange for his freedom.This is the very Sign of a true religion and a true Imam that when someone attains full cognition of him and one's heart and soul is satiated with the sweetness of faith, such persons do not fear death in this path.Of course, those whose faith is superficial and faith has not entered into the fabric of their being, like Judas Iscariot, can turn apostate for a petty temptation.There are quite a few instances of such unholy apostates in the time of each Prophet.God be thanked that I am accompanied by a large Jama'at of sincere followers, each one of whom is a Sign in my support.This indeed is the grace of God.my Paradise, and Your mercy is my shelter, and Your Signs are my food, and Your grace is my attire].my Lord, You are] رَبِّ إِنَّكَ جَنَّتِي وَرَحْمَتُكَ جُنَّتِي وَأَيَاتُكَ غِذَائِي وَفَضْلُكَ رِدَائِي

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 157 An Ode by the Author سم مُعَادَاتِي وَسِلْمِن أَسْلَمُ انى مِنَ الرَّحْمَن عَبْدُ مُكْرَم I am a humble servant honoured by the Gracious Lord; Opposition to me is poison whereas peace with me is a haven of safety.إنِّي أَنَا الْبُسْتَانُ بُسْتَانُ الْهُدَى إِنِّى صَدُوقٌ مُصْلِحُ مُتَرَدِّمُ I am the garden of guidance; I am truthful and a reformer and redeemer.مَنْ فَرَّ مِنِّى فَرَّ مِنْ رَّبِّ الْوَرَى إِنِّي أَنَا النَّهْجُ السَّلِيْمُ الْأَقْوَمُ One who flees from me, flees from the Lord of all the creation; For I am the straight path—the path to safety.أوْ عَندَلِيْبٌ غَارِدٌ مُتَرَتِّمُ رُوحِي لِتَقْدِيسِ الْعَلِيُّ حَمَامَةٌ My soul is like a dove, a symbol of divine glorification; Or it is a sweet-singing melodious nightingale.قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ وَالْوَقْتُ لَيْلٌ مُظْلِمُ مَا جِئْتُكُمْ فِي غَيْرِ وَقْتِ عَابِيًّا I have not come to you untimely, nor is my coming idle or meaningless; I came at a time when it was akin to a pitch-black night.يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتْرُكُوا أَهْوَاءَكُمْ تُوْبُوا وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبُّ أَرْحَمُ O people! Abandon your greed and avarice- Be penitent, for Allah is the Lord, Most Compassionate.طُوبَى لِمَنْ بَعْدَ الْمَعَاصِي يَنْدِمُ رب كَرِيمٌ غَافِرُ لِمَنِ اتَّقَى God is so Benevolent, He forgives the God-fearing; How lucky is the one who repents after committing a sin! يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اذْكُرُوا أَجَالَكُمْ إِنَّ الْمَنَايَا لَا تُرَدُّ وَ تَهْجُمُ O people! Be mindful of your death; When death strikes, it does not relent, but seizes suddenly.439

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440 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION في الصِّدْقِ فَاسْلُكْ نَهْجَ صِدْقٍ تُرْحَمُ يَا لَائِمِن إِنَّ الْمَكَارِمَ كُلَّهَا O ye who are so fond of maligning me.[Beware!] All virtue lies in truthfulness.Therefore, embrace the truth and you will be secure.السَّعْى لِلتَّوْهِيْنِ أَمْرٌ بَاطِلٌ إِنَّ الْمُقَرَّبُ لَا يُهَانُ وَ يُكْرَمُ Any attempt to humiliate me is vain; For He does not permit anyone close to Him to suffer humiliation.شَاهَدتَ سُلْطَانِي فَانْتُ تَحَكُمُ جَاءَتُكَ آيَاتِي فَأَنْتَ تُكَذِّبُ My Signs have come to you, but you have rejected them; And you have witnessed the arguments in my favour yet you.behave arrogantly.هَلْ جَاءَكَ الْإِبْرَاءُ مِنْ رَّبِّ الْوَرى أَمْ هَلْ رَبَّيْتَ الْعَيْشَ لَا يَتَصَرَّمُ Have you received intimation of your acquittal from the Lord of all creation; Or have you somehow perceived that your life will never end? نَأْتِي كَمَا يَأْتِي لِصَيْدٍ ضَيْغَمُ إِنْ كُنْتَ أَزْمَعْتَ النِّضَالِ فَإِنَّنَا If you are intent on waging war, I will pounce upon you like a lion hunting its prey.لَا نَتَّقِى حَرْبَ الْعِدَا وَ نِضَالَهُمْ وَالْقَلْبُ عِنْدَ الْحَرْبِ لَا يَتَجَمْجَمُ I am not afraid to fight my enemies or to face their bows and arrows; My heart does not shy away from entering the field of battle.يَعْوِي كَسَرْحَانٍ وَّ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ أنظر إلى عَبْدِ الْحَكِيمِ وَ غَيْهِ Look at 'Abdul-Hakim and his misguidance; He does not speak but howls like a wolf.

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 157 441 مَا مَدَّ هَذَا الْكِبْرُ إِلَّا الدَّرْهَمُ كير يُسَوِّرُ نَفْسَهُ بِضِرَامِهِ Arrogance fuels the flames of his ego; This arrogance was given birth by his [temporal] wealth.غَيْمُ قَلِيلُ الْمَاءِ لَا يَتَلَوْمُ الْفَخْرُ بِالْمَالِ الكَثِيرِ جَهَالَةٌ Pride in affluence equates to ignorance; Akin to a cloud which cannot retain the little water it has.سَيْفٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَنِ لَا يَتَثَلَّمُ جَهْدُ الْمُخَالِفِ بَاطِلُ فِي أَمْرِنَا The efforts of our opponents are futile against us; Ours is the sword [of the Gracious God] that will never face any detriment.إِنْ كَانَ فِيْكُمْ نَاظِرٌ مُّتَوَسِّمُ فِي وَجْهِنَا نُورُ الْمُهَيْمِنِ لَائِحُ The light of God shines on my countenance; If only one of you had the eyes for it! إِلَّا كَخَذْفٍ عِنْدَ سَيْفٍ يُضرِمُ ما قُلتَ يَا عَبْدَ الْحَكِيمِ بِجَنْبِنَا O 'Abdul-Hakim! The words you have spoken in my opposition Are like a stone hurled against a sharp sword.واللهِ لَا تُعْطَى الْعَلَاءَ وَ تُرْجَمُ والله لَا يُخْزُى عَزِيزَ جَنَابِهِ By God, the friend of God will never be disgraced; By God, you will never succeed and you shall be rejected.فَاسْمَعْ وَيَأْتِي وَقْتُهُ الْمُتَحَدِّمُ هَذَا مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ نَبَأُ مُحْكَم This is a strong and incontrovertible tiding from God.Listen! The time of its fulfilment is close at hand.

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442 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION لَيْنْ سَحِيْلٌ أَوْ شَدِيدٌ مُّبْرَمُ وَاللهِ يُنْقَضُ كُلُّ خَيْطِ مَكَائِدٍ By God! All threads of deception will be cut asunder; Regardless of whether the deception is mild or strong.رَسُمٌ تَقَادَمَ عَهْدُهُ الْمُتَقَدِّمُ كَفِّرْ وَ مَا التَّكْفِيرُ مِنْكَ بِدْعَةٍ You may call me a kafir for there is nothing new in this denunciation; It is an age-old tradition still being practiced.قَالُوا لِيَّامٌ كَفَرَةٌ وَ هُمْ هُمُ قَدْ كُفِّرَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ صَحْبُ نَبِيِّنَا The Companions] of our Prophet sal were also declared disbelievers; It was said they were accursed apostates, but their greatness remains what it is.وَالْعَفْوُ خُلْقِى أَيُّهَا الْمُتَوَهُمُ تُبْ مِنْ كَلَامِ قُلْتَ وَاحْفِدُ تَائِبًا Seek repentance for your slanders, and hasten to me with repentance; Oye who doubt! I am ever ready to forgive.بَارِزُ فَإِنِّي حَاضِرٌ مُتَخَيَّمُ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَتَمَنَّى الْوَغَا فَنُحَارِبُ If you wish to fight, I am ready to fight; Come out in the fray—my tent is pitched in the field of battle.قَوْلِى كَعَالِيَةِ الْقَنَا أَوْ لَهْذَمُ نُطْقِيْ كَسَيْفٍ قَاطِع يُرْدِى الْعِدَا My words cut like a sword and spell death for our enemies; My words are sharp like a pointed spear or a¸ a grindingjaw-bone.كَمْ مِّنْ صُدُوْرٍ قَدْ كَلَمْتُ وَأَكْلَمُ كَمْ مِّنْ قُلُوْبِ قَدْ شَقَقْتُ غِلَافَهَا Many are the hearts whose veils I have torn off; Many are the bosoms that I have wounded, and do now.لِلْحَرْبِ دَائِرَةٌ عَلَيْكَ فَتَعْلَمُ حَارَبْتُ كُلَّ مُكَذِّبٍ وَ بِأَخِرٍ I have fought everyone who denied my truth; In the end you have been involved in the battle and will soon know.

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 158 443 إن كُنْتَ لَا تَدْرِى فَإِنَّا نَعْلَمُ لى فِيْكَ مِنْ رَّبِّ قَدِيرِ آيَةٌ In you, there is a Sign for me from my.Lord- You may not know it but we know it.تَهْذِئ وَ فِي صَفٌ الْوَغَى تَتَجَشِّمُ قَدْ قُلْتَ دَجَّالُ وَ قُلْتَ قَدِ افْتَرَى You called me a dajjal and imputed lies to me; You tell lies and engage in battle over nothing.يُبْدِيكَ يَوْمًا مَّا تُسِرُّ وَ تَكْتُمُ وَالْحُكْمُ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ يَا عَبْدَ الْهَوَى Only God's will shall be done, O slave of your ego! The day will come when He shall openly expose what you are trying to conceal.فَاحْذَرْ فَإِنِّي فَارِسٌ مُسْتَلْحِمُ الْحَقُّ دِرْعُ عَاصِمٌ فَيَصُوْنَنِي Truth is the upstanding armour which shall protect me.Beware! I am a riding warrior in hot pursuit.158 [ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHTH] SIGN-Let it be clear that what transpired in Kabul after the martyrdom of Maulawī Ṣāḥibzādah ‘Abdul-Laṭīf is also a Sign from God in my favour.Since I was grievously humiliated by the assassination of this ill-treated martyr, the wrath of God drew the sword of His fury against Kabul.A severe epidemic of cholera broke out in the city after the assassination of this ill-treated martyr, and most of those who took part in the assassination conspiracy against this ill-treated martyr fell victim to it.Wailing for the fatalities started even in the houses of the Amir of Kabul.Thousands of people who were rejoicing over this assassination fell prey to this death.It is said that this cholera epidemic struck with a ferocity that was never before witnessed in Kabul.Thus, the following revelation was fulfilled in this case also:

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444 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you].چنداں اماں نہ داد که شب راسحر کند بنگر که خونِ ناحق پروانه شمع را Look! The innocent blood of the moth Did not even give the candle enough respite to see the dawn.159.[ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-NINTH] SIGN-On page 58 of my book [Ṭamīmah] Anjām-e-Ātham¹ is recorded the prophecy in respect of Maulawi 'Abdul-Haqq Ghaznavi which runs as follows: After the mubahalah with 'Abdul-Haqq, God Almighty blessed me with prosperity in every respect, increased the number of my followers to thousands, convinced hundreds of thousands of my schol- arship, blessed me with the birth of another son raising the number [of sons] to three in conformity with the revelation, and then repeatedly revealed to me about a fourth son.I assure ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq that he will not die until he hears of the fulfilment of this revelation.If he amounts to something, he should delay this prophecy by supplication.Refer to page 58 of my book [Damīmah] Anjām-e-Ātham.This is the prophecy that was made about [the birth of] my fourth son.Then, two and half years after this prophecy, the fourth son was born during the very lifetime of 'Abdul-Haqq.He was named Mubarak Aḥmad who, by the grace of God Almighty, is alive till now.In case ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq has not yet heard about the birth of this son, I hereby communicate it to him.What a magnificent Sign it is that has been proven true on both counts: 'Abdul-Haqq remained alive until the birth of the son, and the son was born as well.Furthermore, no malediction by 'Abdul- Haqq concerning this was accepted and he could not stop the birth 1.This reference text appears in Rūḥānī Khazā’in, vol.11, page 342, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 159 445 of this promised son of mine through his malediction.Indeed, I was blessed with three sons instead of one, but 'Abdul-Haqq, on the other hand, suffered the fate that, even after the passage of twelve years, not a single child was born into his household after the mubahalah.And it is obvious that, to become issueless after the mubahalah and not to bear so much as a single child despite the passage of twelve years and to remain utterly deprived of offspring, is also a Sign of God's wrath and tantamount to death as Allah the Almighty says: إِن شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ Bear in mind that, due to this very slander, no son was born to 'Abdul- Haqq, rather he remained issueless, barren, and bereft of this blessing and his brother died, thus, after the mubahalah, instead of the birth of a son, even his dear brother entered the valley of death.²* At this point, fair-minded people should consider and—fearing God Almighty-reflect whether this knowledge of the unseen is within the capability of a human being that he should make a fabri- cated prophecy that he will certainly have a fourth son born to him and it is certain that, until then, a particular person shall remain alive and, thereafter, it should transpire exactly like that.Is there any precedence of this in the world that God supported an impostor such that He made him appear truthful on both counts; that is, gave him the fourth son along with letting his enemy live until that time in accordance with the prophecy? Bear in mind that, one 1.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue (Surah al-Kauthar, 108:4).[Publisher] 2.In my book Anwārul-Islām I had also, by way of a prophecy, indicated to 'Abdul-Haqq that he would remain deprived of children; he should try to do his best to disprove this prophecy of mine and ward off the consequences of the mubahalah.As a result, he is still issueless and by today's date―i.e.28 September 1906-even after the passage of thirteen years since the mubaha- lah, he is still deprived of a child.(Author)

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446 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION blessing that was given to me-out of the hundred other blessings of the mubahalah—is that God granted me three sons after the muba- halah; namely: (1) Sharif Aḥmad, (2) Mubārak Aḥmad, and (3) Nașīr Aḥmad.Now, if it is an error on my part to claim that 'Abdul-Haqq is issueless, let him announce how many sons were born to him after the mubahalah and their whereabouts or, at the least, show us any earlier What is it then, if not the result of the curse! son.Moreover, I have repeatedly pointed out that just as ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq remained deprived of every blessing after the mubahalah, I, in con- trast to him, was granted every favour of God such that there is no blessing material or spiritual—that I did not receive: my progeny increased in that they became five instead of two, my wealth increased in that hundreds of thousands of rupees came, my honour increased in that hundreds of thousands of people pledged bai'at with me, and my support from God increased in that hundreds of Signs appeared for my sake.160.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTIETH] SIGN-At this moment I am holding a letter from Maulawi ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din of Lakhukay, written with his own pen which has just been handed over to me by my friend, the learned, the distinguished Maulawi Hakeem Noor Deen and I consider it a Sign from my God Almighty.Therefore, I reproduce below the copy of the actual letter signed by the above-mentioned Maulawi.Later, I will show how it is a Sign for me.The letter is as follows:² 1.In accordance with the prophecy which has been published in Anwarul- Islām, no son has been born in ‘Abdul-Haqq's house to this date for in my book Anwarul-Islām I have clearly prophesied: 'No matter how hard ‘Abdul- Haqq tries or supplicates, he would remain deprived of male child.Thus did it happen.(Author) 2.The photocopy of the original prayer appears on pages 532–533.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 160 447 بِسمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ حَامِدًا وَّ مُصَلِّيا [In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise God and invoke His blessings.] After this, 'Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Dīn submits to all Muslims that this humble one prayed thus: 'O the All-Knowing! Apprise me of the status of Mirza.During sleep, I received this Letter of 'Abdur- Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَ هَامَانَ وَ جُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا خَاطِئِينَ.وَ إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ.revelation ['Verily, Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts were mistaken.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue'].'* In reply 1.Quite a number of people also perish on account of failing to understand their dreams.This prayer of Maulawī ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din was meant to find out whether the Mirza [meaning me] was really a kāfir, as de- clared by Maulawi Nadhir Husain of Delhi, and his student Maulawi Abū Sa'id Muḥammad Husain of Batala and the rest of their hosts.What is his status in the sight of God? Thereupon, in its response (If we assume Muḥy-ud-Din's revelation to be Therefore, I would interpret إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَ جُنُودَهُمَا كَانُوا خَطِينَ true, God said this revelation to mean that, in this revelation God Almighty designated the two maulawis, who were the founders of takfir (adjudging me as disbeliever) as Pharaoh and Hāmān and said that both of them and their followers were wrong in their takfir.Metaphorically speaking, the first to issue the edict of kufr was designated as the Pharaoh and the one who inscribed the edict as Hāmān and the other thousands of maulawis who followed them in the Punjab and India in this takfir of theirs were designated as their hosts.Had Maulawi Muḥy-ud-Din not been so unfortunate, this meaning [of the revela- tion] was quite clear; for these were the people who had followed the way of the Pharaoh and Hāmān that they resolved to annihilate me without inves- tigation and raised a storm against me.An additional argument for it is that in [my book] Barāhīn, some twenty-six years ago, by way of a prophecy, both these had been named the Pharaoh and Hämän.Thus, on page 510 and 511 of Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya the following passage is recorded: وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ أَوْقِدْ لِنْ يَاهَا مَنْ لَعَلَّى اَطَّلِعُ عَلَى إِلَهِ مُوسَى وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُ مِنَ الْكَذِبِينَ.تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِيْ لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ.مَا كَانَ لَهُ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ فِيْهَا إِلَّا خَائِفًا.وَمَا أَصَابَكَ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ الْفِتْنَةُ هُهُنَا فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ، أَلَا إِنَّهَا فِتْنَةٌ مِّنَ اللهِ.لِيُحِبَّ حُبًّا جَمَّا.حُبًّا مِّنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْأَكْرَمِ عَطَاءٌ غَيْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ.(See Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya, p.510, 511 [Rūḥāni Khaza'in, vol.1, p.609, 610])

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448 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Translation: 'Recall the time when a Pharaoh would denounce you as kāfir* and ask his companion Hāmān, "Set ablaze the fire of excommunication; namely, compose such a fiery edict the sight of which would turn people into deadly enemies of this man and believe him to be a disbeliever so that I may see whether the God of this Mūsā [Moses] assists him or not.For my part, I consider him a perjurer.” Abū Lahab lost both his hands with which he wrote the edict and he too perished.He should not have dabbled except with care and caution in this matter.However, the hardship you suffer will be from God.This edict will cause a huge uproar against you.Therefore, be patient the way the resolute Prophets were patient.Remember, this mischief vis-à- vis apostasy will be caused by God with intent to bless with His great love.This is the love vouchsafed by the Benevolent Lord who is exceedingly Mighty and Exalted.This is a bounty which shall never be withdrawn.you Now note it carefully with open eyes that here God has designated me Mūsā and the mustafti [one who sought the fatwa] and the mufti [one who issued the fatwa] have been likened to Pharaoh and Hāmān.Maulawi Muḥy- ud-Din disclosed this revelation in 1312 Hijrah as is written in his letter.Thus, in accordance with the well-known [Arabic] proverb, "That which precedes possesses superiority', this revelation [of mine] is more trustworthy.Again, another revelation in support of this is recorded in my book Izāla-e-Auham on page 855 [Rüḥānī Khaza'in, vol.3, page 565, ed.2008].It is as follows: نُرِيْدُ أَنْ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْكَ أَسْرَارًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَنُمَزّقَ الْاَعْدَاءَ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ وَنُرِيَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مَا كَانُوا يَحْذَرُونَ.Meaning that, We intend to send unto you heavenly Signs, with which We will crush your opponents.We will show Pharaoh, Hāmān and their hosts Signs of Our might, which they had always feared to witness.See how God named those people 'Pharaoh' and 'Hāmān' who were the first to denounce me as a kafir.This book was published in 1891 CE, therefore, this revelation too precedes Muḥy-ud-Din's by four years, for his letter containing this revelation was dated 1312 Hijrah, and this book was published in 1891 CE.Therefore, the preference has to be given to what is first.In his letter he has clearly referred to me as Pharaoh, and my brother Noor Deen as Hāmān.And he sees himself in the role of Mūsā.How surprising that the ‘Pharaoh' and ‘Hāmān' are still alive while the self-styled Mūsā has passed away.For this divine analogy to be fulfilled, he should have died after our death, but instead he died himself.Will anyone answer this? (Author) * Remember, this revelation of God has two readings, both kafara and kaffara.Interpreted as kafara it would mean someone who would at one time have

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 160 449 Mirza Sahib said that this revelation was subject to interpre- tation and that it did not contain his name and, [with] great emphasis claimed that I shall never be vouchsafed a revelation mentioning him by name.Both the revelations mentioned above were received in the month of Şafar.When Mirza's answer came, thereafter, in the month of Şafar, I received the revelation during the sleep i.e.Mirza Sahib [is] the Pharaoh.Allah be praised for this, now Mirza's claim is falsified too and Mirza Sahib reached his aim.When I had received the first revelation, as soon as I woke up, the interpretation crossed my mind that the Pharaoh is Mirza Sahib and Hāmān is Noor Deen.It was a duty on my part, in the interest of all the Muslims, to inform them about it: Letter of 'Abdur- Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din اہل نفاق بلائیں بُریاں لوکاں دین بھلاوا ہن توں بھی حق کہن دے اُتے لک بتھیں بھراوا O Brother, you too now gird up your loins to speak the truth; For, hypocrites are an evil visitation and mislead the people.The servant, Abdur-Rahman Muḥy-ud-Din of Lakhukay Signed in his own hand on 21 Rabi'ul-Awwal 1312 Hijrah This is the letter of Maulawi ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din and was returned, after it was copied, to my Honourable Maulawi Hakeem Noor Deen.He will keep it safe; and whoever wishes may see it.In this 'revelation' he has designated me, in his opinion, as 'Pharaoh' and confidence in me and would think well of me and would later turn away deny me.This description applies very well to Maulawi Muḥammad Husain of Batala who declared such confidence in me in his review of Barahin-e- Aḥmadiyya that he was ready to sacrifice his parents for my sake.(Author)

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450 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION as he himself has explained in this letter.It is surprising, though, that God should have addressed me so respectfully that instead of calling me 'Mirza, He has addressed me as 'Mirza Sahib.Perhaps they should learn etiquettes from God Almighty.The second wonder is that, despite my request that my name should appear in the revelation, God was too shy to mention my name and the overpowering effect of the shame vented Him from uttering my name.Am I named Mirza Sahib! Is there no one else in the world called Mirza Sahib? pre- And the third surprise is that according to the ‘revelation', I am supposed to be the Pharaoh and Muḥy-ud-Din becomes a surrogate of Mūsā.As such, I should have died during the lifetime of ‘Mūsa', not that 'Mūsa' himself should have died [in the lifetime of 'Pharaoh'].Muḥy-ud-Din was continuing to pray against me and he had witnessed a number of 'revelations' concerning my death.How is it that all those 'revelations' reverted to him instead, and it was he who died instead of me! Is it not strange that he who was declared by him to be the Pharaoh is still alive and is the one speaking-nay rather, he progresses by the day but the one who considered himself to be the like of Mūsā, had passed away from this world many years ago and he cannot be found anywhere in the world? What kind of Mūsā was he who departed this world while Pharaoh was living! Furthermore, another revelation of Muḥy-ud-Din was meaning that, your maligner shall be destroyed and he shall remain issueless and shall die issueless.This revelation, in his opinion, indicated my perdition and destruction and death as issueless.' 1.This is not the sole effect of the mubahalah that Maulawi Muḥy-ud-Din, after this prayer of his himself died and so did his eighteen year old son.I have sent some ladies and learnt through them that his wife her- self says that after this curse, their household turned upside down.Maulawi Muḥy-ud-Din soon died on the way from Makkah to Madinah; and they faced such financial straits and hardships that they now survive only by beg- ging-they bring flour from certain villages as charity and fill their bellies, but they starve on the day that flour does not come.His widow said, 'A veri- table night has now descended upon us.' (Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 160 451 Thus, Allah be praised that I am still alive.Miyāń Muḥy-ud-Dīn died some ten years ago and, after this 'revelation' of his, three more sons were born to me.If after this revelation, Muḥy-ud-Din too was blessed with any son who is still alive, I pledge that I shall pay one hundred rupees in cash to his wife; otherwise, it is obvious that this revelation of his fits his own self.I have heard from a reliable source that after this revelation no son was born to him.On the other hand, an adult son [of his] passed away.Only one son is still alive.In short, this revelation, which was in the manner of a mubahalah, recoiled on his very self and its meanings as revealed by the events are just that the first to die is indeed the Pharaoh, and the one who is the surro- gate of Mūsā is the subject of the other revelation, namely éljá Ól which means that, during his very lifetime, his enemy would die issueless, would remain bereft of all bounties and blessings, and would be totally uprooted.Had Maulawi 'Abdur-Rahman Muḥy-ud-Din not published both of these revelations, and had it not been his intent-as is clear from the very beginning of his letter-to humiliate me before the eyes s of the entire nation of Islam and to make me be perceived as a ‘Pharaoh' and, subsequent to my death, make people persist in cursing me eternally as an impostor and liar, God Almighty would not have caused him to die so soon; but by publicly announcing his revelation, he beguiled the entire world through means of this revelation to perceive that I am an infidel, a hypocrite, and accursed; that I should die in his lifetime along with all of my sons; that all of my affairs should be obstructed; and that he should be established as a man of God and a man of miracles.It is obvious that God Almighty does not tolerate such disgrace with regard to someone who is truly faithful and does not desire that a pure movement be ruined, because, in that case, He Himself would be the enemy of His movement.So God Almighty was pleased with the deci- sion that He destroyed and ruined him [Muḥy-ud-Din] instead, and no son was born to him after this prayer; on the contrary, one of the sons, which he already had, also died.

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452 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Thousands of people know that I have already published this reve- lation from God Almighty that: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] Therefore, is there any ambiguity in the fact that Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din did not leave any stone unturned to humiliate me? He declared me to be Pharaoh, he made the prophecy about my extermi- nation, and forecast the death of my progeny that all shall die.Thus, had I died prior to him, there is no doubt that all his friends would have considered my death to be his miracle.Had my children also died, two miracles of his would have been celebrated.But God Almighty blessed me with three more sons after this revelation of his.Moreover, He exposed the humiliation of Muḥy-ud-Din by killing him in my life- time in keeping with His promise: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] That is not all.After his revelation He granted me three more sons, but He kept his wife issueless and, thus, showed thereby the proof of my honour to the world.Who can be more jealous for His faithful servants than God Almighty? He demonstrated His jealousy for me.Alas! Abdur- Rahman Muḥy-ud-Dīn—despite his claim to being a maulawi and a recipient of revelation—did not fear God in the least and completely failed to heed the warning: لا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ : 1 1....follow not that of which you have no knowledge (Sūrah Bani Isrā'īl, 17:37).[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 160 453 Thereupon, he was seized by the promise of God Almighty: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] Therefore, it is a great Sign for me that the man who presented a revela- tion for my destruction, perished and died himself.As ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din belonged to a family of scholars and held sway over thousands-on top of which he also claimed to be a lineal descendant of saints and the recipient of revelation—and he was quite renowned and popular in those regions, God did not desire that people should suffer ruin on account of his words.This is the secret why God, after his revelation in accordance with which he awaited my death and destruc- tion, caused him to die instead, and showered hundreds of blessings upon me; and even cut off the line of his descendants after the reve- lation—yet blessed me with three more sons after his revelation.What happened to his revelation Had his revela- tion been fulfilled and had he survived and I died instead, and had he been blessed with children and I been left issueless, who can doubt that hundreds of thousands would have celebrated him as a miracle worker? Already his was a family of ancestral saints; therefore, by such a miracle, Lakhukay Wala [resident of village of hundreds of thousands] would have become true to its name and hundreds of thousands [of miracle seekers] would have swarmed to Lakhukay Wala.That is why God, in a single instant, made him—as the Punjabi proverb goes—From hundreds of thousands to zero.Even the performance of Hajj [the Pilgrimage] did not benefit him and he died in transit from Makkah to Madinah, for the Khanah Ka'bah cannot save the unjust.This is the practice of God Almighty in relation to me that He eventually seizes the one who overzealously pursues his intention to humiliate me or, manifests a Sign for me in some other way in oppo- sition to him.He invariably does at least one of these two things, or

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454 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION manifests His Sign of authority in both respects.Therefore, since ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy-ud-Din issued a public circular to disgrace me before all the Muslims in the Punjab and asserted that I was an impos- tor, a liar, an infidel, a non-believer, a Pharaoh; and not only this, he also appended the revelation that God would ruin and kill me, and my children, too, would die, and none of them would survive.On account of his transgression, he became worthy of suffering disgrace in accord- ance with the divine revelation: إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ [I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.] So what could be a greater disgrace than his dying in my very lifetime? If, in accordance with his revelation, I was the 'Pharaoh', it would be expected that I should die in his lifetime; not otherwise.Moreover, his revelation had this stipulation that I would remain issueless.God was pleased to grant me three more sons after his death.This, too, bode his humiliation because it transpired contrary to his revelation.I have written that whenever anyone intends to humiliate me, God Almighty sometimes shows my Sign in some other form too.This is illustrated by the incident that, when Ātham died after the stipulated period, ignorant people raised a hue and cry that he did not die within the appointed time-despite the fact that he had fulfilled the condition laid down in the revelation because he had retracted in the presence of some sixty to seventy witnesses from calling the Holy Prophetsa the Dajjal [Antichrist].Still those whose nature was not pure did not refrain from raising objections.Thereupon God Almighty showed the Sign of the assassination of Lekh Rām for my help and support.Similarly, when my first son passed away, ignorant maulawis and their associates, as well as Christians and Hindus, expressed much jubilation.They were repeatedly reminded that the announcement of 20 February 1886 contained this prophecy that some sons [of mine] would also die.It was, therefore, necessary that some son should have

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 161 455 died young.Even then, those people did not desist from raising objec- tions.Thereupon, God Almighty gave me the tidings of another son.Thus, page seven of my Sabz Ishtihār [Green Announcement] has this revelation about the birth of that other son: "The second Bashir shall be granted who is also named Mahmood.He has not been born until now which is the first of September 1888, but he shall, most certainly, be born within its stipulated time period in keeping with the promise of God Almighty.Heaven and earth can move, but it is not possible for His promises to be held off.This is the wording on page seven of the Sabz Ishtibar, in accordance with which a son was born in January 1889, who was named Mahmood and who, by the grace of the Exalted, is still alive and is in his seventeenth year.161.[ONE HUNDRED-SIXTY-FIRST] SIGN-When Lekh Rām was murdered, the Āryas became suspicious about me that some disciple of mine had killed him.As a result, my home was searched.Some maulawīs, out of their hostility, published in their periodicals that the one who made the prophecy should be interrogated about the murder.At that time, I received the revelation from God Almighty: سلامت بر تو اے مردِ سلامت [Security for you, O man of security.] The announcement containing this revelation was published.After this, despite the intense efforts on the part of the opponents, God Almighty saved me from accusations of the enemies and kept me safe from their deceit, tricks, and schemes.[So Allah be praised for all this].Many members of my Jama'at are witness to this.162.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SECOND] SIGN―When Dr.Martyn Clark instituted a murder case against me, one of the Signs concerning that case was that God forewarned me of this hidden calamity, that such a case was about to be instituted, but then He also informed me

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456 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION that in the end, I would be acquitted.When the calamity became evi- dent in accordance with this prophecy and Dr.Martyn Clark filed the murder case against me, and witnesses testified, and the case took an ominous turn, I received the revelation: مخالفوں میں پھوٹ اور ایک شخص متنافس کی ذلت اور اہانت Disagreement among your opponents and the humiliation and disgrace of one who is prone to rivalry.Therefore, by the grace of God Almighty it so happened that the oppo- nents became divided and 'Abdul-Ḥamīd, who was the informant in the murder case and had originally deposed that he had been sent [by me] to kill [Dr.Clark], confessed the true scenario after being sepa- rated from the other opponents, as a result of which I was acquitted.Also, a 'distinguished' prosecution witness had to suffer humiliation and disgrace in the court and in this way this prophecy was fulfilled.It is an occasion to be thankful that there are more than three hundred witnesses to this prophecy and the prophecy of the acquittal.163.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THIRD] SIGN―A maulawi, while writ- ing footnotes to the book Nibras written by the author of Zamurrud, ميرزا غُلَامُ أَحْمَدَ وَحِزْبُهُ كَسَّرَهُمُ الله تَعَالى prayed against me in the following words Meaning that, may God break this man, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and his group.But he had not yet completed his footnotes when that Maulawi, Nur Ahmad, along with his helping brother, Nur Muḥammad—both of whom were sons of Maulawi Khuda Yār—passed away.[On the other hand,] God granted me three more sons.164.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOURTH] SIGN-Once a man from the Shi'ahs, who made himself known as Sheikh Najafi, came to Lahore and began to stir an uproar against me and demanded a Sign.Through the publication of an announcement dated 1 February 1897, I promised

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 165 457 him that within forty days God Almighty would show some Sign of mine.Accordingly, the forty days had not yet ended, when on 6 March 1897, the Sign of the death of Lekh Rām of Peshawar was manifested.At this, the Sheikh Najafi disappeared without a trace.See my public Announcement dated 1 February 1897.165.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FIFTH] SIGN-On the morning of 11 April 1900, the day of Idul-Adha [Eid al-Adha-the Festival of Sacrifices], I received a revelation: آج تم عربی میں تقریر کرو تمہیں قوت دی گئی Deliver an address in Arabic today, you have been bestowed the capacity.And this revelation was also received: كلام أفْصِحْتُ مِنْ لَّدُنْ رَّبِّ كَرِيمٍ [This discourse has been made eloquent by the Noble Lord.] Meaning that, God has bestowed eloquence upon this discourse.Accordingly, this revelation was communicated right away to my dear, the Late Maulawi ‘Abdul-Karīm, my dear Maulawi Hakeem Noor Deen, Sheikh Raḥmatullāh, Muftī Muḥammad Ṣādiq, Maulawi Muhammad 'Ali M.A., Master 'Abdur-Rahman, Master Sher Ali B.A., Hafiz Abdul 'Ali, and many other friends.Then, I stood up after Ïd Prayer to deliver the Ïd sermon in the Arabic language.And God Almighty knows that a power was given to me from the unseen and such an eloquent address in Arabic was proceeding forth from my mouth extemporaneously that was quite beyond my capability.I cannot imagine that, except through special divine revelation, anyone in the world can deliver extempore, without writing it down on a piece of paper, a speech that comprises many sec- tions, with this degree of eloquence and clarity.

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458 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION When this Arabic address, which has been named Khutbah Ilhamiyyah ['The Revealed Sermon'], was delivered to the people, an audience of perhaps two hundred was present at the time.Holy is Allah! It seemed as if a fountain had begun to flow from the unseen, and I knew not whether I was the one who was speaking or it was an angel address- ing through my tongue, because I was aware that I had no part in this address.Preformed sentences kept proceeding from my mouth and every sentence was a Sign for me.All of these sentences have been preserved in published form under the name of Khutbah Ilhamiyyah.One will appre- ciate, by reading this booklet, whether it is in the capacity of any human being to stand up and, entirely extemporarily, deliver such a long speech in the Arabic language without thinking or contemplating.This is a lit- erary miracle that God showed, and no one can present its like.166.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SIXTH] SIGN-I have suffered from two ailments for a long time.The first is migraine, due to which I used to become very restless and horrifying complaints would develop.I suffered from this illness for nearly twenty-five years and then, along with it, I was afflicted with dizziness.Physicians opine that these disorders ultimately lead to epilepsy.Accordingly, my elder brother, Mirza Ghulam Qādir, after suffering from this very ailment for about two months, fell victim to epilepsy and this is what he died of.Therefore, I continued to supplicate that God Almighty may safeguard me against these ailments.On one occasion, I perceived in a vision that an evil spirit in the form of a black animal with four feet which had the height of a sheep having long hair and big claws, was about to attack me.It was instilled in my heart that this, indeed, was epilepsy.I struck its chest force- fully with my right hand and said, 'Go away! You have no part in me.' Hence God knows that all those dangerous complaints subsided and that severe pain completely disappeared; I only suffer from occasional dizziness so that the prophecy relating to the two yellow sheets [i.e.illnesses] may not be affected.

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 167 459 The second disease from which I have suffered for nearly twenty years is diabetes.This Sign has been mentioned earlier too.Even until now I need to pass water about twenty times every day and sugar has been detected in the tests of urine.One day it passed through my mind that, according to the experience of physicians, the end result of dia- betes is either epiphora in the eye or carbuncle, the appearance of a cancerous growth, which is fatal, whereupon I received the revelation about epiphora: نَزَلَتِ الرَّحْمَةُ عَلَى ثَلَثَ الْعَيْنِ وَعَلَى الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ Meaning that, mercy has been brought down upon three organs, the eye and two other organs.When the concern about carbuncle crossed my mind, I received the revelation: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ [Peace be on you.] Thus, it has been a lifetime that I have been protected from these calam- ities.[So all praise belongs to Allah].167.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVENTH] SIGN―About thirteen years ago, I had received the following revelation concerning Sa'dullāh of Ludhiana, a new convert to Islam: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ [Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue.] See Anwarul-Islām, p.12, in the Announcement entitled 'A Prize of 2,000 rupees.' At that time Sa'dullah had a son who was about fifteen or sixteen years old.Since this revelation, although thirteen years have passed, not

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460 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION even a single child has been born to him.As for his first son, he is una- ble to procreate in accordance with the above-mentioned revelation.Thus, the evidence of the prophecy of him remaining issueless is man- ifest and the indications that the lineage will be cut off are present.1** 168.[ONE HUNDred sixty-eighth] sign—God Almighty had revealed to me that there would be heavy rains so much so that rivu- lets would flow through people's homes and they would be followed by terrible earthquakes.So, prior to these rains, that divine revelation had been published in the newspapers Badr and al-Ḥakam.Accordingly, it transpired exactly that way and, on account of heavy rains, many villages were laid waste and that prophecy was fulfilled.But the second part of it—that is, the terrible earthquake—is still awaited.Hence we should await.169.[ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-NINTH] SIGN-When we were in our garden in the spring of 1905, I had received a revelation concerning one of the people of my Jama'at who was with us in the garden: خدا کا ارادہ ہی نہ تھا کہ اُس کو اچھا کرے مگر فضل سے اپنے ارادہ کو بدل دیا God had not determined to heal that person but He changed His determination out of His Grace.1.If the first son of Sa'dullah, who was already born before the revelation and is now about 30 years of age, is not impotent, then why has he not been married despite being this old and having the (financial) means? Nor do they seem to be worried about his marriage.This clearly proves that there is something wrong.It is incumbent on Sa'dullāh to repudiate this prophecy, either to produce an offspring in his own house, or prove the man- hood of his son by arranging for him to marry and procreate.But, let him remember, he will never achieve any of these two things.Since the Word of God has called him 'issueless', and it is not possible for the Word of God to be false, he will, no doubt die an issueless man, as has indeed been shown by the present indications.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 170 461 After this revelation, it so happened that the wife of Sayyed Mahdi Husain, who was in our garden and is included in our Jamā'at, became gravely ill.She was already sick due to fever and the swelling that was on her face, feet, and all over her body; she was very weak and was preg- nant.Later, after her delivery that took place in the garden, her condi- tion became precarious and the sign of hopelessness became evident.I kept praying for her and ultimately, by the grace of God Almighty, she received a new lease of life.Brother Hakeem Maulawi Noor Deen, Maulawi Muḥammad ‘Alī M.A., Muftī Muḥammad Ṣādiq, and Sayyed Mahdi Husain himself and all of the friends who were there with me in the garden are witnesses to this.The next day after my supplica- tions, the followings words flowed from the tongue of Sayyed Mahdi تو اچھی تو نہ ہوتی مگر Husain's wife by way of revelation from God Almighty ,Indeed] حضرت صاحب کی دعا کا سبب ہے کہ اب تو اچھی ہو جائے گی.you would not have recovered but it is due to the supplication of Hadrat Ṣāḥib that now you shall recover'].170.[ONE HUNDred seventieth] SIGN―As reported in [the newspaper] al-Badr, number: 24, volume 2.This prophecy, as I have writ- ten, was already recorded in the newspaper al-Badr prior to its fulfilment and was, subsequently, fulfilled in exact conformity and is as follows: It was night-time, which was the night following the day of 28 June 1903; i.e.the night after, which was Monday, 29 June 1903.I was over- whelmed by the thought as to what would be the outcome of these cases filed by Karam Dīn against me or those filed by the members of my Jama'at against Karam Dīn.Under this overwhelming thought, my con- dition moved towards divine revelation and the following Word of God descended upon me.It is reproduced below along with its interpretation as it was published beforehand in the newspaper al-Badr.It reads: إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا وَّالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مُّحْسِنُوْنَ فِيْهِ أَيَتٌ لِّلسَّابِلِينَ.[Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.In this there are Signs for questioners.]

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462 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Its interpretation, that I was made to understand, was that out of the two contending parties, God shall be on the side of the one, and bestow success and triumph upon the ones, who are righteous, meaning that they do not lie, do not transgress, do not slander, do not torment God's creatures unjustly with deceit, falsehood, and chicanery; eschew every evil and adopt rectitude and justice; and treat His servants with sym- pathy, benevolence, and goodness out of the fear of God.They are the true well-wishers of mankind.They are not impelled by violence, cruelty, or wickedness; rather, they are ready to do good to everyone.Therefore, the end result is that the verdict will be delivered in their favour.Thus, for the benefit of those who are wont to ask as to which of the two groups is in the right, not one but a host of Signs will appear.-And peace be upon those who follow the guid] وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى.ance].See the newspaper al-Badr, No.24, vol.2.After this, the cases that were filed by Karam Din were dismissed and he was penalized; the prophecy of God Almighty was fulfilled such that all the features that are defined by God Almighty for the one who would succeed as spelled out in this prophecy became our lot..[So Allah be praised for all this] فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ 171.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIRST] SIGN―Today is Wednesday, 26 September 1906; I have received a letter from village Dulmial, District Jhelum, mentioning the occurrence of a great Sign.The writer of this letter is Ḥakīm Karam Dād who is a respectable landlord of district Jhelum and lives in the village Dulmial, District Jhelum, Tehsil Pind Dadan Khan.Along with this letter, he has sent a solemn declara- tion in the way of mubāhalah by one named Faqir Mirzā that contains his prophecy about my death, which has the attestations of lambar- dars [chiefs of the village] and others recorded on it.Therefore, first is reproduced below Ḥakīm Karam Dād's letter followed by the letter from the aforesaid Faqir who considers himself a saint and seer.The manner in which that prophecy of the Faqir was fulfilled is also given at the end.Since all the residents of village Dulmial know about this

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 171 463 incident, everyone, if he is not fully satisfied about this incident, has the right to go to the village Dulmial and find out for himself by inquiring of the villagers to testify on oath.No one would dare to conceal well- known events.Now I reproduce below the letter of Ḥakim Karam Dad and later I will record the declaration of Faqir Mirzā and the end result of this prophecy.And I acknowledge my gratitude to the All-Powerful and Gracious God who grants me victory in every field.Letter of Hakim Karam Dād بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّىٰ عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الْكَرِيمِ.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.] To, The most respected Promised Messiah and Promised Mahdi, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad-upon him be peace and blessings.May Allah's peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.God Almighty has shown, in our village, two mighty Signs for the truth of Huḍūr.Every child here knows about them.Of them, the first Sign is about one named Mirzā here who thought himself to be a recipient of divine revelation and visions.On the morning of 7 Ramadan AH 1321, he, with some fifteen to twenty persons belonging to his mosque in town, came to the residence of Hafiz Shahbaz, an Aḥmadi, and announced: 'I have come to compete with you and these gentlemen are my witnesses.' I, the Letter of Ḥakim Karam Dād

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464 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION humble writer of the letter, asked: 'Faqīr Ṣāḥib! In what par- ticular respect do you want to compete?' Faqir Şahib: 'Do you believe Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian to be the Promised Mahdi and Messiah?' The writer: 'Yes'.Faqir Şahib: "That man is a liar in this claim.' The writer: 'What proof do you have in support of your claim that he is liar?' Faqir Şahib: 'My proof is that I am the recipient of divine revelation; I have had the honour of repeatedly seeing the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him [in visions]; and I was informed that I am one of the earliest of the devotees of Mahdi Akharuz-Zaman [the Guided One of the Latter Days].Because a long time has passed since Mirza Sahib's claim and I am still opposed to him, therefore, on the basis of my own revelation, I consider this man to be an impos- tor.Furthermore, I have also been shown a sign pertaining to the time of the Mahdi's advent that, I was shown a light that has appeared in the East and, having reached the West, has spread all over.But I haven't so far observed this light either so as to help me accept Mirza Sahib.' The writer: 'Faqir Ṣāḥib, this revelation and the vision of yours, indeed, affirm and support Hadrat Mirzā Ṣāḥib's claim.Why then do you consider him an impostor as your own rev- elation proves that the Mahdi's advent shall take place in the Punjab, otherwise, how can you ever be one of his earliest dev- otees? If it is accepted that the advent of the Mahdi is to take place in Arabia, in that case your number would come much later.Either you would go to the west on hearing about the advent of the Mahdi or your spiritual pull would draw the Mahdi to the Punjab.In either case, you could not achieve the status of being the first.As for the light you have seen its inter- pretation is that Qadian lies in the East; and it is on account of the teaching of the Honourable Mirzā Ṣāḥib, that the light of Islamic Tauhid [Oneness of God] is spreading in the countries

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POSTSCRIPT―SIGN NUMBER 171 of the West.You should, therefore, enter the fold of Hadrat Mirzā Ṣāḥib's devoted followers.' Faqir Ṣāḥib: 'No, I will not because last night I saw myself standing close to the throne of God and I was told that by the 27th of this Ramadan, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian would be visited by a terrible calam- ity.I wonder if it is death or some humiliation resulting in the disarray of his mission and his name and fame would be wiped out and the entire world shall witness this state.If this proph- ecy of mine turns out to be false, I am ready to suffer any kind of punishment.You should get this prophecy of mine published in the newspapers al-Hakam or al-Badr and get a written dec- laration from me.If you do not do so, then let all present hear that you people are following an impostor.' On the insistence of those present, I, the writer of this letter, got this claimant of revelation to write an affidavit which is the following: Affidavit of Faqir Mirza Containing his Prophecy 465 بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيمِ [In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.] I, Mirza son of Faiz Bakhsh, 1 caste Awan resident of Dulmial, area Kahun, Tehsil Pind Dadan Khan, District Jhelum, hereby sign this solemn declaration in the presence of the witnesses Mubahalah of Faqir Mirzā included in the letter of Ḥakim Karam Dād 1.This original declaration signed by Faqir Mirzā carrying attestations, seals, and thumb imprints of reliable and respectable witness, has been sent to me by Ḥakim Karam Dād Ṣāḥib, that is kept under safe custody so that it can be shown to everyone who entertains doubt.(Author)

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466 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION whose names are given below, to the effect that many a time in my dreams I saw the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, and I have even been to Arsh-e- Mu'allā [the Highest Throne] itself.It was disclosed to me that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian is false in his claim.I was also informed through revelation that the Movement of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad would disintegrate by 27 Ramadan AH 1321 and that humiliation of an extreme degree would arrive which shall be witnessed by the entire world.If this prophecy is not fulfilled, meaning, if Mirza's present Movement and triumphant march persist until 27 Ramadan AH 1321, or register progress, I am ready to accept punishment of every kind.All those named below have the right to stone me to death, if they so wish, or determine any other punish- ment.I shall not object at all nor will my heirs have the right to obstruct those who will punish me, by invoking excuses of any kind.I, therefore, hereby write these few lines as an affida- vit to be a document and leaving no room for any subsequent denial on my part; to make truth distinct from falsehood in the entire world; and to help people draw a lesson from this epi- sode.For the residents of this town in particular, it is a spectacle of tremendous benefit and admonition.Thus, this verdict will become manifest in the space of a single month.Written on 7 Ramaḍānul-Mubarak (AH) 1321.The humble servant: Faqir Mirzā son of Malik Faiz Bakhsh, resident of Dulmial, Thumb impression

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[Witnesss] Malik Sher son of Qutb POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 171 467 [Residence] [Remarks] Dulmial Signed by Karim Baksh Malik Fateh Muḥammad Hafiz Shahbāz "/ Hawaldar Muḥammad Khān "/ Malik Muḥammad Bakhsh son of Jalāl "1 Malik Samand Khān son of Muḥammad Khān "I Malik Dost Muḥammad son of Shakūr "I Malik A'zam Malik Sākhi Dittah son of Malik Lāl Malik Khudā Bakhsh son of Imām Malik Muḥammad 'Ali son of Bahão Bakhsh // Signed by himself Malik Ghībā son of Bakhtawar Malik Allah Dittah son of 'Umar Malik 'Abdullah son of Shāhūlī Malik Ghulam Muḥammad, son of Doulah Malik Nur Muḥammad son of Durāb Malik Madad son of Mu'izadullah Malik Ghulam Muḥammad son of Subedar Aḥmad Jān Malik Bahadur son of Karam Rajah Lambardar Dulmial Karam Dād, Aḥmadī, may Allah forgive him = = = = = = = = = Bahaola Lambardar Dulmial and other residents of Dulmial (STAMPED)

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468 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Comments of Ḥakim Karam Dād continued from here.The verdict deciding between truth and falsehood delivered in the presence of all witnesses.A false claimant to divine revelation is soon removed from the world by Allah the Almighty.It is an immutable law of God.Mirzā, the signatory of the above declaration had, having denied the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, prophesied his death and destruction on the basis of his vision.He per- ished due to the chastisement of plague in the same month of Ramadan when the declaration was written exactly one year later, that is, he died on 7 Ramadan 1322.Earlier his wife had died too and it was his own household that was destroyed.Therefore, our village folk should learn a lesson from this and should believe in the truth of our holy master.Written dated 7 Ramadan AH 1322.This humble writer—[Ḥakīm Karam Dād], sent the above declaration for publication to the late Bābū Muḥammad Afḍal, Editor al-Badr at Dārul-Amān [Qadian].The latter sent it back with the note that he does not accept such articles for publica- tion in his newspaper.This prophecy became known all around this place too, and people started saying, 'Let us see who wins! Will it be the Mirza of Qadian or the Mirza of Dulmial?' Indeed, our opponents even started praying after the congre- gational prayers for the success of their Faqir Mirzā.One day it so happened that a Hindu sergeant was reading to Faqir Mirzā the newspaper Sirajul-Akhbar which told that Ḥakim Faḍl Din was so gravely ill that he had to be carried on a charpoy to the court at Gurdaspur.On hearing this news, the ‘recipi- ent' of revelation, happily declared, 'Now the time has come for the destruction of the Mirza of Qadian and its signs have started to appear.' But the poor fellow did not know that his

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 171 own destruction was close at hand, for a short while later the forces of plague camped in that area.The so-called recipient of revelation was proudly confident that, due to his presence, his entire neighbourhood would remain immune from the plague.When the next Ramadan arrived, the plague broke out in his neighbourhood.At that time, the following four persons were in his household; firstly, the [so-called] mulham [recip- ient of revelation] himself, secondly the wife of the mulham, thirdly his daughter and fourth his son's wife.First the wife of the mulham died of plague; then on the evening of the fifth or sixth of Ramadan, 1322, Faqir Mirzā himself contracted a severe case of the plague and became tongue-tied at the same time.On account of intense swelling and suffocation, it looked as if blood was dripping from his eyes.Ultimately, exactly one year later, on the day the prophecy was made, i.e.on 7 Ramadan 1322, he perished.The two girls who were left behind also fell ill seriously after a few days.I, [the present writer, Ḥakim Karam Dād], was summoned for treatment.On seeing their dire con- dition, I was scared.I advised those who were nursing them to take their sister away as the wrath of God was visiting that dwelling.This they did and she recovered after a few days.The daughter of the mulham, died in the same house and joined her father the next day.So the household of the Mirza of Dulmial, instead of the Movement of Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Ṣāḥib of Qadian, perished on 7 Ramadan instead of 27 Ramadan.The second Sign is that 'Aṭā Muḥammad, son of Ṣubedār Ghulam Muḥammad Khān, was bitten by a rabid dog and died of the infection from the dog's virus.The same rabid dog had also bitten 'Abdul-Majid, the son of the present writer.' It so happened that the local residents brought a Sayyed who would halt the plague by setting up a circle.However, I did not join 1.Hakim Karam Dād [Publisher] 469

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470 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION in that circle.Early next morning my son ‘Abdul-Majid fell ill.The slightest sound or noise caused terrible convulsions.His face would turn blue due to asphyxiation from the spasm of respira- tory muscles and appeared as if his breathing would stop at any time.Since all had witnessed the condition of the Şubedar's son, everyone said that the boy was about to die.I, the writer, too considered the boy medically as good as dead.On the other hand, I observed the taunting remarks of the opponents that it was the consequence of ignoring the elders and not joining in the circle.In short, this stress made me miserable.Thereupon I fell prostrate and began to pray, saying: 'O Merciful God, who helps the helpless and humble, and who has mercy on the sinner! You know that my enemies are jubilant today simply because I believe your Messenger and Emissary Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi.Therefore, O God, my Lord! Grant You health to this boy, so that this corpse, by his revival, may be a Sign for the truth of the Messiah of Muḥammad.' After this prayer, those alarming signs began to subside, until, in a few days, he was restored to full health, alhamdulillah [all praise belongs to Allah].This Sign has been witnessed by everyone in our village.Even the worst of our opponents dare not deny that; indeed, all the symptoms peculiar to this disease were present in the illness of my dear son 'Abdul-Majid.To be bitten by the rabid dog and then the death of the son of the Șubedar with the same symptoms due to the infection from the same dog-all this had been directly witnessed by the people of the village.Yet they are so steeped in bias and bigotry that they never cease to oppose us.O God's dear Messenger! Allah has been so Merciful to me, the sinful, and, out of sheer grace has He demonstrated, in my own house, the miracle of restoring the dead to life.Do pray that Allah Almighty may grant us and the rest of our brethren

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 172 471 to be your obedient servants to the end of our days and may be with you on the Day of Resurrection and Judgement.Āmin.Written by, your humble servant Karam Dād, From (Village) Dulmial, District Jhelum 172.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SECOND] SIGN-Once during a vision, it was revealed to me that an official summons has come in my name requiring me to appear in a court to testify in some case, that I have gone to that court and that the presiding officer is an Englishman who pro- ceeded to take down my deposition without asking me to take oath as required under the law.And the entire deposition was recorded without the oath.After that the vision ended, I immediately communicated this vision of mine to many of my friends including Khwājah Kamāl-ud-Dīn B.A.Pleader, and brother Hakeem Maulawi Noor Deen, and Mufti Muḥammad Ṣādiq, and Maulawī Muḥammad ‘Alī, M.A.Then, on the same day, or the second or the third day, a summons in from the Deputy Commissioner, Multan for a testimony did come.When I reported in the Deputy Commissioner's court to testify, the Deputy Commissioner started to take down my deposition but forgot to admin- ister the oath.He remembered about the oath only after the entire dep- osition had been recorded.Sheikh Raḥmatullāh, a businessman, and Maulawi Raḥīm Bakhsh, Private Secretary to the Nawab of Bhopal and many others are witnesses to this latter part of the episode.my name 173.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THird] sign—When Charāgh Din, a resident of Jammu, broke allegiance from me and joined hands with my opponents, he did not just rest content with abuses, but claimed his own revelation and divine discourse.Furthermore, he publicly announced that he had received the revelation through the word of God Almighty that this person-referring to me-was the Dajjal.Thereupon, in the footnote on page twenty-three of my book,

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472 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Dafi'ul-Bala'i wa Mi'yāru Ahlil-Istifa' ['Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God'], I published the revelation I had received concerning Charāgh Dīn, which is as follows: إِنِّي أُذِيْبُ مَنْ يُرِيْبُ [I shall punish him who doubts.] And in Urdu, I received the following revelation concerning him: میں فنا کر دوں گا میں غارت کر دوں گا میں غضب نازل کروں گا اگر اُس نے یعنی چراغ دین نے شک کیا اور اس پر یعنی میرے مسیح موعود ہونے پر ایمان نہ لایا اور مامور من اللہ ہونے کے دعویٰ سے توبہ نہ کی ‘I shall annihilate him; I shall destroy him; I shall send down My wrath if he—that is, Charāgh Din-doubts and does not believe him—that is me, being the Promised Messiah—and does not repent of his claim to be the apostle of God.' This prophecy was made three years before the death of Charāgh Dīn as is evident from the date of the publication of the booklet Dāfi'ul- Bala.I do not recall at this time if I have already recorded this proph- ecy or not.If it has already been written, then this Sign has already been recorded in this book.It was necessary to record this Sign here again for elaborating the second prophecy.Anyway, three years after this prophecy, Charāgh Dīn died and his death was caused by the disease of divine wrath; meaning, the plague.This is the very rea- son why this prophecy is recorded in the booklet about the plague; that is, Dāfi'ul-Bala.Another Sign closely related to this prophecy is Charāgh Dīn's own mubahalah [prayer duel].Therefore I record that Sign separately below along with this prophecy and it is as follows.174.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FOURTH] SIGN―This Sign concerns Charagh Din's mubahalah, the details of which are as follows: Charāgh Din repeatedly received satanic revelations concerning me that this

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 174 473 person is the Dajjal, and about his own self he received the 'revela- tion' that he had been commissioned by God Almighty to destroy this Dajjāl, and that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus Christ] had given him his staff with which to kill this Dajjāl.This greatly increased his arrogance.He compiled a book and named it Mināratul-Masiḥ ["The Minaret of the Messiah'].In this book he repeatedly emphasized that I was, in fact, the Promised Dajjal.And then a year after the compilation of Mināratul- Masiḥ, he compiled another book to prove that I was the Dajjal and he reminded people again and again that I was the very Dajjāl, the news of whose advent was contained in the aḥādīth.Since the time for the wrath of God Almighty had drawn close for him, he incorporated the mubahalah prayer in this second book, and he sought my destruction by praying in the presence of God.After declaring that I was mischief itself, he prayed to God-designating me as 'mischief'-to rid the world of this 'mischief”.It is magnificent divine providence and an occasion for warning that, when he handed the script of the mubahalah over to the printer, those copies had not yet been set on the printing stone, when both of his sons—a s-and there were only two-died after contracting the plague; and two or three days after the death of the boys, ultimately he, having contracted the plague, left this world on 4 April 1906, thus making it clear to the public who the truthful one is and who the liar is.It is learnt from those present at the time he was near his end, that he was complaining, Now even God has become my enemy!' Since his book containing that mubāha- lah has since been printed, I reproduce below the aforesaid mubaha- lah prayer for the benefit of those who fear God Almighty.It is with the sole intent that even if a single person is guided, even then—God Almighty willing I will be blessed.Moreover, since the original script written by Charagh Dīn in his own hand contains a directive to the scribe to write it in bold letters, I accept his wish and get it scribed in bold letters, even though I disagree with him on the other issues.That was his will expressed one day before his death; so, what is the harm if I comply with his will? Here is the prayer of his mubahalah.

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474 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din The Prayer [of Charāgh Dīn]¹ O my God! O my God! I bear witness with the sincerity of my heart that You alone are the Creator, the Master and the Provider of the heavens, the earth, and of all else therein.In the heavens, the earth, and every particle besides, Your command alone is valid and in force; and You know the beginning and the end of all, of their inside and their out- side; You hear the prayers of all and provide for their needs; not a particle in the heavens and the earth can move with- out Your command.The Prophets and saints, kings and beggars, angels and devils, indeed, all who exist have been created by You, depend upon You, and seek Your grace and are fearful of Your wrath.Indeed, You alone are the Creator, Master, and God of all the creation that is on earth and in the heavens, that is overt and covert, and that is spiritual and material.There is none except You in the heavens and in the earth or elsewhere who is worthy of being worshipped and trusted or loved.All deities invented by people whether they are idols or spirits, angels or devils, heavenly bodies or terrestrial bodies are all false, and are all Your creation and dependent.None of them is worthy of being worshipped, trusted, or loved.Rather, You are the only God who is, among the heaven and the earth and besides, worthy of worship, trust, and love; who is the Eternal, Everlasting, and Living God.You have no father, no son, no spouse, no courtier, and no adviser or helper.Instead, You alone by Yourself are the Creator of all, their Master and Sovereign Lord, who is the Source of 1.This is a translation of text that Charāgh Dīn, resident of Jammu, wrote with his own hand.A facsimile was made of his handwriting which appears on pages 507-512.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 174 all that is good and is free from all defects.Therefore, You alone are the One and Only God who is worthy of every glo- rification, praise, and adulation.All these bounties that we have, physical or spiritual, external or internal, are from You and we too belong to You alone.Furthermore, I bear witness that all Your Messengers and all heavenly Scriptures, in general, and Your true and charming beloved Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the Seal of the Prophets, and Your Holy Word, the Holy Quran in particular, are all true; and that salvation is limited to Islam.I also bear witness that the Resurrection, the Reckoning, the accountability Balance, Heaven and Hell, the final audience with the Divine, etc.are all true and correct.Also, after death we shall all be resur- rected and rewarded and punished in accordance with our deeds.Now, O God! My Lord! In all humility, lowliness, beg- ging, and imploring, do I hereby respectfully beseech in Your exalted and holy court for You know that I am the one whom You have chosen according to Your Own will and pleasure and out of Your Own grace and kindness and not because of any entitlement, from among the rest of man- kind, for the service and support of Your holy and true faith-Islam.You have singled me out for this service.You alone have helped me build the spiritual minaret on which Ibn-e-Maryam [the son of Mary] was destined to descend.You alone appointed me to the service of proclaiming the descent of 'Īsā and for proving the superiority of Islam over Christianity.Also, out of the treasure of Your mercy, You have bestowed upon me the knowledge which can dispel the mutual differences between the Christians and the Muslims or the Holy Quran and the Injil [Gospel] and make for 475

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476 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION unity and rapprochement between the two.Yes, of course, the coming of Ibn-e-Maryam was a spiritual secret which, for a very long period, remained hidden from the people of the world and was meant only for these Latter Days.It is with this, that You shall finally establish the truth of Islam to Your own creation and help Islam become dominant over all religions.Therefore, O my God, You are aware and are watching that I am implementing this command of Yours in accordance with Your own instructions; and, consistent with Your pleasure, I am carrying the argument to its com- pletion by disclosing to the world the hidden secret regard- ing the advent of Ibn-e-Maryam.But O my God, You are Yourself aware and are watching that there is one in the world who claims to be a Prophet, a Messenger, and the Messiah.He claims that he is the one who is the last among the Prophets; and that, in accord- ance with the prophecies, the descent of Ibn-e-Maryam has found fulfilment in his person; that Signs from the heavens and the earth appear in his support, and that even the plague and earthquakes have happened in his support in order to destroy his opponents.1⭑ He further says: 'I am the personification of the prov- idence of God and salvation is restricted to following me alone.And one who does not recognize me is an infidel, is accursed, and his good deeds are unacceptable; he will suffer chastisement in the world and be accursed in the Hereafter.' He also says that during the spring this year or in some other 1.* This is a significant remark made by Charāgh Dīn about me, to the effect that God will destroy my opponents by means of the plague and the earth- quake.Charāgh Din, therefore, in keeping with this remark of his own, died of plague.It would be no surprise, therefore, that some opponent should die because of the earthquake.(by the Author-[The Promised Messiah as])

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 174 477 1.spring, a terrible earthquake shall appear causing a great revolution on earth and people in the world at large will get ready to enter the Movement of the Mahdi.O my God, the hearts of those in the world are in a quandary.Truth remains far from clear and Your creation has fallen victim to the worship of falsehood.Your faith is in jeopardy.Your beloved Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is being insulted and his station of being the Prophet and the Messenger has been wrested.Islam has been abrogated and declared ineffectual and the foundation of a new faith has been laid.That is, no Muslim, however sincere, God-fearing, and righteous, can remain a Muslim unless and until he believes Mirza of Qadian to be Prophet and Messenger; all his attempts at serving the Faith are futile and useless.Similarly, O my God, the station of Your exalted Prophet, Masih Ibn-e-Maryam, on whom be peace, has also been wrested and his lofty station is being desecrated and it is being alleged that he, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, was a sinner and that he himself is superior to him.Now, therefore, O my God, cast a glance from on high and save the honour of Your faith-Islam-and of Your Holy Ones.Show the hand of Your succour for their victory and remove this mischief from the face of this earth.¹* Also direct the attention of the people of the world towards the truth and grant them the strength to obey; and sharpen their wits for understanding the deep designs of this claimant to Prophethood; and save the people of the world from all the afflictions of the heavens and the earth; that is, the plague, earthquakes etc.Grant them peace and tranquillity in every * That is to say, destroy this man who claims to be the Promised Messiah.(by the Author [The Promised Messiah (as)])

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478 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION way, for You are the Omnipotent, the Forgiver, and the Merciful.It is Your prerogative alone to forgive the mistakes of Your servants.We are only humble and weak humans and are not immune from mistakes, and are ever prone to make mistakes and supplicate You alone for forgiveness.After this, O God of mine, I also beseech You and my soul humbly implores Your lofty and Holy Presence and my eyes are turned towards You alone waiting for Your succour for bringing home to the people of the world the truth of this movement which has been initiated in accordance with Your will and pleasure with a view to helping Your holy faith Islam and establishing the bona fides of Your holy Prophets.Enlighten their vision and grant them the strength to fol- low the truth so that Your glory becomes manifest and Your writ is established on earth the way it is established in the heavens, for God, my Lord, You are well aware and behold that I am a humble and frail human; I can say nothing with- out Your help.It is Your prerogative alone to influence the hearts, to enlighten their inner vision with a view to recog- nizing the truth.Therefore, if Your help is not available to me, I shall be left unsuccessful, quite like the liars are left.Therefore, O my Lord God, do show the helping hand of Your providence vis-à-vis this movement; cause it to ful- fil the purpose for which it has been initiated; make truth manifest to the followers of other faiths in general and to those of Islam in particular and grant them the strength to follow this [message], for You are All-Powerful and each particle in the heavens and on the earth is under Your domin- ion.Not a single particle can move without Your command.Therefore, You do what You are pleased to will; to You, nothing is improbable and impossible; Your promises are true and Your will is immutable; Your grace is eternal and Your might is perfect.It is only with Your command that the

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 175 479 heavens and the earth continue to exist; You alone make the light of the morning appear after the dark of the night; You alone make the sun set in the west to rise in the east; You alone bring about revolution in the world; You seat some upon royal thrones and some upon ashes and You alone can decide between the truth and falsehood.Be our help in this case Yourself, make truth manifest and save mankind from death in misguidance and guide them to the straight path.Amin, again Amin! This [above] is the wording of the mubahalah of Charagh Din in which, by declaring me the opposing party to him and designating me as the Dajjal, he seeks the verdict of God Almighty; and, referring to me as 'mischief' prays for my death and seeks my destruction, and prays to God to show the hand of His might.So, all praise belongs to Allah that one day after this mubahalah, God Almighty did indeed show the hand of His might.The text of this mubāhalah had not yet been set on the printer when, on 4 April 1906, plague destroyed him along with both of his sons.Such indeed are the works of God; such are the mir- acles of God..[So take a lesson, O ye who have eyes]! 175.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIFTH] SIGN-Once a letter from Pandit Shiv Narayan Agnihotrī, Editor, Barādar-e-Hind, was to come from Lahore in which he had written that he would compose a refu- tation of the third part of Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya which contains rev- elations.It so happened that, before the letter arrived, God Almighty informed me of this letter in a vision that same day; indeed, at that very moment when he was in the process of writing the letter in Lahore.During the vision, the letter appeared before me and I read it.At the same time and on the same day, before the arrival of the letter, I com- municated the contents of the letter to the Āryas whose names have already been mentioned a number of times.The next day, one Āryah from among them went to the Post Office to collect the letter which

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480 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION was duly produced from the postal bag in his very presence and, when read out, was found to have more or less the same contents which I had narrated earlier on.At this, those Āryas were struck with extreme surprise and wonder.They are still alive and can testify truthfully if required to do so under oath.176.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SIXTH] SIGN-When I wrote the booklet Ijazul-Masiḥ ['Miracles of the Messiah'] in eloquent Arabic, I published the announcement, upon receiving the revelation from God Almighty, that no maulawi would be able to produce its equal in eloquence and fluency.At this, one named Pir Mehr 'Alī, resident of Golra, announced his extravagant boast that he would compose a comparable essay.Thereupon, I received the following revelation from God Almighty: مَنَعَهُ مَانِعُ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ Meaning that, a Prohibitor from the heaven prohibited him from pre- senting its match.Thence, he became so speechless and dumbstruck that, although he continued to utter nonsense in Urdu like commoners, he could not― to this day-compose the equal of the Arabic booklet.177.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVENTH] SIGN―There were two houses adjoining my house, which were not in my possession and so an extension was needed due to the shortage of space.On one occa- sion, I was shown in a vision that there was a large platform on that parcel of land.I was shown in a dream that a long corridor shall be built on that place, and I was also shown that the eastern section of this parcel of land prayed for the construction of our building and the flat land of the western section has said Āmin ['May it be so'] to that.Accordingly, this vision was communicated immediately to hundreds of those belonging to my Jama'at and was also recorded in

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 178 481 newspapers.Subsequently, it so happened that both the houses came into my possession through purchase and inheritance.Houses for guests were built in some parts of that space.It was unimaginable that they would ever come into my possession; no one could imagine that it would ever happen.See the newspaper al-Ḥakam, no.46, 47 vol.7' and al-Ḥakam no.3, volume: 8.178.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-EIGHTH] SIGN-Once Khalifah Sayyed Muhammad Hasan, Minister of the State of Patiala, wrote a letter to me at a time of anxiety and difficulty for him and requested me to pray for him.Since he had rendered services to our Movement on several occasions, I prayed for him.Thereupon, this revelation was received from God: جو دُعا کیجئے قبول رحمت کی چل رہی ہے نسیم ہے آج The breeze of mercy is blowing, All your supplications will be accepted today.After this prayer, God Almighty, out of His grace, removed those diffi- culties of his and he wrote a letter of gratitude.That letter, which must be present in my files, is itself the evidence of this episode.And there are many other people who are witnesses; indeed, this revelation of mine had become known to hundreds of people.The late Nawab Ali Muḥammad Khan, the Chief of Jhajhar, had also recorded it into his memoirs.179.[ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINTH] SIGN-In the case brought against me by Maulawi Karam Din at Gurdaspur, the aforesaid Karam Din insisted that the word la'im meant ‘bastard' and that the word -kadhdhab meant 'one who always tells lies.These very meanings 1.In first edition, volume number was not given.It was added in the later edi- tions.[Publisher]

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482 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION were accepted by the first court.In those days, I received the revelation from Allah the Almighty: معنی دیگر نه پسندیم ما [We do not approve of any other meaning.] I understood this as indicating that this interpretation would not be upheld by the second court-and so it happened.In the court of appeals, the Divisional Judge rejected all these pleas and held that the words kadhdhāb and la’im were appropriate for Karam Dīn; rather, he was deserving of even stronger words.Thus, the Divisional Judge did not approve of the far-fetched meanings [of the terms] presented by Karam Dīn which had been accepted in the lower court.See the newspaper al-Ḥakam no.17, volume 8,' dated 24 May 1904 CE which carries this revelation.180.[ONE HUNdred eightietH] SIGN-Once in 1902, I received this revelation: يُرِيْدُونَ أَنْ يُطْفِئُوا نُوْرَكَ.وَيَتَخَطَّفُوْا عِرْضَكَ.وَإِنِّي مَعَكَ وَمَعَ أَهْلِكَ.Meaning that, the adversaries will intend to put out your light and dis- grace you but I shall stand by you and by those who are with you.During those very days I saw [in a vision] that I was in an alley that was closed ahead and the alley was so narrow that only a single per- son could pass through it with difficulty.In the last part of this closed alley beyond which there was no path, I stopped alongside the wall.When I lifted my gaze to look at the way back, I noticed that three huge and ferocious oxen, which were bloodthirsty, were standing there and blocking the way; one of them charged towards me to attack me.1.In the first edition, the volume number was not given.It was added in the later editions.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 180 483 I pushed it aside with my hand.Then the second one attacked, which I also pushed aside with my hand.Then the third one charged with great force and ferocity creating the impression that escape was abso- lutely impossible.But when it came closer to me, it stopped and stood alongside the wall and I passed by it having rubbed against it.In the meanwhile Allah the Almighty revealed a few words upon my heart which I kept reciting while running.And they are: رَبِّ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ خَادِمُكَ رَبِّ فَاحْفَظْنِيْ وَانْصُرْنِي وَارْحَمْنِيْ.[Lord, everything is in Your service.Then Lord, guard me from the mischief of the wicked and help me and have mercy on me.] Simultaneous to seeing this [vision] it was conveyed to me that some adversary would initiate litigation [against me] and he will have three lawyers.This revelation and the vision were publicized well before the filing of that suit, having been recorded in the newspaper al-Hakam in 1902 CE; that, is al-Hakam number 24.Thereafter, Karam Dīn filed a legal complaint against me at Jhelum and I was summoned to appear [in the court].It was a criminal proceeding and was a difficult case.As was revealed in the vision, he had three lawyers.Ultimately, in accord- ance with the promise of God, his complaint was dismissed.See the newspaper al-Hakam, 1902 CE, number 24, volume 6.1 1.A detailed prophecy has been published about Maulawi Karam Dīn beforehand in the newspaper al-Ḥakam the summary of which is that in a criminal case, the lower court would decide against me and then later I would be acquitted by the appellate court.Accordingly, when Karam Din brought a criminal case against me at Gurdaspur, I was fined Rs500/ by the lower court that is, by Atma Rām's Department.Later, I was honourably acquitted when that verdict was dismissed by the appellate court; that is, the Office of the Divisional Judge.The ruling judge also observed that the terms kadhdhāb [liar] and la'im [sordid] used about Karam Din were appropri- ate, and Karam Dīn deserved these epithets; rather, he deserved them if even harsher words were used about Karam Din; such words caused no defama- tion.This prophecy was published well before time.(Author)

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484 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Letter of Muḥammad Fadl, Resident of Chunga 181.[ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIRST] SIGN¹* —God Almighty gave me the news that a daughter would be born in my household and would die.She was named [by God] Ghāsiq; that is, the one who would become hidden, hinting the fact that she would die in infancy.Thus, the girl was born in accordance with the prophecy and died in infancy in accordance with the prophecy.See the newspaper al-Ḥakam no.4, vol.7.182.[ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-SECOND] SIGN-Maulawi Muḥammad Faḍl, an Aḥmadi, and a resident of Chunga, Tehsil Gujar Khan, District Rawalpindi writes: One day in May 1904, after offering the Friday prayer, I was sitting in the mosque in the company of some people including Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis, when one Faḍl Dād Khān, a lam- bardar of Chunga, belonging to my own tribe and a relative of mine, came to the mosque.At the instigation of a certain person, he began to rebuke me and other Ahmadis.He said that we should not offer our and that we had defiled the mosque.prayers in the Then, mentioning some ancillary issues that Ahmadis and non-Ahmadis differ in, he started quarrelling with me.mosque I tried to remonstrate with him with the help of reason and record and exposed how untenable his stance was, but he per- sisted in his denial.I felt that, because of his incitement, the common people were getting agitated against Ahmadis, and I noted that he was not relenting from creating trouble and agitation.At that time great anguish and anxiety stirred up in my heart and I wondered what could be the way to resolve this 1.This Sign has been recorded earlier too.It has been entered here again for further elaboration.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 182 situation as a grave disturbance was about to start on account of this person.Thereupon, addressing him, I said, ‘Look, if I am false in the matters that I am stating, let God Almighty kill me prior to you and if you are false, let God Almighty kill you!' Fadl Dad answered me in as many words, 'May God kill you!' Then, I left the mosque immediately and the people dis- persed.After a few days, this man (i.e.Faḍl Dād Khān) devel- oped a serious case of abdominal pain and, within ten months, died on 24 March 1906 and, through his death, left behind a Sign of the truth of the Ahmadiyya Movement.Those who were present on the occasion of the mubahalah remained ter- rified and overawed for some time and I myself heard some of the opponents acknowledging that this man's death was indeed a Sign.Yours humbly, Muḥammad Fadl Aḥmadī, Village Chunga, Tehsil Gujar Khan, District Rawalpindi, 30 September 1906 [Witnesses] Nizām-ud-Din, tailor Fadl Khān Wali Khān [Remarks] Witness to the mubahalah con- test and the death of Fadl Dad Khān―Thumb impression The statement given above is true.Signed.The statement given above is true.Signed.485

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486 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Letter of Muḥammad Fadl, Resident of Chunga 183.[ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-THIRD] SIGN―The above-mentioned Muḥammad Faḍl Aḥmadī, a resident of Chunga, writes: A man named Karīmullāh, Inspector Post Offices, Gujar Khan, stopped in Chunga in June 1904 at the house of Miyań Ghulam Nabi, Sub-Postmaster of Chunga, and I called upon him thinking he was a respectable and educated person.Then, upon seeing me, he began making unbecoming remarks about the Elect of God and Noble One-i.e.Your Holiness-then raised objections against you couched in extremely foul language, and started a debate with me.A large number of people from the village gathered.I answered his objections in a civilized manner but he started mocking and deriding you and, addressing me, announced that I would sustain grave harm within forty days and I would suffer a great loss and all would witness.I replied, 'Your prophecy is simply absurd.My refuge is with my God, but you should keep in mind that God will pun- ish him whoever is insolent towards the Promised Messiah.After announcing this, I left that rotten gathering.Only after a few days, it was heard that there had been a burglary in the Inspector's house and that much of his cherished property was stolen.Soon thereafter, there was a spate of complaints against him by people belonging to the Inspectorate of Gujar Khan.Consequently, he was transferred to a frontier district.I remain your humble servant Muḥammad Fadl Aḥmadī, Resident of Chunga, Tehsil Gujar Khan, District Rawalpindi Witness: Nizam-ud-Din, Tailor Witness: Shāh Wali (Signed) Witness: Fadl Khān (Signed)

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POSTSCRIPT-SIGN NUMBER 184 487 184.[ONE HUNDred eighty-fourth] SIGN-Once a letter was received from Patiala, from Sayyed Muḥammad Ismā‘īl, my wife's real brother, who is currently an Assistant Surgeon, that his mother had passed away, and it was also written at the end of the letter that Isḥāq, his younger brother, too had died and it was urged that we should come at once.It so happened that the letter came at a time when my wife was ill with high fever and I was afraid that if she were informed of the contents of the letter her life would be put at risk.At that time my heart felt great anguish.In that anguish I was informed by God Almighty that the report about the death was incorrect.I informed the late Maulawi ‘Abdul-Karim, Sheikh Hamid 'Alī, and many others.After this, I sent Sheikh Ḥāmid ‘Alī, who is my attendant, to Patiala.Then I came to know that the news was contrary to the facts.It is a moment to reflect that-with the exception of God Almighty—no one knows about the matters belonging to the unseen.This information that God Almighty gave about the unseen refuted the contents of the letter.185.[ONE HUNDred eighty-fifTH] SIGN-Some Signs are such that there is not even a minute's delay in their fulfilment.They are fulfilled instantly.In these particular cases it is rare to get an eyewitness.This is that kind of a Sign in which one day, after the morning Prayer, I fell into a state of vision and during that time I saw in that state of vision that my son, Mubārak Aḥmad, had come in from outside when his foot slipped on the floor mat that was lying near me, and he had fallen down; he was badly hurt and his whole shirt was covered with blood.I mentioned this vision to Mubarak Aḥmad's mother who was standing nearby.Just as I finished telling her, Mubārak Aḥmad came running from one side.As he reached the mat, his foot slipped.He was badly hurt and his shirt was drenched with blood.Thus, this prophecy was fulfilled within one minute.An ignorant person might assert that no reliance can be placed

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488 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION upon the testimony of a wife.Such a one does not realize that everyone protects his faith and refrains from lying after taking an oath in the name of God.What is more, most of the witnesses to the miracles of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were his friends and his wives.That kind of assertion would falsify all those miracles too.The witnesses to most of the Signs are these very peo- ple because they alone have the privilege of keeping constant company.How can the enemies have the fortune to witness such Signs that are foretold through a prophecy on one hand and are fulfilled instantane- ously on the other hand? The enemy keeps a distance—both in heart and in body.186.[ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIXTH] SIGN―Similarly, about three years ago, I was shown in a vision one morning that my son, Mubarak Aḥmad, had run up to me in great confusion and disorientation.He was extremely restless and disoriented and said, 'Abba, water!' I intimated this vision not just to my family members but to many oth- ers as there were about two hours before its occurrence.Thereafter, we went to our garden right away.It was about 8 o'clock in the morning and Mubārak Aḥmad was also with us.He was about four years old at the time and started playing with some other young children in a corner of the garden.I was standing under a tree at that time and I saw Mubarak Aḥmad running fast towards me in great perturbation and when he reached me, all that he could utter was, 'Abba, water!'; and then he seemed to become semi-unconscious.The well was at about fifty steps from there.I picked him up and carried him in my arms, as rapidly as I could, running to the well and poured some water into his mouth.When he regained consciousness and was somewhat better, I asked him about the cause of this incident.Thereupon, he told me that, at the suggestion of some of the children, he had swallowed a large quantity of ground salt and became delirious.

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POSTSCRIPT SIGN NUMBER 187 489 His breathing was obstructed and he almost choked.Thus, God healed him in this manner and the prophecy of the vision was fulfilled.187.[ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-SEVENTH] SIGN―My elder brother, whose name was Mirzā Ghulām Qādir, remained sick for sometime with the illness from which he ultimately died.On the morning of the day when he was destined to die, I received the revelation: جنازه Funeral.Although there were no signs of his impending death, I was made to understand that he would die the same day.I communicated this prophecy to my close companions who are still alive.Then, close to the evening my brother passed away.

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[Concluding Observations] For the sake of brevity, I have mentioned only a few witnesses of all of the prophecies that have been recorded here.However, by the grace of God Almighty, there are thousands of witnesses in whose pres- ence these prophecies were made and fulfilled; indeed, the number of witnesses amounts to many hundreds of thousands for some of the prophecies.I had intended to record as many as 300 Signs in this book, and to record all those Signs that are noted in my books Nuzulul-Masīḥ, Tiryaqul-Qulüb, etc.and some new Signs so as to make the total of 300.But for three days, I have been sick.And today, 29 September 1906, I am so overwhelmed by illness and am so weak and frail that I have become unable to write.God willing, these 300 Signs or more than that will be recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5.In the end, I deem it necessary to write that if someone is not satisfied with these Signs, and such a person happens to be from among those who claim to receive revelation, there is another avenue open to him that, in opposition to me, he should continue to publish his revelations for a period of one year in two newspapers of his people, and, on the other hand, I should publish all that is revealed to me by God Almighty of the matters of the unseen in two newspapers of my Jama'at.The condi- tion which is binding upon both parties is that each of the revelations published in the newspapers should be such that every one of them should consist of matters of the unseen and should be such matters of the unseen that are beyond human capability.And then, after one year,

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492 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION it will be determined through judges which side enjoys dominance and preponderance, and which prophecies of each party have been fulfilled.If after this test, my opponent party dominates and I am not proven to be dominant, I will be considered false; otherwise, it will be incumbent upon the people that they should, fearing God Almighty, give up the practice of rejection and denial and not ruin their afterlife by opposing one who has been commissioned by God.It should be borne in mind that their objections prove, if anything, that their hearts are replete with the dust and darkness of prejudice and their eyes are covered by the veils of malice and jealousy.Take, for instance, the repeated assertion that the prophecy concerning Deputy Ātham was not fulfilled.Is it an objection based on honesty that the prophecy concerning Ātham was not fulfilled? Is it not true that more than eleven years have passed since Ātham died and now there is no trace of him on the earth? That he did retract is borne out by as many as seventy witnesses when, right in the midst of the debate, he refrained from referring to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as the Dajjal.Furthermore, he continued to weep for as many as fifteen months.This prophecy was conditional as the proph- ecy had these words: provided he does not incline toward the truth.Since he retracted—and that, too, in the presence of witnesses, many of whom are still alive—is it a sign of any purity of heart not to desist, even until now, from raising objections? Similarly, out of sheer prejudice and ignorance, they object that the prophecy regarding Ahmad Baig's son-in-law has not been fulfilled.With a surprising lack of honesty, they do not so much as mention the name Ahmad Baig when raising this objection, nor what happened to him.Out of sheer mendacity, they highlight only one limb of the prophecy, while concealing the other; deliberately deceiving people.The truth of the matter is that this prophecy comprised of two limbs: one limb concerning Ahmad Baig and the other concerning Ahmad Baig's son-in-law.Ahmad Baig, in keeping with the [terms of] the prophecy, died within the prescribed time frame.Great shock was

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POSTSCRIPT [CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS] 493 suffered by the hearts of his heirs as a result of his death and they were filled with fear.Of course it is part of human nature that if two persons are the objects of the same calamity (that is impending) and one of them dies due to the descent of that calamity, then the person who is still alive, as well as his heirs, become extremely frightened and appre- hensive.Since this prophecy—like the prophecy about Ātham—was conditional, those people became deeply frightened and worried at the death of Ahmad Baig and they supplicated, gave alms and charity, and some of them wrote letters to me full of deep humility and respect which are still in my possession.As a result, God Almighty delayed the fulfilment of this prophecy in accordance with its condition.But the pity of it is that these people who raise a clamour about Ahmad Baig's son-in-law on every occasion and mention it in periodicals and newspapers, never mention the prophecy in a compre- hensive fashion with decency and honesty.They fail to mention in any publication that this prophecy had two limbs; one of which—namely, Ahmad Baig's death-had been duly fulfilled within the prescribed time frame.On the contrary, on every possible occasion and oppor- tunity—indeed, in every meeting, magazine, and newspaper—they always lament about Ahmad Baig's son-in-law and not about the one who actually died.Such 'decency' and 'honesty' is the exclusive prerog- ative of the present-day maulawis.Another similar objection they raise is that the humiliation of Maulawi Muḥammad Husain and his associates was foretold in one of the prophecies but he has not been humiliated.What a pity! 1.This Prophecy contained the conditional revelation which was printed and :meaning أَيَّتُهَا الْمَرْأَةُ تُوبِن تُوبِى فَإِنَّ الْبَلَاءَ عَلَى عَقِبِكِ published at the time, namely 'Woman, be penitent, be penitent, for the calamity is about to befall your daughter and the daughter's daughter.' Accordingly, her daughter was visited by the calamity that her husband, Mirza Ahmad Baig, died; but after Ahmad Baig's death, her daughter's daughter, on account of fear, supplication, and almsgiving, was saved from the visitation by this calamity until such time as is in the knowledge of God Almighty alone.(Author)

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494 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION These people do not realize that what is humiliating for one category [of people] may not be so for others.Is he not the same Maulawi Muḥammad Husain who had so [boastfully] said, 'I am the one who elevated this man and now I will be the one to bring him down’? Now, did he bring me down? Is Maulawi Muḥammad Husain not the one who had claimed that I did not know even a single tense of Arabic? But, whereas I wrote some twenty books of prose and poetry in Arabic and he [Muḥammad Husain] was challenged to write comparably, he could not write even one single book in Arabic up to par with me.Is Maulawi Muḥammad Husain not the same one whom, when I extended an invi- tation to sit down with me and write an exegesis of the Holy Quran in Arabic, was found wanting in this competition? In similar vein are his domestic acrimonies and humiliation upon which I would rather not dwell.So, despite all these things, did he suffer no humiliation! And no one knows what is destined for the future, because there is no time frame with regard to a prophecy of warning; indeed, it can even be averted through penitence and remorse.* Besides, it should also be remembered that the prophecies about which our opposing maulawis raise such hue and cry are no more than three or four.These are prophecies of warning and it is not necessary, according to the decisive dictum of the Holy Quran and hadith, for the prophecies of warning to be fulfilled.The reason is that they portend the coming of a calamity and 124,000 Prophets are unanimous in that وَ إِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُه وَ إِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا Allah the Almighty says in the Holy Quran *.1 9919 We meaning: 'If this Messenger is a liar, he himself will per- ish; but if he is truthful then some of his prophecies of warning shall befall you' [Surah al-Mu'min, 40:29].It is not said here that ‘all' shall be fulfilled.Thus, God has clearly stated here that it is not necessary for 'all' the proph- ecies of warning to be fulfilled; rather, some can be averted.If this was not the purport of the Divine Word, God Almighty would have said instead but if he is truthful then all that which he] وَإِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُمْ كُلُّ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ threatens you with will surely befall you'].However, God did not say this.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT [CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS] 495 every calamity can be averted through charity, alms, prayer, and hum- ble and tearful supplication.Even a simpleton can understand that a calamity that God has intended to send down, and the knowledge concerning it is limited to God alone and no Prophet is informed about it, is simply designated a calamity.But when the Prophet is informed about that calamity, the same is known as a prophecy of warning.Thus, if the fulfilment of a prophecy of warning is essential under all circumstances, then it must be conceded that a calamity must strike in all circumstances, * whereas I have just explained that a calamity can be averted by resorting to char- ity, almsgiving, and prayer, etc.All Prophets have a consensus on this.Therefore, these mean assaults that these people, known as maulawis, hurl upon me, are indeed a cause for extreme surprise and one wonders: Do these people ever read the Holy Quran and do they ever study the hadith!? Are they yet unaware of the prophecy of Prophet Yūnus [Jonah] which is detailed in the book Durr-e-Manthur? It had no con- dition attached to it, yet all of those people were saved from punish- ment because of their repentance.And when Yunus, despite being a Prophet of God, wondered why his prophecy had not been fulfilled and why those people had not perished, he tasted chastisement by way of warning and, because of this objection on his part, he suffered great afflictions.If that pure-hearted Prophet suffered so much grief as the conse- quence of his objection, then what will be the plight of these people 1.The calamity about which God warns through a Prophet or a Messenger or a Muḥaddath [a recipient of divine converse], deserves more to be avert- ed than that about which no warning is given, for warning implies that God Almighty intends to avert that calamity if one repents, seeks forgiveness or supplicates, or gives in alms and charity.If a warning prophecy cannot be averted, it will have to be conceded that a calamity can never be averted.This would be against the accepted principles of faith.Moreover, in that case, it will amount to belief that charity, alms, repentance, and supplication are of no avail at the time when the calamity has descended.(Author)

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496 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION who repeatedly raise objections against conditional prophecies and refuse to relent? Had they but only the fear of God within their hearts, they would have learned a lesson from the prophecy of Yūnus and would not have exhibited such impudence and insolence.Had they but any seed of righteousness within them, they would have realized that the prophecies against which they raise objections are merely two or three in number in comparison to the prophecies which-slapping their faces with fulfilment—number hundreds; nay rather, thousands and hundreds of thousands! Quite the contrary, this was a moment [for them] to reflect upon which side had the majority!!* Can they prove that the kind of objection they level against these prophecies, or against some error of interpretation, are not to be found in the prophecies of the other Prophets? Do they not know that, leav- ing all other Prophets aside, even our Holy Prophet, may peace and 1.In this book, I have recorded 187 Signs of God Almighty.These are the Signs which have nothing dubious about them.Rather, most of these proph- ecies were published in books and newspapers beforehand.Their eyewitness- es are still alive in thousands.All these are such phenomena that transcend human capacity.If you try to search for such a corpus of divine Signs and prophecies in the Books of any of the Israelite Prophets of the past, I hereby declare with authority that you will not find its parallel in the life of any of the Israelite Prophets.Supposing such Signs to be there [on record] where will you find their eyewitnesses? A mere report can never equal an eyewitness account.Christians repeatedly quote the miracles regarding Ḥadrat Masiḥ raising the dead, but there exists no proof of even one single incident.No deceased has ever returned and intimated the experiences of the Hereafter or revealed the truth about Heaven and Hell or published any book containing an eyewitness account of the wonders of the other world or testified to the existence of angels.On the contrary, by the 'dead' are meant those who re- sembled the physically or spiritually dead who were granted, as it were, a new life through prayer.The same is true about ‘Īsā creating birds.Had he actually created birds, the world would have turned towards him, obviating any pos- sibility of crucifixion.Would the Christians, who are so keen on converting Haḍrat 'Īsā into God, miss such a huge divine sign? Rather, they would have made a mountain out of a molehill.It is so evident that this episode which is related in the Holy Quran is not to be taken in any literal sense.Rather it means something minor which had no great importance of its own.(Author)

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POSTSCRIPT [CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS] 497 blessings of Allah be upon him, who was the noblest and most exalted of them all and was Khatamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets], was not immune to this type of error of interpretation? Was the journey to Hudaibiyyah not the error of interpretation? Was it not an error of interpretation to consider Yamamah or Hijar as the possible places to migrate to? Were there not other errors of interpretation? To list them all would only prolong the list.It does not behove a Muslim to cast such mean aspersions which even implicate the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Rather, it is the hallmark of those who are truly enemies of Islam.Another folly on their part is that, in order to instigate the ignorant masses, they allege that I have laid claim to Prophethood although this is an utterly malicious accusation on their part.No claim has been made to the Prophethood that is known to be barred by the Holy Quran.The only claim is that in one aspect I am a follower [of the Holy Prophet] and, in another, through the grace of the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, I am a Prophet.And by Prophet is only meant that I receive the honour of converse and address of God Almighty plentifully.The truth is what the Revered reformer of Sirhind [Mujaddid Alf- e-Thāni] has recorded in his Maktūbāt: Though some individuals from among this ummah [i.e.the Muslims are honoured with converse and address with the Divine and will continue to be so honoured until the Day of Judgment, yet the individual who is so honoured with this con- verse and address abundantly and to whom the unseen is dis- closed abundantly, is called a Prophet.Now let it be clear that it has been prophesied in the aḥādīth [sayings] of the Prophet that there will appear among the ummah of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, one who will be called ‘Īsā [Jesus] and Ibn-e-Maryam [the son of Mary] and will be

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498 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION designated a Prophet; that is to say, he will be so honoured with such plentiful converse and discourse [with God] and so plentifully will the news of the unseen be disclosed to him as cannot be manifested to any- one except a Prophet as is said by the Almighty Allah: فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِةٍ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَّسُولٍ : Meaning that, God does not grant anyone complete authority and mastery over His domain of the unseen, that can be achieved in abun- dance and clarity, except the one who is His chosen Messenger.And this is an established fact that the degree to which God Almighty has conversed and addressed me and the degree to which He has disclosed matters of the unseen to me, is a bounty that has not been granted to anyone except me in the last 1,300 years of Hijrah up to this very day.Should anyone challenge this, the onus of proof lies upon him.In short, I am the only one of this ummah to be honoured with so great a share of divine revelation and knowledge of the unseen, and such a great share of this bounty has not been bestowed upon any of the auliyā' and abdāl and aqṭāb² among the Muslims who have passed before me.Therefore, for this reason I alone have been distinguished for the title of Prophet.None of the others deserve this title because the plenitude of revelation and news of the unseen is the prerequisite for it and that prerequisite was not found in them.It was indeed necessary for it to occur so that the prophecy by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be fulfilled with clarity.Had the other righteous ones who passed before me partaken of the converse with the Divine and knowledge of the unseen to the same measure, they too would have deserved to be 1.Surah al-Jinn, 72:27-28 [Publisher] 2.These terms are used to honour the auliya'ullah.[Publisher]

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POSTSCRIPT [CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS] 499 designated Prophets.¹* In such a case, a breach would have occurred in the prophecy of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.The wisdom of God Almighty, therefore, stopped these holy men from partaking of this bounty to the full extent in order to fulfil the prophecy recorded in the authentic aḥādīth, that such a per- son will only be one.Bear in mind that I have, only by way of specimen, recorded a few of the prophecies in this book, but, in fact, there are several hundred thousand prophecies and their series has not yet ended.The Word revealed to me by God is so copious that if it were recorded in its entirety, it would run into no less than twenty ajzā” [parts].Here I end this book at this much and wish from God Almighty that He may bless it with His blessings and draw towards me hundreds of thousands In the] وَأَخِرُ دَعْوَانَا اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِيْنَ..of hearts by means of this.Amin end, our prayer is, 'All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds'].THE EN D 1.It was laid down in the Word of God that the second part of this ummah will be the Jama'at of the Promised Messiah.This is, indeed, why God Almighty mentioned this Jama'at by singling it out from the rest as He says [Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:4]; meaning that, there is also another sect as part of the ummah of the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa, that are still to come in the Latter Days.And authentic hadith records that at the time of revelation of this verse, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, patted [Haḍrat] Salman the Persian's back and said ,Even if the faith had left for the Pleiades] لَوْكَانَ الْإِيْمَانُ مُعَلَّقًا بِالتُّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ a man of Persia would bring it back'].It was a prophecy about me.As recorded in Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya, as a testimony to the authenticity of this prophecy, God vouchsafed the same hadith to me in the form of revelation.According to the revelation, there was no specified person before me to whom this ha- dith applied.The revelation of God singled me out.be praised for all this].(Author) 2.Ajuzw comprises sixteen pages.[Publisher] [So Allah

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(POEM) مصلحت را ابن مریم نام من بنهاده اند چوں مراحکم از پے قوم مسیحی داده اند Since I have been commanded to address myself to the followers of the Messiah, So have I been wisely designated Ibn-e-Maryam.این دو شاہد از یے تصدیق من استاده اند آسماں بارد نشان آنوقت می گوید زمیں The heavens rain Signs and the earth proclaims the time; These two are the witnesses testifying to the truth of my claim.بے ضرورت نامدم نے آمدم در غیر وقت در من از جهل و تعصب قوم من افتاده اند My coming is neither needless nor ill-timed; Out of ignorance and prejudice have my people opposed me.سوئے من اے بد گماں از بد گمانی با میں فتنه با بنگر چه قدر اندر ممالک زاده اند O the one who doubts! Do not look at me with distrust; Instead, behold the mischief and disorder rampant in the world.پس دری از بهر آن از آسمان بکشاده اند چوں زمیں بکشود یاران صد در فسق و فساد Friends, since the earth has opened a hundred doors to sin and disorder, Little wonder, therefore, a door to the heavens has also been flung open.ala Transcribed by: humblest of the humble, Ghulam Muḥammad of Amritsar October 1, 1906

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1 2 بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّي عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيمِ MAY ALLAH HELP HIM WHO IS TRUTHFUL Amin Many people must be aware that for about twenty years, Dr.'Abdul- Ḥakīm Khān has been among my followers.For some days past, he has been estranged from me and has turned into a bitter enemy.In his booklet Al-Masiḥ-ud-Dajjāl he designates me a liar, pretender, Satan, Antichrist, mischief-monger, and consumer of illegitimate income.Moreover, he calls me dishonest, greedy, selfish, corrupt, liar, and one who lies in the name of God.There is not a single fault which he has not ascribed to me, as if there has never been a compendium of all these evils except me since the beginning of the world.But, this was not all that he did.He toured the major cities of the Punjab like Lahore, Amritsar, and the rest, delivering public lectures and invari- ably ascribing all kinds of misdeeds to me, ridiculing me, and declar- ing me to be dangerous to the world; more dangerous than even the Devil.1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[Publisher] 2.We praise Him and invoke blessings upon His Noble Messengersa.[Publisher]

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504 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION In short, I have suffered greatly at his hand, the details of which need not be given here.What is more, Miyań ‘Abdul-Ḥakim did not rest content with all this.He also publicly announced in each lecture, in the presence of hundreds of people that God had revealed to him: ‘During the next three years, this man [i.e.me] would die on account of his being a liar and an impostor.' I exercised patience in the face of these prophecies he made, but today, 14 August 1906, my learned friend Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen received a letter which, after hurling all kinds of abuses and faults upon me, states that God Almighty had informed him ['Abdul-Hakim] on 12 July 1906 about my demise to the effect that I shall die within a period of three years from this date.Now that things have reached such a pass, I too for my part do not consider it inappropriate to publish what God has revealed to me about him, which in fact constitutes a blessing for the people.If, for a fact, I am a liar in the estimation of God and if I have been lying in His name day in and day out for twenty five years, without any fear of His majesty and glory; if my dealings with Allah's creatures are character- ized by misappropriation of people's wealth through dishonesty and deceit; and if I torment Allah's creation with my own misconduct and selfishness, then under such circumstances, I deserve punishment more than all the evildoers put together so that people are saved from my mischief.But if I am not what ‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān takes me to be, I trust that God will not cause me to die in a manner that there should be a curse before me and a curse behind me.I am not hidden from God's view.Who knows me better than Him? I therefore reproduce below the two prophecies, i.e.Miyāń ‘'Abdul- Hakim Khān's prophecy about me and mine about him and leave the judgment of it all to the Almighty.

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MAY ALLAH HELP HIM WHO IS TRUTHFUL 505 Prophecy about me by Miyań Abdul-Hakim Khan, Assistant Surgeon, Patiala Which he writes in his letter addressed to brother Maulawi Noor Deen, is the following in his own words: On 12 July 1906 I received the following revelations against Mirza: Mirza is extravagant, a liar and a cheat.The mischie- vous shall be decimated in the presence of the truthful.The pre- scribed time frame has been conveyed as three years.¹ Against this is the Prophecy Conveyed to me by God Almighty about Miyan Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān, Assistant Surgeon, Patiala in the following words: Prophecy by 'Abdul Hakim Khan خدا کے مقبولوں میں قبولیت کے نمونے اور علامتیں ہوتی ہیں.اور وہ سلامتی کے شہزادے کہلاتے ہیں.ان پر کوئی غالب نہیں آسکتا فرشتوں کی بھینچی ہوئی تلوار تیرے آگے ہے.تو نے وقت کو نہ پہچانا نہ دیکھا نہ جانا.رَبِّ فَرِّقُ بَيْنَ صَادِقٍ وَّ كَاذِبٍ.أَنْتَ تَرَى كُلَّ پر مُصْلِحٍ وَّ صَادِقٍ.[Those accepted by God carry with them incidents and Signs of such acceptance.They are known as the Princes of Peace.2☆ 1.Miyān 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān does not reproduce here the exact divine words.Instead he simply says the prescribed time frame is three years! (Author) 2.The expression used by God Almighty that they [the Elect of God] are known as the Princes of Peace is His reply in contradiction of 'Abdul-Hakim's remark who after declaring that I am an impostor and a mischief-monger, announces that the mischievous one will perish in opposition to the truthful one.In other words, according to him, he is righteous and I am mischievous.In order to contradict this, the Almighty says that the Elect of God are the Princes of Peace; they are immune from an ignominious death and punish- ment.Otherwise, the world would perish and there would be no difference left between the truthful and liars.(Author)

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506 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION No one can overcome them.The drawn sword of angels is in front of you, but you have not recognized nor seen nor appreciated the needs of time.² O my God, do create a dis- tinction between the truthful and the liar.You recognize every reformer and truthful one.]3* * Issued by: Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, The Promised Messiah, 16 August 1906, 24 Jamadiuth-Thānī 1324 Hijrah Printed at Anwar Ahmadiyya Press, Qadian, Dārul-Amān 1.2.This sentence is addressed to 'Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān and the drawn sword of the angels means heavenly retribution which shall not be caused by man.[Author] Meaning that, you did not care to reflect whether the ummah of the Holy Prophets needed the Dajjal or a Reformer and Mujaddid during this age and at this critical point in time.[Author] 3.'O my God! Do You demonstrate the difference between the truthful one and the liar! You know who is the truthful and the reformer.This revealed sentence negates ‘Abdul-Hakim Khan's claim that he is the one who is truth- ful.Allah says that you are not the one who is truthful; I shall single out the truthful one from the liar.(Author)

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(1) [Facsimile of the prayer of Charāgh Dīn]¹ ویری انو یه مضمون آخر تک خیلی قلم سے لگتا جا ہو ہ عکس ہے اُس مباللہ کی عبارت کا جو چرا ترین ساکن جموں نے میں ہاتھ سے لکھی تھی اور اسی کے دستخط ہیں جن کا عکس لیا گیا ۳۹ الدرعا Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din (p.1) شیاطین ہی رمی شیری خدا ای چیزی جدا میں صدق دل سے گواہی دیتا ہوں کہ آسمانی و زمین اور ما حیوانی کا تو ہی اکیلا خالق اور مالک اور رازق ہے اور آسمان اور زمین و یا سوا ہما کا ہر ایک وزہ پر تیر اس حکم جاری احمد ماخذ ہے اور یہ تو تب کا ابتداء اور انتہا ظاہر اور باطن جاندار درست آواز سنتا اور انکی متون حاجتین برید تا اور آسمان و زمین کے درمیان تیرے حکم بغیر ایک درہ یہی ہلی نہیں سکتا اور انہیں اره انبیای اولیا شاہ اور گدا ملایک اور سیا لکین بلکہ جمیع موجودات تیری ہی مخلوق ہے اور محتاج ہے جو تیری رحمت کے امیر ور ر احد تیری غضب سے لرزان ہیں اور تو ہی اکیلا اس تمام ارضی اور سماوی ظاہری اور باطنی او جانی اور جیسی بھی خالق مالک اور معبود ہے اور تیری سواری آسمان اور زمین پر سوا ہما کے درمیان عبادت اور لوکل یا محبت کے لایق اوری معبود نہیں اور جسقدر مجبور لوگوں نے شہر کی بری بین خوره وه بت بین یا روح یا فرشته با شیاطین یا آسمانی اجر هم با زمینی انجام وہ سب باطل بین اور تیری ہی مخلوق اور محتاج ہیں کہ ان میں سے ایک کی پرستش اور ر کو کل اور محبت کے لایق ہیں بلکہ اسمان اور زمین اور ماسوائی کے درمیان عبادت اور فوصل اور مخلوق کیا 1.As pointed out in the box above, this is a photocopy of the handwritten mubä- halah challenge of Charagh Din, resident of Jammu; its translation is given on pages 474-479.[Publisher]

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Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din (p.2) 508 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION مکنه اور محبت کے لایق تو ہی ایک خدا ہے جواز کی ابدی زندہ خدا ہے تیرا نہ کوئی بات ہے اور نہ بیٹا اور نہ کوئی چور وہ ہے میر صاحب اور نہ کوئی مشیر ہے نہ معاون نہ تو ایک ہی سب کا خالق مالک اور غالب خدا ہے جو تمام خوبیو الا اضع اور جمع کیو کے فقرہ ہے اسکی تمام محامدا و مقدار میں اور ستائیں علیو سے اور تعریف کایق تو ہی ایک خدا ہے اور ہماری یہ تحکیم جسمانی اور روحانی با نادری اور باطنی تمام نعمتین تیری ہی طرف سے ہیں اور ہم تیرے ہی لئے ہیں اور بین گواہی دیتا ہوں کہ تیری سب پیجا میر اور جملہ کتب کا و یہ بالعموم اور تیرا ہی اور ماہر جیسے خاتم النبین محمد رسول اللہ مسلم اور تیری پاک حکام قرآن شریف و قرمان حمید بالخصوص حق ہے اور مجات السلم چنین محدود اور میں گواہی دیتا ہوں کہ قیامت اور فرا راهی اور میران رونی او پنجت لقاء وغیرہ سب حق اور درست ہیں اور ہم مرنے کے بعد جی ائینگے اور اپنے ہی اعمال کے مطابق جزا اور سزا دی جان گئے اب ای میری خدا یمین تیری بارگاه تقدس و تعالی بین نیاک عجر اور ایک اور تفرع و انتہاں کے ساتہ مود دوبلہ نہ التماس کرتا ہوں.کہ تو جانتا ہے کہ میں وہی شخص ہوں جسکو تو نے بلا کے استحقاق محض اپنی ہی فضل و کرم سے اپنی مثبت اور ارادہ مطابق جوازل ہی سے مقرر کیا گیا کہا، اپنے مقدس اور سچے دین اسلام کی خدمت اور

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FACSIMILE OF THE PRAYER OF CHARĀGH DIN 509 ام (٣) نفرت کے لئے اہل دنیا میں سے چن لیا اور اسلام کے درست معصومی کیا ہے اور توہینے ہی میری کہانت سے وہ او جاتی ستاره جسم نزول این مریم مصور تا تیار کرا دیان ثابت کرسکتے اور تو نے ہی مجھے نروں میں کی منادی کرنے اور نصارا پر محبت اسلام تا aiderate انتا ہے جس سے ی اور تو نے ہی مجھے اپنی محبت کا ترانہ ہے وہ علم کی دها را و اہل اسلام یا قرآن اور بخیل کا باہمی اختلاف دور ہو کر اتحاد اور موافقت پیدا ہو سکتی ہے جان وہ نزول این مریم کار یک رومانی راور مرتے جو در دنیای دورازہ سے اہل دنیا پر پوشیدہ رہا اور اسی زمانہ کے لئے دوست کیا گیا ہے اور اس سے نواب اپنی مخلوق پر حمیت علم ثابت کریگا اور اس کو کل دونوں پر اور کرونگا مطابق انجام دی رہا ہوں اور بم کی کان موافق نزول این مریم کے اس نبہانی راز کو اہل دنیا پر ظاہر کر کے اتمام محبت کرتا ہوں eng یکن امی میری خدا تو نہ جانتا اور دیکھ رہا ہے کہ دنیا میں اسے شخصی ہوت اور کیساعت کاری اور صحت کا دعویدار موجود ہے مجھ سکتا ہے کہ خاتم الانبیاء معنی ہوں اور میں گیسو یون کے مطابق نزول Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din (p.3)

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Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din (p.4) 510 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION (۴) احمد ابن مریم کا مخلوق ہی میرا ہی وجود ہے اور کہتا ہے کہ میری لئے آسمان اور ڈرمیں ہے نشان ظاہر ہوتے ہیں بلکہ کی عون اور تاریہ ہی میری ہی تا پھر میں ظاہر ہوتی یانی تا کہ میری مخالفوں کو ہلاک اور تیار کر دیں اور کہا ہیں کہ مین چندر کی حقیقت محتقرت قدرت ہونے اور نجات میں ہی طریقے میں محدود ہے اور جو مجھے نہیں پیتا ہے وہ کا فراقد مر د وینی اور اس کاہے اسکے اعمال ما مقترن اور دہ دنیا منی معذب اور آخرت میں ملعون ہوگیا اور کہتا ہے کہ ایک کی دوم ہا ریا کے اور موسم بہار میں ایک سخت انزلہ لگا زمن کو ظاہر ہوں ته و بالا کر دیا اللہ قیامت کا نمونہ دیکھا ننگا سوقت دنیا میں ایک عام انقلاب پیدا ہوگی اور امل دنیا میری سلسلہ میں داخل ہوتے کے لئے اہل دنیا تیار ہو جائیے اسلئے اس میری خدا کے دل تذبذب میں ہیں اور حق ظاہر نہیں ہو سکتا اور تیری مخلوق باطل پرستی تین مسلط رہے اور تیری دین میں گڑ بڑ پڑھ رہی ہے اور روسی تیری جبیب ہوں الہ صلعم کی جنگ کی جارہی ہے اور آبجھتاب کا مرضیہ نبوت در سایت چینی لیا گیا اور اسلام کو منسوخ الد یار ہرایا گیا اور دپیکا ئے دینے کی بنیاد ڈالی گئی ہے ایسے مرزا قادیانی ہوا کی نبوت اور رسالت پری نے لانے کے بغیر کوئی مسلمان خواہ وہ کیسا ہی مخلص حتی ایما سوار ہو مسلمان انہیں رہ سکتا اور دین کے لئے اسکی کوششین عبت اور ایکام میں اور ایسا ہی ای میری خدا تیری منصب

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FACSIMILE OF THE PRAYER OF CHARĀGH DIN 511 เ - ره) مقدس بنی رویہ صیح ابن مریم علیہ السلام کا یہی منصب چھین لیا گیا ہے اور اسکے شان کی تحقیر کی جارہی ہے اور کہا جاتا ہے کہ وہ کلمۃ اللہ وروح اللہ گنکار ہے اور میں آنکھ سے بہتر ہوں پس ای میری خدا اب تو آسمان پر سے نظر فرما اور اپنے دین اسلام اور اپنے تقدیران کی عزت بچا اور انکی نفرت کے لئے اپنی قدرت کا ہا تہ ظاہر کر اور اک ختنہ کو دنیا پر سے اُٹھا اور اہلے دنیا کو حق کی طرف توجہ دلادے باع حق کی توفیق عنایت کر اور مدعی نبوت کی دقیقه عمیق پالسی دریافت کرنے کے لئے انکی بصیرتوں کو تیز را ار اہل دنیا کو تمام ارضی و سما وی آقامت یعنی طاعونی و زلزله و غیره سے محفوظ رکہ اور انکو ہر طرح سے امن اور چیلین عطار نام کیونکر تو قادر اور غفور الرحیم ہے اور انکو اتباع ہی..اور اپنے شہروں کی خطائیں معاف کر نامبر اسلام ہے احریم عابر ضعیف انسان ہیں یہوں چوک سے محفوظ ہیں ہم تو ہر وقت خطا کار ہیں اور تیری ہی پیشی ہے امیدوار اسکے بعد ای میری خدا یعنی میں ہی التماس کرتا ہوں اور میری روح تیری عالی و مقدس جناب میں التجاء کر رہی ہے اور میری آنکہیں تیری نعورت کی انتظار ی میں تیری ہی طرف ہیں کہ کہ اسی سلسلہ کی صداقت کو جو میری " ہیں حکم اور نشاء کی مطابق تو میری مقدس ہم دین اسلام کی نصرت سنی اور تیری مقدسی مینوں کی مرسی کی خام کرنے کے لئے جاری کیا گیا ہے اس دنیا ہو ظاہر کر دی اور انھی بعد تو نا کہ اوشن کر اور انکو اتباع کیق کی Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din (p.5)

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Mubahalah prayer of Charagh Din (p.6) 512 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION توفیق سکو تا که نیز امیدی ظاہر ہو اور تیری مرضی بھی کہ آسمانی مطول پر ہے زمین پر بھی مجھے ظاہر ہو کیونکہ ای میری خدا تو جانتا اور دیکتا اور کہ میں ایک عاجز اور ضعیف انسار ہوں تیری مدد لا سوا کچہ کر تی ہے.سکتا اور دلوں پر اثر ڈالنا اور حق کی پہچانے میں اٹھی بغیر توں کو کیو لینا تیرا ہی کام ہے اسلمی اگر تیری امداد میری شامل حال ہوگی جو تویین نا کا میاب رہ جاونگا جب کہ چوہے رہ جاتے ہیں پسرای میری قرا تو اس سلسلہ کی معرت میں اپنی قدرت محانہ ظاہر ورنا اور میں غرض کے لئے یہ ماری کیا گیا ہے اسکو انجام دی اور اسکی صداقت کو مر ہی غیر معتقدون پر عموما اصال العلم پر خصوصاً کھول دی اور انگور اسکی کا تباع کی توفیق عنایت کر سونکہ تو قادر ہے اور آسمان و زمین کا ہی ایک درہ پر تیرای حکم جانتی ہے کیا ممکن کہ میری حکم کے بغیر ایک درہ بھی حرکت کرکے سودا تو جو چاہتا ہے کرتا ہے تیری آگے کوئی بات انہونی اورر محال نہیں اور تو تیری دعوی سچے اور تیرا ارادہ غیر میں ہے اور تیری نعمت ابدی اور تیری قدرت کامل ہے تیری تار سے آسمان اور زمین قایم ہیں اور تو ہی رات کی تاریخی بعد صبح کی نوشت کو نمودار کر دیتا ہے اور آفتا بے کو موت سے مشرق کی طرف کہنے لگتا ہے اور تو ہی دنیا میں انقلاب ڈالتا کیکوٹ ہی تخت ہو اور کسی کو تو وہ ملکہ پر بیٹا دیتا ہے اور تو ہی حق اور باطل میں فیصلہ کر سکتا ہے تو ہی رکیک ارمین محمدی نورت اما کر اور حق ظاہر کا در مخلوق کو گمراہی کی موت سے بچا اور و صرا ما مستقیم کی طرف راہ نمالی کہ آمین نما مین ہے

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ATTENTION: Let it be clear that Charāgh Dīn's public announcement¹ is incorporated into this book, Ḥaqiqatul- Waḥi, with the sole intent to help every fair-minded person realize that this man, who has already tasted the punishment of his misdeeds, was previously testifying to the truth of my claim.Later on, under the pull of his baser self, he joined hands with some Christian missionaries and became an apostate, and referred to me as the Dajjal [Antichrist] etc.Also, he wrote the books Mināratul-Masiḥ and I'jāz-e-Muḥammadi in opposi- tion to me.Now, every fair-minded person can judge for himself that he is the same Charāgh Dīn who was the author of the pub- lic announcement [reproduced below], in my support.And so long as he was among those who testified to my truth, God protected him from the plague and other afflictions.However, when he donned the garb of apostasy and girded up his loins to malign and insult me, he was seized, and, in accordance with my prophecy and in conformity to his own mubahalah prayer, he perished.[So Allah be praised for all this].[Author-The Promised Messiah (as)] 1.Entitled 'Declaration of Truth-No.1' which starts from the next page.[Publisher]

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DECLARATION OF TRUTH¹- --NO.I REMEDY FOR PLAGUE بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الْكَرِيم.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.] A HEAVENLY SIGN In Support of the Messiah of the Age إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُغَيْرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ [Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts.] Charagh Din's Declaration- when he was an Aḥmadi It is no secret to the people of the Punjab and India how radical the changes are that have been brought about by the epidemic of the plague in the space of these few years.Whichever house, village, or town it enters, it does not depart it without wiping it out.Hearts tremble and bodies quiver at the sight of its terrify- ing onslaughts.Like lightning from the sky, it continues to con- sume the world.People are abandoning their homes and towns, and fleeing.Near and dear ones are being split apart.The world Charagh Din's Declaration- when he was an Aḥmadi 1.There is a long footnote here by Charāgh Din.In the original Urdu edition of Haqiqatul-Waḥi, the Promised Messiah as presented that footnote along with his main text.For the ease of readers, we have presented it after the main text of Charagh Din on pages 527–531.[Publisher]

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516 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION is totally enervated.Mankind is busy trying to discover possi- ble means to safeguard themselves.The pity is that people are totally unaware of its true nature and remedy.My heart is full of great concern and sympathy for mankind, because God Almighty has disclosed to this humble one the real, definitive, and absolutely certain remedy for it.Therefore, my heart, faith, and compassion for mankind compel me to reveal to the public this true remedy, which is a sure and suffi- cient treatment for this affliction and which contains within it all the necessary means for saving the world, so that those who are destined to partake of this heavenly bounty may be saved.So let it be clear that for almost one year Allah the Exalted, has been revealing to me through spiritual visions that this age is one of spiritual resurrection.In other words, it is the harbinger and beginning of the age of peace and harmony which, in Islamic terminology, is called the victory of Islam and which, according to the Christians, means the glorious descent of the Messiah and his kingdom.It is the age in which satanic supremacy and the mischief of the Antichrist shall be lifted from the world.The earth shall be filled with the recognition of the glory of God as a bright day, and Allah's true worship, eternal righteousness, peace, and goodwill shall be estab- lished throughout the world.Nations will no longer fight with nations, nor shall kings fight with kings, and religious disputes shall disappear from the whole world.The people of the world, by accepting the same faith and practices, will display a perfect example of peace and tranquillity.All nations, enriched to the full by spiritual and material bounties, will display the perfect example of peaceful and harmonious coexistence.All wars and fighting, mischief and disorder, enmity and hatred, dis- belief and sinfulness, suffering and affliction, shall be removed from the world; so much so that the lions and the oxen, the wolves and the sheep shall drink water together from the same

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 517 watering hole.The proof of this is present in the Holy Quran and other holy Scriptures.Here I also want to make it clear that the Blessed Epoch, which has been so exalted, is the seventh millennium in the age of the world, which is destined to see the establishment of the divine kingdom in the world, and of peace and reconciliation like the day of the Sabbath.It has also been proven to me that this century constitutes the end of the sixth millennium.Therefore, whatever dramatic and wide-ranging changes are to take place in preparation for the spiritual resurrection shall come to pass in this very century.Thus, in preparation for this comprehen- sive and grand spiritual resurrection, God is pleased to make arrangements of two kinds: gracious and glorious.The gracious kind means that—in conformity with His age-old practice― just as He has been raising and commissioning His chosen ones for the guidance and reformation of the world in every age, in the present age, too, He has raised and appointed an elect of His own with the status of an Imam.His honoured name is Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian.The purpose is that the world, under his guidance and by submitting to him, may be able to produce in itself the light of that holy spiritual transformation which is the condition precedent to the prepa- ration of spiritual resurrection so that it may be found worthy of entering and sharing that peaceful and blessed kingdom of God that has been mentioned above and into which no unholy and mischievous person can enter.The other strategy of God Almighty is one of glory and wrath.It is symbolized by the plague and famine.The purpose is that those who fail to reform themselves by benefiting from the gracious arrangements may be warned or destroyed by this wrathful strategy.As is the age-old divine practice, Prophets have come for every spiritual revolution in the past.Whenever the people crossed the limit in disbelieving and rejecting the

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518 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Prophets they were visited by chastisement.The Holy Quran and other holy Scriptures are full of such precedents.So, simi- larly, once again the same thing has happened now.When His Holiness made the argument clear, and fully conveyed it to the world at large, and duly and in every way established his claim to be the divinely appointed Imam—but the world did not desist from denying and denigrating him—God Almighty for His part, in keeping with His age-old practice, delivered this verdict from on high and He sent down a calamity for these present-day disbelievers just as He did in case of the dis- believers of the earlier Prophets.Therefore, this plague is that chastisement which, like the fire that consumes, is reducing the world to ashes.The hadith of the Holy Prophet sa positively records that in the Promised Messiah's time the plague will be so rampant that the earth shall be filled with dead bodies.It is recorded in the Holy Gospel, the Book of Revelation, chapter 16, that at the time of the Messiah's descent mankind will perish due to noxious and grievous sores by which is meant the plague.Besides, the Holy Quran emphatically warns that nations will perish in the Latter Days.For instance the Holy Quran says اِن مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلَّا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيِّمَةِ اَوْ مُعَذِبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا كَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي الْكِتب ["There is not a township but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection, or punish it with a severe punishment.That is written down in the Book.'] (Surah Bani Isrā'il, part فَارْتَقِبُ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّمَاءِ بِدُ خَانٍ مُّبِينٍ يَغْشَى and also in Surah ad-Dukhan (6 Meaning that, watch for the day when the النَّاسَ هَذَا عَذَابٌ اَلِيْم.الخ sky will bring forth a visible smoke that will envelop the people.يَوْمَ نَبْطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكَبْرَى إِنَّا مُنتَقِمُونَ This will be a painful torment; and We shall seize you with the great seizure.Verily, We will exact retribution.Again in Surah al-Qiyamah, Allah says فَإِذَا بَرِقَ الْبَصَرُ وَخَسَفَ الْقَمَرُ وَجُمِعَ الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ يَقُولُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَ اَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ إِلَى رَبَّكَ يَوْمَينِ Meaning that, when the moon and the sun are eclipsed

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 519 in the same month—that is, in Ramadan—people will seek but will not find a place to escape.In addition to all this, there are many prophecies in holy Scriptures about this age.See Isaiah chapter 4 and 66:15; Psalms 50:3; Daniel chapter 12; Ezekiel 37:15–28; Habakkuk chap- ter 3; Zephaniah chapter 3; Micah chapter 4; Matthew 13:40, 24:15–31; Revelation chapters 15 and 16.There is a complete and graphic description of this era within these Scriptures.Of course if the question is asked how should we believe that this chastisement has overtaken us on account of our opposition to the Imam of the Age, the answer to it is based وَ مَا نُهْلِكُ الْقُرَى حَتَّى يَبْعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُوْلًا on the following Quranic verses 'We never destroy a town unless and until We first send our لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولُ ، فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَسُولُهُمْ Messenger to it.Elsewhere God says meaning that, the verdict about the قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ people of an age is delivered only when a Messenger is sent to them.Hence, when on the one hand a Messenger—that is, His Holiness the Imam of the Age-is present who invites the world towards truth and righteousness; and on the other hand, he is rejected with such vehemence; and thirdly, a terrible chas- tisement too is so imminently waiting at the door; can it not be understood that it is this very hostility and opposition of ours that we are mounting against the one commissioned by Allah that has manifested itself in the form of chastisement which is facing us today? In other words, the real cause of this chastisement is none other than the very same denial and rejec- tion that is, in a symbolic shape, confronting the world with Meaning that, and that وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِمُونَ such destruction which they used to mock at shall encompass them.1.Written as in the original letter of Charāgh Dīn; the correct verse is Béc (Sūrah al-Qasas, 28:60).[Publisher]

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520 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION We have seen with our own eyes¹ and heard with our own ears that the opponents used to ridicule and mock the proph- ecy of His Holiness the Messiah of the Age, peace be upon him, regarding the plague which was to overtake the Punjab that had been published four years ago and would demand where the promised plague was.In addition to all this, when there are hundreds of precedents in the Holy Quran and other sacred Scriptures to the effect that in the earlier ages too, the end of those who rejected each and every appointee of God has invariably been death and destruction, and every people were visited by a different kind of affliction, then is there anything that can prevent us from believing that the present chastise- ment is also the result of the very same opposition? Not at all! Indeed, without the least shadow of any doubt, this too is the same weapon of glory and wrath of God Almighty that has always come into being to destroy the opponents of His true Messengers.Now that we know the cause, we should try to apply the cure which is as follows: We should accept the claim of the Imam of this age, the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him); sincerely choose to put on the yoke of obedience to him and try to live, with all honesty, under the benign influence of his guidance and attain a holy and living spiritual transformation which is free from all sin and rebellion.As such each person, family, tribe, or residents of a town who choose to do so shall, by God's grace, be saved from this affliction, because the door to divine acceptance is still open.Therefore, repentance on anyone's part, if sincere, will be accepted.But a time is about to come when people will repent 1.[Comment by the Promised Messiah as] God knows what happened to these eyes afterwards.

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 521 but their repentance will not be accepted.Nations will cry before God but will not be heard.The world shall turn to God, but the outcome will be despair, as is said [in the Holy Quran] There will رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ الَى لَهُمُ الذِكْرَى وَقَدْ جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ come a time when this affliction will spread throughout the world.This catastrophe shall be worldwide.No town or village, except as Allah wills, shall be immune.Rather, the plague shall be rampant even in the rivers and forests.At that time people will try to find a place to flee but will find none.As is said [in On that day يَقُولُ الْإِنْسَانُ يَوْمَيذٍ اَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ كَلَّا لَا وَزَرَ [the Holy Quran man will say, "Whither to escape?" Nay! There is no refuge!'] Because it is the fire of God's wrath, it will not die down until it fulfils its purpose and wreaks vengeance on the opponents of God.Therefore, out of sympathy for mankind of which my heart is full, I hereby warn all of God's creation that before this calamity assumes worldwide proportions and decimates with its poison even the jungles and the rivers, and before this fire of the wrath of God gets ready to reduce the world to ashes, repent and implement what will safeguard you, which is as follows: 1.Believe God to be One; repent of all shirk [association of partners with God], disbelief, and sin.Demolish all apparent and hidden images and idols from your heart and place your reliance only on the One God.2.Believe in all the true Prophets and all the heavenly Scriptures in general, and in the Arabian Prophet Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the Holy Quran in par- ticular, and engage yourself, with sincerity of heart, to follow Islam―the perfect and living religion of Allah the Exalted.3.By sincerely accepting the claim of His Holiness the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, to be the divinely appointed Imam

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522 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION and by entering into his peaceful and blessed Jama'at try to obtain that perfect light of spiritual existence, which delivers a person from this affliction and chastisement of God.4.Everyone should be sincerely penitent in the presence of God and abandon all sin and misdeeds of which one is guilty.He should be ever busy offering the five daily Prayers and otherwise remain engaged in prayer and seeking forgiveness, and always remember death.He should ever remain sincerely busy dis- charging his obligations to God and to His creatures.Also, to the best of his capacity, he should be compassionate to the poor, the weak, and the helpless; and as far as possible, devote his life and property in earnest submission to God with a view to earn- ing His pleasure and in the service of humanity.5.He should sincerely remain obedient and grateful to this kind Government and should never even think of disturbing the peace or becoming involved in any manner of rebellion.6.All residents, whether of towns or villages, should observe the fast and whole communities should go out to the jungles and open spaces and supplicate God with great humility and pathos that He may ward off this imminent catastrophe and during this prayer seek the intercession of all the Prophets and saints in general and of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and of the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, in particular.7.Every nation and group, after earnest penitence and with faith in God, in His Perfect Messenger, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and in the Imam of this age, make earnest requests to His Holiness, the Imam of the age, peace be upon him, to pray that this calamity may be removed.If the world acts

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 523 in accordance with my submission, I declare with full certainty that this ominous visitation will, by God's grace, be removed from that specific person, home, nation, city, or that part of the country where an exemplary kind of pure transformation is brought about because the real cause of it all is sin and the opposition to the Imam of the Age.Therefore, as long as the real cause of this affliction is not removed and the fire of God's wrath, which has been lit due to opposition and sin, is not eradicated, this chastisement will not be averted from the world.But I am afraid the world—taking this submission of mine lightly and ignoring it—will lose the opportunity of acceptance of prayer, closing the door of repent- ance.This happens when mischief crosses the limits and the time for the final verdict arrives.Then, even the prayer [for mercy] of the Prophets in favour of the opponents is not accepted.Look, Hadrat Nuḥas [Noah] prayed for his son Kan'ān who was one of the deniers and disbelievers at the time of the deluge, but his prayer was not accepted (See Sūrah Hūd, Rukū' 2¹).Similarly Pharaoh, when he was on the verge of being drowned, expressed belief in God but it was not accepted.Of course, repentance is accepted [by God] if one repents prior وَلَنْذِيُقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْآ to that specific time.The Holy Quran says meaning that, repentance is accepted دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ when there are only the slightest of signs of impending chas- tisement.I, therefore, remind people again and again that this is merely the beginning of the divine chastisement of the world that has become manifest.Its peak and end is most ter- rible.Therefore, people ought to turn to God before that hour of death and destruction.They should obey God, the Holy Prophets, and the Imam of the Age.They should try to repent 1.Actually this reference appears in Ruku' 4 of Surah Hüd.[Publisher]

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524 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION and abandon sinfulness and seek to ward off this calamity with the help of prayer and seeking forgiveness and by bringing about a virtuous and pure transformation in themselves so that they may remain secure against this cataclysmic chastisement, because there is this firm promise of Allah the Exalted that on such occasions He always bestows protection only to those It is incumbent] ذلِكَ حَقٌّ عَلَيْنَا تُنْجِى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ who believe, as He says upon Us to save believers'].Now I close this subject with the prayer that may Allah save us and indeed all believers from this calamity and guide us to the right path and enable us to achieve mutual peace and amity.Amin, again Amin! Now I would like to submit for the attention of my spiritual brethren of our Jama'at that we have two kinds of means to save ourselves from the fire of divine wrath and this terrible chastise- ment; one is faith, and the second is righteousness.Faith means to believe with absolute certainty that there is no way to escape from this divine chastisement except by having perfect faith in and sincerely following our Guide and Master, His Holiness, the Imam of the Age, peace be upon him.If we will be saved, we will be saved only by sincerely following His Holiness and if we will perish, we will do so only because of opposition to him.Indeed our life and our death lie in submis- sion or in opposition to him.2* Righteousness means that we always remain fearful and be ever on our guard lest, in any matter, we fall short of the guide- lines prescribed by our Guide and Master or lest we remain outside the peace-giving obedience to him such that we sud- denly become the victims of the chastisement of God, because there is no safety or refuge from this chastisement except 1.This is as transcribed in Charagh Din's original declaration.The actual text in the Holy Quran is C (Surah Yūnus, 10:104).[Publisher] 2.This statement of his indeed proved to be exactly true.[Author]

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 525 submission to Ahmadiyya.Whosoever remains within it, will certainly survive.Because we firmly believe that this calamity, which is leading the world to annihilation by killing people, is due only to the opposition to His Holiness the Imam of the Age, peace be upon him, so it would be contrary to the way of Allah for this calamity to adversely affect the sincere fol- lowers of His Holiness in any way.This is an established truth borne out by hundreds of prec- edents recorded in the Holy Quran that, in the earlier ages, the sincere believers of the Prophets, peace be upon them, had been saved at the time of chastisements.This is not something that was operative in the past alone.It is still in operation today as 1 -but with the con كَذلِكَ حَقٌّ عَلَيْنَا نُنْجِى الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ' says the Holy Quran dition that one must be a sincere believer; for, if one is not a believer, one cannot escape simply because of a physical famil- ial nearness of relationship as is illustrated by the case of the wife of Prophet Lūṭ [Lot] and the wife and son of Prophet Nūḥ [Noah].Therefore, it is incumbent upon each and every believing Ahmadi brother that he keep himself engaged in praying and seeking forgiveness, always trembling and fearful lest he be guilty of any major or minor opposition to His Holiness the Imamas of the Age, so that we continue to redeem ourselves from all the defiance that is frequently committed by us due to our ignorance in subtle matters and that God Almighty may save us from His retribution.And as far as we know, we must safeguard ourselves from every disobedience to our Guide, the Imam of the Age, peace be upon him, because this chastisement is destruction for the opponents and a warning and an object lesson for us.Therefore, every one of our brothers should take 1.This is as transcribed in Charāgh Din's original declaration.The actual text in the Holy Quran is (Sūrah Yūnus, 10:104).[Publisher]

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526 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION So] فَاعْتَبِرُوْا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَار heed from observing the fate of others take a lesson, O ye who have eyes!] And keep oneself busy in trying to protect oneself from this calamity.I urge this because it has been disclosed to me that no one who sincerely belongs to this Jama'at shall die of this ail- ment except the one who lives in hypocrisy.Let it be known, therefore, that if anyone belonging to our Jama'at falls victim to this calamity, the condition of his belief and conduct was not commendable for which he has been awarded this pun- ishment.This is so because Allah the Exalted does not allow His sincere believers to be included in the chastisement meant ,she, then فَمَنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَنْ كَانَ فَاسِقَا لَا يَسْتَوْنَ.for His opponents who is a believer like one who is disobedient? They are not equal.] Therefore every believer should be ever apprehensive lest, on account of any kind of defiance, he should be counted among the transgressors having suffered this calamity of divine chastisement.In addition to this, I also submit to my worthy brethren that those who receive this announcement should try, with all their heart and soul, to promote its circulation for the sake of discharging their duty to support our Guide and Master, the True Imam, peace be upon him, and to have sympathy for mankind.If possible, let these words be reprinted by the funds collected from the Jama'ats of your towns and its copies be sent to villages and smaller towns too.Because, barring the obstinate and the prejudiced, naive people are succumbing to this divine retribution simply on account of their ignorance and negligence.Therefore, our Jamā'at is duty-bound to try to invite mankind to the right path and to save them from this deadly chastisement so that - They will bear witness against them شَهِدُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا كَفِرِينَ [Comment].selves that they were disbelievers, Surah al-An'ām, 6:131.

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 527 the existence of this holy Jama'at proves to be beneficial to the welfare and good of humanity and so that the members of this Jama'at may be judged by God Almighty to be deserving of a great reward.[And Allah alone grants the ability].With many greetings of peace, The author of this announcement, the humble one, Charagh Din Ahmadi of Jammu 9 February 1902 CE, Mufid 'Ām Press Sialkot [Footnote by Charāgh Dīn]¹ Here I also consider it appropriate to make it clear that this announce- ment of mine is not just from myself but is from Allah the Exalted as He has appointed me to testify to the truth of the Imam of the Age (peace be upon him) and the conditions of his hallowed times as is 992 of Surah وَالْيَوْمِ الْمَوْعُودِ وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ borne out by the meaning of the verse al-Burūj for ³ [the Promised Day] is none other than the pres- ent age and the term mashhūd (the one who is testified) means the Imam of the Age, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and Shahid stands for those persons who would bear witness to his truth by the command of God Almighty.Therefore, I bear witness with a sincere heart and recognizing Allah the Exalted to be Omnipresent and Omniscient, that without any doubt or reservation whatsoever, His Exalted Holiness, Hadrat Mirzā Ṣāḥib, has been appointed by Allah the Exalted as the Imam of the Age, and that obedience to him is the source of earning Allah's pleasure and any opposition to him is the cause of invoking wrath and displeasure.² Therefore, for the 1.Footnote by Charāgh Dīn is referenced from the main text on page 515.[Publisher] 2.[Comment] Despite knowing this, he had no fear.

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528 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION satisfaction of the world at large, I consider it appropriate to hereby briefly set down some of my own dreams and visions.I Let it be clear to the readers that some twelve years ago I saw in a true dream that a light appeared in the shape of a column.It envel- oped me and transformed my condition, making me pronounce the Kalima-e-Tauhid [Islamic proclamation of the Oneness of Allah].After this, for a little more than a year, I continued to have visions of beholding God Almighty.When this condition began to subside, one night I saw God Almighty in a dream in which I became totally effaced into and united with Him.This state of ecstasy and pleasure in my heart lasted the whole day.After this, some seven years ago, saw in a true dream that a large number of people were waiting at some place for Hadrat Masīḥ [His Holiness the Messiah], peace be upon him, and looking towards the heavens as if Ḥaḍrat Masīḥas was about to descend.I also saw that they were having some hesitation about the building of a minaret for the descent of the Messiah.At that time I was shown written in a revealed book that the minaret upon which the Messiah would descend would be built by the hand of Charagh Din; i.e.this humble one.At the same time it was dis- closed to me as if there was no other person in the world sharing my name in the context of the construction of this minaret.I was then shown in a dream about three years ago that all the nations of the world are making a lot of noise like sparrows.As I was watching them, I received the following revelation from Allah the Exalted: 'Tell them to come to this side so that they may find comfort.Again, after this I saw once in a true dream that an assembly of righteous people was arranged and I was included among them and people were congratulating me.And again I saw [in a dream] that the sincere followers of His Holiness are holding a public meeting in which I have been allotted the task of loudly inviting people to take the bai at [pledge of allegiance] with His Holiness, the Messiah, and take all those who respond into his august presence.Now a year ago

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 529 I saw in a true dream that a light appeared from the West which was many miles wide and as high as the heavens.This light came straight towards me.The closer it came, the less intense it became.When it came close to me, I saw, instead of the light, a single person who was holding in both his hands something that looked like two horse shoes and light came out of them as he moved them.And so as this person came close to me, he announced with great fervour, 'Present the sick!' At his command, I bowed before him.At this, he touched my head with the thing that he was holding in his hand and I saw that I had around my neck an iron shackle like the prisoners which I am opening with both my hands.So, a few days after this, quite like before, I was overtaken by a state of spiritual vision.My heart became steeped in such delight as if I were a king.One day, in a state of simi- lar delight of rapture I was spiritually transported to the presence of the Divine.At that moment the reality about the Christian teach- ings—that is, the reality of the Gospel-was brought home to me.I was informed of the misperceptions of the Christians.Also, it was disclosed to me at the same time as if the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him (i.e.the Messiah of this ummah), was about to descend in all his glory and that I have been appointed to announce his com- ing and to communicate the glad tidings to the nations to join his kingdom.Then a few days later, in a true dream, it was shown to me that bright heavenly bodies looking like the half moon were floating down and that extending my hands, I am catching hold of them with the intent to present them to the Imam of the Age.Again in the same dream I noticed that at a certain place a large number of houses were being built for the Europeans and that on one side a holy person, namely His Holiness, is also seated.On all sides around him there is a curtain on account of which His Holiness is not visible from the outside.And from within the curtain His Holiness is admonishing the builders very severely to make haste and that if the job is not fin- ished by the next day, their contract would be cancelled.Meanwhile, a wind happens to blow which casts aside the curtain behind which

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530 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Huḍūr is seated and the luminous person of His Holiness becomes visible, shining like the sun.And this humble one saw that his blessed face is so very beautiful and bright, as if radiating divine light.I also saw that from head to toe His Holiness is dressed in extremely white and bright clothes.Then, stepping forward, I offered my salām [greeting of peace] and he received me with such kindness and affec- tion as fully convinced me that I have been granted the favour and honour of being his servant, so much so that I find that my own dress has turned white and bright like his.Similarly, a saintly person, after focusing attention, had seen this dream about me that there is a pond, in the centre of which there is a brick building from within which there is emanating a flame of light.The holy person says that when he approached the gate of the building in order to determine the source of the light, he found that I was there inside it.The point of the discourse is that there are many other simi- lar dreams and visions which it will take long to describe.But it is well worth remembering that Allah the Exalted, has, through these dreams and visions, effectively established and proved to this hum- ble one that I am one of the spiritual helpers of His Holiness the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him.Just as he was shown two help- ers, in a true dream, in the early part of his claim to be the Messiah, the truth of which is testified to by a hadith of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to the effect that the Promised Messiah will descend resting his hands on the shoulders of two angels or men, hence my dreams and visions, as briefly described above, amply prove that of the two helpers mentioned in the blessed visions seen by the Holy Prophets and by His Holiness, I happen to be one of them.It is so, firstly, because I have been shown written in a revealed book that the minaret at which the Messiah will descend shall be built by the hand of this humble one.Secondly, in a vision God appointed me to proclaim the majestic descent of the Messiah and to convey the glad tidings to the nations that they should enter his kingdom.

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REMEDY FOR PLAGUE-CHARĀGH DIN'S DECLARATION WHEN AHMADI 531 Thirdly, through His revelation, God has commanded me to invite nations to the deliverance from the plague.Fourthly, God sent down bright heavenly bodies to this humble one, by way of support to the Holy Imam of the Age.Fifthly, by His Holiness, I was granted the exalted office of being his attendant and attorney.Sixthly, I was bestowed the service of inviting nations to enter into the covenant of bai'at with His Holiness.In the face of such self-evident arguments, is there: any possibil- ity to doubt that I am entitled to be one of the supporters of His Holiness mentioned in the hadith and true dreams? No, not at all.Of course, I confess I do not have the scholarly or financial where- withal to reasonably claim to be a helper of His Holiness for, on both these counts, I find myself still unequipped and lacking.But I have faith in the promises and reassurances accorded to me by God that He will certainly bring this about.Rather, I hereby declare, with full certainty, that I shall not be made to leave this world until I fully carry out the service allotted to this humble one.Because His will and promises cannot be thwarted, I, therefore claim with self-assur- ance that I am the Messenger of the Promised Messiah's glorious advent.It is because hitherto the Promised Messiah's advent had been compassionate in nature and henceforth his coming shall be glorious in nature.In other words, people were persuaded and made to understand things, until now, in a gentle manner.But now God Almighty shall warn by means of His glorious and wrathful recourse, and it is to announce this very fact that I have been appointed.[Author Charagh Din]

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Letter of Abdur-Rahman Muhy-ud-Din of Lakhukay (p.1) Impression of the original script of Abdur-Rahman Muhy-ud-Din of Lakhukay ( مسقط برای عبد الرحمن بھی الدین لکھو کے والے متعلق نشان نیز (۱۹) اب مرزا کا دعوی نہیں غلط البسم الله العر الحيم عامه ماعلينا اما بعد از عبد الغنم من الدين بجمن اهل الوع عرض یہ بھی کہ اصحابی نے دعاء کی کہ یا چینی اخبرنی مرزا کا کیا حال ہے خواب میں بہم العام ہوا ان فرعون وجنودهما كانوا قام خطيان و ان شما نشده هو الابتر مرزا کی طرف سے جواب آنا یہ امام محتمل انتخا این انجلین مورا م نہیں اور بڑی زور دعوی کیا کہ میری نام سے العام نہ بخشا جائیگا پر دو العام مذکور یکی پیر کو ہو جب مرزا کا جواب تر گیا ہی نہیں ماہ صفر کر خواب می خوا مرزا صاحب فرعون الحمد لا 1.A typed version and translation of the above text is given under the One Hundred Sixtieth Sign on page 446.[Publisher]

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Letter of Abdur-Rahman Muhy-ud-Din of Lakhukay (p.2) Impression of the original script of Abdur-Rahman Muhy-ud-Din Lakhukay اور جس وقت مجھکو مہا العام سوالتا خواب من بیدار ہوتے تھے یہ تعبیر دل میں آئی کہ فرعوان مرزامات اور مامانی نوردی مجھی اہل اسلام کے خیر خواہی کیلئی اطلاع دینی ضرورتی ماشین تون بھی ہیں حق کمی دی انتی بیک پر روانہ ا یہ اہل نفاق بلائین بریان لوکال دین کے 16 الحب و عند الضريح النبع لیو کے بقعه تاریخ به ماده در بیع الاول کاشت اور

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EPILOGUE TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيمِ * 2 After finishing this book, such important facts became known, the inclusion of which into this book is necessary for the completion of this book.Those issues are discussed in what follows: 1.The mubahalah [prayer duel] with Charāgh Dīn of Jammu has already been recorded in this book.Although it is a Sign by delib- erating over which alone, a person who submits to the demands of reason, justice, and honesty, and who does not abandon the course of piety, can realize that I am from God and that I am in the right; nevertheless, the doubt could cross the mind of a sceptic that since Charagh Dīn had already died of the plague, this mubahalah might not have been from him, and the text of the mubahalah might have been composed on my own after his death.I, therefore, postponed the publication of this book until Charagh Din's heirs or friends published his book which contains the text of this mubahalah.So, by the grace and 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[Publisher] 2.We praise Him and invoke blessings on His Noble Messenger sa.[Publisher]

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536 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION compassion of Allah the Exalted, their hearts were moved to publish that book which contains the essay of the mubahalah and then they published that book in a matter of a few weeks and they named that book I jāz-e-Muḥammadi.The most gratifying part of this is that, despite their intense opposition, they could not remove the essay of the mubahalah from the book I jāz-e-Muḥammadi.It appears that Charāgh Din had, while he was still alive, publicly expressed his inten- tion of writing an essay by way of a mubahalah so that the one who is a liar should perish.With great audacity and arrogance, he had labelled me a dajjal and had alleged in his book Mināratul-Masiḥ [‘The Minaret of the Messiah'] that I was none other than the promised Dajjal who was to come.He had further written that, during a dream, Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsāªs [Jesus] had given a staff to him so that with this staff he could kill this Dajjāl.Then, once he wrote the wording of the mubahalah in his book I'jāz-e- Muḥammadi, soon after its compilation, he contracted the plague.Although he was unable to publish his book within his lifetime, he had explicitly announced his intention to enter into the mubahalah and had shown the text of the mubahalah to a number of people.Moreover, he had submitted the article to the scribe for transcription.This is why his friends, despite their intense opposition, could not muster the courage to expunge the text of the mubahalah from the book.In actual fact, this was an act of Allah the Exalted that He prevented those people from realizing that the publication of the text concerning the muba- halah would prove that Charāgh Dīn was a liar, because when Charagh Din handed over the text of the mubahalah to the scribe for transcription, both his sons-for there were only two-contracted the plague and died that very same day.Furthermore, that text had not yet been transferred to

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EPILOGUE TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI the stone slab (for printing) when Charāgh Dīn himself, by falling victim to the plague, delivered the verdict on the dispute between the two of us with his own death.In short, the text of the mubahalah had become a well-known incident.This is why his friends published it nonetheless as part of the book Ijaz-e-Muḥammadi.When that text had been printed, we also purchased several copies of that book so that people would know that the text of the Mubahalah that we had published as part of our book Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥī is exactly from this very Charagh Din.Although all this was sufficient evidence for public satisfaction, I felt that if we could get the original mubaha- lah text which was written by Charāgh Dīn's own hand, and then take a photo of it, this evidence would have added lustre.Great effort was made for this objective and in the end, after the publication of the book, we were able to obtain not only that text, but also the entire manuscript of the book from the scribe of I‘jāz-e-Muḥammadi.After this, I tried to have a photo taken of this text in some way.To this end, through the efforts of brother Maulawī Muḥammad 'Ali M.A., letters were writ- ten to the publishing houses in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras where photos of written manuscripts are taken.Although very high rates were quoted for making the pho- tocopy-fifty rupees per page—we agreed to everything.This was the very reason why the publication of the book Ḥaqiqatul- Waḥi was delayed so much.In the end, with the grace of God Almighty, we succeeded in taking the image of that manuscript.Therefore, that image has been included in this epilogue.' The original writing of Charagh Din which is the text of the 537 1.The photocopy of the handwritten mubahalah challenge to Charagh Din, res- ident of Jammu is given on pages 507–512.The translation is given on pages 474-479.[Publisher]

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538 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION mubahalah, indeed the whole book in the handwriting of Charāgh Din, is safe in our possession and whoever wishes to see it may do SO, but for anyone who recognizes Charāgh Din's handwriting, it is not necessary to see the signed manuscript of Charagh Din which is in our possession; rather, he would be satisfied by seeing its image.2.The second point worthy of being recorded in this epilogue comprises those few prophecies which were fulfilled after the book Haqiqatul-Waḥi was finished.There is also a prophecy which is a Sign belonging to the past.I did not remember to record it at the time of writing the other Signs.This is why it is now recorded in the epilogue.It is a great Sign of which many of the most vehement enemies and opponents of the author are witnesses.Therefore, I thought it proper that I should record this Sign too along with those Signs in the epilogue.They are as follows:

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[Signs] [Continued from Sign Number 187] 1.FIRST SIGN [188]—This Sign relates to Nawab Muḥammad Ali Khan, the Chief of Malerkotla, concerning whom Allah the Exalted revealed to me that his wife would soon die.Along with the news of her death God also said: درد ناک دُکھ اور درد ناک واقعہ Painful sorrow and painful event.I communicated this sad news first to the people of my home and then to others; I later had the prophecy published in the newspapers Badr and al-Hakam.I was given this intimation by Allah the Almighty when the Nawab's [Muḥammad Ali Khan] wife was hale and hearty.About six months later she began to suffer from tuberculosis; she was provided every possible treatment but in the month of Ramadan 1324 Hijrah she departed from this transitory world.Nawab Ṣāḥib had also been informed of this prophecy beforehand.Our learned friends Hakeem Maulawi Noor Deen, Maulawi Sayyed Muḥammad Ahsan, and most of the respected members of this Jama'at know of this prophecy.Allah the Exalted, says in the Holy Quran: فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِةٍ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَّسُولٍ.1.Surah al-Jinn, 72:27-28 [Publisher]

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540 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Meaning that, God does not reveal the plainly clear and manifestly lucid knowledge of the unseen to anyone except His Messengers.It is therefore evident that there cannot possibly be a brighter hallmark of a Sign than the pronouncement of a fully detailed proph- ecy and its eventual manifest fulfilment exactly in the manner detailed.2.SECOND SIGN [189]-Among those Signs the second Sign is that on 30 July 1906 and on several days thereafter, I was informed by rev- elation that a member of my Community would die suddenly by the bursting of his belly in the month of Sha‘bān.In accordance with the prophecy, Miyāń Ṣāḥib Nūr, the migrant and companion of Ṣāḥibzādah Maulawī ‘Abdul-Laṭīf Ṣāḥib, suddenly died of a burst belly in Sha'bān AH 1324.It was learnt that he had been suffering from a gastric tumour, but he did not feel any discomfort.He was a rather robust and strong young man.All of a sudden he felt pain in his stomach and his last words that he cried three times were, 'My belly has burst'; after which he died.And as foretold in the prophecy, he died suddenly in the month of Sha'bān.This prophecy had been published well before its fulfilment in the newspapers Badr and al-Hakam.3.THIRD SIGN [190]-Among other Signs is the death of Sa'dullah of Ludhiana, which took place in accordance with a prophecy, the detail of which follows.When Munshi Sa'dullah of Ludhiana exceeded all limits in his foul and abusive diatribes, and hurled so much abuse upon me, employing prose and poetry, that I believe he had the filthiest tongue from among my foul-mouthed enemies in the Punjab, it was then that I prayed to God Almighty that he may die a death of disappointment¹ during my own 1.As I will explain later that this man, i.e.Sa'dullāh, had predicted my death and announced that in his own lifetime I would die a disgraceful death.I had announced that he would die in my own lifetime.In the end my God proved me right and he died in the first week of January 1907, taking his frustration and humiliation with him.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 541 lifetime and may his death be disgraceful.His verbal abuses were not the solitary cause of this prayer; rather, its main cause was that he was desirous of my death and used to heap curses upon me in verse and prose.On account of his foolishness and ignorance, he desired my death and destruction from the very bottom of his heart, and it was his habit to pronounce ["The curse of Allah be upon the liars'] upon me.He ardently wished that I may die and perish within his own lifetime and that this Movement may suffer loss and decline so that I may be proven to be an impostor and thus become the target of curses by the people.Although all my enemies harbour similar designs—to see me die and that I should die within their lifetime-but this man exceeded them all and fully participated in all the evil design which my unfor- tunate opponents tried to hatch.I do not believe that anyone has ever heaped such filthy abuse upon any Prophet and Messenger [of God] since the creation of this world as he has hurled upon me.Anyone who might have come across his hostile poems, writings, and announcements would know how eager he was for my death and destruction, and how deeply desirous he was to see me humiliated and disappointed, and the extent to which his heart had become filthy on account of his hostility to me.It was because of all this that I had prayed for a death of frustration and disgrace for him within my lifetime.God was pleased to decree accordingly and he died within a few hours during the first week of January 1907 from the pneu- monic plague and left this transient world along with all his manifold frustrations.Maulawi Thana'ullāh, editor of Ahl-e-Hadith newspaper, has indi- cated the anguish and frustration in the death of Sa'dullah on page four of his paper, and writes that his son had become engaged to Ḥājī 'Abdur-Rahim's daughter and the marriage ceremony was about to take place, but Sa'dullah died.Sa'dullāh was not even bestowed the oppor- tunity to witness the wedding of his son.He only had one son, and he had gotten together all the things needed for the wedding and he

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542 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION was ready to take this inauspicious event to its conclusion within a few days, but the Angel of Death intervened and took hold of him.This observation on the part of Maulawi Thana'ullāh is quite understandable because some of my followers had repeatedly reproached him by saying, 'Some thirteen years ago, the Promised Messiah had received the following revelation about you: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ Meaning that, your foul-mouthed opponent Sa'dullah's lineal succession shall be cut off.Then, why do you not marry your son with someone to allow your lineal succession to continue?' It is, therefore, quite probable that in the face of such persistent reproaches, Sa'dullāh might have made some wedding arrangements for his son.But the arrangements for the wedding were still being made when Sa'dullah's time arrived to depart for the next world.Hence, the death of Sa'dullah as soon as he started talking of [his son's] 'marriage' is, indeed, a disappointment.Therefore, there can be no doubt that he died a death of disappointment in accordance with my prophecy.And without a doubt, this is a disgraceful death and he could not ward off— try as he did the intent of the prophecy that his lineal succession would not continue; nor was he able to defy the prophecy through any power [of his own] that he would die during my lifetime; and that, too, after witnessing my multifaceted progress.As for Maulawi Thana'ullah's excuse published in his newspaper dated 8 February 1907 in which he asserts that since Sa'dullah had left behind a son, how can he be called 'issueless, this is the kind of state- ment that exposes that he is either suffering from self-deception or is deliberately trying to deceive others; for any sensible person can easily comprehend that what Allah the Exalted had disclosed to me through His revealed Word is not a statement about Sa'dullah's pre-existing condition.Also, everyone knows that at the time when the prophecy was announced Sa'dullāh's fifteen or fourteen year old son was alive but

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 543 despite the existence of the boy, God had designated him i.e.issueless, and had declared your slanderer who shall be issueless.[abtar], that it is not you but Since in his writings, Sa'dullah repeatedly alleged that this person [i.e.me] is an impostor and would quickly be destroyed and that noth- ing would remain of him; therefore, in response to his words, which were full of sheer insolence and mischief, Allah the Exalted said, that, in the end, he himself would be destroyed and that no trace of his would be left behind.The prophecy should, therefore, be interpreted keeping in mind the context of the prophecy itself, for it forecasts the termina- tion of lineal descent by declaring null and void the currently alive and existing boy and indicates that his existence or non-existence are equal.In this context, therefore, quoting the Qāmūs¹ etc.on the meaning of the word [abtar] is sheer nonsense and stupidity.The premise of this case is not that the boy was born after the prophecy.On the contrary, the boy who is present now was fifteen or fourteen years old at the time the prophecy was made, and he should be about thirty or twenty-nine at the present moment.Since he was very much alive when the proph- ecy was announced, an intelligent person can understand clearly that in the context of the prophecy, he is as good as non-existent and that after him succession comes to an end.This is what Allah the Exalted had made me to understand from it.No one can understand the meaning of a revelation better than its recipient, nor does anyone have the right to oppose his interpretation.Thus, since God Almighty has disclosed this to be the very meaning of the prophecy that this boy is as good as non-existent that Sa'dullāh's succession will not go beyond him— and upon him the progeny of Sa'dullah would end, then how utterly obstinate it is to go on insisting that Sa'dullāh was survived by a son subsequent to his own death! O foolish one! This boy was very much alive when the prophecy was made.A close study of the Arabic idiom would show that the term 1.An Arabic lexicon.[Publisher]

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544 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION [abtar] does not indicate that someone having children should die in a situation that all his children die in his lifetime.The actual indica- tion of the term is the termination of the lineage.In the Arabic lexicon [batr بث ,meaning that - اَلْبَتْرُ : اِسْتِنْصَالُ الشَّيْءِ قَطعًا batr] means] بثر the term is said of something that is cut down to the very root, to eradicate something completely.Thus, it is clear that this prophecy was about the future generation; that is to say, that lineal descent would terminate with the present boy and no future progeny would come from the existing boy as we shall discuss in detail in the following pages.In short, anyone possessing a nature endowed with the slightest of sense and shame would understand that when Allah the Exalted prophesies with respect to a particular person that his lineal succession would be cut off, the prophecy does not necessarily require that all his progeny should die in his very lifetime.Were it so, how would one designate the abolition of lineal succession when a person dies leaving behind one or two sons and sometime later these two boys also die, leaving no progeny behind? Is there any word in the Arabic lexicon to describe such a situation other than [abtar]? And would it be permissible to say that such a person is not issueless and the meaning ‘total eradication' does not apply to him? Obviously this kind of thinking is nothing short of senseless stupidity.And in the Arabic language there is no other word except [abtar] to describe the condition of this kind of end to lineal succession.In fact, Arabs call a person [abtar] whose offspring die during his lifetime or after his death, leaving him with the title of having no sons and his succession is cut off.In any case, in every country a person is invariably described as [abtar] who happens to be issueless and whose line of succes- sion has been terminated.No renowned scholar of the Arabic lexicon has ever stipulated that the binding condition precedent to being [abtar] is that a person's offspring should also die in his own lifetime.Furthermore, if a person's offspring do not die in his own lifetime but do so after his death and cut off his bloodline, does the Arabic language describe him by a name other than [abtar]? Indeed, as stated before,

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 545 the etymology of this word has a very wide connotation, for [batr] in Arabic means to cut the very root.Let it be clearly understood that the Arabic term [abtar] has a very wide import.Lisänul-'Arab¹ says: [abtar] means to root out, to eradicate, to cut from the very root.A second meaning of [batr] is to cut off the tail etc.1.[abtar] is said of the one whose tail has been cut off.2.A particular species of snakes is also called [abtar].This kind of snake is called Satan.If a pregnant woman happens to look at it, a miscarriage takes place.3.And it is stated in the aḥādīth that every major action which is not commenced with glorification of Allah is [abtar].4.And [abtar] is also said of one who has no successor, i.e.he has no son, or whose son has no son.According to Lisänul-Arab: ['aqib] means a son, as well as the son of a son.As such, anyone without a son is [abtar] and one whose son is without a son is also [abtar].But, a person cannot be called [abtar] if any son from among his several sons becomes the cause of the continuity of his lineal succession.Thus, the person who dies and leaves no such child behind is also called [abtar].The following words of God Almighty have been interpreted accordingly: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الابتر 1.A classical Arabic dictionary.[Publisher] 2.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue (Surah al-Kauthar, 108:4).[Publisher]

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546 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION This verse was revealed about 'Ãs bin Wa'il when he came across the Holy Prophets who was sitting [somewhere].Pointing at the Holy Prophets, he said, ‘He is [abtar]', meaning that he has no son or a son's son.At this, addressing the Holy Prophetsa, God Almighty said, ‘O Muḥammad, your detractor is in fact the one who is [abtar].' In other words, it has been so ordained that the progeny, of which he is so proud, shall be destroyed, in his own lifetime or soon after his death, and his lineal succession will be cut off.It is quite clear that ‘Āṣ bin Wa'il had children at that time.For, if he himself had been [abtar-without an heir], it would have been baseless on his part to abuse the Holy Prophets as [abtar].In short, it was a prophecy of God that his bloodline would be cut off in his own lifetime or thereafter.In fact, this was exactly what happened.It seems that he did leave some offspring behind who were wiped out after his death.Had his progeny died in his own lifetime it would certainly have been mentioned.The translation of the remaining part [of the definition in Lisānul- Arab] is that here the term [abtar] can also be legitimately translated to mean one who is deprived of all that is good and is unfortunate.Furthermore, according to a hadith reported by Ibn-e-'Abbās, when Ibn-e-Ashraf came to Makkah, the Quraish said to him, 'You are the best of the Medinites and their chief'; he replied, 'Yes, I am exactly that.At this the Quraish replied: 'Don't you see that this man’— meaning the Holy Prophetsª—‘is weak, frail, and unimportant? He has no son, no brother; nor is he accompanied by any group of friends.He is alone, single-handed and cut off by his people who, on account of their religious hostility, have expelled him from their community and issued the edict that no one should interact with him or show any sympathy to him; and despite the fact that this man is neither held in any esteem nor does anyone know who he is, he still believes that he is better than us.But we are an honourable group of people, all those who have performed the Pilgrimage are from among us; we are their chiefs and we are the custodians of the Ka'bah and those responsible for its

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 547 service.We also have the exclusive honour of offering drinking water to the pilgrims.This man on the contrary amounts to nothing.' Upon hearing all these things, the unfortunate Ibnul-Ashraf replied, 'Of course you are better than this fellow who claims to be a Prophet.' It was then that God Almighty revealed about him and about the entire group of Quraish who used to say [abtar], and said: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْابْتَرُ [abtar] [abtar] Meaning that, Ibnul-Ashraf who said the Holy Prophets was and the disbelievers among the Quraish who also called him are in fact [abtar]; that is to say, their lineal succession would be cut off and every one of them would die deprived of any good and devoid of all blessings.Now, no one can prove that all the Quraish who called the Holy Prophets [abtar] lost all their sons in their own lifetime or that they did not have any children.Were it so, they would never have desig- nated him the Holy Prophets [abtar].No intelligent person [abtar] himself a person should can ever accept that despite being denounce another as [abtar].Therefore, one has to acknowledge that the Quraish did indeed have offspring.The second possibility that all their offspring died in their own lifetime is simply unthinka- ble.Reason can never accept such a possibility because there were not just one or two evil-minded and unholy people who used to say this about the Holy Prophet; such people ran into hundreds, and their offspring numbered into the thousands, and had they all died in their parents' lifetime, surely it would have raised great hue and cry in the land because such miraculous deaths of thousands of children and the deaths of their fathers who later died in an issueless condition was not the kind of miracle that could have remained a secret.Furthermore, it 1.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue (Surah al-Kauthar, 108:4).[Publisher]

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548 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION was but necessary that this should have been mentioned in the books of aḥadīth and history.For a certainty, therefore, it shows that after their death most of them were survived by their offspring and later in the course of time, in conformity with the prophecy, their lineal descent gradually petered out.Hence, the Quranic prophecy about the infidels of Quraish, namely: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْابْتَرُ is exactly like the one I made regarding Sa'dullāh of Ludhiana on the basis of revelation of God Almighty and its fulfilment too will be sim- ilar.Let those who have ears that hear, listen! The translation of the remaining part of Lisanul-Arab is that the word [abtar] is applied also to a pauper and to a person suffering from loss, and also to implements like waterskins and leather buckets that are without a handle.All this shows that the term [abtar] is not exclusively meant to describe the condition of being without sons; rather [abtar] applies to every unfortunate and ineffectual one who is unsuccessful and ever in a state of loss.For instance, Sa'dullāh died in a state of frustration in achieving his schemes.He had certain plans against me which he absolutely failed to carry out.These will be discussed later.The foregoing investigation also proves that to be [abtar] one doesn't have to die a childless death.Even if his line of suc- cession is cut off after him and does not go beyond his grandson, even then he is called [abtar].As it has been pointed out before, hun- dreds of the evil-minded Quraish had designated the Holy Prophetsa [abtar] and these people possessed offspring.Islamic history does not prove that their sons and grandsons had died in their own life- time.Rather, it was later that their line of succession was gradually 1.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue (Surah al-Kauthar, 108:4).[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 549 cut off.Hence, the sole purpose of the prophecy which God Almighty revealed to me was that in the end, Sa'dullah's bloodline would be ter- minated; consequently, its signs too became so manifest that despite the fact that since [the announcement of] the prophecy some twelve years have passed but neither he nor his son have been granted any son.Does this state of affairs not give at least some fragrance of the impact of the prophecy? Sa'dullah remained alive for about twelve years after the prophecy and all the while he did have a wife, but the process of having children was blocked very much like a dam is built to block a flood.And the son, who was present, and fifteen years of age at the time of the prophecy, came to be thirty years old, but could not even get married.Sa'dullāh was a robust young man, and was capable of having quite a number of sons born into his household after the prophecy, but no son was born to him who survived from the time of the prophecy until the day of his death, nor did his son have any children.Indeed, he is still deprived of marriage and it is said that he is perhaps thirty years old or even older.Thus, the prophecy has manifested its truth, because, subsequent to the prophecy, Allah the Exalted put a stop to the birth of offspring in Sa'dullah's household.Anyone possessing a grain of decency and dignity can understand that the cessation of the process of childbirth for the next twelve years starting immediately with the prophecy, and [ending with] the death of Sa'dullāh in this very condition, is no ordi- nary event that can be overlooked, particularly in view of the ill-fated Sa'dullah's declaration against me that I would be destroyed together with all my children and that nothing would remain of me, and that my Jama'at would disperse in utter disarray.God revealed to me concerning him that: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ Meaning that, it will not be you who will become [abtar] but it will

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550 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION be your maligner who shall remain [abtar].So now we should see what the end result of this prophecy was! It is quite evident that the result was that the ill-fated Sa'dullah became the target of wrath and anger, and became [abtar] in every meaning attached to the word in the lexicons.He was frustrated and thwarted in his designs, which is one meaning of the term [abtar] and I have just written out this meaning.Secondly, this meaning also proved true in his case that, in the end, he took up employment under Christian missionaries who are ever busy trying to malign the reli- gion of Islam and thus he opted for a life of humiliation and became deprived of the goodness and blessing which is the lot of anyone who honours Islam.This was the consequence of his dedicated opposition against truth out of sheer mischief and mundane motives.Therefore, he suffered the regression that he did not accept the yoke of obedience to me, but accepted the yoke of obedience to the Christian missionaries.Thus, in this sense also he is adjudged to be [abtar].Furthermore, as I have already stated, he also became [abtar] in the sense that, from the moment that God pronounced about him: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ [It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.] Allah the Exalted put a seal on his wife's womb.This revelation was communicated to him in very clear words that from now until death no children would be born to your household; nor shall your lineal succession continue afterward.For a certainty, he must have tried very hard to have children to fal- sify this revelation; but all these efforts were to no avail, and in the end he died in frustration with every meaning of [abtar] proving true about him.While on the other hand he repeatedly supplicated against me, that this man is an impostor, he shall perish, his progeny too will die, and his Jamā'at will disintegrate, but the result of it was that three sons were born in my household after receiving this revelation:

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ 551 [It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.] And the membership of my Jama'at increased to more than 300,000 and hundreds of thousands of rupees poured in and many Christians and Hindus became Muslims through my preaching.Is this not, then, a Sign? Has this prophecy not been fulfilled? To allege that Sa'dullah's son is now engaged to 'Abdur-Raḥīm's daughter and will soon be mar- ried and that children will be born, is wishful thinking and is just idle talk which is worth a laugh.And the answer to this also is that the promises of God can never remain unfulfilled.This point should be made after marriage takes place and a child is born too.As of now, integrity demands that they should ponder seriously how this prophecy which Allah the Exalted manifested through me has been fulfilled in the same manner as the prophecy: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَبْتَرُ made by the Holy Quran, was fulfilled.As I have already stated, twelve years ago, God revealed to me about him that: 1.This wish is quite like that of 'Abdul-Haqq Ghaznavi / Amritsarī, when af- ter the mubahalah, spelling out its effect on his own person, he had said, 'My brother has died, I have married his widow.She is now pregnant and will give birth to a son and it would be considered the effect of the mubahalah.' But the end result of that pregnancy was that nothing was born; and despite the passage of as many as : fourteen years, he continues to be condemned to lead a life of frustration and humiliation.In contrast, after the mubahalah, I have been blessed with the birth of a number of sons, and hundreds of thousands of people have sworn allegiance to me, and hundreds of thousands of rupees have poured in, and my fame has reached the ends of the world with honour, and most of my enemies died after the mubahalah and thousands of heavenly Signs were manifested at my hands.(Author) 2.Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue (Surah al-Kauthar, 108:4).[Publisher]

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552 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ [It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.] And the door to the birth of children for Sa'dullāh was closed after this revelation.And Allah the Exalted, smiting his face with his own curses, granted me three sons after this revelation, and caused tens of millions of people to hold me in great esteem.The financial victories I was bestowed, both in cash and in kind, and the variety of gifts that I received, were so many that if put together they would fill up a number of rooms.Sa'dullah desired that I should be abandoned and left alone with no one to keep me company.Hence, Allah the Exalted frustrated him in his design and caused many hundreds of thousands of people to become associated with me.He desired that people should not help me, but Allah the Exalted made him witness in his own lifetime how an entire world had turned to me to be of assistance to me.And Allah the Exalted helped me financially in such a manner as none else had been helped for hundreds of years.He had desired that I should remain deprived of every honour, but God caused thousands belonging to every echelon of society to submit to me with their heads bowed.He desired that I should die in his very lifetime and that my children too should die, but Allah the Exalted caused him to die in my lifetime and in the period from the day of this revelation He bestowed upon me three more sons.Thus he died a death of frustration and disgrace.This, indeed, was what I had prophesied and it was fulfilled by the grace of Allah the Exalted.And this prophecy in which I had written that he would die a death of frustration and disgrace during my lifetime, has been described in the following Arabic verses which form part of my book Anjām-e-Atham:

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553 EPILOGUE-SIGNS نُطْفَةَ غُوْلًا لَّعِيْنًا وَ مِنَ اللَّقَامِ أَرى رُجَيْلًا فَاسِقًا السُّفَهَاءِ ☆ From among the sinners, I perceive one who is rebellious- A devil condemned and the spawn of fools." ☆ نَحْسُ يُسَمَّى السَّعْدَ فِي الْجُهَلَاءِ شکش خَبِيثٌ مُفْسِدٌ وَمُزَوِّرٌ He is evil-tongued, evil-minded, a mischief-monger, and a glib liar; An accursed one whom the ignorant have named Sa'd.يَا لَاعِنِي إِنَّ الْمُهَيْمِنَ يَنْظُرُ قَهْر رَبِّ قَادِرٍ مَوْلَائِن Oye who invokes God's curse upon me! [Beware,] God is watching you! Fear the wrath of God, who is my All-Powerful Master.أَرَاكَ تَمِيْسُ بالخيلاء أَنَسِيْتَ يَوْمَ الطَّعْنَةِ النَّجْلَاءِ I see that you walk with conceit and arrogance- Do you not fear the day when you will die by the plague that wounds? يُلْقِيكَ حُبُّ النَّفْسِ فِي الْخَوْقَاءِ لَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ نَفْسِكَ شَقْوَةً Be not the unfortunate victim of your selfish desires; Your self-admiration will drop you down a dark pit.خَفْ إِنْ تُزِلَّكَ عَدْوُ ذِي عَدْوَاءِ فَرَسٌ خَبِيثٌ خَفْ ذُرَى صَهَوَاتِهِ Your ego is a wicked horse-Fear the height of this horse's back; Fear lest its wild gallop thrust you.down Ироп.the earth.إِنَّ السُّمُوْمَ لَشَرُّ مَا فِي الْعَالَمِ السُّمُوْمِ عَدَاوَةُ الصُّلَحَاءِ Poisons are the worst of all that exists in the world; And the enmity of the virtuous is worse than all poisons.1.As I have already written, these few verses were written with a clear con- science when the ill-fated Sa'dullah's use of abusive language had exceeded all bounds.(Author)

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION اذَيْتَنِي خُبْنا فَلَسْتُ بِصَادِقٍ إِن لَّمْ تَمُتْ بِالْخِزْيِ يَا ابْنَ بِغَاءِ By your wickedness you have caused me great pain; I would not be the truthful one, if you do not die in disgrace.554 حَتَّى يَجِيءَ النَّاسُ تَحْتَ لِوَائِن الله يُخْرَى حِزْبَكُمْ وَ يُعِزُّنِي God will not only disgrace you—He will disgrace you along with your followers, yet He shall bestow honour upon me, So much so that people will come into submission under my flag.يَا يَا مَنْ يَّرى قَلْبِي وَ لُبَّ لِحَائِن ربَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا بِكَرَامَةٍ Our Lord! Settle this affair between me and Sa'dullāh; that is, cause the liar to die in the presence of the truthful one.O [Ye All-Seeing One] who sees my heart, and sees what is concealed within me! يَا مَنْ أَرى أَبْوَابَهُ مَفْتُوحَةً لِلسَّائِلِينَ فلا تَرُدَّ دُعَائِي O my God! I see the doors to Your grace ever open For those who pray, therefore accept my prayer regarding Sa'dullāh and do not reject it—that is, make him die the death of disgrace in my own lifetime.The death of Sa'dullah is not one Sign but three: (1) My prophecy regarding his death; (2) Falsity of his prophecy about my death by way of the mubahalah.He had prophesied that I would die in his lifetime; (3) Acceptance of my prayer regarding his death.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 555 I have provided a translation of all these couplets below each couplet, the reading of which will clarify that I had engaged in a mubahalah [prayer duel] through them with Sa'dullah.And just as he had sought my death during his own lifetime by way of the mubahalah in his book Shahab-e-Thaqib ["The Piercing Flame'], so did I, challenging him, seek from my God the death of whichever one of us two is the liar, within the lifetime of the one who is truthful.This is why in the eighth couplet given above, I have said that, O Sa'dullāh, you have given me immense pain; thus, if you did not die a shameful death—that is, if in accordance with the aforesaid mubahalah, you fail to die a death marked by frustration during my own lifetime—I would be proven to be a liar.And in the fourth couplet, it also has been indicated clearly that Sa'dullah would die of the pneumonic plague.The term tanah indicates the term ṭā'un, that is, plague, and najlā' in Arabic means a vast wound.And this indeed is exactly what happens in the case of pneumonic plague, the lung becomes sore and bursts, resulting in a vast lesion.Even more remarkable is the fact that this prophecy was made when there was no trace of the plague in this country.This is, indeed, an example of the utmost depth and profundity of the knowl- edge of the Omnipotent and Omniscient God, that He intimated the very nature of Sa'dullah's death at a time when this entire country was free from the plague.The prophecy of God Almighty contained in the foregoing poetic verses indicated that Sa'dullah would die in disgrace and humiliation in my very lifetime.The prophecy was fulfilled in its entirety and the pneumonic plague did away with him completely in a few hours and he passed away from this world in the very first week of January 1907.But here the question naturally arises as to why such a prophecy was made and why patience was not exercised in the face of such abuse? The answer is that Sa'dullāh had published his prophecy about my death and about the apostasy and disintegration of my Jama'at four years before this prophecy in his book Shahāb-e-Thāqib.In this book he had written categorically that this man is a liar and an impostor

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556 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Couplets of Sa'dullah and, therefore, he would die an ignominious death and that his Jama'at would disintegrate and scatter.He had employed the most abusive language in conveying this news.Therefore, Allah the Exalted, whose indignation is aroused when the honour of the truthful is threatened, caused his prophecy to recoil upon him.The ill-fated Sa'dullah had named his book Shahāb-e-Thāqib bar Masīḥ-e-Kādhib which means that fire shall descend upon this false Messiah¹ and destroy him.The prophecy he made about me consists of some Persian couplets and it is as follows: بے رونقی و سلسلہ ہائے مزوری اخذ یمین و قطع وتین است بهر تو آخر بروز حشر و بایں دار خاسری اکنون باصطلاح شما نام ابتلا است The translation of these verses-which he addresses to me in his book-is the following: It has been ordained by God that He would seize you and cut your jugular vein and then, after your death, this, your false Movement, will be destroyed.And although you people say that trials do indeed come, on the Day of Judgment and even in this world you will die a death of loss and frustration.And then after writing the Quranic verse he says: You will suffer humiliation everywhere and there is no honour for you here or in the Hereafter.It is evident from these words what he desired for me and he carried 1.Plague too is a kind of fire, and this is the fire that killed Sa'dullah.(Author) 2.If he had falsely attributed even a trivial statement to Us (Sūrah al-Ḥāqqah, 69:45).[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 557 all these manifold regrets and frustrations in his heart with him to the grave.This is a point worthy of great attention for the just-minded people that these parallel prophecies were by way of a mubāhalah.In other words, he had given the news that I would die and he thought it would be a death of extreme frustration and that it would take place in his own lifetime.And he used to pray for my death with great fervour and he was sure that this is what would happen.On the other hand, four years after his prophecy [about my death] God informed me that he would indeed die an ignominious death in my own lifetime, and that his death would be caused by a certain kind of plague.And I, for my part, used to pray for his death in order that my prophecy may be fulfilled.In the end, God proved me right and in conformity with my prophecy, he died in the first week of January, during my own lifetime.And who is there who can gauge the manifold frustration and humili- ation with which he died? Is this humiliation and disgrace not enough that he died leaving behind him the very person whose death he had sought and publicly prophesied, and witnessing hundreds of thousands of people following this person? As for the Jama'at whose destruction and extinction he had prophesied—he died having seen its extraordi- nary and miraculous progress with his own eyes.But that was not all.He used to pray very fervently that he would live to see a great number of his progeny in contravention to the revelation: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ [It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.] But in fact his offspring continued to die at birth.This was indeed a heart-rending pain which he experienced again and again.In fact no son was born to him after the revelation: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ [It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.]

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 558 Couplets of Sa'dullah The lone survivor was the son who had been born prior to the prophecy.He has attained old age but there is no mention at all of his marital intentions, let alone the possibility of any children.The supplicatory couplets written by him [Sa'dullah] entitled Qadiul-Hajat [i.e, 'The Provider of all Needs'] adequately portray his sense of deprivation; they are the following: جگر گوشه با دادی اے بے نیاز ولے دل من بنعم البدل شاد کن بلطف ذوالمنن و اولادم اے ز ازواج بود چند زانها گرفتی تو باز آزاد گن از غم غصہ ہر یکے قرة العین من پار بائے که رفتند پیش ز مهجوری شان دلم ریش ریش my Self-Sufficient Lord! You bestowed upon me the darlings of my heart, But some of them you snatched back.God my Lord! Grant me a better substitute, and help me, by Your grace, to eradicate worries and distress.O my Gracious Lord! Each one of my wives and children is the delight of my eyes.My heart is full of acute pain and grief, On account of the death of my dear ones! By just glancing over these painful poetic verses anyone can gauge how many regrets must have filled his heart over the death of his children and of being left issueless himself, and the regrets from which he could not save himself.And, as is clear from his book, for as many as sixteen years he continued to pray for him to be bestowed many offspring and for me to die and be destroyed.In the end, in the first week of January 1907, he died within a span of a few hours afflicted by pneumonic plague, deprived of the acceptance of all his prayers.

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 559 He did not want his death to take place during my lifetime; rather, he wished that I should die during his own lifetime.To this end, he had also announced a prophecy.He did not want me blessed with children or my Jama'at to enjoy progress; rather, he longed for an abundance of his own progeny and he did not want anyone to help my Movement.But he died a most disgraceful death, deprived of the fulfilment of all his wishes.1* And I had informed him again and again about the will of God Almighty in using the term [abtar] in the revelation: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ [It is not you but your slanderer who shall be issueless.] The intent of Allah the Exalted was that in future no children would be born to him and that his son, too would die [abtar] or issueless.Thus, he witnessed it for himself that although he survived for as many as twelve years after the prophecy and throughout this period he con- tinued to pray also, yet he was not bestowed any progeny with the only exception of his son who was already some fifteen years old at the time of the prophecy.Furthermore, he took the unfulfilled wish of his to the grave that he could not even arrange his son's marriage.Thus was it his lot to suffer from the aggregate of all this humiliation in full accord 1.We should now see how, with his discomfiture, dismay, and disgraceful death, the meaning of this prophecy became clear that God would condemn him to an ignominious and disgraceful death as it was prophesied about him in the book Anjām-e-Atham, twelve years before this event: اذَيْتَنِي خُبْتًا فَلَسْتُ بِصَادِقٍ إِن لَّمْ تَمُتْ بِالْخِزْيِ يَا ابْنَ بِغَاءِ Meaning that, you have caused great pain to me because of your inherent wickedness; thus, I shall not be held truthful unless you die a disgraceful death.So what greater disgrace could there be for the one who wanted to see me die, than dying himself in my lifetime? He craved for my downfall but died only after witnessing my prosperity and progress.(Author)

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560 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION with the prophecy.It was also in regard to Sa'dullāh that after receiving the revelation from God Almighty I wrote the following announce- ment promising a reward of 3,000 rupees which was published on 5 October 1894, on page 12 of my book Anwarul-Islām.It is as follows: Go on quarrelling with the truth.Ultimately―O corpse!— you 1 will behold what will be your end.O enemy of Allah! You are not fighting with me; you are fighting with God.I swear by God that just now on 29 September 1894, I have received this revelation about you: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ The translation of this revealed phrase is that Sa'dullāh, who designates you [abtar] and claims that your line of descent and other blessings will be cut off—this will certainly not come to pass; indeed, he himself shall remain [abtar]—issueless.It must be borne in mind that in the Arabic language, the expression is never used except in the case of a confrontation.Use of this expression is permitted only when someone else has already pro- nounced one as [abtar] and then in rebuttal, such a one may be pro- nounced as [abtar].So this expression bears witness to the fact that Sa'dullah used to call me [abtar-issueless] and desired that I should die in his presence, bereft of all bounties and blessings-issueless and without any lineal descendant.Thus, God made him suffer that which he petitioned God for me.[abtar] and I was not the first to wish that he should die unsuccessful, nor did I desire that he should die in my lifetime, but when he became the first to spew such things and blatantly published his prophecy about my death in his book Shahāb-e-Thāqib, and caused me immense pain and exceeded all limits in agonizing me, then after four years when I prayed to God about him, He informed me of his death.And God said:

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS Sa'dullāh who prophesies that you will remain [abtar], will himself suffer this fate, but I shall cause your progeny to prosper until the Day of Resurrection, and you will never be deprived of blessings.میں یہاں تک تجھے برکت دوں گا کہ بادشاہ تیرے کپڑوں سے برکت ڈھونڈیں گے 561 I shall bless you so much that kings will seek blessings from your garments; And I shall turn an entire world's attention towards you, but Sa'dullah, bereft of all bounty and blessing, shall die an igno- minious death in your own lifetime.The events were manifested exactly in the same manner.These are prophecies of God that cannot be averted.Had these been mere verbal declarations, which of my opponents would have acknowledged this prophecy of mine [to be true] today? However, since all these statements had been published twelve years ago as part of my books and announcements, no opponent has been left any path to escape them with the sole exception of someone like Abū Jahl, who abandons dignity and decency and declares the bright sunny day to be night and the shining sun to be devoid of light.Similarly, if Sa'dullāh had not published his prophecy about my death and disgrace and the destruction of my Jamā'at in his book, Shahab-e-Thaqib, who would have believed me now? But God be thanked that on each side, the two prophecies were published in the shape of a mubahalah, and in the end, it was as clear as a bright sunny day as to which side was favoured by God Almighty's verdict.It should also be borne in mind that some harsh words about Sa'dullah will be found in my books.You might wonder why such harshness about him was resorted to.However, just one look at his filthy prose and poetry would immediately dispel all such misgiv- ings.This unfortunate man had transgressed so much in the use of

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562 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION abusive and filthy language that I cannot imagine that Abū Jahl could have ever hurled this much abuse upon the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Indeed, I say with full certainty that of all the Prophets of God who came to this world, none can be proven to have ever faced as evil-tongued an opponent as Sa'dullāh.He left no stone unturned in his opposition and hostility towards me.And even the lowest of society did not know the crude etiquettes of abuse known to him.It was as though he was fuelled by his abuse.He clamoured such harsh and filthy words with such cheek and disdain as is impossible except for the one who is evil at birth.The harshest of harsh words and the filthiest of filthy abuse issued forth from his mouth with such audacity and shamelessness that no man could pos- sess such a filthy nature unless he was already born with it, endowed from his mother's very womb.Such men are even worse than a brood of vipers.I exercised great restraint in the face of his foul language.I tried my best to restrain myself, but when he transgressed all extremes and the dam holding back his innate filth burst, then I, out of scrupulously good intent, used such words about him as were appropriate for the occasion.Although such words, as in the writing above, appear to be somewhat harsh, they cannot be categorized as any form of abuse.Rather, they are factually appropriate for the occasion and were written exactly as and when they were needed.Every Prophet was lowly, meek, and humble, but there were occa- sions when they all had to use such words for their opponents.Thus, look how mild the teachings contained in the Gospels are claimed to be and yet, the same Gospels contain such expressions about the scribes, the Pharisees, and the Jewish scholars that portray them as being wicked, deceitful, mischief-mongers, a brood of vipers, wolves, unholy in nature, inherently vicious and that prostitutes would enter Paradise before they would enter therein.The Holy Quran also con- tains words like —zanīm [i.e.of doubtful birth].Hence it is clear that an expression which is in keeping with facts cannot be categorized

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 563 as abusive and no Prophet was the first to use harsh words.On the contrary, they used such words only when the blasphemous language of the evil-natured unbelievers had crossed all limits.It was only then that they used such words either upon divine direction or under divine revelation.This has also been my practice concerning all opponents.No one can ever prove that I was the first to use any harsh words about my opponents before any one of them used foul language.When Maulawi Muḥammad Husain opened his mouth and so brazenly labelled me a dajjal [deceiver], and got an edict drafted condemning me as an apos- tate, causing hundreds of Muslim clerics in the Punjab and India to hurl abuse upon me; denounced me as being worse than Jews and Christians; and designated me a liar, a mischief-monger, a dajjāl, a slanderer, an impostor, a swindler, a miscreant, a transgressor, and an embezzler; it was then that God made my heart incline towards defending myself against these writings with scrupulously good intent.I do not oppose anyone out of personal motives and I desire to do good to all, but what am I to do when someone exceeds the limits of all decency? I seek jus- tice from God.All these maulawis have hurt me, indeed hurt me very deeply, and have made me the target of their ridicule and derision in everything.What can I say except: يحَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ Bear in mind that Sa'dullāh has been the target of a mubahalah by confronting me twice.First, in the Arabic verses that I had previously recorded in Anjām-e-Ātham, I had prayed by way of a mubahalah that God should destroy the liar.Of the couplets pertaining to the mubahalah one is as follows: 1.Alas for mankind! there comes not a Messenger to them but they mock at him (Surah Ya Sin, 36:31).[Publisher]

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564 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION يَا مَنْ يَرَى قَلْبِي وَ لُبَّ لِحَائِن افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا بِكَرَامَةٍ يَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا Meaning that: O our Lord! Settle this affair between me and Sa'dullah; You know only too well the condition of my heart.And then another couplet about Sa'dullāh is as follows: إِن لَّمْ تَمُتْ بِالْخِزْيِ يَا ابْنَ بِغَاءِ بصَادِق فَلَسْتُ خُبْتًا ادَيْتَنِي Meaning that: You have caused me great pain because of your inherent wickedness; Thus shall I not be held truthful unless you die a disgraceful death in my own lifetime.Then again, on page 67 of my book Anjām-e-Atham I have given the details of the second time I targeted Sa'dullāh for a mubahalah.This invitation addressed a number of other maulawis as well, whose names have been listed on pages 69–72 of my book Anjām-e-Ātham.The ini- tial paragraph of the mubāhalah prayer is recorded on page 67 of the book Anjām-e-Atham and it is as follows: Witness, O earth and O heaven! God's curse be upon the very one who, after receiving this booklet, neither presents himself for a mubahalah, nor stops denouncing and insulting me as an unbeliever, and does not part company with those who ridicule me.O true believers! Do all of you, for the sake of God, say, 'Amin'.Furthermore, all those who are my bitterest enemies are listed and invited to a mubāhalah in the book Anjām-e-Ātham.In the first line on page 70, the name of this unfortunate Sa'dullah appears as: Sa'dullah- سعد اللہ نو مسلم مدرس لودہانہ —a new convert to Islam and teacher in Lodhana.

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 565 As of today, twelve years, three months, and a number of days have passed since the announcement of this mubāhalah.Following this mubahalah most of them fell silent.Of those who did not desist from maligning me, there would be only a few who escaped tasting death or suffering humiliation.For example, Nadhir Husain of Delhi, who was a leading figure in my opposition and was at the forefront of those invited to join in a mubāhalah, after witnessing the death of his very competent son, himself died leaving behind no progeny.Rashid Aḥmad of Gangoh, whose name is recorded on page 69 of the invi- tation to the mubāhalah, became blind after my praying for his ruin and then died from a snake bite.Maulawi 'Abdul-Aziz of Ludhiana and Maulawi Muḥammad of Ludhiana, who are similarly named on this very page 69, also departed from this world soon after this invitation to the mubahalah.And similarly, Maulawi Ghulām Rusul, alias Rusul Bābā-whose name occurs on page 70 of the invitation to the mubahalah-died at Amritsar of the plague after the invita- tion to the mubahalah and [after] my praying for his ruin mentioned above.Similarly, Maulawi Ghulām Dastagir of Qaşür, mentioned on page 70 of this same book, Anjām-e-Ātham, and who had published a mubahalah of his own in his book Faiḍ-e-Raḥmānī,' died one month after the publication of that book.He did not die simply because I had invoked God's curse and sought God's chastisement upon him and other opponents who neither desist from mischief-making nor engage in the mubāhalah as documented in my book Anjām-e-Ātham on page 67, line number seventeen; but also his own mubahalah was, in fact, also the cause of his death for after mentioning my name and his own name, he had sought from God the complete eradication of the one who was unjust in the sight of Allah.As a result, his eradica- tion became effective only a few days later.On the same page, number 70, is entered the name of Maulawi Asghar 'Ali.He, too, did not desist from using abusive language against me until he lost an eye on account 1.Printing error.Correct name is Fatḥ-e-Raḥmānī.[Publisher]

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566 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of the wrath of God.In like manner, the name of Maulawi 'Abdul- Majīd of Delhi is included in the list concerning the mubāhalah, and he died of cholera in Delhi during February 1907.¹ Similarly, many others who styled themselves as ulema and custodians of shrines, did not desist from their invectives and abuse even after the invitation to the mubahalah.As a result, God made some of them taste the cup of death, while others fell victim to all kinds of humiliation, yet others succumbed to the filthy past-time of deceit, fraud, and mundane pur- suits to the extent that they were deprived of faith.Not a single one escaped the impact of this curse.And because Sa'dullah had surpassed all others in abusive language, not only did he die full of frustration, but he also partook of every kind of humiliation, and despite lifelong employment, he still hungered for more.In the end, when he was at death's door, he took up employment in a Christian school and, in addition to suffering much humiliation, he was forced to suffer this last ignominy and accept employment with the Christian missionar- ies a group who are the enemies of Islam and in whose schools a condition of employment is that one must lecture against Islam and where it is the practice to pronounce on a daily or a weekly basis such teachings about the ‘divinity' of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus Christ] as are a source of misguidance.In Arabic, [abtar] also means s[mu'dim] i.e.a pauper who has lost all his savings.Thus, he qualified himself to being an [abtar] of this kind too, because had he been finan- cially blessed he would not have knocked upon the door of Christian 1.When I first visited Delhi, ‘Abdul-Majid himself came to my residence and said, 'These revelations are satanic.' He compared me to Musailimah al-Kadhdhāb [the Great Liar], and added, 'If you do not repent, you will face the consequences of falsehood and pretence.I replied, 'If I am an impostor, I shall of course suffer the consequences of imposture; otherwise, whoever denounces me to be an impostor, shall not escape the reckoning.In the end 'Abdul-Majid died in my lifetime after this verbal mubahalah.He had also published at the time a harsh public announcement against me which was probably sold at the rate of pennies.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 567 missionaries in the last days of his life seeking employment—like a beggar-from those who perforce teach against Islam in their schools and colleges.It is certainly not the way of a true Muslim to seek their employment.It is indeed a great pity that this man named Sa'dullah, who had died, had listened to some of my oral discourses and had an ample opportunity to study my books, yet prejudice and bias are such a curse on account of which nothing was of avail to him.Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā having suf- fered death was not anything doubtful.Allah the Exalted had spelled it out in the Holy Quran and His Prophet sa had seen him in the company of the deceased Prophets during the night of mi'rāj; while, on the other hand, it is also proven from the Holy Quran and hadith that all Islamic Khulafa' [Successors to the Holy Prophet; spiritual leaders] will come from among this very ummah.Indeed, the aḥādīth also state that the 'Isā who is to descend will be from among this very ummah.Despite all this, that unfortunate one failed to understand.Also, according to the earlier Scriptures and authentic aḥādīth, the great Sign of the last Messiah that had been given was that his coming would be simulta- neous with the appearance of the Dajjal.Moreover, the Holy Quran has shown that the Dajjāl¹* means the band of Christian missionaries 1.The meaning of the term dajjāl is none other than one who deceives, mis- leads, and tampers with the Word of God-it is such a one who is called dajjal.It is so evident that the Christian missionaries are experts at this task more than anyone else because the dajal [deceit] and deception practised by others is comparatively mild, but the dajal on their part is so great that they are spending tens of millions of rupees to somehow or other raise a human being to the station of God, they have published hundreds of thousands of books and periodicals all over the world; and they travel to the ends of the earth with the same purpose in mind.This is why they are the greatest Dajjal and indeed, in the context of the divine prophecy, there is no room for any other dajjal because it is also there on record that the Dajjal will issue forth from within a church and from among a people who shall rule the world and that their power and rule will last until the Day of Judgment.Under the pre- vailing conditions, is there any remaining part of the earth where the hypo- thetical dajjal of our opponents will make his appearance? (Author)

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568 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION whose lifelong pastime is to distort and tamper with [the original text]; because dajjal means none other than one who hides the truth by distorting the original and tampering with it, and it is to this very point that Surah al-Fatihah draws our attention.Also the Quranic verse: جَاعِلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ Proves that the Dajjal will not be any group other than the Christians.Since prevalence and dominance until the Day of Judgment is destined either for the Christians or for the Muslims who are the true followers, how can anyone with faith ever imagine that someone else who is opposed to Hadrat Īsāªs and denies his Prophethood will estab- lish his dominance over the world? Such a thought is in clear contradic- tion to the inconvertible intent of the Holy Quran.Likewise, the hadith pertaining to the prophecy contained in Ṣahih Muslim that the Dajjal will issue forth from a church supports the verse of the Holy Quran just mentioned.And events also make this apparent, for the great trib- ulation that had been prophesied was ultimately brought about at the hands of the Christian missionaries.One hallmark of a man's wisdom is that he should keep an eye on events and reflect upon the aspects that are supported by the events as they unfold.God has likened this world to a single day in which the epoch of the Holy Prophets is likened to Asr [late afternoon].Then, if the age of the Holy Prophet was likened to Asr, how should we, after the year 1324 [of Hijrah], designate the present age? Is this age then not close to sunset? If so, and if this is still not the time for the advent of the Messiah, then there would surely be no time left for his coming after this.Similarly, in authentic aḥadīth, some of which are found in Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhari, the epoch of the Holy Prophet is likened unto the time of Asr, so one has to accept that our own age is close to the time of the 1.Will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:56).[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 569 age Resurrection.It is also learnt from some other aḥādīth that the limit of the present world is 7,000 years.This sense is also supported by the following Quranic verse in which God says: إِن يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَالْفِ سَنَةٍ مِمَّا تَعُدُّونَ Meaning that, verily, a day with your Lord is as 1,000 years of your reckoning.Thus, since we learn from the Word of Allah the Exalted that there are but seven days, there emerges an indication that the lifespan of the human species is 7,000 years.God has also revealed to me that the numerical value of the letters in Surah al-Asr according to the Jumal system,² is the number of lunar years lived by the human species until the blessed time of the Holy Prophetsa.Because God has used the lunar calendar, in accordance with this reckoning, our human species thus far has lived out 6,000 years of its life and now we are into the seventh millennium.It was, therefore, necessary that the like of Adam who, in other words is referred to as the Promised Messiah, should be born at the end of the sixth millennium which is symbolized by Friday, the day on which Adam was born.So was I brought into being by God.Thus, according to all this, I was born in the sixth millennium.And this is a strange coincidence that I was born on a Friday according to the calendar in use.Also, just as Ādams [the progenitors] were born male and female, so was I born as a twin.A girl was with me who was born first and then I was born after her.These are the facts of my life which provide the seeker after truth with clear evidence.In addition, there are thousands of other Signs some of which have already been recorded by way of illustration.It must be borne in mind that upon hearing my Signs, it is the 1.Surah al-Hajj, 22:48 [Publisher] 2.In the Arabic Jumal system (also known as Abjad), each letter in the alphabet corresponds to a specific numerical value.[Publisher]

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570 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION habit of Maulawi Thanā'ullāh, under the impulse of his Abū Jahl-like nature, to present half-baked excuses to justify his rejection of these Signs.On this occasion he had also demonstrated this same habit of his and, based on sheer falsehood, he had written concerning me in his paper, Ahl-e-Hadith, dated 8 February 1907 that the revelation I had received regarding Maulawi Abdul-Karim's health, that he would certainly recover, was false for he died in the end.What answer can I give to such falsehood except to say "The curse of Allah be upon the liars']? Will Maulawī Thanā’ullāh kindly explain that if the above-mentioned revelation was in fact received about Maulawi ‘Abdul-Karīm recovering his health, then about whom were the following revelations that had been published in the Badr and al-Hakam newspapers? کفن میں لپیٹا گیا.۴۷ سال کی عمر إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَجِعُوْنَ.اُس نے اچھا ہونا ہی نہیں تقد إن الْمَنَايَا لَا تَطِيْشُ سِهَامُهَا.Was wrapped up in a shroud.Forty-seven years of age.Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.He was not destined to recover.The arrows of death cannot be averted.Let it be clearly known that all these revelations were about Maulawi 'Abdul-Karim except that I had once seen him in a dream as if he had recovered, but dreams are subject to interpretation.If you consult books about interpretation of dreams, you will find that death sometimes means health, and health sometimes means death.It often happens that in a dream one sees the death of a person and the interpre- tation is an extension of his life.This is the state of those maulawis who are renowned as being highly trustworthy.There is no evil deed worse than lying in the world.God compares such lying to filth yet these peo- ple do not avoid such filth.I have so clearly demonstrated Sa'dullah's death in accordance with the prophecy, but will Maulawi Thanā’ullāh accept and acknowledge it? No, not at all.He will instead try to reject

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 571 it one way or another.These people are at war with God Almighty.They fail to see that had this been a man-made scheme, it would not have been attended by such blessings.Can any honest person ascribe such actions to the God of Honour and Glory that He should grant a reprieve lasting thirty to thirty-two years to a person after his claiming to be the recipient of revelation, and bestow upon his movement pros- perity and progress day by day? At a time when he did not have even a single follower, He gave him the glad tiding that: Hundreds of thousands of people shall be made to enter your movement and people will give you hundreds of thousands of rupees and a variety of gifts and presents.Thousands of people will flock to you from distant places so much so that the roads they travel on will develop ruts in them and become scarred with ditches.You should not become weary on account of the abundance of visitors; be not impolite to them.God will spread your fame throughout the world and He will show manifest magnificent Signs in your support.God will not rest content until He has made truth distinct from falsehood.Your enemies will try hard and resort to all kinds of fabrication, deceit, and stratagems, but God will frustrate them in their designs; God shall be with you at every step and He will grant you success in every field.He shall consummate His light at your hands.A Warner came into the world, but the world did not accept him, but God shall accept him and manifest his truth with powerful assaults.I shall demonstrate My light and shall raise you with a demonstration of My power.I shall protect from every attack of your enemies even if the people do not save you.Even if people show no regard for your safety, I will certainly pro- you tect you.These are the revelations from more than thirty years ago and all of them have been published in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya more than twen- ty-six years ago.This was a time when nobody knew me.I had no friend nor enemy, for I was, at that time, a mere nothing, just one from among the ordinary people, concealed in anonymity and obscurity.Then grad- ually things began to improve and all that had been prophesied some

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572 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION thirty to thirty-two years earlier came to be manifested.And so far sev- eral hundreds of thousands of people have come to Qadian and have joined the system of bai‘at [pledge of allegiance].And in reality peo- ple came to Qadian to perform the bai'at in such large numbers that meeting them all would have exhausted me, had I not remembered this revelation: وَ لَا تُصَوِّرُ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ وَ لَا تَسْتَمْ مِّنَ النَّاسِ [Do not turn away from Allah's creatures and be not tired of people.] I would have failed to adequately discharge the requirements of good, high morals, had Allah the Exalted, in His kindness and mercy, not informed me of these events some thirty to thirty-two years ago.God has helped me financially too.This can be verified from the records of the money orders I have received through the Post Office.I have so far received several hundred thousand rupees.In addition, there is the money people offer in person or otherwise send by post in the shape of currency notes.The different departments of my Community also cost approximately 3,000 rupees per month.It is evident from this that the current monthly income is about the same, whereas at the time when the prophecy pertaining to financial victories was published in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, no one contributed even a single penny per year, nor was there any hope of any such income.And thirty to thir- ty-two years have elapsed since this prophecy was made and it belongs to a time when not a single penny would come from anyone and no one as yet had entered into my Jama'at.I was rather like the seed that lay hidden beneath the soil as God Almighty Himself testified about me in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya published twenty-six years ago and the revelation reads as follows: رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَّأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِيْنَ

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 573 Meaning that, pray: 'Lord, do not leave me alone [and You are the Best of inheritors]'.From this it is clear that at the time when this prophecy was made, I was all alone.And then, there is another revelation about me recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya which is as follows: كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ.Meaning that, I was like the seed sown in the earth.In addition to these revelations, all the residents of this town and thousands of others know that at that time, I was-in fact-like a corpse that had been buried for centuries within a grave...and no one knew whose grave it is! Subsequently, Allah the Exalted manifested such wondrous glimpses of His power as constitute clear proof of His existence.And then Allah the Exalted did not stop at this.He granted acceptance to hundreds of my supplications, some of which are recorded in this book by way of examples.In every legal case filed against me, I alone was victorious and God informed me in advance of each verdict that your enemy would be defeated.And everyone who entered into the mubähalah with me, God Almighty either caused him to die, or a life of humiliation or paucity of means became his lot, or his lineal descent was cut off.And those who sought my death and abused me, ultimately died themselves.And God manifested so many Signs in my support that they cannot be counted.Let any wise person who fears God and is moved by His majesty and is reasonable enough to have regard for decency and honour, judge for himself whether the way of God is such that He treats anyone whom He knows to be an impostor and who lies in His name, the way He treats me.I assert with absolute truth that I was young when I started having these revelations and now I am old and almost seventy years of age, but over this period of thirty-five years, my God did not separate Himself from me even for a single day.

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574 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION In accordance with His prophecies, He caused a large part of the world to incline toward me.I was poor and penniless-He gave me hundreds of thousands of rupees and informed me beforehand of these great financial victories.He granted me victory in every mubahalah, accepted hundreds of my prayers and blessed me with innumerable bounties.Is it therefore conceivable that God would show such grace and kindness to a person who He knows lies in His name? Also, in the opinion of my opponents, I have been fabricating lies in the name of God for the last thirty to thirty-two years and that what I fabri- cate during the night, I present in the morning as the Word of God.And yet, as a result, God still grants me victories over those who style themselves 'true believers'; moreover, on the occasion of a mubaha- lah, He either causes those who are opposed to me to die or disgraces them with humiliation.Additionally, in keeping with His prophe- cies, He is bringing people towards me and manifesting thousands of Signs.He helps me in every conflict, in every way, and at the time of every difficulty.He never vouchsafes such help to anyone unless they are truthful nor does He manifest such Signs in their support.* Even then, if Maulawi Thanā’ullāh, who nowadays exceeds the other clerics in deriding, ridiculing, and abusing me, does not stop this foul behaviour, I would happily accept an offer to enter into a mubahalah with him.But this mubahalah will not be held in Amritsar.I still have not forgotten the treatment meted out to me by the Ahl-e-Hadith of that area when I rose to describe the beauties of Islamic teachings there in a gathering—as everyone knows—they prevented me from 1.It is quite remarkable that except me all those who claimed to be Mujaddids—like Nawab Şiddiq Hasan Khān of Bhopal and Maulawi ‘Abdul- Hayy of Lucknow-died at the very beginning of the fourteenth century.And by the grace of Allah the Exalted, I have witnessed a quarter part of the century and Nawab Siddiq Ḥasan Khān of Bhopal writes in his book Hijajul- Kirāmah that a true Mujaddid is one who is granted at least a quarter of a century.Now O my opponents!-Be fair at least in something.After all, you are accountable to God! (Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 575 delivering my address by raising a clamour and violating all norms of decent behaviour, and when I boarded my carriage to leave, it was pelted with stones, with no regard even to the authorities.Such a place is, therefore, not fit for holding a mubahalah; Qadian, on the other hand is entirely suitable.Here I shall be personally responsible for the honour and safety of Maulawi Thanā’ullāh.I also undertake to pay all the travelling expenses incurred in his journey from Amritsar to Qadian and back.But the condition precedent will be that for two hours I shall explain to him why I claim to be truthful.In case he dislikes the idea of coming to Qadian, a mubahalah can still be held in the following manner: First I shall make sure that Maulawi Thanā’ullāh has read all the arguments I have recorded in the book Haqiqatul-Waḥi.I shall ask only ten questions based on differ- ent parts of this book—Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥī—with a view to determining whether or not he has studied the book with complete attention.Then, if he answers these ten questions in accord with the contents of this book, the written text of a mubahalah between the two sides will be published.If he agrees to this method, I will send him a copy of my book Haqiqatul-Waḥi and thus we will settle this long drawn-out daily controversy once and for all.He will, of course, have the option after receiving the book to request a couple of weeks' grace with the view to prepare for the aforementioned examination.I say it truthfully that he and his ulema brethren, in attempting to contradict me, pay scant regard to the Shariah.Rather, they man- ufacture a new shariah of their own.Whilst claiming to be maulawis are they yet unaware that prophecies of warning can be averted? If a person against whom Allah the Exalted reveals a prophecy containing a warning, repents and exhibits remorse and humility, and no longer shows arrogance, the fulfilment of the prophecy can be averted.For instance, the Prophet Yūnus's prophecy concerning his people was averted on account of their crying and wailing and showing remorse.This even became a great trial for Prophet Yūnus and he was unable to understand why the prophecy had been averted.That is why God

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576 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION put him into the belly of a whale.If a dear Prophet of God earned His displeasure on account of his failure to fully understand the prerogative of God, the Sovereign Lord, and landed himself at death's door, how much more dreadful would the plight be of those who are not only guilty of denying such divine prerogative with great audacity, but also of doing so with great temerity and disrespect? With great daring they repeatedly allege that the prophecy about Ātham was not fulfilled but take pains not to mention the condition precedent to its fulfilment.Can this be called honesty? There was not even a condition specified in the prophecy made by Prophet Yūnus, yet God, at the sight of the repentance and remorseful cries of his people, warded off the immi- nent chastisement.In the same vein, Maulawi Thanā’ullāh repeatedly mentions Ahmad Baig's son-in-law, insisting that he did not die as was prophesied, yet he is quite aware that the prophecy consisted of two parts.One part was about Ahmad Baig.As a result, Ahmad Baig died in strict conformity with the prophecy and within the prescribed time frame.The pity is that Thana'ullāh and the other opponents of mine take precaution to avoid any mention of the death of Ahmad Baig, and mention only the second part of the prophecy; that is to say, that his son-in-law is still alive.!* This, in sum, is the so-called 'integrity' of these people.They con- ceal the truth that has been manifested, yet present the part that is awaiting manifestation as an objection.They know very well that the prophecy about Ahmad Baig and his son-in-law was conditional, just like the prophecy about Ātham.The text pertaining to the condition has already been published and is as follows: أَيَّتُهَا الْمَرْأَةُ تُوْبِي تُوْبِيْ فَإِنَّ الْبَلَاءَ عَلَى عَقِبِكِ 1.Keep in mind that Maulawi Thanā’ullāh has not merely objected to these prophecies, but rather, has made several assaults on my prophecies by way of imposture, which amount to partaking of filth.But since God Almighty is providing ever-fresh responses, I do not care for his criticisms.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 577 Meaning: 'O woman, repent! Repent, for the calamity is on your daughter and daughter's daughter.This is the Word of God and had been published beforehand.Subsequently, when Ahmad Baig's death, which was one part of the prophecy, cast extreme fear in the hearts of his relatives and they thought that the second part of the prophecy would be similarly ful- filled-for, when one part of the prophecy had been fulfilled within the prescribed time frame, they were terror-stricken, preoccupying themselves in almsgiving, penitence, and remorsefully seeking forgive- ness—the result was that Allah the Exalted delayed the fulfilment of the prophecy.And as I have already pointed out, these people were so awe-stricken because this prophecy was not only about Ahmad Baig's son-in-law but also about the death of Ahmad Baig himself.Indeed the prime target of the prophecy was none other than he himself.Thus, when Ahmad Baig died within the prescribed time limit, and the prophecy was fulfilled with total clarity, the hearts of his relatives were filled with extreme fear.And they wept and cried so much that their wails could be heard from the ends of the town.They would quote the prophecy again and again and to the best of their capacity busied themselves in remorseful penitence, istighfär [seeking forgiveness], and almsgiving.It was then that God the Benevolent too delayed the fulfil- ment of the prophecy.* How shameful it is then to go around shouting that a certain prophecy has not been fulfilled despite the knowledge that prophecies 1.These people also object that an attempt was made for the fulfilment of the prophecy.It seems that either these people are ignorant of the Holy Quran or have secretly put on the garb of apostasy.O ignorant people! God has not de- clared any attempts at the fulfilment of prophecies to be unlawful.Do you not even remember the hadith in which it is written that Ḥaḍrat 'Umarra made a companion of Holy Prophets wear gold bangles with a view to fulfilling a prophecy? And there is also a hadith that says that if you see a dream or a vision, and you can yourself make it come true, then try to make it come true by your own efforts.(Author)

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578 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of forewarning can be averted and have always been averted!¹* It seems that these people have no faith in Allah the Exalted.There is certainly a limit [to such audacity and denial] and to cross this limit is a sure Sign of impending chastisement from Allah the Exalted.I keep wondering how the plague is running rampant throughout our environs, how God has warned of very serious earthquakes, and how Signs of the Day of Judgment are being manifested, but I cannot understand why these people are still not fearful.²* This is why I was impelled to write today, that if Maulawi Thana'ullāh of Amritsar does not desist from his audacity, the only remedy is that he should ask for a mubahalah.It is also his misfortune that, arrogantly relying on some contradictory aḥādīth, he denies the fresh Signs of God Almighty3** 1.Today on the morning of Thursday, 28 February 1907 I received this reve- severe earthquake came ] سخت زلزلہ آیا اور آج بارش بھی ہو گی.خوش آمدی نیک آمدی.:lation and it will also rain today.Your arrival is a source of joy; your arrival is source of blessings.] (Author) 2.I swear in the name of Allah the Exalted, and declare that, in the context of my own person and about my friends, by way of prophecy, God forewarned of an imminent catastrophe this morning which was averted in the evening because of fervent prayers, and I was given the glad tiding that, 'We have averted the catastrophe.' Therefore, if my enemies only have these arguments with which to reject me, then they should know that there are hundreds of examples of such incidents in my own life and in the lives of my dear ones.What is amazing is that my opponents forget all those incidents which they themselves study in the commentaries of the Holy Quran and in the aḥādīth.For instance, it is recorded in their acknowledged commentaries that there was an Israelite king about whom the Prophet of that time had prophesied that he would die within fifteen days.Upon hearing this prophecy that king cried and wept so much that the Prophet again received another revelation that: 'I have changed his fifteen days into fifteen years.' This prophecy is still recorded in the Bible.Anyone who desires may consult it.(Author) 3.It must be borne in mind that it is completely false to claim that the aḥā- dith testify to the [physical] descent of Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā as from the skies because authentic hadith prove that the Messiah who is to come shall be raised from among this very Ummah.Why then resort to the artificiality of bringing down Ḥadrat 'Īsā from the heavens and make him enter the rank and file of the Ummah and dismiss him from his erstwhile Prophethood? Can Allah

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 579 and in order to mislead the public, repeatedly quotes prophecies of warning while he knows himself that sometimes averting or delaying a prophecy of warning is part of Allah's laws and practice.Moreover, who does not know that an impending affliction can be warded off by charity, almsgiving, humility, and prayer? The Prophets are unani- mous on this.Thus, if a prophetic warning of an impending affliction cannot be averted, what meaning would the term radd-e-balā [ward- ing off an affliction] have? It should be borne in mind that, consistent with the age-old prac- tice of Allah, prophecies of this type are never free from some form of test and trial.Such prophecies are susceptible to interpretations.This is why one can misunderstand their true meaning before they actually happen.Their real import is unfolded only in the end.This is why despite the presence of the prophecy about the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the Jews were not for- tunate enough to believe in him.Had this prophecy contained the elucidation that the name of this last Prophet would be Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that the name of his father would be 'Abdullāh, that his birthplace would be Makkah, that he would migrate to Madinah, that he would be born at such a specified period of time after Prophet Mūsā [Moses] and that he the Exalted not raise an 'Īsā from among the present Ummah quite like the Prophet Ilyās [Elijah]? In the presence of an appropriate precedent, why re- sort to extraordinary measures? Furthermore in the same aḥādīth it is also written that the Holy Prophetsa on the night of mi'rāj [ascension] saw Ḥaḍrat 'Isā among the deceased Prophets, sitting next to Ḥaḍrat Yaḥyā [John].So now what doubt remains about his death? Furthermore, the Holy Quran also clearly testifies to his death.Is the verse but since You did cause me to die', (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118)] not the final and critical proof of his death? And why do they emphasize physical ascension? Is ascension not a spiritual phenomenon? The verse proclaims aloud that this elevation is a spiritual one because it is mentioned after the term tawaffi [to cause to die].And why do they raise the objection that his coming should also be accompanied by the Mahdi? Do they not remember the hadithi ['There is no Mahdi except 'Īsā'].(Author) إِلَّا.

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580 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION would belong to the House of Isma'il (and not to the House of Israel), then the unfortunate Jews would not have gone to Hell on account of their rejecting the Holy Prophetsa.Similarly, had it been stated in the prophecy concerning Haḍrat ‘Īsāªs in clear words that Prophet Ilyās [Elijah]—whose descent from the heavens was a prerequisite— would be none other than Yaḥyā [John] himself, son of Zakariyya [Zechariah], and that no one would descend from the skies, then why would the unfortunate Jews have entered Hell by refusing to accept Hadrat Īsā? Thus, since the prophecy concerning our own Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was not free from a test the elucidation of which would have been very beneficial and was very necessary for mankind at large-and people committed mistakes in interpreting even this prophecy, then it is very likely that other prophecies may be misinterpreted too.Similarly, the prophecy about Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsāªs was not free from a test and trial.As such, how could the prophecy about the Promised Messiah and Mahdi be free from such trials? Did Prophet Ilyas come back into the world before the Messiah as was the general presumption and belief of the Jewish scholars, and as it—indeed, remains so today? How then is it possible to entertain the hope for the second coming of Ḥadrat Īsāªs? The hall- mark of a believer is that once a certain belief has been proven false, they should never mention it again for the rest of their lives.Have the expectations of the Jews about the second coming of Ilyas been fulfilled so that now those of the Muslims should also be fulfilled? [As A believer is not لَا يُلْغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ وَاحِدٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ.[:recorded in a hadith bitten from the same hole twice.' The truth is that the reality of such immensely glorious prophecies are manifested by the age in which these prophecies are fulfilled.Prior to that, the righteous and God- fearing keep faith in the prophecies of Allah the Exalted, but they leave their details in the care of God.Meanwhile, those who meddle with them beforehand and insist upon their own interpretation are the ones who stumble and make errors.

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 581 4.FOURTH SIGN [191]-Among the Signs of Allah the Exalted which appeared in my support is the Sign pertaining to Nawab Șiddiq Ḥasan Khān, a Minister in the State of Bhopal, and it is as follows: Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khān had written in some of his books that when the Promised Mahdi would appear, monarchs belonging to other faiths would be arrested and brought before him.In this context, he also said that since this country was under the British rule, it was quite possible that when the Mahdi appeared, the Christian monarch of this country would also be brought before him.These were the words that he used in his book and are still to be found therein, and these words were taken as evoking rebellion.It was an error on his part that he wrote such a thing because no authentic hadith is proven about such a blood-shed- ding Mahdi.On the contrary, the scholars of hadith are unanimous that not a single one from among the aḥadīth about a warrior Mahdi is beyond critique.All of them are spurious and fall below the standard of authenticity.On the other hand, there are a large number of aḥā- dith about the coming of the Promised Messiah; they are accompanied with the words that he would not engage in jihad and would not wage war against the disbelievers and that his victory would be exclusively based on heavenly Signs.Thus, the hadith [Yada'ul-ḥarb— 'He will stop warfare'] is present in Ṣaḥiḥ Bukhārī with reference to the Promised Messiah.It indicates that when the Promised Messiah's advent takes place, he will abolish the practice of war and jihad.He will not engage in any battle and will spread Islam with the help of heavenly Signs and the manifestation of divine powers.¹ As a result, these Signs are making their presence felt throughout the world in my time.This, in sum, is the truth of the matter.And I-whom Allah the 1.It also makes sense that as the consequence of the Promised Messiah's breath-i.e.his attention-disbelievers will continue to die on their own, it would be quite irrational to resort to the sword in the presence of such a mir- acle.Obviously, when Allah the Exalted Himself goes forth destroying the enemies, what need is there to raise the sword? (Author)

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582 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Exalted has sent as the Promised Messiah-have not been commanded by God to engage in jihad and wage wars for the sake of the Faith.On the contrary, I have been commanded to be kind, to seek help from God for the spread of the Faith, and to ask for heavenly Signs and heav- enly assaults.And God Almighty has promised that great Signs shall be manifested in my support.As opposed to my God who helps me from on high, no nation shall have the power to demonstrate any sign from their false gods.Accordingly, my God has, in fact, already shown hundreds of Signs in my support.Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khān, therefore, was wrong to think that people would be forced to become Muslims during the time of the Mahdi.Allah the Exalted says: لا إكراه في الدِّينِ Meaning that, there is no coercion in Islam.It is true that there was a time when Christians used to force peo- ple to adopt Christianity.Islam, on the other hand, since the very beginning, has been opposed to compulsion.Compulsion is the resort of those alone who have no heavenly Signs in their support.But Islam is a veritable ocean of heavenly Signs.No Prophet has shown such a large number of miracles as were shown by our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, because the miracles of earlier Prophets died along with their deaths.But the miracles of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continue to manifest themselves even through today and will continue being manifested until the Day of Resurrection.Indeed, all things that are manifested in my support are miracles of the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, but where are those Christians or Jews or other people; can they show signs that can equal these Signs? Certainly not! Certainly not!! Certainly not!!! Even if they toil to the end of 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:257 [Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 583 their days, they will never succeed in showing even a single sign.It is so because they have adopted artificial gods as deities.They are not followers of the True God.Islam is an ocean of miracles.It has never resorted to coercion, nor does it have any need for coercion.Earlier on, the sole basis for fighting was that the Quraish of Makkah had perpetrated grave atrocities against the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in Makkah; many of his companions were murdered.The Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, himself was exiled from Makkah.Thus, owing to their extreme degree of wickedness and atrocities, they had become deserving of punishment for their crimes.Therefore, those who had drawn the sword were killed by the sword.However, out of extreme compassion, they were offered the option that if they chose to become Muslims their crimes would be forgiven.This was not compul- sion; they were left to decide as they wished.Can anyone prove that the sword was raised prior to their heinous crimes and mischief?1* The ignorant Christian missionaries and the Aryas, who harbour baseless malice against Islam, utter such things sheerly by way of fabrication, while the ignorant maulawis aid and abet them on account of their own ignorance.It is absolutely false to say that Islam spread by force of the sword.Islam spread by dint of the intrinsic beauties of its perfect teaching and mighty Signs.If Islam and Christianity were to be com- pared, it would be clearly seen that the God who Islam presents is Absolutely Perfect in His power, His majesty, and His holiness.He is One, Unique, and without equal; whereas the 'God' who Christianity presents is himself a weak and helpless created being who suffered a variety of cruelties at the hands of the Jews, was incarcerated and put 1.Indeed the sword was never raised.Instead, for as many as thirteen years, patience was demonstrated in the face of a variety of wanton cruelties and murders.After this, when they [i.e.the Makkans] exceeded all limits, per- mission was granted to confront them.It was, therefore, a defensive war waged to punish the habitual criminals and to rid the earth of murderous mischief-mongers.(Author)

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584 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION behind bars for about an hour, and, according to the Christian doc- trine, was crucified in the end.What distinction does such a 'God' possess when compared with the fabricated deities of the other poly- theists? Furthermore, how can reason accept that all hope for God's mercy rests on that very 'God' being crucified! And if once 'God' dies, his very existence becomes uncertain, and what argument can there be to think that he will not die again? It is meaningless to worship a being who, despite being ‘Goď, can yet die.How can he save others if he cannot save his own life? The idol worshippers of Makkah were also of the same mindset.How can reason accept the idea than an idol be carved with one's own hands and then be worshipped? The 'God' of the Christians could not demonstrate any powers beyond those of the idols of pagans.But the God of Islam is the One who reigns supreme Befriend] یار غالب شوکه تا غالب شوی [ :over all of them.[As the saying goes the Supreme that you might be granted supremacy'].The magnificent miracles of our God—who is the Living God—have convinced people with a visible demonstration that the God of Islam alone is the True God.Consequently, up to this day, no one has been able to show the like of the miracles that the God of Islam has manifested.However, since Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khān was under the influ- ence of extreme Wahhābism, he threatened non-Muslims with merely the sword the Mahdi, and was eventually caught.He was stripped of his title of Nawab and he wrote very humbly to me, requesting me to pray for him.Considering his situation pitiable, I prayed for him and God Almighty addressed me saying: سر کو بی سے اس کی عزت بچائی گئی His honour has been saved from being shattered.I informed him of this through a letter and I also informed many others who were then my opponents.Among them were Ḥāfiz Muḥammad Yusuf—a district irrigation officer, presently a pensioner, and a resident

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 585 of Amritsar and Maulawi Muḥammad Husain Batālavī.After some time, the Government issued orders to the effect that Șiddiq Hasan Khan's title of 'Nawab' would be restored, as if it was understood that what he had said was only an antiquated religious belief which dwelt in his heart and that he did not intend to be seditious.1 5.FIFTH SIGN [192]-The fifth Sign is the prophecy published in the first part of the back title page of the periodical the Review of Religions, May 1906.The same prophecy is published in the newspaper Badr, vol.5, no.19, dated 10 May 1906.Moreover, the same prophecy was pub- lished in the newspaper al-Hakam dated 5 May 1906 and with explana- tion in the issue dated 10 May 1906.First of all, I reproduce below the prophecy as published in the above-mentioned periodical and both of the newspapers to be followed by the way it was fulfilled.The prophecy and the way it was originally interpreted at that time are as follows.Revelation dated 5 May 1906: پھر بہار آئی تو آئے صبح کے آنے کے دن The spring has arrived again and with it the days of snow.[Thalj] is an Arabic word.It connotes the snowfall that causes intense cold and is invariably accompanied by rain.This condi- tion is called thalj in Arabic.In this context, the prophecy seems to mean that Allah the Exalted will send down these calamities in our country during the days of spring, quite out of the norm, and that there will be snowfall resulting in intense cold and also heavy rains.(In other words, the snowfall wherever it happens 1.This misfortune encountered by Nawab Siddiq Ḥasan Khān was also the result of a prophecy of mine, which is recorded in Barahin-e-Aḥmadiyya.He had torn up this book of mine and sent it back to me.I had then prayed that his reputation might be torn apart.And so it came to pass (Barahin-e- Aḥmadiyya).(Author)

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586 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION to take place in the world will cause intense cold.) The second meaning of thalj is the attainment of the heart's satisfaction; that is to say that a man should be furnished arguments and evidence that would completely satisfy his heart regarding an issue.This is why they say that a particular literary composition created thalj, or the heart's full satisfaction.That is to say, such incontrovertible proof was given as to effect complete satisfac- tion.Sometimes this word is also used to indicate the happiness and comfort that results from heartfelt satisfaction.It is evident that when a person's heart is fully satisfied and content regard- ing some matter, it is but inevitable that one feels happy and is at peace.In short, this prophecy consists of all these dimensions.Reflection upon this prophecy inevitably draws the mind to the feeling that if Allah the Exalted has used the term thalj in its second sense—namely, to dispel all doubt and uncertainty and to accord full conviction-then this [revealed] statement would also mean that since some perverse-natured individuals had raised certain doubts in the recent past about the earth- quakes, thereby depriving themselves of thalj, or perfect tran- quillity of the heart, a Sign shall appear in the season of spring which will bring about thalj, or tranquillity of the heart.All previous doubts and uncertainties shall be dispelled and the message shall be fully conveyed.On further reflection upon this revelation it seems probable that by this spring there will not be manifested just one Sign, but rather many Signs shall be shown.And when the spring season shall arrive, a continu- ous succession of Signs will captivate the hearts and silence our opponents and the hearts of seekers of truth shall find full sat- isfaction.And these statements are made interpreting thalj to mean satisfaction and freedom from doubt, but if taken to con- note snow and rainfall, it would mean that Allah the Exalted

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ.will send down some other heavenly afflictions 587 [And Allah knows best].This prophecy along with its interpretation was published in the peri- odical Review of Religions and the newspapers Badr and al-Ḥakam as many as nine months before its fulfilment, and the time for its fulfil- ment was fixed to be the season of spring.It has been clearly fulfilled.That is to say, exactly when the spring season arrived and the gardens became laden with flowers and buds, Allah the Exalted fulfilled His promise as follows.There was unusually heavy snowfall in Kashmir, Europe, and America, the details of which we will—God willing― presently write down by quoting excerpts from newspapers.But in exact conformity with the intent of the prophecy, such excessive cold and heavy rain struck this country, and in that particular part of the country indicated in the prophecy, that the whole country cried out in panic.At the same time snowfall was so heavy in some parts of the country that people were left awestruck and wondered what was going to happen.For instance, just today a letter from Kashmir was received by Haji Umar Dār (who is a resident of Kashmir but is currently stay- ing with me here in Qadian; the letter is from his son 'Abdur-Raḥmān) saying that snowfall these days has been so heavy that there is a snow cover three yards deep upon the land and the entire atmosphere has been covered by clouds every day.Now this is such a phenomenon that has left the residents of Kashmir amazed because such heavy snowfall in the spring is unusual.And as for the amount of heavy rain that has fallen in this country, some reports are reproduced below from some newspapers testifying to it.First from Akhbar-e-Am, Lahore, dated 21 February 1907, briefly reproduced below is what this paper reported on page 2 about the rains: The situation in Lahore is such that for more than two weeks the sky has been overcast and instead of making people happy

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588 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION this has caused constant anxiety.For two days, the skies were clear of rain and it seemed that it would now stop raining, but during the latter half of the night between Sunday and Monday, it rained so heavily and in such abundance that people started crying and praying for relief and security, and they were awestruck and afraid that the rain of grace, God forbid, might transform into a torment.Intense lightning also flashed and dazzled the eyes.Together with this, thunder rolled and lightning cracked making hearts tremble.People were perplexed not knowing what God had decided to do.This weather and this rain is, of course, very beneficial from an agricultural point of view, but only within limits.The well- known proverb says that too much of even a good thing can make it harmful.People are afraid lest these unexpected rains, for which they render innumerable thanks, may turn from being a mercy into a blight and totally inundate crops, par- ticularly those in the low-lying areas.All the people are awe- struck, holding their breath not knowing what God's purpose is.Who can question providence! Man proposes and God dis- poses.It is strange that only a few days before, small birds like sparrows could be seen greatly enjoying themselves bathing in the water.Despite this intense weather and biting cold, the way these birds were having fun made one wonder how they had generated such warmth within themselves, but people expe- rienced in these things were forecasting, on the basis of these observations, that there would be an excess of rains.And these calculations have proven very correct.The clouds are still cov- ering the skies as before.The people now wish for the rain to stop and the sun to appear.Drought is likely to damage only unirrigated crops whereas, with weather of this kind, both the irrigated and unirrigated crops are in danger of being damaged.Now there is not a single district where there is a need of more

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 589 rain.According to an official report last week, crops in parts of District Gurgaon were damaged somewhat by hail storms.Tonight, the rain was accompanied by thunder and cracks of lightning but the cloud cover continues to be seen as heavy.Such heavy rain poses a threat of damage to the houses in the town also.Roads have been damaged severely and paved sur- faces turned into muddy swamps.Water can be seen all over the fields and plains.Trees stand washed clean, beautiful as a bride, green and lovely as if they have just been dressed in new garments.In these days such rains have been bestowed after many a year.(In this sentence the newspaper has borne witness to the fact that these have been extraordinary rains.) The truth is that even in the summer, during the rainy season, such rains are rarely seen.These are the strange and wonderful miracles of God Almighty-this season and this state of affairs! It must be borne in mind that this newspaper is owned by a Hindu gentleman; it is issued from Lahore.It seems that Allah the Exalted has been pleased to cause his pen and tongue to so very faithfully state these things as a testimony in favour of my prophecy.And then again, in the same Akhbār-e-'Ām on page 6 of its issue dated 26 February 1907, appears this news item: Although winter this year seemed rather lazy and we had lost all hope, by the end of January (i.e.by spring) it came into its own and started to make its presence felt.In this month the win- ter has never manifested such an amazing phenomenon.From the end of January until today, matters came to such a point 1.This proves that this rain was a global rain.What was so unusual about this was not only that it rained so heavily in the spring that it even exceeded the rainfall of the monsoon season, but also that despite it being the season of spring, it rained throughout the country whereas this does not happen even during the rainy season.(Author)

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590 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION that people began to cry for escape; sometimes rain, sometimes snow, sometimes hailstorms, and then piled up clouds seemed as if hiding behind a veil and the people are longing to see the sun and feel its rays.Not a single day passes without the falling of snow or hailstones, and if this does not happen, then it defi- nitely rains.And sometimes during the day it becomes so dark because of intense smoke-like clouds that it is not possible to function without artificial light.And it is so very cold that water, if left in the open at night, freezes and becomes ice by the morning.These days one simply cannot drink water without first warming it up.Simla is now totally snowbound on all four sides and nothing is visible except snow.All trees and houses are buried under layers of snow and it is bitterly cold.Further on, the same newspaper says: In this country rains are so widespread that areas which other- wise used to complain of lack of rain have also tasted rain.Similarly, the newspaper Jāsūs of Agra reports on page 4 of its issue dated 15 February 1907: On 6 February 1907, it rained very heavily during the evening in Kanpur.A thunderstorm struck and such a hailstorm occurred that the railway service had to be suspended.Furthermore, the newspaper Ahl-e-Hadith of Amritsar in its issue dated 22 February 1907, 8 Muḥarramul-Ḥarām AH 1325, states on page 11: This week there has been incessant rain in these parts, indeed in the entire length and breadth of Punjab.There was a terrible hailstorm on the night of 19 February [1907].Lord Krishna of

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS Qadian has received the revelation: 'The heaven has been rent asunder', and he says we do not know what is about to happen.591.( وَسَيَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا أَكَى مُنْقَلَبِ يَنْقَلِبُونَ Thus, he derides the revelation from God) In any case, this enemy of ours has testified that there have been inces- sant rains during this week in the whole of Punjab.Also, everyone knows that 22 February is the peak of spring; he has also acknowledged the fulfilment of the above-mentioned revelation.Similarly, the magazine Ḥikmat of Lahore, dated 15 February 1907, reports: It is raining daily in Darjeeling accompanied by thunderstorm.The newspaper Nayyar-e-Azam of Moradabad in its issue dated 19 February 1907 writes: It has been raining continuously for seven days and hailstones also fell.The newspaper Āzād of Ambala in its issue dated 16 February 1907 states on page 1: It has been raining constantly in Delhi for the last ten days and hailstones also fell.Paisah Akhbar Lahore, on page 21 of its issue dated 23 February 1907 reports: Constant heavy rain has damaged the sugar cane crop in Bengal.1.And the wrongdoers will soon know to what place of return they shall return (Surah ash-Shu'ara, 26:228).[Publisher]

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592 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION The same paper in its issue dated 29 February 1907 also reports: In Madras the rains have been heavier than normal.Public Magazine, Amritsar (1907) says on page 11: It is biting cold in Amritsar and rain has also started pouring.The newspaper Samāchār Lahore, dated 26 February 1907, reports: People are now exhausted from this rain.The daily Paisah Akhbār dated 15 February 1907, page 5 writes: For the last four days it has been raining constantly.It looks exactly like the monsoon season.The patience of people is being stretched to the limit.They long for the light of the sun.The daily Paisah Akhbār dated 8 February 1907 reports on page 8: It has been raining for many days now.Yesterday, there was another torrent of rain.It has gotten colder and a chilly wind is blowing.The roads are a complete shamble.I have quoted these newspaper reports to bear witness to the proph- ecy whose fulfilment called for heavy rains.If desired, I could have quoted fifty to sixty similar press reports testifying to the truth of the prophecy, but I think this much testimony from newspapers is suffi- cient.People at large are well aware that the spring season this year was marked by unusually heavy rains about which no one had any knowl- edge except Allah the Exalted.On the contrary, highly paid experts in the Government Meteorological Department had already forecast that

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 593 there would not be any rains except those normally expected during this period; see the official weather forecast published in the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, dated 16 December 1906.Furthermore, the fulfilment of the prophecy about the rain and cold weather is not confined to unusually heavy rain and freezing weather in the spring season, but the prophecy was fulfilled in another sense also in that it rained generally all throughout the country.Indeed, districts where people used to cry for rain earlier also shared this wet weather.Thus, anyone possessing reason, dignity, a sense of justice, and fear of God, will admit without any hesitation that this was indeed an unusual and extraordinary phenomenon which God Almighty had foretold.And in this country, the British Government has a regular department that is responsible for forecasting such unusual circum- stances, and there were astrologers, too, but no one gave this forecast that this spring would be marked by such unusual rains and snow.This was prophesied only by the God who had sent our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, after all the Prophets so that He may unite all nations under his banner.This part has been about the heavy rains.Now I shall narrate the part that pertains to the falling of snow, which I have already mentioned to some extent previously, so that it may be realized that this prophecy did not apply to this country alone, but manifested its extraordinary effects in other countries as well, and these are: The newspaper Wakil, Amritsar, on page 2 of its issue dated 7 February 1907, which corresponds to 23 Dhilḥijjah AH 1324, reporting about the weather in Europe says: In some European countries the cold this year has been so severe that the like of it has rarely occurred in the past.In Belgium, temperatures have fallen below zero and in Berlin, temperatures are said to have fallen 13 degrees below the freez- ing point, and in Austria and Hungary, 20 degrees below.Many

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594 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION persons have died on account of such intense cold.Railway traffic has been disrupted in parts of Europe because the water pipes of railway engines have burst due to the freezing of the water.The seaports of Danube and Odessa are becoming fro- zen.In Russia and Great Britain, the temperatures have fallen so low that it has not been the case for many years in the past.The trains between Rome and Naples have had so much snowfall upon them that [we are forced to pray:] God save us! Constantinople has received snowfall many feet thick.Traffic of ships and steamers has been stalled in the Strait of Bosporus.[All] the ships arriving in the channel from various places are totally covered in snow.In the streets of Paris the poor and impoverished are freezing to death.The lakes and canals of Italy are frozen.Can science and the experts of terrestrial and heavenly phenomena explain this situation in a satisfactory manner that if this grandiose enterprise of nature has eternally been, and is eternally subject to, an established law and that there is no Transcendent, Omnipotent Being with a will of His own exer- cising control over it, then why is it that every now and then there is a deviation from the day-to-day order of things? Do such occurrences not lead to the conclusion that Islam is the only religion in the world, belief in whose tenets will always save a person from any misstep.¹ Not to talk of atheists, even the followers of most existing religions cannot provide any sat- isfactory rationale for their beliefs on such occasions.1.Such unusual phenomena not only lead to the conclusion that Islam is a true religion, but this conclusion also establishes quite clearly that the per- son who-along with his claim to being the Promised Messiah—also report- ed the news of such an extraordinary occurrence of global import well in advance, is truthful and from God.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 595 Then again, the newspaper Nür Afshāń dated 22 February 1907 reports: The rain in Hong Kong was so heavy that in the mere space of ten minutes 100 Chinese people perished in the environs of the port.The [same] paper Nur Afshan dated 23 February 1907 writes: It rained so heavily at Army News during this week that it was even greater than the rain during the monsoon season; also, twice or thrice there were terrible hailstorms.1* As already pointed out, this prophecy had been published in newspapers on 5 May 1906, or nine months before its fulfilment.Then nine months later, it was so manifestly and plainly fulfilled that all the newspapers of Punjab, India, Europe, and America testified to it.Thus, everyone endowed with reason can reflect and realize that no mere mortal could have such an immensely deep and profound knowledge; nor, for that matter, could an impostor be capable of demonstrating such a manifes- tation of divine power through fabrication.Indeed, how grand this Sign is that just as God Almighty had previously warned of two earthquakes in the past two springs—namely, the one in 1905 and the other in 1906— so did He forewarn a third time that there would be severe rains, bitter cold, and snowfall in the coming spring season of the year 1907! This was 1.May I ask the Editor of the periodical Nur Afshan: 'Did any follower of the Gospel ever make this great a prophecy that encompassed not only the entire country but, in fact, comprehended the entire world within its scope?' If this prophecy was not from God then who was the person who equalled God in displaying the powers of providence! Now that the Promised Messiah—who was awaited has presented the divine testimony in support of his claim, is rejecting him not similar to the Jews who opposed the Messiah as even after witnessing his miracles, and maltreated him to their heart's content? (Author)

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596 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION exactly what happened and the prophecy was fulfilled with awe-striking.[ So Allah be praised for all this] فَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.grandeur Linked with this prophecy was another prophecy printed and pub- lished during those very days in the magazine Review of Religions and [the newspapers] Badr and al-Ḥakam, which is as follows: دیکھ میں تیرے لئے آسمان سے برساؤں گا اور زمین سے نکالوں گا.صحن میں ندیاں چلیں گی پر وہ جو تیرے مخالف ہیں پکڑے جائیں گے.يَأْتِيَكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ.يَأْتُونَ مِنْ كُلِّ پر فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ وَأُلْقِيَ بِهِ الرُّعْبُ العَظِيمُ.وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ.سَأَكْرِمُكَ إِكْرَامًا عَجَبًا.آسمان ٹوٹ پڑا Look! I shall send for you from the sky and shall produce for you from the earth.Streams shall flow through the courtyard, but those who are opposed to you will be seized.Help will come to you upon every track.People will come to you upon every route so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel and great awe for you shall be created.Woe to every back- biter, slanderer! I shall honour you in a wonderful manner.The heaven has fallen down completely.All these prophecies pertain to rain.Along with this, it has been fore- told that these heavy rains will be harmful to the enemies.Perhaps this means that these heavy rains will give rise to the plague and a variety of other diseases* and that crops will also be damaged.And the revela- tion in Arabic signifies that: 'After these Signs appear, people will once again turn to you.They will come to you by every route so much so that the roads will develop ruts on account of heavy traffic.And people will send you gifts in cash and kind from distant places and the ene- mies shall be smitten with great awe.And at that time slanderers and fault-finders will stand condemned and I [God] shall grant you a rare distinction.It will rain so heavily as if the heavens have burst.' 1.☆ This phrase may well mean that after the manifestation of these Signs the enemies will be left speechless and paralyzed.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 597 5.FIFTH SIGN [193] —The fifth Sign that was manifested in these days was one of the acceptance of prayer, which, in fact, was tantamount to raising the dead.The details of this episode are as follows: 'Abdul- Karim, son of 'Abdur-Raḥmān, who is from Hyderabad, Deccan, is a student in our school.He was bitten by a rabid dog and we sent him to Kasauli where he underwent treatment for a few days and then returned to Qadian.But a few days later he began to show signs of madness that are peculiar to being bitten by a rabid dog.He became hydrophobic and his condition deteriorated rapidly.I was deeply moved out of sympathy for this poor boy, who was so far away from his home, and I felt a special urge to supplicate for him.Everyone thought that the poor boy would expire within a matter of hours.Inevitably, he had to be moved out of the boarding house and placed in a room away from other people.He was given great care and a telegram was sent to the British doctors at Kasauli, inquiring if there was any remedy available for his condition.The reply came by telegram that there was no remedy for him.This added to my feeling of sympathy for him and I was deeply concerned about this poor boy away from his homeland.My friends also insisted that I should pray for him, for his pitiable condition aroused great compassion.I was also afraid that if he died under these dire circumstances, his death would provide the enemies with an occasion to rejoice.This further added to my feeling of sympathy for him and I was moved in an extraordinary manner.Such a feeling cannot be generated by one's own volition, it can only be caused by God Almighty Himself.Once such a condition comes about, it is so effective that—by God's permission—it can well-nigh bring the dead back to life.In short, the condition of absolute reliance on Allah was vouchsafed to me, and when my concern for him reached its ultimate limit and anguish took hold of my heart, the patient-who had been as good as dead-began to show signs of recovery.He who had been so afraid of water and light, at once took a turn for the better and said that he was not afraid of water anymore.He was given water which he drank fearlessly.He then performed ablution with it, offered his Prayer, and slept through the night.His frightful and wild condition disappeared

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598 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION and he recovered completely within a few days.I was suddenly made to feel that the madness had not come to him as a presage of death; rather, it was meant as a Sign from God.Knowledgeable people affirm that it has never happened that a person bitten by a rabid dog, exhibiting the typical symptoms of rabies, has survived.Can there be a stronger proof than [the fact] that the Physician Specialists officially appointed at [the Pasteur Institute of India] Kasauli, had, in reply to our telegram, categorically certified to the effect that nothing could be done now for 'Abdul-Karim? Here I must add that when I prayed for this boy, God made me understand that a particular medicine should be administered to the patient which was done a number of times.In the end, the patient recovered which was like the dead coming back to life.Below is repro- duced the telegraphic reply from the Physicians at [the Pasteur Institute of India] Kasauli, received in English...' in reply to our telegram: To Station Batala To Person Sherali Kadian From Station Kasauli From Person Pasteur Sorry nothing can be done for Abdul Karim 1.In the original book, the Promised Messiah as gave an Urdu translation of this telegram and a reference to it was made here.That reference and the Urdu translation have been omitted in this translation.[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 599 A Muslim gentleman, from the office [Pasteur Institute] for treatment of hydrophobia caused by dog bite, was surprised and sent a postcard which stated: I was deeply distressed that 'Abdul-Karim who had been bitten by a mad dog developed rabies symptoms.But I am very happy to learn that he has recovered by means of prayer.This kind of recovery has never been heard of before.This is the grace of God and the effect of supplication by holy people.[All praise belongs to Allah].By yours humbly, 'Abdullah, from Kasauli' 5.FIFTH SIGN [194]-This Sign is comprised of a mubahalah of a certain individual.In other words, he unilaterally sought a verdict about me from God Almighty.After imputing a number of indescrib- able beliefs and actions to me, he sought the adjudication of Allah the Exalted.As a result, he died of plague only a few days after the prayer.The details of this relate to a person named ‘Abdul-Qādir, a resident of the village Talibpur Pindori, District Gurdaspur, who was known as a Tabib [i.e.a physician using traditional remedies].He harboured feelings of extreme hatred and hostility towards me.He was given to hurling the most filthy abuses upon me.After his abusive language had transgressed all bounds of decency, he wrote a scurrilous poem in the form of a mubahalah.This is reproduced below excluding the part in which he attributes to me the gravest of grave wickedness and immorality.Quite like Sa'dullāh of Ludhiana, he accused me of highly objectionable misconduct, using filthy language.I have omitted the filthier couplets to keep this book pure from them.I now reproduce below his complete composition in prose and a part of his poem which is replete with inaccuracies.All is preceded by two couplets of my own: Postcard by 'Abdullah from Kasauli

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600 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION As written by Abdul-Qadir of Talibpur Pindori From the writing of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian:¹ ابن مریم مر چکا حق کی قسم داخل جنت ہوا ہے God is my Witness that Ibn-e-Maryam [the son of Mary] had died, And that holy one entered Paradise.ہے * 3 اس سے بہتر غلام احمد ابن مریم کے ذکر کو چھوڑو Speak not of Ibn-e-Maryam [the son of Mary], For better than him is the slave of the [Holy Prophet] Aḥmad[a].1.This is a copy of text that 'Abdul-Qadir of Talibpur Pindori wrote with his own hand.A photocopy of the original appears on 607.[Publisher] 3.* (Author).داخل جنت ہوا ہے محترم and not داخل جنت ہوا وہ " 2.Since this man is so ignorant, he has even misquoted my couplets.For instance, he made a mistake in the line marked [by an star (*)] which is part of my couplet.It should read o Many ignorant persons, such as the present party to the mubahalah, take grave offense at this line of the couplet which simply means that the Messiah of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad's ummah is superior to the Messiah of the Mosaic dispensation because our Prophet is superior to Mūsā.The fact of the matter is that divine wisdom and providence demanded that just as Ḥaḍrat 'Isa as [Jesus] was Khātamul-Khulafa' [the Seal of the Khulafa'] in the Mosaic dispensation, in the Muḥammadan dispensation, too, a Khātamul-Khulafa' would appear in the Latter Days (who this humble one is).This was done so that the two dispensations—the Israelite and the Ishmaelite-may come to mirror one another.Since our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is superior to Prophet Mūsā, it necessarily follows that the Seal of the Khulafa' of the Holy Prophet's ummah also be superior to the Khatamul-Khulafa' of Prophet Moses [Mūsā].This is the truth.Let them listen who have ears that can hear! Alas! Our opponents repeatedly say that in the Latter Days a very large number of Muslims will become quite like the unfortunate Jews who used to reject the Prophets sent by God and deny their prophecies and that Muslims will similarly follow suit; but they are hard put to admit that just as the two orders resembled each other in their early peri- ods on account of the resemblance between the two Prophets, in the Latter Days too, they the two dispensations-will come to mirror each other by appearance of the Khatamul-Khulafa'.Jews also believe that the Messiah of the Latter Days will be superior to the first Messiah, but these people deny it.This shows the scant regard they pay to the exalted station and honour of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.It is indeed the

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS By way of answer to this, study closely the verse in Part 6 of the -Whereas they slew him not, nor cru] وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ Holy Quran cified him' (Surah an-Nisa, 4:158)] of which Mirza Sahib is well aware but refuses to acknowledge for selfish reasons.ابن مریم زندہ ہے حق کی قسم صورت ذکر و فخر اُن کا ہے قرآن سے ثبوت جھوٹ کہتے لوگو ملکی بفلک محترم ہیں غلام احمدی بت کر لو تم قرآن سے دین کیوں کھوتے ہو تم بہتان سے جھوٹھ کا بازار تھوڑے روز ہے بعد اس کے حسرت دلسوز ہے بھی مرزائیو ذرا حق سے ڈرو زندگی میں جلد تر توبه کرو محمد کی کرو تم پیروی ہاتھ آوے دو جہاں میں خسروی جب خدا کا قہر ہو تم نزول پھر نہ مرزا مہدی ہوگا نہ رسول بھول جائیں گے = سب قالا و و قول ہیں دلائل شریعت سب فضول صرف اس کی عقل کا طومار عیش و عشرت کے لئے کار ہے جو طریقہ اُس نے ہے جاری کیا کس پیمبر یا ولی نے کہا عورتیں بیگانه ہمراہ لیا باغ میں لے جا کے اس نے یہ کہا چھوڑ رو منه کھلے اپنے تم نسا ہاتھ میں لے ہاتھ کرتے 601 worth pondering that the man who, after reading this line of the verse, was so roused as to challenge me to a mubahalah, God caused him to die in my own lifetime.His death, therefore, is adequate testimony to the truth of this line of the couplet.(Author)

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602 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION اور کرتے کام پھر یہ لوگوں نے اسے مہدی کہا ناروا وہ یا الہی جلد انصاف کر جھوٹ کا دنیا ނ مطلع صاف کر I swear by God that Ibn-e-Maryam [the son of Mary] is still alive, In the shape of an angel in the sky.He is mentioned with pride in the Holy Quran; The statement of the followers of Ahmad is false.People prove it for yourselves from the Holy Quran; Why do you damage your faith giving credence to falsehood? These lies are only short-lived, They will be followed by regret and an inflamed heart.O followers of Mirza! Do fear God even now! Hasten to recant while yet.alive.Follow the faith of Muḥammadsa, To earn laurels here and in the Hereafter.When the wrath of God descends upon you, Then Mirza shall be neither Mahdi nor Messenger.All such talk and discussion will be forgotten; All such arguments are rejected by the Shariah.It is simply the heaped up product of his intellect Which he concocts to attain a life of pleasure and luxury.Which Prophet or wali [i.e.friend of Allah] ever initiated The approaches introduced by him? Accompanied by strange women, He took them to the garden and said.Ladies! Leave your faces unveiled!' And then proceeded laughing and strolling arm in arm.He indulges in other misdeeds.Still these people call him the Mahdi [Guided One].God, My Lord! Hasten to impart justice, And sweep the world clean of falsehood.The curse of Allah be upon the liars

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 603 These are the couplets from which I have deleted many obscene ones because they were extremely filthy and indecent.However, just as the author of these verses had prayed to God to do justice and cleanse the world of falsehood, God has indeed delivered an early judgment.Just a few days after composing these verses, this man—namely, ‘Abdul- Qadir-died of the plague.Through a disciple of his, I was able to get hold of the signed copy of these couplets.He was not the sole victim of the plague.Some other relative of his, including his son-in-law, also died of plague and consistent with his own couplet, the world was swept clean of falsehood.What a pity that these people are themselves guilty of lying yet bra- zenly slander others, and, under the Shariah of the Holy Prophetsa, are liable for punishment, but they do not care at all.Such are the pres- ent-day divines and scholars.Their hearts are tainted with such brazen and shameless gall that if one of them dies after invoking divine justice, the other—paying no heed to it—takes on the role of his successor and resumes the task of being insolent and foul-mouthed.Rather, he tries to outdo the former.As a result, scores of them have died in consequence of such muba- halahs.Were I to describe all cases of this kind, it would take several ajza" of this book.So many of my followers have written to me to inform me of persons who unilaterally invoked a mubahalah [against me] and died soon thereafter; or a particular person entered into a mubahalah contest with some member of the Jama'at and died on the morning of the next day.Others personally visited me and described such wondrous Signs.For instance, only yesterday, 28 February 1907, a number of guests also described some episodes concerning a mubāha- lah but since the size of this book has already become rather large and since their testimonies are oral, I did not think it necessary to incorpo- rate them herein.God alone knows why not a single one of them cares to think of the 1.A juzw comprises sixteen pages.[Publisher]

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 604 cause behind such Signs of divine support.Are these the hallmarks of liars, dajjāls, and renegades that—instead of them—God continues to destroy the ‘believers' and the ‘righteous' in cases of mubāhalah contests? Finally, let me point out that an impression of the foregoing cou- plets written in the author's own handwriting has been included in this book with a view to silencing the opponents.If anyone has doubts whether the couplets are his, they can always compare the copy with the specimens of his original handwritings, and the original copy of these couplets is safe in my custody; anyone who wishes can see it.The person through whom I was able to obtain this original handwritten copy is a student of his named Sheikh Muhammad, son of Ali Muḥammad, a resident of Dhariwal, District Gurdaspur.How Mighty indeed is Allah the Exalted that most of those who sought a mubahalah [against me] died by the plague, and it was the plague itself that delivered the judgment against most of my bitter enemies! In Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya God was pleased to mention the plague and earthquakes at a time when these calamities were nowhere to be found in this country.For instance, in Barāhīn-e-Ahmadiyya this prophecy is on record: لَا يُصَدِّقُ السَّفِيْهُ إِلَّا سَيْفَةَ الْهَلَاكِ.أَتَى أَمْرُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوْهُ.Meaning that: 'Ignoble man will not testify to the truth of any Sign except the Sign of death.Tell them such a Sign is about to appear as well! Therefore do not deal with me in haste.' Thus, by the 'Sign of death' was meant the Sign of the plague.Similarly, at another place Allah the Exalted says in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya: الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَنْذِرَ أبَاءَهُمْ وَ لِتَسْتَبِيْنَ سَبِيْلُ الْمُجْرِمِيْنَ قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.Meaning that, He indeed is God who taught you the Holy Quran and apprised you of its true meanings so that you may warn those whose

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 605 forefathers were not forewarned of the impending chastisement, and so that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest; in other words, so that the guilty and those seeking the truth may become distinct.Similarly, at another place Allah the Exalted says, as is recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya: دُنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دُنیا نے اُس کو قبول نہ کیا لیکن خدا اُسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اُس کی سچائی ظاہر کر دے گا A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.[nadhīr— It is obvious that Allah the Exalted only uses the word warner] for such a Messenger in whose support it is destined that divine chastisement will overtake those who deny him.This is so because [nadhir] is said of the one who warns and that Prophet is called [nadhir] in whose time some chastisement is destined to descend.As such, when I was named [nadhir] twenty-six years ago in Barāhīn- e-Aḥmadiyya, it contained the unmistakable indication that in my divine chastisement would descend.Thus, in keeping with this proph- ecy, the chastisement of the plague and the earthquakes has indeed descended.time Some ignorant people object that since most of the people in Europe and America do not even know your name, why were they destroyed by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? The answer to this is that these people had become deserving that a punishment should descend upon them in this very world on account of their excessive sin- fulness and wickedness.Thus, consistent with His own practice, Allah the Exalted held back that punishment until the advent of a Prophet, but when that Prophet appeared and people had been duly invited and informed of his coming through thousands of announcements and pamphlets, the time came to punish them for their crimes.And it is absolutely wrong to say that people in Europe and America are not

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606 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION even aware of my name.This fact is not hidden from any fair-minded person that some twenty years ago I circulated 16,000 printed copies of a leaflet in the English language throughout Europe and America in which I announced my claim and laid out the reasons in support of it.And after this, a number of different announcements continued to be issued every now and then.Then again, for the last so many years, the magazine—Review of Religions—is regularly dispatched to Europe and America.Also, the news of my claim has been published in European newspapers many times.The news of my prayer against Dowie¹ was also documented in European [and American] newspapers.Therefore, despite this ongoing dissemination [of the news of my claim] over the last twenty years or more, who can accept that those people [i.e.Europeans and Americans] are not aware even of my name? The fact is that some of them have even entered into my Movement.Apart from all this, everyone knows that Prophet Nūḥ's as [Noah's] deluge killed even those who had not yet heard his name.Hence, the essential truth of the matter is what Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا Allah the Exalted, does not send down punishment upon the world unless and until He first sends a Messenger.This alone is the practice of Allah.It is quite clear that [these days] no divine Messenger has appeared in Europe and America.Thus, the chastisement that befell them came upon them only after my claim [to be Warner of this age].1.This [Dr.John Alexander Dowie] is the name of an American impos- tor who claimed to be Ilyās [Elijah] and a Prophet who, these days-apart from suffering financial losses—is near death while suffering from paralysis.(Author) 2.Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:16 [Publisher]

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As written by Abdul-Qadir of Talibpur Pindori EPILOGUE-SIGNS Impression of the original script of 'Abdul-Qadir of Talibpur Pindori.¹ حمد یصنیف فرز اصحاب علی محمدقادر ہے ابن مریم زندہ ہے حق کی قسم ابین موتم مریکا حق کی قسم صورت یکی بغلک محترم داخل حنت ہوا سے محترم ذکر و فخر اولکا ہے قرآن سے ہوت اس مریم کے ذکر کو چھوڑ دو جو نہ کتنے ہیں غلين لحمدي اس سے بہتر ہے علی احمدی اس کا جواب موجب قران شریف ما قتلوه و ما صلبوه جمهوین استادانا دین کیوں کہتے ہو مربی سالاری عمور سے دیکھو حکو فرد احرقت خوبست ال شریف کے لو کو نات کر دویم حیران ہے.ہوٹہ کا بازار تھوڑے دوڑ i جانتے ہین امر باعث ما نام بنیادی حضرت دستور شمع کے اوسپیر عمل نہیں کرتے ایقی رب بھی مرزائی در اختی سے ڈر جو طریقہ اسنے سے جاری کیا زندگی تین طلبته تو به گرو ہا تہہ آخر سے دو جہاں مین سرودی جب خدا کی قمر مو یشتر نزول " پر اتنی میوانی برای کو ہیمبر یا ولی نے میں کیا ریاولی رتیں بلکا نہ تو مرا پا لیا باغ مین ایجا کے اوستے ہیں کہیں چھوٹہ دو منہ کیئے اپنے تم نے تم نے پر نه مرزی مهدی شوخانه روان کا مقدمی سے بات کر تے نہیں کرتے بھول جا دینگے یہ سب قائد و توتی میں دلائل سب شریعت کے فتقول صرف اورنگی عقل کا طومار ھے عیش و عشرت کے لئے یہ کار سے امور مگر کے کام ہیں وہ نا یہ ویانا پہر بعد لوگوں نے اسے مہدی کیا یا رای خلود ترانه افت کی 607 1.A typed version and translation of the above script is given on pages 600-602.[Publisher]

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608 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 6.SIXTH SIGN [195]-Is the death of Ḥakīm Ḥāfiz Muhammad Din which took place after a mubahalah.The details of this entail a per- son, resident of Moza Nankar near the Kahna railway station in the District of Lahore, who had employed several words about me by way of a mubahalah in his book and requested Allah's wrath and curse for the one who is the liar.He died one year and three months subsequent to this request which he made in several places throughout his book that he had named Faisala-e-Qur'ānī aur Takdhīb-e-Qādiānī [i.e., ‘The Quranic Verdict and Refutation of the Qadiani”].1* He writes these verses by way of a mubāhalah on pages 76, 78, and 85: وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ أَفَاكِ أَثِيمٍ 2 [Woe to every sinful liar!] وَيْلٌ يَوْمَبِهِ لِلْمُكَذِّبِينَ [Woe, on that day, unto those who reject!] لَعْنَتَ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ [The curse of Allah be on those who lie.] These are the verses that he has written.Thus, in one verse the curse of God is invoked upon the one who is the liar and guilty of fabrication.And in the second verse, the curse of God is invoked upon the one who rejects the truthful one.This indeed is what constitutes a mubahalah.And in the third verse the curse of God is invoked in a general sense upon the liar.1.This book of his was printed under the auspices of Ḥakim Chanan Din, at the Islami Steam Press, Lahore.(Author) 2.Surah al-Jathiyah, 45:8 [Publisher] 3.Surah at-Tatfif, 83:11 [Publisher] 4.Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:62 [Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 2 609 As I have already written, this man died one year and three months after the publication of his book.Now every wise person can ponder that a mubahalah is the method in Islam to obtain a decisive verdict on an issue.Thus, when Ḥakīm Ḥāfiz Muḥammad Din labelled me an impostor in this book of his and assigned me the appellation [‘the sinful liar'], and then again on page 63 of his book, he wrote the following verse applying it to me 1* وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ أَفَّاكِ أَثِيْمٍ يَسْمَعُ أَيْتِ اللَّهِ تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ.meaning: Curse be ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسْتَكْبِرًا كَانْ لَّمْ يَسْمَعْهَا فَبَشِّرْهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيْمٍ.upon the sin- ful impostor who hears the verses of God and, out of arrogance, insists upon denying them as if he heard nothing.Thus, warn him of a painful chastisement.' Therefore, by writing these verses, this man named Muḥammad Dīn means to imply that I am [the sinful liar] and that in his lifetime I shall indeed be chastised through a painful punishment.On the contrary, Allah the Exalted delivered the verdict on who the sinful liar is through his death.7.SEVENTH SIGN [196]-On the morning of 28 February 1907, I received the following revelation: Verses as quoted by Hakim Hafiz Muḥammad Din سخت زلزلہ آیا اور آج بارش بھی ہوگی خوش آمدی نیک آمدی A severe earthquake came and it will also rain today.Your arrival is a source of joy; your arrival is a source of blessing.This prophecy was announced to the Community early in the morning.There was no sign of rain at the time the prophecy was announced and there was not even a trace of clouds in the sky.The sun was shining 1.This word of the Quranic verse has been written incorrectly by this man on account of his lack of knowledge of the Holy Quran.The correct reading is (Author) يَسْمَعُ أَيْتِ اللهِ تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ 2.Surah al-Jathiyah, 45:8-9 [Publisher]

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610 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION brightly.No one knew that it would also rain that day.And then after the rain, news had been given of an earthquake.Then after the Zuhr Prayer, suddenly clouds appeared and it started to rain.It rained again at night.Then on the night before the morning of 3 March 1907 the earthquake hit, the news of which was widely announced and also reached me.Thus, both elements of the prophecy were fulfilled in the span of three days.After writing this, I received two letters by mail on 5 March 1907.One was from Mirzā Niaz Baig, the Chief of Kalanaur, which reported the severe shock of an earthquake on the night between 2 March and 3 March [1907], before which there was rain and a hailstorm.The revelation: آسمان ٹوٹ پڑا The heaven has fallen down completely.Was entirely fulfilled.The same mail brought another letter.This was a postcard from Miyāń Nawab Khan, Teḥṣīldār Gujrat.It reported that on the night between the 2nd and 3rd of March 1907, there was a severe shock of an earthquake at 9:30 in the night and it was extremely dangerous.The Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore contains the following news about this earthquake in its issue dated 5 March 1907: There was a smart shock of earthquake felt at Srinagar at 9:30 on Saturday night, lasting a few seconds, its direction being north-east.In its issue dated 6 March 1907, the Akhbar-e-Am of Lahore reported that a severe shock of earthquake was registered in Srinagar Kashmir at half past nine on Saturday night and lasted for some seconds.Its direc- tion seemed to be in the north-east.Now, can anyone tell me if it is in the power of any human being to prophesy publicly from himself that today it will rain and that the

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 611 rain would be followed by an earthquake and he should disclose this news when it is bright and sunny and there is no sign of rain; and then it happens exactly as prophesied? If it is asked what is the evidence for it all, then find reproduced below the list of eyewitnesses to whom this prophecy was conveyed; i.e.on the morning of 28 February 1907 when the sun was shining brightly in the sky and there was absolutely no hint of clouds.List of the witnesses who heard the prophecy of 28 February 1907 about the severe earthquake before its occurrence: [No] [Name] [1] Muḥammad Ṣādiq, Editor newspaper Badr Qadian [Remarks] [2] Wife of Muḥammad Ṣādiq [3] Mother of Khwajah 'Alī [4] per [5] Muḥammad Nasib Aḥmadī, Clerk, newspa- Badr Master Sher 'Ali [6] Ghulam Aḥmad, Clerk, Tashḥizul-Adhan [7] Ghulam Muḥammad, Teacher, lower Ta'limul-Islām High School, Qadian Maulawi Muḥammad Ahsan Manu propria [8] [9] ‘Ubaidullāh Bismil Aḥmadī (may Allah have mercy upon him) [10] Muḥammad Sarwar (may Allah have mercy 'I heard this prophecy with upon him) my own ears.' [11] Ghulam Qadir [12] Qādi Amir Husain [13] Ghulam Nabi Manu propria [14] Māmūń Khān, Gym Instructor [15] Hakim 'Ali from Chak Panyar, currently visiting Qadian 'I have also heard'

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612 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION [No] [Name] [16] Hafiz Muḥammad Ibrāhīm, Muhajir Qadi- an [17] Muḥammad-ud-Dīn, Manu propria, student, MA College, Aligarh, currently visiting Qadian [18] Respectfully Faqirullāh, Deputy Manager magazine [19] 'Abdur-Rahim, Second Clerk magazine [20] Respectfully Aḥmad ‘Alī, Lambardar, resident of Bāzīd Chak, currently visiting Qadian [21] [22] Muḥammad-ud-Din Muḥammad Hasan Ahmadi, Clerk [23] Sayyed Mahdi Husain Muhajir [24] 'Abdul-Muḥy Arab, the author of Lughātul- [25] Quran Muḥammad Ji of Abbottabad [26] Sayyed Ghulam Husain of Kashmir [27] Sayyed Nasir Shāh, Overseer Kashmir Muḥammad Isḥāq [28] [29] Ghulam Muḥammad [30] Daulat 'Ali, Student [31] Humbly Quṭb-ud-Din Ḥakim [Remarks] I am] أَنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِيْنَ among the witnesses to this.] [32] Muḥammad Husain, Scribe, newspaper Badr 'Without a doubt, on 28 February, I heard Huḍūr's revelation: "A severe earthquake came and it will also rain today."

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[No] [Name] EPILOGUE-SIGNS [33] Sheikh 'Abdur-Raḥīm, Clerk, Badr [34] Sayyed Aḥmad Nur of Kabul [35] Sultān Muḥammad Afghan, Student [36] Hadrat Nur of Kabul [37] Abdullah Afghan [38] Hāji Shahāb-ud-Din [39] Fadl-ud-Din Ḥakim [40] Khalifah Rajab Dīn of Lahore, Manu pria [41] Ḥāji Faḍl Husain of Shahjahanpur pro- [42] Sheikh Maḥbūb-ur-Raḥmān of Banaras [43] Lutf-ur-Raḥmān [44] Sheikh Aḥmad of Maisūr [45] Muḥammad Sulaiman Mongyri [46] 'Abdus-Sattar Khan of Kabul, Muhajir [47] Sheikh Muḥammad Isma'il Sarsāwī, Teacher [48] Sayyed Nasir Nawab [49] 'Abdur-Ra'ūf [50] Fakhr-ud-Din, Student of Ta'limul-Islām School [51] Munshi Karam Ali, Scribe, Review of Reli- gions [52] Sayyed Tasawwur Husain Barailwi [53] Akbar Shah Khan Najibabadi [54] Ghulam Ḥasan, Baker at boarding house [55] Ghulam Muḥammad Afghan, Muhajir [Remarks] 613

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614 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION [No] [Name] [56] (Hakim Ḥāji Maulawi) Noor-ud-Deen [57] Hakim Muḥammad Zamān [58] 'Abdur-Rahim, Fourth Master [59] Ghulam Muḥammad, Student BA.MAO College, Aligarh [60] Sheikh Ghulam Aḥmad Respectfully Yäār Muḥammad B.O.L [61] [62] Barkat 'Ali Khān [63] Qudratullah Khan Muhajir [64] Sheikh 'Abdul-'Aziz, a new Muslim [65] Aḥmad Din, Goldsmith [66] 'Abdullah, resident of Shupiyan, Kashmir, currently visiting Qadian [67] Mahmood Ahmad [68] Amir Aḥmad s/o Maulawi Sardar 'Ali Hakim, resident of Miyani [Remarks] "A severe earthquake came and it will also rain today.Your arrival is a source of joy; your arrival is a source of blessings" I heard.' 'On 28 February 1907 I heard this revelation: "An earthquake came.It will also rain today.Your arrival is a source of joy; your arrival is a source of blessings." 'I heard it and the same day I wrote in a letter triumphantly.'I heard this revelation on that very day in the morning at 7 and it rained on the same day and was followed by an earthquake on the third day.'I heard this prophecy on the morning of 28 Febru- ary 1907.

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 615 [No] [Name] [Remarks] [69] Muḥammad Ashraf, Clerk in Office of Șadr 'I heard this prophecy on Anjuman [71] Maulawi Azīmullāh of Nabha [72] [70] Sheikh 'Abdullah, Physician boarding-house Abdul-Ghaffar Khan Afghan, resident of Khost, currently visiting Qadian [73] 'Abdul-Ghani, Student [74] Din Muḥammad, Master Mason [75] Maulawi Muḥammad Faḍl, Changvi Aḥma- di [76] Karim Bakhsh, Lambardar, Raipur [77] Şahibzadah Manzur Muḥammad of Ludhi- ana.[78] Ghulam Husain s/o Muḥammad Yusuf, Appeal Writer [79] 'Abdul-Ghani [80] Faid Ahmad [81] Muḥammad Ismā'il [82] Abdul-Haqq [83] 'Abdur-Raḥmān [84] Faḍlud-Din [85] Manzur Ali [86] Mirzā Barkat Ali Baig [87] Master Mason 'Abdur-Raḥmān [88] Waliullah Shah [89] Habibullah Shah [90] Fakhr-ud-Din [91] Gohar Din [92] Khwajah Abdur-Raḥmān the morning of 28 Febru- ary 1907.

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616 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION [No] [Name] [93] Malik 'Abdur-Raḥmān [94] Muḥammad Yaḥyā [95] 'Abdus-Sattār [96] 'Abdul-Aziz [97] Bashir Aḥmad [98] 'Abdullah Jatt [99] 'Abdur-Raḥmān of Ludhiana [100] Muḥammad Ismā'îl [101] Ali Aḥmad [102] Hayat Khan [103] Ishaq [104] Din Muḥammad [105] Ibrāhīm [106] Barkatullāh [107] Abdur-Raḥmān [108] Sayyed Altaf Husain [109] Abdur-Raḥmān Dātvī [110] Mumtaz 'Ali [111] 'Abdul-Karim [112] Abdul-Jabbar [113] Aḥmad Din [114] Maḥmūd [115] Abdul-HḤaqq [116] 'Ubaidullāh [117] Abdur-Raḥmān [118] Abdullāh [119] Karim Bakhsh, Cook [120] Nur Muḥammad, Servant [121] Ghulam Muḥammad, Scribe of this book [Remarks]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 617 It should be noted that there is a fine point related to the prophecy that there will be a terrible earthquake and that it will also rain today; which is that the earthquake emanates from within the earth and the rain descends from the heavens above.Thus, this is a prophecy in which the heavens and the earth are both joined so that the prophecy may see its fulfilment in both these aspects, for it is beyond human power to make such a prophecy on one's own in which both the heavens and the earth should be so brought together.Indeed, such a matter is beyond the capability of a human being that exactly when the sun is shining brightly and rain has ended, he should prophecy that it will rain today, and then it actually rains! O readers! I have recorded here, by way of illustration, all those divine Signs¹ related to my claim which I had intended to write down.God, the Lord of Glory, be thanked a thousand times, for He demonstrated these Signs in my support solely out of His grace and benevolence.I did not possess the power even to produce a shred of evidence in my support be it from earth or from heaven, but He, who is the Lord of heaven and earth and the yoke of whose obedience is borne by every particle of this universe, caused a sea of Signs to flow in my support.He demonstrated such support for me as I could not even imagine.As for me, I testify that I was not worthy of such honour, yet the God of Honour and Glory manifested these miracles for my sake purely and solely out of His limitless mercy.I regret that I was unable to achieve the level of obedience and piety in His path which was my heart's desire, and I could not serve His Faith as much as I would have liked to.I will carry the anguish with me that I could not accomplish 1.On 9 March 1907 a telegram was received from London, which was published in the Civil and Military Gazette.The telegram reported that, 'The self-styled Prophet Dowie is dead.Dowie, who had claimed to be a Prophet in the [United States of] America and about whom I had prophesied that God would not spare him in con- sequence of his false claim, died of paralysis.US praised for all this] A great Sign has appeared.(Author) [So Allah be

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618 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION all that I should have accomplished.However, the Gracious God dis- played such wonders of His might in my favour and established my truth in the manner that is exclusively displayed for His chosen ones.I know only too well that I was not worthy of the esteem and honour which my Lord accorded me.When I look at my own weakness, I feel compelled to admit that I feel more an insect than a man, and more dead than alive.Nevertheless, glory be to His wondrous power that such a humble and insignificant man as myself was preferred by Him.Other preferred people attain eminence by virtue of their deeds, but I was a mere nothing.It is only because of His infinite mercy that He approved of someone like me.I can never thank Him enough for this grace.There are thousands in the world who claim to be the recipi- ents of divine revelation and converse with Him, but the mere claim of divine converse is nothing unless what is thought to be divine converse is accompanied by the supporting action of God; i.e.a miracle.Ever since the universe came into being the divine word has always been rec- ognized by the supporting action of God; otherwise, how can one know whether such a word is that of God or of Satan, or perhaps a prompting of one's own self? The Word of God and the supporting Work of God must proceed together, one with the other.In other words, for the sake of one who is indeed the recipient of the Word of God, the Work of God also makes its presence felt in his support.That is to say, through his prophecies, wonders of providence are manifested in such abun- dance as to practically reveal the countenance of God.This is done so as to prove that the revelation he receives is indeed the Word of God.Sadly, in this age, many such people are found everywhere who are fond of being called a mulham [recipient of divine revelation].And they readily believe all that emanates from their tongue is the Word of God without attempting to assess their own condition or carrying out any self-appraisal.This, despite the established fact that the tongue from which the divine word may issue forth, can also be the recipient of the words of Satan.Also, it could very well be the prompting of one's

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 619 own self.Therefore, any word that issues forth from the tongue is defi- nitely not worthy of being called the Word of God, until two testimo- nies certify it to be from Allah.THE FIRST TESTIMONY is that the condition of the person who claims to be the recipient of divine revelation should be such as shows that he is worthy of receiving divine revelation; for, one hears the voice of the one whom he is close to.Thus, the one close to Satan hears the voice of Satan, and the one near to Allah the Exalted hears His voice.Only such a one can be said to be the recipient of divine revelation who, in order to attain the veritable pleasure of God, aban- dons his own will and desires and adopts a bitter death in order to please Him completely and fully.He makes God foremost over all else so that when Allah the Exalted looks upon his heart He finds it totally cut off from the world and lost in seeking His pleasure.Each and every particle of his being becomes sacrificed for the sake of Allah the Exalted such that if confronted with a trial, nothing can hold him back from Allah the Exalted; neither wealth and possessions, nor wife, son, and honour.As a matter of fact, he totally erases all signs of his own existence, and the love of God Almighty so overwhelms him that he never lets Him go even if he were carved into pieces or his children slaughtered, or he himself cast into the flames and exposed to every kind of bitter hardship—even then he would not abandon his God.And in the face of attack by any affliction, he does not move away from his God.He is true and faithful.He views the entire world and the kings of the world as nothing more than a dead moth.Even if he were told that he would be sent to Hell, he still would not aban- don the bond with his True Beloved, for his love of God becomes his Paradise.He himself cannot understand why he has such a con- nection with God so that no failure or trial can ever diminish the intensity of this connection.This being the situation, we can say that he is close to God and not to Satan.Such men indeed are friends of

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620 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the Gracious God; God loves them and they love God.It is these upon whom the Word of God descends and such people belong to the category of the people [described in the Quranic verse]: ان عِبَادِي لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطن THE SECOND TESTIMONY necessary for the recipient of divine rev- elation is that the Word of God that descends upon him should be accompanied by the supporting Work of God.For, when the sun rises it must also be accompanied by the sun's piercing rays.Similarly, divine revelation never descends alone, for it is also invariably accompanied by the supporting action of God; namely, it is accompanied by a variety of miracles and a variety of succour and blessings.Otherwise, how could a humble man recognize that it is indeed the Word of God? Therefore, he who claims to be the recipient of the revelation from God but does not have the manifest miracles and Signs of divine support should fear God and should renounce such a claim.Furthermore, a claim of this kind cannot be considered authentic on the basis of just one or two sol- itary Signs which happen to turn out to be true.Instead, its authentic- ity would stand verified only if 200-300 such unambiguous and clear Signs testify to its truth.What is more, any revelation that is claimed to be from God must not contradict the Holy Quran.Everyone needs to ponder and determine which misguided reli- gious group would be dominant at the time of the Promised Messiah.And, apart from this, what else will the Promised Messiah be required to do? Sahih Bukhārī, which is said to be the most authentic book after the Holy Quran, does not mention anywhere that the Promised Messiah will appear in order to kill the Dajjal.On the contrary, it is only written therein that the Promised Messiah will break the Cross and kill the Swine.From this it becomes clear that the Promised Messiah 1.Surely, you [Satan] will have no power over My servants (Surah al-Hijr, 15:43).[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 621 will appear at the time of the dominance, power, and enormity of the Christian missionaries.That is to say, when their deception, manipula- tion, and adulteration will have reached its ultimate extreme and they will exert their utmost to widely publish interpolated books, it would be then that the Promised Messiah would appear.His real mission will be to break the Cross.However, Sahih Muslim does mention the kill- ing of the Dajjal, and it is written therein that the Promised Messiah will kill the Dajjal and that he will appear for this very purpose, but it is also written that the Dajjal will emerge from the Church.It might be perceived that these two books—namely, Bukhārī and Muslim— differ in a very significant way, because according to Ṣaḥiḥ Bukhārī the real purpose of the appearance of the Promised Messiah is to break the Cross but Sahih Muslim states that the true purpose for which the Promised Messiah shall appear will be to kill the Dajjal.Perhaps the answer may be given that at the time of the Promised Messiah's advent, a portion of the earth will be dominated by the Dajjāl and another por- tion will be under the sway of the worshippers of the Cross, quite like two distinct kingdoms.But this answer is not correct for it is accepted doctrine that, except for Makkah and Madinah, the Dajjāl will run rampant across the entire earth.In other words, the Dajjal will domi- nate everywhere, and this is what the authentic aḥādīth bear witness to.Will then God forbid—the Cross come to dominate in Makkah and Madinah because some part of the world at least must be accepted as the place where the Cross will be dominant? Thus, since the entire earth with the exception of Makkah and Madinah—will be under the sway of the Dajjal, then only the lands of Makkah and Madinah would remain whereupon the Cross could dominate! These are the aḥādīth that make mention of the Dajjal's domination.On the other hand there are also aḥadīth that state that at the time of the Promised Messiah's advent, Christian temporal power will rule almost the entire globe with great power and majesty.In fact, the hadith [He will break the Cross'] also indicates this very point.Moreover, the following verse also proclaims this fact very loudly:

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622 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION مِّنْ كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنْسِلُونَ Therefore, the interpretation that some part of the earth will be dom- inated by the Christians while another part will be dominated by the Dajjāl during the advent of the Promised Messiah, loses all credibility.Perhaps a counter reply to this may be voiced that first the Christians will dominate and then the Dajjal will break the Cross and in the end the Messiah will kill the Dajjal, but this is a belief that has never been entertained by any sect from among the entire body of Muslim sects to this very day.On the contrary, we find written in Ṣaḥiḥ Bukhārī that it is the Promised Messiah, and not the Dajjāl, who will break the Cross.2 5.2 When we turn to the aḥādīth for a resolution of this dispute, we find that the very same Şaḥiḥ Muslim which makes mention of the Dajjal, also testifies that the Promised Dajjāl shall issue forth from a church, or in other words, will emerge from among the Christians.Thus, Sahih Muslim pronounces the Christian missionaries to be the Dajjal.And circumstantial evidence also testifies in favour of this point of view and clearly shows that the last mischief that appeared-due to which hundreds of thousands of Muslims turned apostate-is none other than the mischief of Christianity, of which we are all eyewit- nesses.Hence, it is evident that the difference here is nothing more than semantics.The mischief that Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī designates as the mis- chief of the Cross and declares the Promised Messiah to be the breaker of the Cross, Sahih Muslim designates that very mischief to be the mis- chief of the Dajjal and refers to 'the breaking the Cross' as ‘the killing of the Dajjal'.And when we turn to the Holy Quran-the arbiter of all 1.They shall hasten forth from every height (Surah al-Anbiya', 21:97).[Publisher] 2.The aḥadīth also indicate that, at the time of the Promised Messiah, Christians would have spread all over the world.(Author)

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 623 disputes—for further details, we find that it does not even mention the name Dajjāl, but declares the mischief of Christianity to be so grave as to be the enemy of all Islamic principles and proclaims that the heavens might well-nigh burst asunder and the earth shatter into pieces [because they ascribe a son to God (Sūrah Maryam, 19:91–92)].It denounces the same Christian group as being guilty of distorting and adulterating the revealed Word of God.It ascribes to this group the act indicated by the term dajal [i.e.deceit, imposture] in its proper sense.Furthermore, in Surah al-Fatihah it teaches the Muslims to seek ref- uge with God from the mischief of Christianity.And this is what all commentators of the Holy Quran have interpreted the phrase Cur to mean.From this Quranic verdict it is clearly proven that the mis- chief of which the aḥadīth forewarn us is none other than the mischief of the Cross.Thus, if a person can legitimately be called a dajjāl on account of a slight deception or dajal on his part, why can an entire group that is guilty of changing an entire shariah and teaching, not be described as the Dajjāl? And when we see Allah the Exalted Himself testifying to deceit on the part of the Christians, why then can they not be collectively called by the name Dajjal? Of course, they could not be called the greatest Dajjal at the time of the advent of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as their deceit and dishonesty had not yet reached the extreme; only the foundation of becoming the Dajjāl had yet been laid.But after this, in our own age, with the advent of printing machines, the Christian missionaries have disseminated distortion and corruption to the extreme.They have spent tens of millions of rupees to publish those distorted books and have left no stone unturned in their efforts to lead people to apostasy.It was then that the prophecy of God came true and- —as subsequent events bear out—they became worthy of being called the greatest Dajjāl.Unless and until someone appears to surpass them in oppos- ing truth and in distortion and adulteration, all must concede that this 1.And those who have not gone astray (Surah al-Fātiḥah, 1:7).[Publisher]

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624 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION group is indeed the greatest Dajjāl whose emergence was prophesied.The Jews too were guilty of distortion but they became the target of such humiliation as was tantamount to death.This was the only group that went from height to height and devoted all their energies to decep- tion and distortion.But that was not all.They also wanted to make the rest of the world like themselves.On account of their material power and prestige they were able to acquire all the requisite means and thus they accomplished such feats of deception and distortion, the likes of which cannot be found throughout the history of the world from its inception until today.They tried to make people turn their backs on the One and Only God and accept instead Ibn-e-Maryam [the Son of Mary] as 'God'.In our own times this misconduct on their part peaked to its ultimate height.And they made so many interpolations in the Books of Allah the Exalted as if they themselves were Prophets in their own right.This is why the term Dajjal was applied to them; that is to say, those who distort the Books of God to the extreme and those who make falsehood appear as truth.In the aḥādīth the Promised Dajjal's coming is described frequently as khurūj [i.e.emergence] whereas in reference to the Promised Messiah the term nuzūl [i.e.descent] is used; the two words being opposites.By this what is meant is that the Promised Messiah will descend on behalf of Allah the Exalted, and that God will be with him whereas the Dajjāl will forge ahead with the help of material means, deception, and fraud.Indeed, just as the Holy Quran mentions the mischief of Christianity, so too does it mention Gog and Magog.There is an indication of their [material] dominance which would extend across the entire earth in the verse: 1 هُمْ مِّنْ كُلِّ حَدَبٍ يَنْسِلُونَ Now, if the Dajjāl, Christianity, and Gog and Magog are taken to 1.They shall hasten forth from every height (Surah al-Anbiya', 21:97).[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 625 mean three different peoples who would appear at the time of the Promised Messiah, the contradiction becomes even more pronounced.However, a reference to the Bible shows for a certainty that the mis- chief of Gog and Magog is actually the mischief of Christianity, for the Bible names it Gog.Thus, as a matter of fact, the same people have been addressed by three different names on account of their different circumstances.To say that there is no mention of the Promised Messiah in the Holy Quran is totally wrong.Actually, Allah the Exalted has declared in the Holy Quran that the great mischief is the mischief involving the worship of ‘Īsā and has warned that the earth and the heavens may well-nigh burst asunder due to it.Concerning the same time period, the Holy Quran has prophesied the occurrence of the plague, earthquakes, and other calamities, and explicitly announced that the various terrible catastrophes that will appear in the heavens and the earth during the Latter Days will be the chastisement for the worship of 'Isā.And then on the other hand, it is laid down in the Holy Quran that: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا This verse, therefore, manifestly proves that the Holy Quran prophe- sies about the Promised Messiah.Anyone who reads the Holy Quran with diligence and integrity will realize that in the Latter Days when most parts of the earth will be demolished and turned upside down on account of terrible calamities, the pandemic plague will break out, and death will reign supreme on every front, it is essential that a Messenger [of God] should come as Allah the Exalted says: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا 1.We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (Surah Bani Isrā'il, 17:16).[Publisher]

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626 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Meaning that, We never punish people unless we first send a Messenger.Thus, as is borne out by events in the past, when even minor chas- tisements were preceded by the coming of Prophets, how then is it pos- sible that at the time of this most terrible chastisement-which is the chastisement of the Latter Days and which shall envelope the entire earth, and about which all the Prophets had warned—a Messenger of God should not appear? This would amount to an outright negation of the Word of God.Hence, this Messenger is none other than the Promised Messiah.Since the cause of these chastisements, without the least doubt, is the mischief of Christianity, so was it but necessary that a Messenger-appropriate to the situation created by the mischief rife in the world—should appear with the purpose of putting an end to the said mischief.This is why this Messenger is called the Promised Messiah.This proves that the Holy Quran does mention the Promised Messiah and this is exactly what we had wanted to establish.Everyone can appreciate that if—according to the Holy Quran—at the time of the great Christian mischief, the coming of a punishment was necessary, then the coming of the Promised Messiah was also nec- essary.And it is clear that the coming of this chastisement during the peak of Christianity's mischief is proven from the Holy Quran.Thus, the coming of the Promised Messiah is also proven from the Holy Quran.Similarly, it is generally proven from the Holy Quran that Allah the Exalted says that when We decide to visit a people with chas- tisement, We permit their hearts to become filled with sinfulness and immorality and, as a result, they exceed all limits of indulgence in their carnal desires and shamelessness.It is then that divine chastisement overtakes them.It is obvious that these matters, too, have reached a cli- max in Europe, thereby inviting chastisement which, in its own right, requires the [simultaneous] presence of a Messenger of Allah—and the same is the Promised Messiah.Thus, it is indeed surprising that these people should allege that the Holy Quran makes no mention of the Promised Messiah.Furthermore, this Quranic verse:

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ 627 also requires that in the fourteenth century one like 'Īsā [Jesus] should make his appearance in the Ummah, quite like Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, who appeared fourteen centuries after Mūsā [Moses], so that a similar- ity should be maintained between the beginning and the end of both orders.Furthermore, the following verse of the Holy Quran also contains this prophecy: وَ إِنْ مِن قَرْيَةٍ إِلا نَحْنُ مُهْلِكُوهَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُوهَا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا Meaning that, there is not a town but We shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment.This means that a terrible chastisement shall descend upon the world in the Latter Days.While on the other hand God says: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا This also shows that a Messenger will appear in the Latter Days, and he it is who will be the Promised Messiah.And this same prophecy is contained in Surah al-Fatihah, for God Almighty has designated the Christians as those who have gone astray.This contains the indication that although hundreds of religious groups exist in the world who have gone astray, the Christians shall transgress all limits to the extent that they alone will stand out as the misguided ones.And when the misguidance of a people becomes 1.As He made Successors from among those who were before them (Surah an- Nür, 24:56).[Publisher] 2.Surah Bani Isra'il, 17:59 [Publisher] 3.We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (Surah Bani Isrā'il, 17:16).[Publisher]

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628 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION extreme and they do not desist from committing sins, it is the estab- lished practice of Allah that such a people are overtaken by divine chas- tisement.Thus, from this too it becomes necessary that the Promised Messiah must appear; that is, in keeping with the requirement of the verse: وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا And it is rather extraordinary that just as in the aḥādīth of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there is a proph- ecy about the Promised Messiah who would appear in the Latter Days, so also is there a prophecy regarding a man of Persia who would come in the Latter Days to restore and re-establish lost faith.As is written meaning that, even if the faith had لَوْ كَانَ الْإِيْمَانُ مُعَلِّقًا بِالثَّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ left for the Pleiades, a man of Persia would bring it back.Now it is clear that in this hadith, the Man of Persia has been given such precedence and ascribed the performance of such a great task that one has to say that the Man of Persia is superior to the Promised Messiah because the Promised Messiah-as alleged by my opponents—will only kill the Dajjal, whereas the Man of Persia will bring the faith back from the Pleiades.It is also mentioned in another hadith, that in the Latter Days, the Holy Quran will be taken up into the heavens.People will recite the Holy Quran but it will not reach beyond their throats.Thus will it be time for the Man of Persia and for the Promised Messiah―both would be contemporaneous.But in comparison to the special function that the Man of Persia would discharge of bringing faith back from the heavens, any service to the Faith for the killing of the Dajjāl is at best the negation of mischief, which alone cannot serve as the basis of salvation.On the other hand, to bring faith back from the skies and to transform people into perfect believers amounts to the acquisition of 1.We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (Surah Bani Isrā'il, 17:16).[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 629 virtue which is the criterion for salvation.Negation of mischief bears no comparison to the acquisition of virtue.What is more—in regard to whosoever accomplishes the immense virtuous feat of bringing faith back from the Pleiades to earth-how could anyone with reason believe that such a person would be incapable of dispelling mischief? In short, it is simply irrational to think that in the Latter Days, the Man of Persia will be responsible for the attainment of virtue while the Promised Messiah will only negate mischief! Why can't the one capable of reaching out to the heavens, ward off mischief upon the earth? Thus, the error on the part of the present-day Muslims is piti- able for they consider the Promised Messiah and the Man of Persia to be two different persons.As many as twenty-six years ago, Allah the Exalted fully laid bare this belief in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya.On the one hand, He pronounced me as the Promised Messiah and named me ‘Īsā [Jesus].For instance, He said in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya: يَا عِيْسَى إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيْكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَيَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا.And on the other, He designated me the Man of Persia and—again and again-addressed me by this very name.For instance, He said: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ صَدُّوْا عَنْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ شَكَرَ اللَّهُ سَعْيَة.Meaning that, [in relation to] the Christians and their brethren who hold people back from Islam, this Man of Persia-meaning my humble self-has written their refutation and that God is pleased with him for this, his service.It is quite clear that the real function of the Promised Messiah is to challenge and compete with the Christians.Thus, if the Man of Persia is not the Promised Messiah, then why has his—the Promised Messiah's official function been delegated to this Man of Persia? This proves that this Man of Persia and the Promised Messiah are two

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630 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION names of one and the same person.Accordingly, the Holy Quran indi- cates this fact and says: وَاخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمُ ا Meaning that, from among the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there is yet another group which has not yet made its appearance.It is true that those alone are entitled to be called 'the Companions' who are the contemporaries of a Prophet, and have the honour of being in his company as believers and have been guided and trained by him.From this it stands proven that from among the future people there will be a Prophet who would be a buruz [a reflection] of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.This is why his Companions will be called 'the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.And just as the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, had served the Faith in the path of Allah in their own way, these too will also serve the cause of Allah in their own way.In any case, this verse constitutes a prophecy about the coming of a Prophet in the Latter Days; otherwise, there is no reason why such persons should be designated as the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who were to be born after him and had, in fact, never seen him.In the verse referred to above, God did not say And among others from among the Ummah-instead و أَخَرِيْنَ مِنَ الْأُمَّةِ He said—['And among others from among them‍].And everyone knows that the pronouns [minhum] is indicative of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Thus, only such a sect would fall under the pronoun[minhum] who have a Messenger among them who is the true reflection of the Holy Prophet, may peace 1.Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:4 [Publisher] 2.Surah al-Jumu'ah, 62:4.[Publisher]

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EPILOGUE-SIGNS 631 and blessings of Allah be upon him.And twenty-six years ago, Allah the Exalted had named me Muḥammad and Ahmad in Barāhin- e-Aḥmadiyya and designated me a spiritual reflection of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.This is why in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya people were told: قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ.[Say, 'If you love Allah, then follow me'; meaning that, be sin- cere followers of the Chosen Prophet so that Allah may also love you.] كُلُّ بَرَكَةٍ مِّنْ مُّحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم.فَتَبَارَكَ مَنْ عَلَّمَ وَتَعَلَّمَ.[Every blessing is from Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; so, highly blessed is he who taught and he who has been taught.] And if someone asks, 'How is it to be determined whether the hadith ,Had faith ascended to the Pleiades] لَوْ كَانَ الْإِيْمَانُ مُعَلَّقًا بِالتُّرَيَّا لَنَالَهُ رَجُلٌ مِّنْ فَارِسَ a man from among the Persians would have brought it down"] refers to me, and why it might not have reference to someone else from among the Muslims?', the reply is that in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, divine revelation has repeatedly pronounced me as the person referred to in this hadith, and emphatically declared that He stands with me.I call God Almighty to witness that this is the Word of God Almighty that descended upon me.He who denies this should be ready to come forth for a mubahalah and may the curse of Allah overtake him who denies the truth or fabricates a lie against the Lord of Honour.No one else from among the Muḥammadan ummah has, up to this day, made this claim that Allah the Exalted has given him this name and that he alone is entitled to make this claim on the basis of divine revelation.To charge me with having claimed to be a Prophet on my own is the height of folly and ignorance and is utterly opposed to the truth.

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632 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION O ignorant people! My claim to Prophethood does not mean that God forbid-I claim to be a Prophet as against the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or that I claim to have brought a new shariah.My Prophethood means the frequent experience of divine converse and address that has been granted to me on account of my obedience to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.You people also admit the possibil- ity of divine converse, so our difference is only over the interpretation of terms.What you regard as the divine converse, I, in obedience to God's commandment, denote its occurrence with great frequency as Prophethood.['Everyone is entitled to define his terms'].I swear by God, in whose hands my life is, that it is He indeed who has sent me, and He indeed has named me a Prophet, and He indeed has called me the Promised Messiah, and He has manifested great Signs in my support, the number of which extends to 300,000, some of which have been incorporated by way of illustration in this book.If His miraculous works and manifest Signs which number into the thousands had not openly testified to my truth, I would never have disclosed to anyone the honour of my divine converse; nor could I have declared with certainty that it was indeed the revelation of God.But for His part, God manifested such Works in support of His revealed Word that they served as a clear and bright mirror for beholding His countenance.

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّي 2 A GREAT VICTORY Dr.John Alexander Dowie-the False Prophet of America-Dies in Accordance with My Prophecy 196.ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SIXTH SIGN³ -Let it be clear that the man whose name is mentioned in the title was a bitter enemy of Islam.He also made a false claim to prophethood, and considered the Chief of Prophets, the Most Truthful of the True, the Best of Messengers, the Leader of the Pure, Bearer of Holiness, Muḥammad, the Chosen One of God, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to be a liar and an impostor.Because of his evil nature, he used foul and obscene language about the Holy Prophets.In brief, because of his malice towards Islam, extremely evil traits were found in him.Just as swine see no value in pearls, so did he view the Islamic [concept of] Tauḥid [Oneness of God] with contempt and wanted to destroy it.He believed Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā to be God and had such a passion for spreading the doctrine of Trinity 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[Publisher] 2.We praise Him and invoke blessings [on His Noble Messenger].[Publisher] 3.In the Epilogue, the Signs began to be numbered by mistake from Number I when they should have started from Number 189.Thus up to this point, adding the eight Signs mentioned so far in this Epilogue, the total Number has reached 196 (Number 5 had been used twice by mistake).This is why this Sign has been assigned the Number 196.(Author) * As noted by the Promised Messiah as there is a numerical mistake in number- ing.In the Epilogue there are nine Signs after Sign Number 187.[Publisher]

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634 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION in the world, that though I have read hundreds of books by Christian clergymen, I have not seen such passion in anyone else.His newspaper, Leaves of Healing dated 19 December 1903, and 14 February 1907, con- tain the following sentences: I pray God for the day to come when the Crescent shall dis- appear.May God grant it! May God destroy it [i.e.Moslem Abomination].Again, in his newspaper dated 12 December 1903, considering himself to be a true Messenger and a true Prophet, he wrote: If I am not God's prophet, there is none on God's earth that is.In addition, he was an avid polytheist and used to say that he had received revelation that Yasū' Masīḥ [Jesus Christ] shall descend from heaven in twenty-five years.He believed that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā was indeed God.Moreover, the one thing which caused great grief to my heart, as I have written, was that he was an extreme enemy of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.I subscribed to his newspaper.Leaves of Healing and was constantly aware of his foul and abusive language.When his insolence had reached the limit, I sent him a letter in English in which I invited him to a mubāhalah [prayer duel] so that God may cause the liar among us to die during the lifetime of the one who is truthful.This invitation was sent to him twice, in 1902 and again in 1903, and was also published in some well-known newspa- pers in America.Their names are written in the footnote below.¹ 1.[See Footnote on pages 635-638.]

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 635 No.NEWSPAPER DATE I Chicago Interpreter 28 Jun.1903 2 Telegraph 5 Jul.3 Argonaut, 1903 I 1 Dec.San Francisco 1902 SUMMARY OF NEWS The newspaper ran the headline, 'Will Dowie come out for this contest?' Printing my photograph side by side with that of Dowie's, it reported that Mirza Sahib says that Dowie is an impostor, and that he prays for God to destroy and annihilate him in his lifetime.Then the newspaper quotes me as saying: "The way of distinguishing between the one who is an impostor and the one who is truthful is that both should pray to God that from the two, the liar should die in the lifetime of the truthful one.' The newspaper reports that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of the Punjab, India, has challenged Dowie, the claimant of prophethood, to a mubahalah, and that this is to be undertaken by praying to God that whosoever of the two is a liar should die in the lifetime of the one who is truthful.The newspaper ran the headline, 'Prayer duel between Christianity and Islam' and gives a summary of my letter to Dowie in which I wrote to him: 'You lead a Jama'at and I too have a large following.To decide therefore who from among us is truly from God we can both pray to the God we believe in.Then the one whose prayer is accepted should be considered to be truly from God.And, the prayer should be: 'May God cause the one of us who is a liar to die earlier than the one who is truthful.Surely, the paper says, this is a reasonable and just method to reach the truth.

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636 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION No.NEWSPAPER DATE 4 Literary Digest, New York 20 Jun.1903 5 New York Mail and 28 Jun.1903 Express 6 Herald Rochester 25 Jun.1903 SUMMARY OF NEWS The newspaper has printed my photo and elaborates on the issue of mubahalah saying that the two parties, Dowie and I, will pray to God that of the two of us whoever is a liar should die in the lifetime of the one who is truthful.'Mubahalah between two claimants of Prophethood' is the heading of the: published in the report paper.The report then explains in detail what a mubahalah is.The newspaper reports that Dowie has been invited to a mubahalah, and then describes in detail what a mubahalah is.The newspaper published a news item about the mubahalah.7 Record Boston 27 Jun.1903 8 Advertiser 25 Jun.Same as above.Boston 1903 9 Pilot Boston 27 Jun.Same as above.1903 IO Pathfinder, Washington 27 Jun.1903 Same as above.II The Chicago Inter-Ocean 27 Jun.1903 12 Worcester Spy 28 Jun.1903 13 The 25 Jun.Democrat 1903 Chronicle, Rochester Same as above and then in its issue of 28 June 1903 the paper published both photos [my photo as well as that of Dowie] and gave details of the mubahalah.// The newspaper has mentioned the mubaha- lah and published photos of Dowie and me.Underneath my photo appears the caption, 'Mirza Ghulam Ahmad'

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 637 No.NEWSPAPER DATE 14 A newspaper of Chicago: name and date torn Burlington SUMMARY OF NEWS The newspaper mentions me as the Messiah of India who has invited Dowie to a mubahalah.The newspaper carries a news item about the mubahalah.15 The 27 Jun.1903 Free Press 16 The Chicago 28 Jun.1/ Inter-Ocean 1903 17 Albany Press 25 Jun.// 1903 18 Jacksonville 28 Jun.Times 1903 19 Baltimore 25 Jun.// American 1903 20 Buffalo 25 Jun.// Times 1903 21 New York Mail 25 Jun.1903 22 Boston 27 Jun.// Record 1903 23 Desert 27 Jun.// English News 1903 24 Helena I Jul.// Record 1903 25 The Groom- 17 Jul.shire Gazette 1903 26 Nuneaton 17 Jul.// Chronicle 1903 27 Houston 3 Jul.11 Chronicle 1903

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638 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION No.NEWSPAPER DATE SUMMARY OF NEWS 28 Savanna News 29 Jun.1903 29 Richmond 1 Jul.// News 1903 30 Glasgow 27 Oct.// Herald 1903 31 The New 26 Oct.York 1903 32 Commercial Advertiser The Morning 28 Oct.Telegraph of 1903 New York The newspaper quotes me saying that if Dowie accepts my challenge openly or even indirectly, he will die in extreme pain and frustration, but if he does not accept the challenge, even then the town of Zion, which he built, will suffer great calamity.The newspaper mentions the mubahalah and my prayer against Dowie.These are the newspapers that have reached me.It seems from this multitude [of reports] that it must have been reported in hundreds of newspapers.(Author)

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 639 In the text of this mubahalah, I had also invoked the curse of Allah upon the liar¹ and had prayed to God Almighty to give His decision and thus expose the falsehood of the one who is lying.The text of this mubahalah, as I have just pointed out, was well publicized in some well-known American dailies.These newspapers belonged to American Christians and had no affiliation with me.The reason for my publish- ing this mubahalah in the American press was that Dr.Dowie, the false Prophet, did not answer me directly.So, as a last resort, I got that text of the mubahalah published in the well-known daily newspapers of America, which are distributed all over the world in large numbers.It is only by the grace of God that the editors of these American news- papers-despite being Christians and hostile to Islam-published my article about the mubahalah so widely and with such enthusiasm that it became widely known throughout America and Europe, and its news even reverberated back to India.The gist of my mubahalah was that Islam is the true faith and the Christian doctrine is false, and I am the same Messiah from God who was to come in the Latter Days and was promised in the Scriptures of the Prophets.I also wrote that Dr.Dowie was false in his claim of prophethood, as well as in his doc- trine of Trinity, and that if he accepted the mubahalah he would die within my lifetime in great pain and misery.Even if he did not accept the challenge, he would still not be able to escape divine punishment.In response to this, the ill-fated Dowie published the following lines in 1.I published an announcement in English on 23 August 1903, opposing Mr.Dowie.It says; 'I am about seventy years in age and Mr.Dowie, as he states, is a young man of fifty but I do not care for my age because this mubähalah will not be decided by our ages but God who is the Most Supreme Authority will decide it.If Mr.Dowie flees from this confrontation—even then, the calamity will certainly befall his Zion soon.Now I finish this discourse with this prayer: 'O All-Powerful and Perfect God, who always reveals Himself to the Prophets and shall continue to do so, settle this matter soon and reveal the falsehood of Mr.Dowie to the people.I am certain that whatever You have promised me through your revelation, shall be fulfilled definitely.O Almighty God, hear my prayer, You have all the powers.See English Announcement of 23 Aug.1903.(Author)

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640 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION English in one of the issues during December 1903, and also in the 26 September 1903 and other issues of his newspaper: There is one foolish man in India, a Mohammedan Messiah, who persists in writing to me saying that the body of the Christ is bur- ied at Cashmir, in India, and can be found there.People some- times say to me: “Why do you not reply to this, that and the other thing?" Reply! Do you think that I shall reply to these gnats and flies? If I put my foot on them I would crush out their lives.In his issue of 19th December, 1902, he wrote: My part is to bring out the people from the East and from the West, from the North and from the South, and settle them in this and other Zion Cities, until the time shall come when the Mohammedans are swept away.May God give us that time.In short, this man became more and more impudent after the publica- tion of my mubahalah, which had been published in Europe, America, here in India, and virtually throughout the entire world.For my part I only waited, for I was sure that God would decide between us as I had beseeched Him to do, and His decision would distinguish between the liar and the truthful.!* I kept praying to God asking for the death of the liar.Hence, God Almighty informed me a number of times that I would be victorious² and 1.Read page 3 of this Announcement.The gist of it is that on 23 August 1903, I had published an announcement in English, opposing Mr.Dowie.On re- ceiving revelation from God Almighty, I had written therein that whether or not Mr.Dowie does a mubahalah with me, he will not escape God's punish- ment and God will distinguish the true from the false.(Author) JEJ 2.Footnote: On 9 February 1907, I received this revelation (LY meaning: 'You shall indeed be victorious.' And then on the same date I re- ceived the revelation meaning: 'You shall be be- stowed another Sign that shall cause happiness and by which you shall be

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 641 the enemy would be destroyed.Then, just fifteen days before Dowie's death, God Almighty informed me once again of my victory through His revelation which was published by me on the second page after the title page of the book, Qadian kei Ārya aur Hamm ['Ahmadis and the Aryas of Qadian'] about a fortnight prior to Dowie's death, which is as follows: Prophecy of a Fresh Sign God says: میں ایک تازہ نشان ظاہر کروں گا جس میں فتح عظیم ہوگی وہ تمام دنیا کے لئے ایک نشان ہو گا یعنی ظہور اس کا صرف ہندوستان تک محدود نہیں ہو گا اور خدا کے ہاتھوں سے اور آسمان سے ہو گا I shall manifest a fresh Sign in which there shall be a great vic- tory.It shall be a Sign for the whole world.(That is, its manifes- tation will not be confined to India alone.) This will be caused by the hands of God and will be from the heavens.Let each eye eagerly await its manifestation, for God will soon manifest it.This will happen as a divine testimony that this humble one upon whom all nations are heaping abuse, is from Him.Fortunate indeed is the one who benefits from it.ANNOUNCED BY Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, Dated 20 February 1907 granted a great victory.' Its meaning that was bestowed upon me was that in the eastern countries Sa'dullāh of Ludhiana had died from pneumonic plague after my prophecy and the mubahalah in the first week of January.This was the first Sign, and the second Sign would be very much greater in which I would be granted a grand victory.So this was the death of Dowie which took place in the western countries.See the newspaper Badr dated 14 February 1907 and thus that prophecy of Allah the Exalted was fulfilled in which it was stated, "I shall show two Signs.' (Author) رو

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642 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Now, it is clear that a Sign (which has resulted in a great victory) that can serve as a manifestly bright Sign for the people of Asia, America, Europe, and India, is only this very Sign of Dowie's death." The other Signs which have appeared as a result of my prophecies have been limited to the Punjab and India, and nobody in America or Europe knew about them.But this Sign, which emerged as a prophecy from the Punjab, reached all the way to America and found fulfilment in a person known by everyone in Europe and America.And no sooner had he died than the news of his death was con- veyed to India through telegrams.The news was published by The Pioneer (published from Allahabad) on 11 March 1907, and by the Civil and Military Gazette (published from Lahore,) on 12 March 1907, and by the Indian Daily Telegraph (published from Lucknow) on 12 March 1907.Hence, the news was published virtually around the globe.Such was the worldly status of this man that he was honoured like lords and princes.For instance, Mr.[Alexander Russell] Webb, an American who has become a Muslim there, once wrote a letter to me testify- ing that this man [Dowie] lives a very prestigious, princely 1.Dowie died so quickly after this prophecy that only fifteen days had passed since its publication when his life ended.Thus, for a seeker after truth, this is a decisive proof that this prophecy was specifically about Dowie, because it is first written in this prophecy that it would be a Sign of a grand victory for the whole world and second, it is written that it would be manifested very soon.Thus, what could be sooner than this that after this prophecy the unfortunate Dowie could not even complete another twenty days before being returned to dust? The Christian priests who had raised a clamour concerning Ātham should now definitely ponder over the death of Dowie.(Author)

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 643 lifestyle in this country.However, despite the prestige and fame that he enjoyed in America and Europe, it so hap- pened by the grace of Allah the Exalted that the text of my mubahalah against him was published by the major daily newspapers of America and became well known all over Europe and America.Moreover, after it became so widely publicized, the death and destruction concerning him that was foretold in the prophecy was fulfilled with such clarity that it is impossible to conceive anything more comprehensive and perfect.Every aspect of his life was stricken with calamity.He was found to be an embezzler and although he had pro- hibited the use of liquor in his teachings, he was proven to be an imbiber of alcohol.In a state of great despair he was driven out of Zion-the city which he had himself estab- lished at a cost of hundreds of thousands of rupees.He was also deprived of seventy million rupees which he possessed in cash.His wife and son turned against him, and his father even announced that he was a illigitimate son, and it was exposed before the public that his birth was illegitimate.As for his claim that he miraculously cured the sick, all such bragging and boasting were proven false, and he suf- fered every kind of humiliation.He was finally afflicted with paralysis and had to be carried about by men like a wooden plank.Soon afterwards, he went mad due to his intense grief and sorrow, losing total control of his senses.His claim that he had a long life ahead of him and that he was getting younger by the day, while others were getting old, turned out to be a mere deception.Finally, in the very

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644 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION first week of March 1907, he died in a state of great distress, pain, and sorrow.Now, clearly, what greater miracle could there be than this-since my essential mission is to break the Cross and a great part of the Cross has been broken with his death? Since he was the world's foremost defender of the Cross and claimed to be a Messenger, and used to say that all Muslims would be destroyed by his prayers, Islam would be annihi- lated, and the Ka'bah would fall into ruins, God Almighty, therefore, caused him to perish at my hands.I also believe that the prophecy about the 'killing of the Swine' has been clearly fulfilled with his death, for who could be more dan- gerous than the one who makes a false claim of propheth- ood and eats the filth of falsehood like a swine? He himself wrote that nearly 100,000 wealthy people had joined him.The fact is that Musailimah, the Impostor, and Aswad ‘Ansi were nothing in comparison to him.Neither of them enjoyed the popularity he did, nor did they possess tens of millions of rupees like him.So I can swear by God that he was the same 'swine' whose death at the hands of the Promised Messiah had been foretold by the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Had I not invited him to a mubahalah, or invoked the curse of God upon him, or published the prophecy regarding his ruin, his death would not have served as a testimony to the truth of Islam.1.Alhamdulillah [All praise belongs to Allah], for today, not only my proph- ecy but also that of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was fulfilled with perfect clarity.(Author)

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 ☆ 645 However, since I had published beforehand¹ in hun- dreds of newspapers that he would indeed die during my lifetime, and I wrote time and again that I am the Promised Messiah and Dowie is a liar, and that the proof of this would be that he would die in ignominy and despair within my lifetime, he accordingly met his death dur- ing my life.Can there be a more openly manifest miracle than this that testifies to the truth of the prophecy of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? Now, only he who is the enemy of truth will deny it.códé And peace be upon him who follows] وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى the guidance].ANNOUNCED BY, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah Qadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab 7 April 1907 1.Footnote: An American Newspaper has added an interesting joke and said: Of a certainty, Dowie will accept the mubahalah challenge albeit with some modification.He would say: 'I do not agree to the mubahalah that the liar should die in the lifetime of the truthful one.But yes, I do agree to a com- petition in vilification.Whoever vilifies the most, and attains to the highest degree in this, that one should be declared the winner and understood to be the truthful one!' (Author)

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646 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION کا عظیم فونوگران آناست اگر بالو [Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian The Promised Messiah & Mahdias]

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A GREAT VICTORY—SIGN NUMBER 196 647 Sketch of Dr.John Alexander Dowie In state of health As afflicted by stroke

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آسمان بارد نشان الوقت میگوید زمین این دو شاہد از پئے تصدیق من استاده اند The heavens are raining Signs—the earth proclaims it is indeed the time! These two witnesses so eagerly testify to my truth! A BRIGHT SIGN 197.[ONE HUNDRED NINETY-SEVENTH SIGN]-In the newspaper Badr of 14 March 1907 (28 Muharram AH 1325) was published a revela- tion received by me on 7 March 1907 that was disclosed to me by way of a prophecy.Its intent, as I was made to understand, was also published in the 14 March issue of the same paper.This revelation which appears on page 3, column 1 of the newspaper mentioned above is as follows: I پچھتیس دن یا یہ کہ پچھتیس دن تک Twenty-five days or until twenty-five days.Meaning that, taking effect as of 7 March 1907, on the twenty-fifth day or by the twenty-fifth day—that is, 31 March—some new phenomenon is going to be manifested.And what I was made to understand in this revelation has also been recorded in the same column which is as follows: 'The revelation indi- cates that upon the very lapse of twenty-five days from 7 March 1907, or within twenty-five days from 7 March, some new phenomenon will make its appearance.And it is but necessary that the providence of

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650 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION God will hold back this phenomenon for a period of twenty-five days beginning as of 7 March 1907 or that this event will happen within twenty-five days from 7 March 1907.If we interpret it [the revela- tion] in terms of twenty-five days, it necessarily follows that we should expect the event to happen on 1 April [1907], 1* because according to the revelation 7 March is part of the stipulated twenty-five days.In this case the prescribed limit of twenty-five days ends on 31 March [1907].With regard to the question as to what exactly the phenomenon will be which has been prophesied, I am unable to say anything except that it will be an amazing or terrible occurrence which, subsequent to its appearance, will demonstrate the fulfilment of a prophecy.See the newspaper Badr dated 14 March 1907, first and second column.After this, the manner in which this prophecy was fulfilled is as follows: Exactly on 31 March 1907—the completion of twenty-five days from 7 March—a huge fiery flame appeared in the sky and, with a frightening flash that caused hearts to tremble, was observed over a distance of more than 700 miles (according to present observation; it might have been more) to be falling upon the earth.The thousands of people who watched this awe-striking phenomenon were astounded and some of them fell down unconscious by its impact and had to be administered water to regain consciousness.Most of those who observed it have described it as a fiery ball of a most awe-striking and extraordinary nature that appeared to fall upon the earth and then to rise towards the sky in the form of smoke.Some people also say that like a tail one part of it consisted of smoke and many people say that it was a terrible ball of fire which came from the north and travelled towards the south while some say that it came from the south and 1.The latter part of the explanation which is underlined is based on my per- sonal interpretation, whereas what God has made me to understand is only this that on the twenty-fifth day from 7 March 1907 or within the period of twenty-five days from 7 March that ends on 31 March, a new phenomenon will make its appearance.(Author)

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 651 travelled towards the north.It all happened at about five o'clock in the evening.Again some others say that a huge body of fire appeared in the west and then moved far towards the east.It looked very promi- nent and threatening; at times it came so close to the earth that peo- ple everywhere felt it would at any moment fall to the ground.Elderly people testified that they had never seen such a terrible and awe-inspir- ing spectacle before.A summary of the letters received from different places has been incorporated into this account by way of testimony.These reports were received from many different places, among them being: Kashmir, Rawalpindi, Pindi Ghaip, Jhelum, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Wazirabad, Amritsar, Lahore, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Bassi Sirhind, Patiala, Kangra, Bhera, Khushab, etc.A gentleman, Mr.Khuda Bakhsh from Rawalpindi writes that this fiery Sign has also been seen in India.Therefore, it would be absolutely correct to say that Allah the Exalted has caused this rain of fire in these countries by way of warning.As I had announced earlier: آسمان اے غافلو اب آگ برسانے کو ہے O negligent ones! The heavens are about to rain fire! So did God fulfil this prophecy and although there was not any dam- age done-only some people fainted-this rain of fire does forewarn of a major chastisement in the future.O ye who listen! Become alert now, lest you regret later.This is one of the Signs from among those Signs about which God had informed me and had said: 'I shall demonstrate sixty or seventy more Signs, of which the last will turn the earth upside down and hundreds of thousands of people will die in an instant.' [This will happen] because of the failure on the part of the people to accept God's Messenger.Terrible earthquakes will take place and deaths shall occur in terrible ways and catastrophes shall descend in ways never before seen until mankind is baffled about what will transpire.All this will happen because of the [spiritual] death of the earth.Mankind

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652 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION witnessed the Signs of God but did not accept them.They became worse than the worms found in excrement and lost faith in the exist- ence of God.This is why God says that, ‘I shall manifest Myself in an awe-striking manner, and demonstrate fearsome Signs and wipe out hundreds of thousands from the face of the earth.' But who cared to believe in me and who cared to accept these my statements! Twenty-six years before today, the God of Honour and Glory declared in Barabin-e-Ahmadiyya: میں اپنی چمکار دکھلاؤں گا اور اپنی قدرت نمائی سے تجھ کو اُٹھاؤں گا دنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دنیا نے اس کو قبول نہ کیا لیکن خدا اسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اس کی سچائی ظاہر کر دے گا I shall demonstrate My light and shall raise you with a demonstration of My power.A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.Among those divine assaults is this rain of blazing flames which this country witnessed.These are the kind of Signs which Prophet Mūsā [Moses] had shown to Pharaoh, but the Signs that are going to be manifested will be far greater than those of Prophet Mūsā.This is why after naming me Mūsā, God says: ایک موسیٰ ہے کہ میں اُس کو ظاہر کروں گا اور لوگوں کے سامنے اس کو عزت دوں گا پر جس نے میرا گناہ کیا ہے میں اُس کو ٹھیٹوں گا اور اس کو دوزخ دکھلاؤں گا There is a Mūsā whom I shall make manifest and upon whom I shall bestow honour in the eyes of people but as for him who has sinned against Me, I shall drag him and show him Hell.In other words, people paid no heed to the appearance of ‘Īsā Ibn- e-Maryam, but now I shall manifest this servant of mine with the

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 653 1* qualities of Mūsā¹* and will show to Pharaoh and Hāmān such days the like of which they feared.Therefore, my dear friends, quite like Masih Ibn-e-Maryam [the Messiah, Son of Mary], for a very long time I continued to suffer grief at the hands of the people and they did with me whatever they so desired, but now God has named me Mūsā by which it can be understood that my opponents have been named Pharaoh by Him.And this designation is not something new that happened today.Indeed, it was bestowed upon me twenty-six years ago when Allah the Exalted named me Mūsā in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, and said: أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ مُوسَى You are to Me like Mūsā [Moses].1.This revelation, received on 15 March 1907 was published in the newspaper Badr in its issue of 22 March and later also.Its content is as follows * There is a musa [ Moses ]whom I] میں اس کو ظاہر کروں گا اور لوگوں کے سامنے اس کو عزت دوں گا shall make manifest and upon whom I shall bestow honour in the eyes of peo- بَلَجَتْ آيَاتِي.تِلْكَ آيَاتٌ ظَهَرَتْ بَعْضُهَا خَلْفَ بَعْضٍ اَجُرُّ الْأَثِيمِ وَأُرِيْهِ الْجَحِيْمَ.إِنِّي أَتَرْتُكَ وَاخْتَرْتُكَ [.ple (Translation): 'My Signs will be manifested.Some Signs will be manifested after others so that the honour of this Mūsā may be established.But he who has sinned against Me, I shall drag him and show him Hell.I have preferred إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّدِقِيْنَ.you and chosen you ہے.I have been pleased with] خدا سچوں کے ساتھ.your humble ways.My enemy has been destroyed.Verily, Allah is with the truthful.Allah is with the truthful.'] This prophecy is clearly about Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh, Accountant, who died of the plague in 7 March* 1907 for he had claimed to be Mūsā.Thus, God says that there is certainly only one Mūsā in this age and that is the one whom I have appointed to be Mūsā, but he who appointed himself Mūsā will per- ish so that the difference between the liar and the truthful one may become manifest.Thus, the plague-which is a sample of Hell-is what the afore- said Bābū was afflicted by and he left this transitory world on 7 March* 1907.ye who have eyes!'] (Author) So take a lesson, O] فَاعْتَبِرُوْا يَأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ.March is a scribe's error.The correct date is 7 April.This very book confirms that.See page 678.[Publisher]

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654 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION And then again, after naming me Mūsā, in the same Barāhīn-e- Ahmadiyya, God Almighty said: ولَمَّا تَجَلَّى رَبُّهُ لِلْجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُ دَكَّا وَّ خَرَّ مُوْسٰى صَعِقًا [And when his Lord manifested Himself on the mountain, He broke it into pieces and Mūsā fell down unconscious.] But since God Almighty began with tender grace and demonstrated His forbearance in full, I was, therefore, named Ibn-e-Maryam, who suffered at the hands of his people; he was severely tormented and persecuted and dragged into the courts; and he was maligned as a disbeliever, an impos- tor, an accursed one, and a dajjāl; but not content with this they further sought to murder him.However, since he was the Elect of God and of those who always have God by their side, those wicked people could not extinguish the light He radiated.Thus, God, who accomplishes everything gradually, first of all designated me as ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryamas for this age, for it was necessary that in my early days I should be perse- cuted by the people like Ibn-e-Maryamas and should be called kafir, the accursed and dajjal and that I should be dragged into courts.Thus, to be Ibn-e-Maryam was my first stage; however, in the records of God, I am not only named ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryamªs.I also have other names which Allah the Exalted made me write down with my own hands twenty-six years ago in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya.There has been no Prophet in the world whose name has not been bestowed upon me.Thus has God said in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya that I am Adamas, I am Nūḥas [Noah], I am Ibrāhīmªs [Abraham], I am Isḥāqªs [Isaac], I am Ya‘qūbªs [Jacob], I am Ismā‘īlas [Ishmael], I am Mūsāªs [Moses], I am Dāwūdas [David], I am ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryamªs [Jesus son of Mary], I am Muḥammadsa by way of reflection since God bestowed all these names upon me in that book and called me: جَرِيُّ اللَّهِ فِي حُلَلِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ Meaning: the Messenger of God in the mantles of all the Prophets.

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 655 It, therefore, follows that I should manifest the grandeur of each Prophet, and some attributes of each Prophet should be exhibited in me, but God desired that first of all He should exhibit the attributes of ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryamªs through me.Thus, I bore all such pain and suf- fering at the hands of my people as were borne by ‘Īsā Ibn-e-Maryam at the hands of the Jews—indeed I bore such pain and suffering from all peoples.In spite of all this, God was pleased to retain the title of the Messiah (as) for me for the purpose of breaking the Cross so that the Cross which had broken and wounded the Messiah should, this second time, be broken by the Messiah—but with heavenly Signs, not with human hands for the Prophets of God cannot be left in a state of subjuga- tion.Thus, in the twentieth century of the Christian era, God decided that the Cross should be vanquished at the hands of the Messiah.But as I have just stated, I have been given other names as well, and the name of every Prophet has been bestowed upon me.Thus have I also been given the name of Krishna who appeared as a Prophet in India, and who is also called Ruddar Gopal (that is, the Annihilator and the Nourisher).Thus, I am indeed the Krishna whose advent the Āryas are awaiting in this age.I do not make this claim on my own, but Allah the Exalted, has repeatedly disclosed to me that: جو کرشن آخری زمانہ میں ظاہر ہونے والا تھا وہ تو ہی ہے آریوں کا بادشاہ Krishna who was destined to appear in the Latter Days is your very self.The King of Aryas.'Kingdom' here exclusively means spiritual kingdom.Such terms do occur in the divine word but they have a spiritual connotation.By way of proving, therefore, that I am indeed [in the spiritual sense] the Promised Krishna, the King of Āryas, I reproduce below with trans- lation in the footnote a recent announcement by a pandit from Delhi named Balam Kund which will show that even the recognized pandits

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656 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of the Aryah faith have also declared that this is the time of the advent of Krishna the Avatar and they are waiting for him to appear in this age.1.☆ شری نشکلنک بھگوان کا اوتار شری ہنومان جی کی جے) سنساری پرشوں کو ودت ہو کہ آج کل جیسے جیسے اوپدرو ہمارے دیش میں ہو رہے ہیں وہ سب کو معلوم ہی ہیں مثلاً استریوں کا بیوہ ہونا اور ساتھ ہی اُن بُری باتوں کا بھی ہونا جن کو بچہ بچہ جانتا ہے اور گھی اور غلہ وغیرہ کا اس قدر گراں ہونا اور علاوہ اس کے سینکڑوں قسم کی مصیبتیں ہمارے آریہ ورت پر آئی ہوئی ہیں کہ جن کا ذکر بیان سے باہر ہے یہ آپ لوگوں پر خوب روشن ہے کہ جو طاقت آپ کے پتا و دادا میں تھی وہ اب آپ میں کہاں.اور آپ میں جو حوصلہ طاقت و بدھی ہے وہ آپ کی اولاد میں ہے یا کچھ آئندہ ہو جانے کی امید ہے.بس اے سجنو! اگر آپ لوگوں کو اس مہاکشٹ سے چھٹنے کی خواہش ہے اور نراکار وساکار کی ایکتا اور پرماتما میں پریم اور بھگتی بڑھانے کی خواہش ہے تو شری نشکلنک جی مہاراج کا ضرور سمرن و دھیان کیجئے.کیونکہ ایشور پرماتما ہمیشہ بھگتوں کے بس میں ہوتے ہیں.ان کو اپنے بھگتوں کو سکھ دینے کی ہی اچھا یعنی خواہش رہتی ہے وہ ضرور پر گھٹ ہو کر حال میں ہی ان سب او پدروں اور ڈشٹوں کو ناش کریں گے.اگر کسی سجن کو یہ خیال ہووے کہ ابھی کلجگ کا پر تھم چرن ہی ہے اور مہاراج جی کا جنم کلجگ کے انت میں لکھا ہے تو آپ غور کیجئے کہ اس سے زیادہ اور کیا کلجگ پرتیت ہو گا کہ استریاں اپنے پتیوں کو چھوڑ کر دوسروں پر نگاہ رکھیں.اور اولاد اپنے والدین کی وفاداری میں نہ رہیں.اور والدین اپنی اولاد کو اولاد کی طرح نہ تھیں.یہاں تک کہ آج کل سب ہی چیزیں اپنے اپنے دھرموں سے پھری ہوئی ہیں.اب کوئی صاحب یہ فرماویں کہ ابھی شاستر دوارا وقت نہیں ورت ہو تا ہے تو بھائی پیارے بھگتو ! نرسی جی کا بہات بھرنا بھی پہلے کسی شاستری جی کی سمجھ میں نہیں آیا تھا کہ شری کرشن چندر مہاراج ایسا بھات دیو یں گے اور اسی طرح سینکڑوں بھگتوں کے کار کاج شدھ کر دیئے جیسا کہ پہلا و بھگت کے ابھارنے کو کہیں ساعت اور تنقی نہیں لکھی تھی جب زر سنگھ جی پر گھٹ ہو چکے اور دیت راج کو مار چکے تب ہی تو معلوم ہوا کہ نارائین جی نے اپنے بھگت کے اُبھارنے کے واسطے اُتار لیا ہے.اس سبب سے ان لگی بھگوان مہاراج کا پر گھٹ ہونا.مانو سنسار کے سکھ کا مول ہو گا.جس طرح بھگوان سورج نارائن کا اودے ہونا سب دنیوی کاروبار و دیگر مخلوقات کے سکھ کا مول ہوتا ہے کیونکہ آنکھوں سے دکھلائی تب ہی دیتا ہے جبکہ اندھیرا دور ہوتا ہے.پیارے متر و کچی پرستی اور بھگتی کا تجربہ चौ० अग जग में सब रहित विरागी प्रेम से प्रभु प्रघटैं जिमि आगी ایشور کے درشن ہی کرنے کا ہے جیسا کہ شری شوجی مہاراج نے کہا ہے اگ جنگ میں سب رہت ورا گی.پریم سے پر بھو پر ھٹیں بھی آگی.اپنے شاستروں کے بچے تجربہ کو کچی پریت سے پرتیت کرو کہ کہاں پیدا ہوئے.ہے بدھی والو غور سے سوچو کہ دوس تہان جہان بھانو پر کاشوک سنبھل وہی ہے جہاں نشکلنک جی پرگھٹ ہوں.ہے سجنو! مہاتماؤ ! پنڈتو! میرے اس تھوڑے لکھے کو بہت جانو کیونکہ عقلمندوں کو اشارہ ہی کافی ہوتا ہے.اب ایشور مہاراج سے بھی پرارتھنا ہے کہ آپ جلدی پر گھٹ ہو کر اپنے بھگتوں کو بچاؤ اور اس مایا روپی جال سے نکالو.ورنہ سنسار سب کچھ گیا ہوا ہی ہے اگر میری اس میں کوئی غیر مناسب بات یا بھول ہو وے اپنا بچہ سمجھ کر معاف فرما دیں.المشتهر بالمکند جی کونچہ پاتی رام دیلی

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 657 The translation of this [above] public Announcement is as follows: [This Eng- lish translation is based on the Urdu translation by the Promised Messiah as on page 523 of Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥī, Rūḥāni Khaz’äin, vol.22, published in 2008.] A Faultless and (Innocent) Avatar of God i.e.Innocent Khalifah [Vicegerent] of Allah The people of the world know well that all kinds of evils are rampant in our part of the world; for instance, women being left as widows and the resultant evils are all so well known that every child is aware of them.The spiralling cost of grains and clarified butter and besides this, the hundreds of afflictions that have fallen upon our land of the Aryas (India) is beyond description.You know it well that you lack the power and prowess that your ancestors possessed; the courage, strength, and reasoning that they possessed are conspicuous by their absence in the next generation.Nor is there any hope of improvement in the future.Therefore, my friends, if you possess any desire of being saved from this grave affliction, do contemplate and think about His Highness, the Faultless Vicegerent of Allah, for Allah the Exalted always supports His righteous servants and is ever eager to comfort His Chosen ones.And the Vicegerent will appear in this very age to put an end to all evils and evildoers.In case any friend thinks that this is only the beginning of Kalyug— the Age of Falsehood and Fabrication—and that the birth of His Highness is decreed to take place at the end of Kalyug, then please do reflect if anything worse could happen in Kalyug than that:.Wives leave their husbands and hanker after strangers; • • Children are no longer obedient and loyal to their parents; Parents fail to think of their children as being their children.In brief, everything is turned away from its proper state.If anyone still insists that the time has not yet come in accordance with the scriptures, the answer, my dear friends, is that the advent of the Chosen One of God has always remained beyond the understanding of: any scholar.The advent of Krishna would take place in the same way.He will re- ceive the same succour and help from God as was received earlier by hundreds of other chosen ones of God.For instance, the time and date for the help and support of the earlier Bhagat [saint] had not been fixed but after Narasingh's advent had taken place and after he had killed Diat Rāj, it was realized that God had made His appearance in support of His chosen one.Similar is the case of the coming of the Prophet of the age of Kalyug who is responsible for the peace of the entire world.

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658 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION They do not yet recognize me, but the time is approaching and is near, when they will recognize me, for God's hand will demonstrate to them that I am the one who was to come.Turning again to my objective, I write that since I am the last Khalifah, therefore, as all Prophets have warned, it was but necessary that all kinds of wondrous Signs and manifestations of divine displeasure should make their appearance.So shall it be that I should remain alive until the Signs and wonders of divine wrath appear.Since the beginning of the world no one has ever seen such an age before.This is the last battle between the angels of God and the satans.As a matter of fact, this ball of fire which has appeared visible in so many places is also indicative of this battle; for, although meteors used to occasionally shoot across the sky, never before had the world witnessed such an awe-inspiring spectacle.The rain of these burning meteorites was so frightening that some people fainted upon seeing it.This clearly shows that the time has come for the destruction of major satans and as a result, the world shall soon see for itself the significance of these fireballs.Indeed this is the way of life, for eyes can see only after the dark- ness has been dispelled.Dear friends! True worship and love of God is possible only when one virtually beholds God as Lord Shiva says, 'Fire is imminent everywhere in the world but it appears only as a result of friction, so is the case with God.He appears after man loves Him.Therefore, accept the veritable experiences of your scriptures with true conviction.If someone asks where has he been born, the answer is that, O Wise ones, ponder and realize that the place of his appear- ance is there from whence the sun rises (i.e.in the east).Sambal (the place where this Avatar is generally expected to make his appearance) is none other than the place where Allah's Khalifah will appear.Friends! Elders! Pandits! Do consider to be abundant what little I have written for just a hint is enough for the wise.Now I beseech Allah the Exalted that His Vicegerent may appear soon to save his dear ones and grant them salvation from the entrapments of this world; for, the world has indeed become corrupted.Seeking your forgiveness for any error or impropriety.Announced by, Balam Kund Ji, Pati Rām Street, Delhi (Published in Nizāmi Press Delhi)

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 659 Now, before producing the eyewitness testimony of others about these burning meteorites, I quote below the report of the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, as given in its issue dated 3 April 1907 con- cerning this fireball.It is as follows: Several correspondents have written to tell us of the aërolite which was seen on Sunday afternoon about a quarter to five o'clock.It was of great brilliancy, and its fall from the sky was followed in Lahore by an immensely long double train of what looked like smoke.It was seen at Rawalpindi in a south-easterly direction from that station.There was bright sunshine at the time.Some of our correspondents inquire if there are any cases on record of a meteorite being visible under such conditions, and other point out that if the phenomenon had occurred after dark the sight must have been surpassing brilliancy.(Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, dated 3 April 1907) Similarly the Army News of Ludhiana in its issue dated 6 April 1907, page 11, column 3, reports about this same meteor as follows: The shooting meteor came down from the sky at about 3:00 PM on 31 March 1907 the details of which are as follows: At a distance of about half a mile to the south-west corner of the village Panwana, Tehsil Pasrur, a meteor was seen which imme- diately upon falling from the sky assumed the shape of some twenty-five yards long flame of fire and headed from the jun- gle towards the village.There is a Hindu crematorium about a quarter mile away from the village wherein is an acacia tree, over which, at a height of some ten yards, (the flame) hov- ered for about five minutes, then it turned white and became thick like a big bamboo stick.Five minutes later, this fireball burst into three parts, resulting in a loud crash encompassing the whole jungle and the village, as if a number of cannons

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660 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION had been fired simultaneously.And that fire disappeared in the same crematorium over the said tree.Later at about half past four in the evening a meteor fell down in a jungle some three quarters of mile away to the north.In shape, it was also like the first meteor but its sound upon breaking was like that of just a single cannon.All eyes were focused on it.I too was standing about a quarter of a mile away to the north, out of the village.Simultaneous with the noise, I saw a fire-like lightning advancing towards the village.I myself saw it approaching the pond near the village.Later, I was told that when it arrived in the village, it had turned into smoke and partly disappeared in the village and partly moved on ahead.Then evening came and the sun was about to set when a round ball of fire was seen approaching from the side of the village Randhawa (which is situated on north-westerly direction to Panwana) and it went on further ahead of the village.It was heard that this ball of fire was a meteor which originated from some six miles away or farther and shot across to an unknown place further ahead of us, we do not know how far.It is reported that part of it fell down in a fodder field in village Jodhala, Tehsil Pasrur, which is four miles away from Panwana.As a result, the fodder field was reduced to ashes, however this news is not too reliable.One can only wonder at the ways of divine providence.Again the same newspaper, the Army News, in the same place reports that on 31 March 1907, in village Chak Shadi, Tehsil Pind Dadan Khan, District Jhelum, at about 12 PM, two fiery meteors, red in colour, about four feet long and two feet in diameter, fell at a distance of half a mile and disappeared immediately upon falling.The list showing letters received, testifying to the fulfilment of the prophecy about the appearance of the amazing heavenly Sign which took place at the time of Asr Prayer on 31 March 1907.

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 661 SR.DATE No.1907 SENDER'S NAME I 31 March Sayyed Aḥmad Ali Shah, Sufaid-Posh 2 Sayyed 'Abdus- Sattar Shah, Hospital Assistant Village, TEHSIL, DISTRICT Malo Mahi, Pasrur, Sialkot Raiyah, Sialkot GIST OF THE LETTER Today at 4 pm, on 31 March 1907, I witnessed a heavenly Sign the like of which I had never seen in my entire life.What looked like a small fragment of fire [moved] from south to north.About 2 feet square in size and a quarter of a mile above ground it had a three coloured, red, green, and rose tail which looked like smoke; and that tail would become like a cloud and lessen, and sound like heavy rain.This fragment of fire was seen by all, men and women, Hindus and Christians, and others.It travelled a couple of miles to the north near the town and emitted a sound like the noise of a couple of cannons or of shells, and then disappeared as we watched.Thus was fulfilled Huḍūr's prophecy relating to the 25 days which was made on 7 March because this very strange manifestation was seen on 31 March.On Sunday at 4:30 pm a heavenly Sign was witnessed; i.e.a fragment of fire of large size came from the south and went to the north.It went through the trees adjacent to our house.It was about a yard and a quar- ter long, burning bright like a blazing fire, it appeared to be very awe-inspiring.Upon seeing it the women became terrorized.It cast a bright light on the trees and to us it looked like fire.Suddenly it turned white quite like a cloud and then ascended slowly upwards to a great height.On Monday the news broke from far-off places that it had been witnessed by a large number of people casting fear and awe so much so that many people in a village fainted upon seeing it and recovered only after they were made to drink some water.In each village where it was seen everyone felt as if it had fallen very close to them.Thus was the revelation regarding 'twenty-five days' fulfilled in which it was written that from 7 March, within twenty-five days or on the twenty-fifth day something amazing would happen.

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662 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION SR.DATE SENDER'S VILLAGE, GIST OF THE LETTER No.NAME TEHSIL, 3 31 March 'Umar-ud- 1907 DISTRICT Mianwali, Dīn Chaud- Sialkot hary 4 31 March 'Inayatullā, 1907 Dyer 5 1 April 1907 Nabi The prophecy of 7 March 1907 for the manifestation of which a condition precedent comprised the time frame of twenty-five days or 'by the twenty-fifth day' and in which it was written that the event would be amazing and awe-in- spiring came to be fulfilled today by the grace of Allah the Exalted.This hum- ble one in company with some of my brethren, namely Jiań Lambardar; Fadl Ilāhī, a landlord; Ali Bakhsh, a landlord, and a few others were sitting near the mosque and observing things.It was ear- ly evening, the time of the late afternoon Aşr Prayer, when a sizeable fragment of fire fell from the sky to the north-east of our village.The fire emitted was so intense that the spectators covered their eyes with their palms and a long smoky tail remained in the sky for a little while.This awesome and amazing spectacle as- tonished the men and women.Whatever news of future events the Gracious God reveals to His appointed one is fulfilled at its appointed time.Chawinda, Congratulations! The divine Sign which Sialkot was to be fulfilled within 25 days has come to pass.The following people stat- ed that on 31 March, at 4 pm during the day an extremely bright flame of light appeared, turned into smoke and subse- quently came down like a cloud.Ganga Rām Arora, Dina Nāth, Baggā Khatri, Thākur Dās, Raḥīm Bakhsh Nelari postal clerk Chawinda, contractor 'Abdullah.I saw it turning into smoke and falling down.My postman Rām too saw it.Buttar, Bakhsh, son Sialkot of Bhola Shah Faqir Exactly as per the prophecy of Huḍūr, on Sunday, 31 March 1907, at 4 PM, a fragment of fire, longer than two yards, having three colours red, green, and yel- low appeared from the west, and moved to the east and disappeared, leaving be- hind a large body of smoke.Also a sound resembling that of a cannon was heard.

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 663 SR.DATE No.SENDER'S NAME 6 1 April 1907 Barkat Ali, Secretary, Municipal 7 1 April 1907 Committee Village, TEHSIL, DISTRICT Qila Sobha Singh, Sialkot Muḥammad Syedan Ali Shah Wali, Sayyed, Sialkot Teacher 8 1 April Muḥam- 1907 mad-ud-Din, Drafter of Appeals Sialkot GIST OF THE LETTER Yesterday, at about 5 o'clock, a heav- enly mystery was witnessed which will become very widely published.This is a divine Sign.It appeared exactly in conformity with the prophecy of God Almighty within twenty-five days.Because this prophecy was announced on 7 March 1907, 31 March marked the 25th day of the prescribed time frame and therefore, in accordance with the [terms] of the prophecy this amazing event happened on 31 March [1907].All praise belongs to Allah.At 5 [PM] on 31 March, a terrible flame was seen moving fast from south to north.All praise belongs to Allah, that prophecy was fulfilled in which it was written that within twenty-five days from 7 March 1907 or on the 25th day, some amazing phenomenon would be manifested.Yesterday, at about 3:30 PM a frag- ment of fire was seen coming from the heavens.A pillar was seen between the heavens and the earth for a long time and God fulfilled that prophecy in which it was written that by 31 March or on 31 March, some amazing event would be manifested.9 1 April Sayyed Sialkot 1907 Muḥammad Yesterday at the time of 'Asr Prayer, a meteorite fell and God fulfilled that Rashid, Clerk Canal Department Muḥammad Goleki, Ramadan Gujrat IO 1 April 1907 I I 1 April 'Aṭā' Ilāhī 1907 Bābū Lalamusa, Gujrat prophecy in which it was told that certainly on 31 March or by 31 March, some amazing event would be manifest- ed.This burning meteorite fulfils the proph- ecy pertaining to 31 March.This amazing heavenly phenomenon of a fragment of fire has fulfilled the prophe- cy concerning 31 March.

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664 SR.DATE HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION SENDER'S VILLAGE, GIST OF THE LETTER No.NAME TEHSIL, DISTRICT 12 31 March 1907 Miyāń Dīn, Imam of Tihal, Gujrat Mosque 13 1 April 1907 Karam Din, Teacher Dinga, Gujrat 14 1 April 1907 Muḥammad Heelan, Fadl-ur-Rah- Gujrat man 15 1 April 1907 Nizām-ud- Din In conformity with the revelation received by you, an amazing event hap- pened on 31 March 1907 at about 4 PM; i.e.a fragment of fire appeared in the sky upon seeing which thousands of people were struck dumb with amazement instantly.In Dinga and its environs, a burning meteorite fell to earth.It moved in the sky from south-west to north-east.This event happened on 31 March [1907] and so clearly fulfilled the prophecy made by Your Holiness because 31 March was the last day of the [prescribed] time frame.At 4 PM on 31 March [1907] a few brightly burning meteorites each as large as a human skull in size with two or two and a half yard long tails were seen burn- ing hot and falling to the ground.It was indeed an extremely awe-inspiring and amazing spectacle.Many people were struck with terror and many fainted and then regained consciousness after quite some time and this way the prophecy made by Your Holiness was fulfilled manifestly.Adra-mah, On 31 March at the time of 'Aşr Prayer Shah-pur when the sky was clear, unexpectedly a fiery fragment of fire appeared upon the sky and I saw sparks of fire fall from the sky.Because Huḍur had already previously published that on 31 March or by 31 March some amazing event will manifest itself; therefore, this prophecy has been fulfilled in such a clear way that no one can refute it.Ghulam Goleki, Muḥammad Gujrat 16 1 April 1907 Jatt 17 1 April 1907 Noor-ud- Deen Gujrat Kharian, On 31 March, I saw an awe-inspiring flame in the sky.The prophecy has been fulfilled clearly.Congratulations to you! With the appearance of this awe-inspiring ball of fire, the prophecy has been fulfilled very clearly.

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 665 SR.DATE SENDER'S Village, GIST OF THE LETTER No.NAME TEHSIL, DISTRICT 18 1 April Mirań 1907 Bakhsh, Teacher Sheikhpu- ra, Gujrat On 31 March 1907 at 'Aşr a burning meteor fell from the sky.Everyone saw it coming from north-east.The prophecy pertaining to 31 March has been fulfilled clearly.19 1 April Ghulam 1907 Qadir 20 1 April Muḥam- 1907 Habunjal, As above Gujrat Kakrali, mad-ud-Din, Gujrat Teacher 21 1 April Ghulam 1907 Rasul, 22 1 April Aḥmad Din 1907 Mur Langah, Gujrat Shadiwal, Gujrat Khokar, 23 1 April 1907 Sultan Ali, Numbardar Gujrat 24 1 April 1907 Sheikh Gujrat, Ilahi Bakhsh, Gujrat Book Seller On 31 March, when it was the time for Zubr Prayer, thousands witnessed the awe-inspiring and amazing spectacle of the burning flame by which was so very clearly fulfilled the prophecy pertaining to twenty-five days.As above On 31 March, I witnessed an awe-in- spiring fiery, heavenly spectacle.On seeing it, the people of this village made the public announcement during the night, at the beat of drum, requiring all the people to assemble during the day in an open field to offer supererogatory prayers, and thus all the people became witnesses of the fulfilment of the 31 March prophecy.On 31 March, an awe-inspiring specta- cle of fire was witnessed in the heavens.Holy is Allah! How clearly the prophecy was fulfilled! On 31 March 1907 at about 3 PM a fragment of fire was seen falling to the ground.The news spread quickly through the town.On checking up with the villages like Lal Dari, Moin-ud-Din Pur, Jalalpur etc., it was found that this event had happened everywhere and thus the prophecy pertaining to 31 March was very clearly manifested.

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666 SR.DATE No.HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION SENDER'S VILLAGE, GIST OF THE LETTER NAME TEHSIL, DISTRICT Chak 127, Lyallpur 25 31 March 1907 Chaudhary Muḥammad 'Abdullah Baha- walpur Khan, Num- bardar 26 11 // 27 11 28 1 April 1907 Telegraphically gave me the good news and congratulated me that by the falling of the meteorite the prophecy concern- ing 31 March was fulfilled.Again wrote to me by postcard of the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning 31 March.'Abdul-Majid Madhupur, As above 'Abdul-Ka- rim, Head Guard Kangra Kinay, Kangra 29 2 April 1907 Sayyed Ferozepur Muhammad Cantt., Shah Nawaz Ferozepur Maulawi Changa 30 11 An amazing and awe-inspiring mete- orite which appeared in the sky clearly manifested the truth of the prophecy concerning 31 March.The meteorite witnessed on 31 March has fulfilled the prophecy concerning 31 March.The prophecy concerning 31 March has Muḥammad Rawalpindi been fulfilled very clearly by the appear- Fadl Chang- wi 31 11 Warith Ali Khan 32 11 33 11 Caste Gujjar, Rawalpindi 'Abdul-Majid Kapurtha- Khan, Assis- la, Ka- tant Stable purthala Supervisor 'Inayatullah Bochal Aḥmadi Kalan, Jhelum ance of the meteorite that was seen on 31 March.Even hundred-year-old peo- ple testify that they have never before witnessed such a phenomenon.The Sign that had been promised would be fulfilled by 31 March came to be fulfilled by the heavenly fragment of fire which was an amazing and awe-inspiring meteorite that was never seen or heard before.The amazing phenomenon prophesied to appear on 31 March 1907 came to be fulfilled with the appearance of a fiery meteorite in the heavens on 31 March.Many people fainted upon seeing it and some fell into prostration.Congratulations! The heavenly Sign which was prophesied to appear on 31 March was fulfilled by the appearance of the fiery meteorite in the heavens.It was indeed an amazing spectacle.

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SR.DATE No.A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 SENDER'S Village, NAME TEHSIL, 34 1 April Hayat Mu- 1907 ḥammad, Jhelum, Jhelum Constable Police 35 1 April 1907 Karam Dad Aḥmadi, Dulmial, Jhelum 36 31 March Muḥammad Jan Sheikh 37 1 April 1907 Jivan Khan Bhatti 38 3 April 1907 Fadl Ilāhī, Overseer Postal Line GIST OF THE LETTER 667 DISTRICT Wazirabad, Gujran- wala Wazirabad, Gujran- wala I was very happy to find that the Sign about which it was prophesied that it would be fulfilled on 31 March or on the 31st day of March was fulfilled with the falling of the fiery meteorite from the heavens.A thousand felicitations to Your Ho- liness! The prophecy concerning 31 March was perfectly clearly fulfilled! We saw an awesome fire in the sky on the evening of 31 March which did indeed fortify our faith.Congratulations to Ḥuḍūr! The amaz- ing phenomenon prophesied to appear on 31 March did in fact appear on 31 March when an amazing fire was wit- nessed in the sky.Congratulations on the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning 31 March.Thou- sands of people saw the appearance of the fiery meteorite in the sky.Gurdaspur, The prophecy pertaining to 31 March Gurdaspur was duly fulfilled and the brightness of the meteorite caused a man to be drowned in the pond close to the Gur- daspur Tehsil Administration Office.In bazaars and villages, people are talking of this revelation! Jammu, Jammu Banga, Ho- shiarpur The prophecy pertaining to 31 March was fulfilled with great clarity.The mete- or was witnessed by the entire world.Thank God that the prophecy concern- ing 31 March was fulfilled with great clarity and just as it had been foretold, an awe-inspiring and amazing fireball appeared in the sky.Not only was the burning meteor witnessed in sky on 31 March, but dark drops of rain also fell at certain places.Congratulations, the prophecy has been fulfilled.39 2 April 1907 40 31 March 1907 Sheikh Ra- him Bakhsh, Book Seller Sheikh Jammu, Muḥammad Jammu Taimur, Student 41 1 April 1907 Rahmat-ul- lah Aḥmadi

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668 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION SR.DATE No.SENDER'S VILLAGE, GIST OF THE LETTER NAME Sayyed Ameer 42 2 April 1907 Ali Shah, Sub-Inspec- tor, Police 43 1 April Nizām-ud- 1907 Dīn 44 2 April 1907 45 1 April 1907 1907 TEHSIL, DISTRICT Jalalabad, On 31 March, a terrible fire was in the Ferozepur sky which was witnessed by thousands of people.The divine prophecy was fulfilled exactly as foretold.Jaurah, Lahore Muḥammad Bedadpur, Isma'il Lahore Muḥammad Talwan- Ali, Teacher di, Mūsā Khan, Sialkot Congratulations! Your prophecy was fulfilled with great clarity.It was proph- esied that on 31 March, an amazing and awe-inspiring event would happen.Accordingly, a fireball appeared which was indeed extremely awe-inspiring.Congratulations! The prophecy which had foretold that on 31 March an awe-inspiring and amazing event would happen has been fulfilled.The promised phenomenon was none other than the burning meteorite witnessed in the sky.The prophecy pertaining to 31 March was clearly fulfilled.Everyone admits that the heavenly meteorite, which appeared on 31 March, conclusively testifies to the truth of the prophecy.Testified with full satisfaction of the heart.As above.O negligent ones! The heavens are about to rain down fire.As above 46 5 April Sayyed Qa- Moin-ud- 1907 sim Shah Dinpur, Gujrat 47 3 April 'Abdullah, Rahuń, Hakim Jalandhar 48 3 April 'Abdul-'Aziz Dargahi- 1907 Aḥmadi walah, Gu- jranwala 49 Miyān Mu- Sialkot As above ḥammad Din 50 3 April 1907 Ghulam Aḥmad Karyaam, Gujranwala As above 51 3 April 1907 Muḥammad Adwa- As above Husain, ray, Gu- Clerk 52 jranwala 'Inayatullah Kunjah, Gujrat As above

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A BRIGHT SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 197 669 From the Newspaper: the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, Dated 6 April 1907 An English correspondent writes: Sir, On Sunday afternoon between 4 and 5 I happened to notice in a northerly direction from Dalhousie an occurrence closely corresponding with the description in your issue of the 3rd of the fall of an aërolite which took place near Lahore on the same day about the same time.A volume of smoke in the shape of an inverted cone was seen to be rising from a point some 10 to 20 miles distant and perhaps rather higher in level than that of Dalhousie, and gave a yellowish tinge to the back- ground of snowy heights.The circumstance was sufficiently sin- gular as to induce me to fetch a field glass to observe it more closely.My first idea was to attribute the smoke to a forest fire; but that idea was dismissed as soon as conceived, as in the first place the time of year would make a forest fire out of the ques- tion, and secondly the smoke from a forest fire would not all rise from a single point.The observation of similar occurrences at three places in the Punjab leads to the inference that this part of India was visited on Sunday afternoon last, not by one aërolite, but by a shower of aërolites; as it may be held that, for every aërolite effect seen, there were a host that were unnoticed, and will never be recorded.(2) We have received a large number of letters indicating that the burn- ing meteor seen on Sunday was witnessed all the way from Patiala to Jhelum.A correspondent reports that at Jammu the meteor was accom- panied by the sound of cannon fire.Another reporter from Kapurthala says that it looked like a column of fire reaching out to the sky, shedding light on the story related about Ya'qub's [Jacob's] ladder; in Ra'iyah four persons fainted with shock.

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A SHINING SIGN 198.[ONE HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHTH SIGN] — Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh, Accountant/Pensioner, Lahore-the false Mūsā [Moses]—has died.Readers! You may be aware that a person named Ilāhī Bakhsh, who was an accountant in Lahore during the period when, based upon divine revelation, I announced that I am the Promised Messiah, he dis- tanced himself from me and made a claim of his own that he was Mūsā [Moses].The details of this are that the above-mentioned Ilāhī Bakhsh had quite a long-standing relationship of discipleship with me.He vis- ited Qadian frequently and would serve me, believing that I was a true recipient of revelation from God Almighty.In Amritsar, it so happened that sometime after the Morning Prayer, when I was taking a nap with a sheet covering my face, someone came and started to massage my feet.When I lifted the sheet, I discovered he was none other than that very Ilāhi Bakhsh.By writing this my intent is to illustrate that his devotion and sincerity to me had reached the point that he considered no act of servitude unworthy or unbecoming, and he simply considered himself a humble servant with great modesty.He also did not hesitate in mak- ing financial sacrifice as far as possible within his means.He remained in this state of sincerity so long as God was pleased to permit.I, for my part, entertained high hopes that he would make great progress in his

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672 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION sincerity.Whenever I had the occasion to leave Qadian for Ludhiana, Ambala, or some other place, he would make it a point to reach there if time and opportunity permitted him.More often than not, he would be accompanied by his friend and companion, Munshī ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq, Accountant.But after sometime, he began to think that he himself was a recipient of divine revelation.This indeed was the poisonous seed that providence planted in him.Subsequently, his condition of sincerity started changing slowly and secretly.Thereafter, God Almighty commissioned me to take the bai at [pledge of allegiance] from people and some forty or more per- sons had solemnized the covenant in conformity with the command of God Almighty, I made a general announcement that whosoever was devoted to me should take the pledge of baiʻat.Upon hearing this, the heart of Ilahi Bakhsh took an evil turn.Sometime thereafter, accompa- nied by his friend Munshi ‘Abdul-Haqq, he came to see me in Qadian with the intention of narrating his revelations [to me].During this visit, his attitude had so hardened that he appeared to be someone else, and not Ilahi Bakhsh.Rather presumptuously, he straight away started to read out his own revelations that were recorded in a small notebook which he kept in his pocket.Among other things, he narrated to me, 'I have seen in a dream that you say to me, “Come, enter into bai'at with me,” but in reply I say, “No, I won't do it; rather, you should take the pledge of baiat to me." On account of this dream, he was filled with great pride and arrogance and thought that he was of such great spiritual stature as did not need to enter into the pledge of baiat and that, on the contrary, it was I who needed to enter into such a pledge with him.However, in reality this was a satanic prompting which led to his stumbling.The truth is that when arrogance and denial lie con- cealed within a person's heart, then that very denial makes its appear- ance in a dream assuming the shape of the ego's prompting.An igno- rant person thinks it to be from God, whereas that denial is generated out of one's own hidden thoughts and has nothing to do with God at all.Hundreds of people are ruined because of such promptings of the

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 673 ego.In short, Ilāhī Bakhsh related that dream to me with great audacity and insolence.I felt sorry at his ignorance for I was certain that what he was relating to me was nothing more than the prompting of his ego.But since I noticed in him signs of ingrained arrogance and egoism and his speech was sharp and strident, I thought it would be useless to remonstrate with him.It is a pity that many people regard everything that flows from their tongues in a state of slumber as God's word, and thus contravene the verse: 197 لا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ It should be borne in mind that anything that flows from the tongue, even if it is not opposed to the Word of God and the word of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, cannot be said to be the Word of God until the Work of God Almighty bears wit- ness to it.Satan, the accursed, is man's enemy and seeks diverse ways of ruining a person.This beguiler also adopts the method that he puts his words into the heart of a man and assures him that they are words of God and such a person is destroyed in the end.Thus, for someone who has some words descend upon him, to call it the word of God would amount to committing spiritual suicide, unless and until it fulfils three conditions: FIRST, it should not be opposed to, or contradict, the Holy Quran, but this alone is not enough.Unless the third condition which will be mentioned below is present, nothing can be established.SECOND, those words should descend upon a person whose soul has been completely purified.He should be one of those who have withdrawn entirely from their passions and who have submitted to a death through which they have approached close to God and have withdrawn far away from Satan.A person hears him to whom he is 1.Follow not that of which you have no knowledge (Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:37).[Publisher]

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674 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION close.He who is close to Satan hears Satan's voice and he who is close to God hears God's voice.One's utmost effort should be for the puri- fication of one's soul.All search ends with that.In other words, it is a death that burns up all inner impurities.When a person completes his search, then a stage arrives when he passes under the control of the Divine.Thus, through enlightenment and love, God revives His serv- ant who, by discarding his passions, has arrived at the stage of ‘death'.Then, through His extraordinary Signs, God reveals to him spiritual wonders and fills his heart with the attraction of His personal love which the world cannot understand.In this condition, it can be said of him that he has been bestowed new life after which there is no death.Therefore, this new life is won through complete enlightenment and complete love.Complete enlightenment is acquired through God's miraculous Signs.When a person arrives at this stage, he enjoys true converse and discourse with God, but this condition is not so much as can give one satisfaction without the third condition, for perfect purity is a hidden matter and any idle talker can claim to have achieved it.THE THIRD indication of a true recipient of revelation is that a continuous series of works from God should testify to the words that he attributes to God.In other words, so many Signs should appear in its support that rational thinking should reject the suggestion that despite so many Signs it is not the word of God.This condition supersedes all other conditions, because it is entirely possible that some words may flow from someone's tongue, or someone might have even presented them with the claim of being divinely revealed, and in their meanings they do not contradict—but are consistent with—the Holy Quran, yet they could still be the fabrication of an impostor.Any rational human being who is a Muslim-albeit an impostor-will take the necessary precaution not to flaunt anything as the revealed word of God which opposes the Holy Quran; otherwise, they would needlessly invite public criticism.Furthermore, such so-called 'revelation' might well be the promptings of his inner ego.In other words, their mind may well cause their tongue to pronounce a certain phrase.Such is the case with

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 675 many children; from the books they study during the day, they tend to pronounce the same phrases involuntarily at night.In short, for any utterances that are presented as being revealed, to be merely consist- ent with the Holy Quran is not a categorical argument of its actually being the word of God.Is it not possible that a passage could not be in contradiction with the Divine Book on the basis of its meaning, yet be the fabrication of an impostor because a forger can easily fabricate a passage which is consistent with the Quranic teaching and parade it as the Word of God which was revealed to him, or the passage could be the promptings of his inner self or a satanic fabrication? Similarly, this second indication—namely, that the person who claims to be the recipient of revelation should also be completely puri- fied is also not such as can give one total satisfaction, because purifi- cation is something hidden and many people with impure natures may well claim to be spiritually cleansed and to love God truly.Thus, this is also not an easy matter to readily distinguish between the liars and the truthful.This is why many evil-minded people have levelled filthy accusations upon those holy ones who were completely purified; very much like the way the present-day Christian missionaries slander our lord and master, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and they say-God forbid—that he was guilty of succumb- ing to carnal passions and desires.You will find such false accusations in thousands of their periodicals, newspapers, and books.Similarly, the Jews level all kinds of charges against Haḍrat Īsāªs [Jesus].For instance, not long ago, I came across a book written by a Jew which contained the unholy charge that—God forbid—not only was his birth illegit- imate but it also cast dirty aspersions on his character, and the ladies who served him were also mentioned in an unbecoming manner.Thus, when filthy-natured enemies have not spared such pure-natured and the holiest of men from their foul slanders of carnal indulgence, and have considered them to be lacking in self-purification, everyone can realize how difficult it is for the enemies of a person to recognize his status of self-purification.This is why the Āryas consider all Prophets

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676 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of God to be mere impostors and slaves of carnal desires, and denounce their times as times of deceit and fraud.Nevertheless, this third indication that the divine inspiration and revelation which is the 'Word of God' must also be accompanied by the 'Work of God', is such a perfect condition that no one can coun- ter it.This is the condition through which God's true Prophets have always prevailed over the liars.When a person claims that God's word descends upon him and hundreds of Signs appear along with it, and a thousand varieties of support and divine help are displayed while God openly attacks his enemies, then who can dare call such a person false? But alas, there are many such people in the world who fall prey to the trial of mistaking a prompting of the self or an insinuation of Satan to be the Word of God Almighty and give no regard to the Work of God by way of divine testimony.Of course it is quite possible that one may experience true dreams or revelations from time to time; however, such a person cannot claim to be an appointee of God on such meagre experiences, nor can it be said that such a person is free from the darkness of the ego.Rather, this much of dreams and revelation is virtually a universal experience.It has no significance.This capacity to experience occasional dreams and revelations has been designed as part of human nature in order to save a wise person from doubting the Messengers who are the Elect of God and to help them realize that since the capacity to experience occa- sional dreams and revelations is ingrained in the nature of each human, it would, therefore, be foolish to deny its development to perfection [in the case of the Elect of God].But those people who are considered by God to be [mulham the recipients of His revelation] and [mukallam—those with whom God converses] and enjoy the honour of converse and discourse with God and are appointed to call men to divine guidance, are sup- ported by divine Signs which descend like rain and the world cannot oppose them.Divine works bear witness through their abundance that the words that they put forward are the words of God Almighty.If

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 677 those who claim to be recipients of revelation were to keep this condi- tion in mind, they would escape falling into this trial.Similarly, if Ilāhī Bakhsh had just pondered a little over this and reflected as to how many divine Signs had appeared in his favour― how much he had been helped and supported and what distinction he had been granted in comparison to ordinary people—he would have avoided this calamity.Now, regrettably, it must be said that his death leaves behind nothing more than a heap of lies and fabrications.With reference to me, he used to quote one of his own revelations that I would die of the plague during his lifetime and that my entire Jama'at would disintegrate.Thus did he see himself die from the plague.He had claimed that he would not die until he would put an end to me, but subsequent to his false revelation, he witnessed himself how the number of my followers rose to many hundreds of thousands.When he started to publish such revelations, the number of my followers did not exceed forty, which subsequently rose to 400,000 and he did not die until he had witnessed his own complete failure and my success in every way.Impelled by his own false revelations, he would think that I would be penalized and suffer humiliating chastisement in each case filed against me.These were the type of revelations that he would receive and flaunt before his acquaintances, but in each case, God went on acquitting me with honour, whereas he died full of immense frustration.There is no doubt that when he contracted the plague and saw death staring him in the face, he must have realized that all his rev- elations were satanic words and at that moment he must have been reminded that he was in the wrong.It would be against all logic and probability to assume that even after suffering so many stumbles, contracting the plague himself—which he anticipated would be my lot and visualizing my victories in the final moments of his life, he would have still held on to his erstwhile condition [of disbelief] when he would have recalled that he had claimed to be Mūsā, had named his book Aşa-e-Mūsā [i.e."The Staff of Moses'], and had entertained

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678 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the wish that this staff would kill the man who had claimed to be the Promised Messiah; and when he would recall that he had prophesied in his book 'Aşa-e-Mūsā about the person who had claimed to be the Promised Messiah that he would die of plague in his lifetime; and when he would remember that, in this same book, he prophesied that he would not die until he would have destroyed this enemy.Everyone can very well imagine the overwhelming pain, frustration, and chagrin that must have enveloped him when the plague took hold of him.Can anyone possibly believe that—despite such frustration and the realization that all his revelations had turned out to be false-he still believed that he was Mūsā, even after falling victim to the plague? No, certainly not! On the contrary, the plague must have demolished all his own thoughts about himself.He must have been reminded of his wrongs.As a matter of fact, long before this crisis, God had revealed to me that he would cease to hold fast to his false beliefs and that in the end, he would renounce them.So there is no doubt that when he was suddenly faced with the plague and an untimely death, which he understood with full certainty was as untimely as it was against his own claim, without doubt this scene must have convinced him that all his revelations were satanic.In this state, he must have realized with irremediable regret that he had been in the wrong and that all that he had thought was not from God Almighty.Later on, I shall go on to elaborate that for him to contemplate along these lines was [simply] unavoidable because with this spectacle of imminent death, his revelations were proven false so unexpectedly and suddenly as if a wall suddenly collapses to the ground.It was far from the realm of possibility that he would have thought that he would ever escape death by the plague, for on 7 April 1907, the day he died, and even before, such a raging and deadly plague was rampant in Lahore that on certain days as many as 200 persons died of it.One of his relatives had died the day before his death, by attending the burial of whom he had contracted the plague.Hence, in the midst of this deadly epidemic who can say that he would survive? Indeed,

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 679 thousands of people would hasten, upon contracting the plague, to immediately have their wills recorded in favour of their survivors.In short, all his pretensions to being Mūsā were thrown into the sea the moment he contracted the plague.Remembering the thousands of dying people and in particular thinking of the death of Ya'qūb, he too must have understood that he would surely die.Under such circum- stances, how could he cling on to the perception that he was Mūsā? Thus, it is indeed the mercy of God that he did not carry with him his false beliefs to the next world.God grabbed him, as it were, by his throat and forced him to recant [his claim] to let him join those about whom God says: وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ Now, first, I shall prove that all the revelations that he had recorded in his book 'Aşa-e-Mūsā have been proven to be false.Then I will demon- strate that he died in accordance with my prophecy and that his death is a Sign in support of my truth; nay rather, it sets the seal upon my truth.I will divide this statement into two chapters.1.And there is none among the People of the Book but will believe in it before his death (Surah an-Nisa', 4:160).[Publisher]

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680 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Letter of Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen First Part A statement to the effect that all revela- tions which Ilāhi Bakhsh published in opposition to me (about himself or myself)—every single one of them turned out to be false.This is of course known to everyone that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh had named himself Mūsā [Moses] and declared me to be Pharaoh, and had enti- tled his book 'Aşã-e-Müsā [i.e.'The staff of Moses'] in opposition to me.In other words, he had imagined that he would personally kill this 'Pharaoh' with this staff.Also, he had sent a letter addressed to me in which he had issued a threat and announced that: 'God has dis- closed to me that this person is a liar and is destined to meet his end at the hands of this Mūsā.' There were a number of other similar but unwritten prophecies which he had disclosed only to his friends and acquaintances.The summary of all of them is that I would be killed in his lifetime, he would prevail against me, I would be humiliated before him, and he would attain great eminence in the world and, like * 1.Based on a statement by my learned and respected friend Maulawi Noor- ud-Deen, I have learned of a dream about Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh seen by a Maulawi 'Abdul-Wāḥid of the community of Ghazni [now Amritsar].Instead of citing it in my own words, I reproduce below the actual letter written by the honourable Maulawi [Noor-ud-Deen], which is as follows: Our Master and Imam, Allah's blessings, bounties, and peace be upon you! 'Abdul-Wahid Ghaznavi had written a letter to me saying that the members of their community have seen [in the dreams] that Ilāhī Bakhsh is standing on a lofty minaret and people are there down below.Therefore, he will prosper now.There were several other words which I do not recall because I read letters cursorily and after reading I do not preserve them.Upon the death of Ilāhi Bakhsh I have written to 'Abdul- Wāḥid a letter on the same subject but have not received a reply to date.This, in sum, is what I recall with certainty concerning the matter.Testimony given in the name of Allah the Incomparably Great.Noor-ud-Deen

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 681 Prophet Mūsā, he would become the leader of hundreds of thousands of people.I tried very hard to gain access to his confidential revelations but I regret to say that they remained restricted to his coterie of friends and I could not lay my hands on any documentary evidence.However, the extent to which he published his revelations in his book should be sufficient for any fair-minded person.Although I have not been able to find some of his rather frivolous and most absurd 'revelations' which he used to record in a small notebook, the ones that have been found contain enough material to expose his falsehood.However, there is no hope of retrieving those ‘revelations' which were kept secret.In fact, it is certain that all such absurd revelations that were made against me under the fervour of the self must have been buried along with him.Among the revelations about me which Ilāhī Bakhsh had written in Aşa-e-Musa, which he claims in the book to be from God Almighty, is the presumed 'revelation' recorded on page 79 of his book Aṣā-e-Mūsā :(Translation) سَلَامٌ لَكَ تَغْلَبُوْنَ.يَحِلُّ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبٌ فَقَدْ هَوى فَتَدَبَّر.and is as follows 'For you is peace.You shall prevail and upon him'—that is, upon this humble one-shall descend the wrath of God and he will most cer- tainly perish'; meaning that, you shall remain alive and witness his death and destruction.Therefore, ponder and reflect.' be The meaning of this revelation as given by Ilāhī Bakhsh himself, spread extensively throughout his book with reference to his other rev- elations, is that wrath shall overtake me and I shall die during his own life; whereas in actual reality, he himself died during my life.Everyone knows that the plague has been stated to signify death by the wrath of God in all revealed Scriptures.At the time of Hadrat Mūsā, peace upon him, the Children of Israel were stricken with plague because they had become the object of God's wrath.The Torah contains a detailed description of this.Then, after Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, the plague overtook the Jews, regarding whom there was a promise in the Gospel that God's wrath would descend upon them.In the Holy Quran, this very plague has been designated ['chastisement from the heavens'], as Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran:

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682 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION فَانْزَلْنَا عَلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رِجَزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ) Meaning that, so We sent down upon the transgressors the plague as punishment because they were disobedient.أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا But nowhere has Allah the Exalted said Meaning that, We sent down the plague upon them because they were believers.Thus, a believer can never become deserving of being punished by the plague.On the contrary, it is specifically reserved for the disbeliever and the transgressor.This is why ever since the creation of this world, no Prophet of God has ever died of the plague.True, such believers who are not totally cleansed of sin, do sometimes contract the plague and die from it.This kind of death serves as an atonement for their sins and it is a kind of martyrdom, but nobody would have ever heard that, being Mūsā, someone contracted the plague.Only a person who is extremely wicked, filthy, and depraved could dare hold the belief that a Prophet or Vicegerent of God ever died of the plague.Therefore, if this kind of death by the plague had been a laudable type of martyr- dom, upon which there could be no kind of criticism, then the Prophets and Messengers of God would have been the first to merit it.But as I have just stated, no one can prove that any Prophet or Messenger or a holy person of the highest order, who held the distinction of converse and discourse with God, ever suffered from this evil disease since the inception of the world and then died of it.On the contrary the pri- mary targets of this disease have, from the very beginning, been those very people who were guilty of a variety of sins and transgressions or who were disbelievers and faithless.Reason does not at all permit that Allah's Prophets, Messengers, and recipients of His revelation should similarly suffer from the disease which God has prescribed to punish the disbelievers since the earliest of times.The Torah, the Gospel, and the Holy Quran-all three unanimously declare that the plague has always been sent down to punish the disbelievers.Moreover, as is borne 1.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:60 [Publisher]

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 683 out by the revealed Scriptures and history, God has caused hundreds of thousands of disbelievers, transgressors, and wicked people to perish through this very plague from the very beginning.God is far above and beyond allowing His Elect to become victim of this chastisement together with the disbelievers, and allow His exalted Prophets to suffer the same chastisement from which thousands of evildoers have always been dying during the time of the Prophets.Hence, no Prophet ever died of the chastisement that overtook the people of Lut [Lot], and, indeed, no Prophet has ever died of the chastisement which overtakes his people.Similarly, the plague, which is a punishment specifically meant for the disbelievers, cannot touch any chosen one of God.If anyone makes a claim contrary to this and says that a Prophet among the past Prophets did die of the plague, he is free to think so.I can- not muzzle a shameless or insolent person, but this is indeed what is proven from the Book of Allah that the plague is ) [chastisement] and it always descends upon the disbelievers.However, it is true that just as Hell is specifically reserved for disbelievers, and though some sinful believers too will be cast into Hell, this will only be to examine, cleanse, and purify them.But in accordance with the promise of God: ور أولَبِكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ Meaning that, the exalted ones will be kept away from Hell.The plague, too, is a kind of hell and the disbelievers are cast into it for the purpose of chastisement, and such believers who cannot be said to be innocent, and are not entirely free from sin, for them this plague is a means of purification and it is this plague which God has called 'hell.As such, the plague may possibly be prescribed for believers of an inferior qual- ity who stand in need of purification, but those people who occupy exalted stations of love for-and closeness to- -God shall never enter into this hell.Therefore, is it not strange that the 1.Surah al-Anbiya', 21:102 [Publisher] person who presents

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684 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION The sum and substance] بعد از خدا بزرگ توئی قصہ مختصر his own revelation that of it all is that after God, you are the greatest.'].-a revelation, of which Munshi ‘Abdul-Ḥaqq is, among several others, also a witness—how can it be that such a person who claims to be the greatest in stature after God, and who claims to be the Mūsā of the age, should die of the plague that symbolizes the wrath of God? Can any wise person accept such a thing? And if someone should assert that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh did not die of the plague, then what could possibly be my reply besides say- ing ['The curse of Allah be upon the liars']? Letters received from Lahore reveal that Ilāhī Bakhsh had gone to attend the funeral of Ya'qub, son of Muḥammad Isḥāq.This Ya'qūb had died of the plague.It was there that Ilāhī Bakhsh contracted the plague.The newspaper, Paisa Akhbar, dated 10 April, contains the following report: A tragic death: We regret to announce that Maulawi Ilāhī Bakhsh Accountant (Pensioner) died on Monday, 8 April, 1* at Maulawi ‘Abdul-Haqq's house, after suffering from fever for only a day.Now, a sensible person can understand how severe the spread of the plague was in Lahore during those days as is still the case.So far, thou- sands of people have died only due to this particular kind of fever.And what kind of fever is there apart from the plague that can do away with a man in only one day? Bear in mind that plague is inseparably accompanied by a high fever which proves fatal within one or two days.Given that the plague was raging in Lahore when Ilāhī Bakhsh died and he had gone to participate in the funeral rites of another victim of the plague and had fainted there, was some evil spirit supposed to be responsible for his collapse? Obviously, those were the days when the 1.The date is wrongly reported in the newspaper.In fact, this incident happened on the 7th [of April] at 6 pm.(Author)

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 685 plague was spreading, particularly in Lahore where it was raging.Who can dare deny that in these days hundreds have died in Lahore alone on account of the fever caused by the plague? Even now the situation con- tinues to be the same.Some suffer a swelling of the glands and some do not.Some die of pneumonic plague and some suddenly die comatose.As such, it would be highly brash to heap lies on poor Ilāhī Bakhsh without any rhyme or reason that he did not die of the plague.Did Ya'qub die of plague or not? I have learnt from reliable medical doctors that Ilāhī Bakhsh had contracted a most severe form of plague which finished him in a single day.I reproduce herein a letter by Dr.Mirzā Yaqub Baig, Assistant Surgeon as evidence: My master, leader, Imam, Proof of Allah and the Promised Messiah, may.Allah's peace be upon you, May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.Allah be praised that your prophecy has been fulfilled and the enemy died.Congratulations to Ḥuḍūr! Ilāhī Bakhsh devel- oped all the typical symptoms of the plague and we have learnt from reliable means that a swollen gland had developed upon his left thigh in the groin.Therefore there is no doubt that he died of the plague.All the rest is fine.Humble one, Yaqub Baig from Lahore Then, if it is asked which of Ilahi Bakhsh's friends published the news that he died of the plague, I reproduce below the testimony concerning the plague of Ilahi Bakhsh from the paper Ahl-e-Hadith, dated 11 April 1907 which is as follows: We regret to report that Maulawi Ilāhī Bakhsh of Lahore, the author of Asa-e-Mūsā also became a martyr to the plague.See paper Ahl-e-Hadith, dated 11 April 1907.Letter of Mirza Yaqub Baig, Assistant Surgeon

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686 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Then, Ilāhī Bakhsh quotes another revelation of his concerning me on page 79 of his book 'Aṣā-e-Musā which is as follows A SOLD BUI Although the expression is tainted with a grammatical error in that the preposition lãm has been applied to the word man, Ilāhī Bakhsh has translated it to mean as if I would be humiliated in opposition to him and his truthfulness would be manifested.The fact of the matter is that long ago God Almighty had revealed to me that: إِنِّي مُهِينٌ مِّنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ 'I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.' Ilāhī Bakhsh had personally heard me pronounce this revelation a number of times and God had manifested what the end was of every single person who came into opposition with me.Thus, in this reve- lation there is only the lam from Ilāhī Bakhsh, which usually comes to indicate 'for' but here it is out of place and opposed to his purpose.However, as stated, the revelation would mean that, ‘O, Ilāhī Bakhsh, I shall humiliate you in support of the one who seeks your humiliation.' And if we were to assume—as is indeed Ilāhi Bakhsh's intent—that by 'humiliating him, God means He will humiliate me, then this mean- ing has evidently been proven false.The reason is that for the last so many years I have been publicly announcing that Ilāhi Bakhsh is false in presenting himself as Mūsā and in rejecting me, and that God will dis- grace him.It has been quite some time since I published this revelation of mine.Given this state of affairs, it is quite clear that God disgraced Ilāhī Bakhsh in my presence by causing him to die of the plague and he was unsuccessful in all his designs, whereas God honoured me by making hundreds of thousands of people join my Jama'at.Thus, if Ilāhī Bakhsh did in fact receive this revelation from God—that God would humiliate the one who sought to humiliate him—it was but necessary for that rev- elation to be fulfilled.However, the untimely death of Ilāhi Bakhsh in my own lifetime set a seal upon him being a liar.He claimed that 'this person

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 687 is Pharaoh, and I am Mūsā', that I would die in his lifetime, that I would die of the plague, that all my Jama'at would be destroyed, that the wrath of God would descend upon me, and that nothing would be left of me.By contrast, God bestowed perfect progress and full honour upon me, and granted me renown in all parts of the world, and caused this vain, ill-mannered, short-tempered, and loud-mouthed enemy to die of the plague in my own lifetime.Would you still call him Mūsā? What kind of Mūsā was he, that the one whom he used to designate as Pharaoh and whose death he said would take place in his own lifetime, turned out to be the very one in whose lifetime he himself died an ignominious death by the plague? It is strange indeed that the one he used to name Pharaoh had announced his revelation: إِنِّي أُحَافِظُ كُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ Meaning that, God says: 'Surely, I shall save all those from the plague who dwell within the four walls of this house.' As a result, by the grace of God, not even a dog has died within the four walls of my house from the plague despite the virulent attacks of plague rampant in these parts for the last eleven years.On the contrary, the one who was wont to pronounce himself Mūsā died of the plague.Not only this but all his revelations that he had published forecasting my death by plague and my discomfiture proved to be false and became the cause of his own humiliation.So where is his vaunted revelation -Such is the end of those who consider the prompt إِنِّي مُهِيْنٌ لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ إِهَانَتَكَ! ing of their ego to be revelations and do not assess the validity of their so-called 'revelations' by the criterion of the testimony of the works of God.Remember that, unless and until such extraordinary Signs of God pour down in support of revelations as far exceed the common experi- ence, considering one's revelations to be the word of God is tantamount to adopting the path to Hell and purchasing a disgraceful death.For, a revelation is no more than a statement in which Satan too may have a

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688 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION share.Also, a person is quite capable of fabricating such a statement.It could also be a prompting of the self.Therefore, it would be the height of folly and ignorance on the part of a person to consider such words to be the words of God simply because they happen to issue forth from one's tongue.On the contrary, the Word of God must necessarily be accom- panied by the Work of God by way of testimony—and indeed a very powerful testimony-because claiming that God speaks to a person is no ordinary claim.If such a claimant is not from God, he can cause an entire world to be doomed to perdition.Therefore, in support of such a person's verbal claim, a practical testimony of God Almighty is required in the manner that God has been providing since the most distant ages in support of the true Messengers and Prophets.But such minor and insignificant happenings as are part of an ordinary person's life cannot be called the testimony of the works of God.For instance, a person may well see in a dream that in his or someone else's house a baby boy will be born and it so happens that a baby boy is, in fact, born.Or he has the dream that a certain person would die who does, in fact, happen to die or sees in a dream that a certain person would be frustrated in a particular enterprise and this does, in fact, happen.Such dreams are universal.Even disbelievers and polytheists are not without their share of such dreams.Thus, if a person sees an ordinary dream and this dream or revelation is not marked in quality and quantity, by any singular characteristic of its own, one cannot logically assert that such a person is from God; as has already been pointed out, such dreams can also be seen by evil and wicked people.Therefore, one should not become arrogant upon experiencing such dreams and revelations.Rather, this should be considered as a trial.For a true divinely appointed person it is necessary that such experiences as can be legitimately designated as Signs of God should, in quantity and quality, attain a level which is beyond the competence of any ordinary person.In the case of such a person, the hand of God Almighty should be manifestly seen to be at work and divine Signs should be felt to be pour- ing down like rain providing him extraordinary support, from which it would become clear that he is the recipient of God's special succour

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 689 in all his endeavours.In short, this is indeed the greatest indication of such a person, that heavenly Signs, help, and succour should attain such consummation, both in quality and quantity, as none in the world can equal—even if it is a single solitary Sign but it is so overwhelmingly out- standing and majestic that upon seeing it, all the enemies seem to be like corpses and fail to produce its equal.Or the number of such Signs should be so large that it is beyond anyone's power to display such profusion in their own or of any other impostor's signs.This is what constitutes the testimony of God as Allah the Glorious, says to the Holy Prophetsa in the Holy Quran: وَيَقُولُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا قُلْ كَفَى بِاللهِ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَبِ Meaning that: And those who say, 'You are not a Messenger of God', say, 'Sufficient is Allah as a Witness between me and you and so is he who possesses knowledge of the Book.' Next, for the attention and just consideration of the readers, I pro- duce below the remaining revelations of Ilāhī Bakhsh pertaining to me which are recorded in his book 'Așa-e-Mūsā.On page 79 of his book, He] اُڑ جائیں گے زبان خلق کو نقارہ خدا سمجھو he mentions this revelation of his about me will be destroyed, consider the voice of people to be the voice of God].In other words, my destruction will happen exactly as thousands of my ene- mies wish for my destruction.Again on page 80 of the above-mentioned He declares this also.اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِيْنَ book, he says to be about me and its meaning is, ‘O God, arbitrate between us and our people with truth...So, Allah be praised that the required verdict was delivered on 7 April 1907.After hurling thousands of abuses at me, pro- nouncing me a liar, mischief-monger, the Antichrist, and impostor, and promising that I would be the object of God's wrath and of the plague, Miyān Ilāhi Bakhsh himself left this transient world on the above-men- ,So take a lesson] فَاعْتَبِرُوا يأولِي الْأَبْصَارِ.tioned date in the span of a single day 1.Surah ar-Ra'd, 13:44 [Publisher]

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690 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION O ye who have eyes].Look how I who was condemned as the 'Pharaoh' triumphed in the end while the so-called 'Mūsa' was so overwhelmed by the plague that it did not relent without taking his life.Then again, on page 80 of the same book, Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh threatens me with the plague in his revelation, which is as follows: رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ عَلَى الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِيْ كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةً...وَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌ.وَ لَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِيْنَ إِلَّا تَبَارًا.Meaning that, the plague will come down from heaven and he along with his Jama'at shall fall victim to it and God will send down death and destruction upon the unjust.These are Ilāhi Bakhsh's vaunted rev- elations with which he used to regale his small number of friends, but now his friends-particularly Munshi 'Abdul-Haqq-can testify in fear of God as to who ultimately became the victim upon whom the plague descended.Then there is one more revelation of his relating to the wrath of God descending upon me which is recorded on page 83 of his book, as Translation : We shall) سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُوْمِ مَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَى.follows put the brand of fire on the nose or mouth of this impostor; meaning that, We shall kill him with the plague, or that We shall cast him into the fire of Hell.(O Ilāhī Bakhsh,) this arrow that you shot was not shot by you but was shot by God.1* Then, the following revelation is recorded on page 9, line thirteen followed مَتَّعَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ بِطُولِ حَيَاتِكَ وَ بِطُولِ بَقَائِكَ.يَنْفُعُ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ بِطُوْلِ حَيَاتِكَ وَبِطُولِ بَقَائِكَ.by the statement: I shall certainly not die unless and until I fully carry 1.Translation: 'God Almighty will lengthen your life and by allowing you to live long in this world, He will thereby greatly benefit the Muslims.But after this Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh survived for only six years! Revelation forecasting a long life indeed! (Author) 2.Footnote: If someone should entertain the doubt as to how it can be known that all these revelations-which Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh had written in Aṣā-e-Musā pertain to me, let it be clear that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh has com- piled this book specifically to mount an offensive attack against me; there was no reason for compiling this book other than to malign and insult me.Indeed Bābū Ṣāḥib was wont to secretly circulate revelations of this kind about me among his friends, the essence of which was that I was a liar, a

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 691 out the task assigned to me.A perusal of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's book, Asa- e-Mūsā, will show that he died six years after the publication of that book! Now, all fair-minded people can assess for themselves whether the promise of long life and lasting survival was fulfilled when he died from the plague in just six years without ever witnessing any success— and that, too, within my lifetime and in great frustration.At this point in time, I simply ask for the opinion of his friends, most respectfully submitting: 'Is it true that in accordance with his revelation he had claimed that he would not die unless and until the duties that he had been allotted were fully carried out? Have those duties that were assigned to him been accomplished? Furthermore, were his efforts and his slan- ders that he hurled upon me throughout his book Așa-e-Mūsā able to harm so much as a single hair upon my body?' And readers, please per- mit me to ask: 'Is it not a fact that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's revelation about [branding someone on the nose] recoiled upon him? Is it not a fact that the providence [of God] cast the fiery stigma of the plague on his face, which completely wiped him out, the result being that the arrow which he aimed at me in accordance with his revelation ultimately recoiled upon his own person?' to disbeliever, and a Pharaoh, while he himself was Mūsā; and that I would very soon be targeted by the chastisement of God through him in accordance with his revelations.Here it is also worth remembering-as the entries on page 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the book 'Aşa-e-Musā show-that I did indeed have correspondence with Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh about his hostile revelations.In the letter which is recorded on page 2 of his book 'Aṣā-e-Mūsā, I had requested Bābū Ṣāḥib: 'The way you announce your revelations rejecting me and merely verbally to regale your friends through their recitation, publish them all un- der oath so that if these, your revelations, are fabricated and false, then God Almighty may mete out the punishment for the lie.' His reply to this letter is that which is recorded on page 4 of his book.Its essence is that there was no need of any oath taking and if he had attributed to God anything false, He would punish him even without any oath.However, he promised to publish his revelations.In reply to this letter a statement is recorded on my behalf on page 7 [of his book]: 'I seek the solution of this problem only from God so that God Himself may judge between those who reject me and those who believe that I am the Promised Messiah.' (Author)

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 692 الہی بخش کے کیسے تھے کہ آخر ہو گیا اُن کا وہ نخچیر تیر Strange indeed were the arrows of Ilahi Bakhsh, For ultimately he himself became their prey.کوئی ہم کو تو سمجھاوے یہ اسرار اُسی پر اُس کی لعنت کی پڑی مار ހނ نہیں ملتا His curse struck upon his very - own self- Will someone help me understand this mystery? ملے جو خاک سے اُس کو ملے یار وہ دلدار Arrogance does not lead one to the Beloved, The one who adopts utter humility becoming even as lowly as dust is the one who gets to meet the Beloved.سے جو دل لگاوے کرے پاک آپ کو تب اُس کو پاوے کوئی اُس پاک He who seeks the love of the Pure One, Must first purify himself, for only then would he meet Him.پسند آتی ہے تذلل ہی اُس کو خاکساری ره درگاه باری Humility He loves, And self-abasement alone is the path to His court.عجب ناداں ہے وہ مغرور و گمراہ کہ اپنے نفس کو چھوڑا ہے بے راہ How foolish is he who is arrogant and misguided, Who allows his self to stray and wander aimlessly! نظر ہے بدی پر غیر کی ہر دم مگر اپنی بدی سے بے خبر ہے Who is always on the lookout for the faults of others, But remains oblivious to his own misdeeds.Then again, on page 152 of his book Asa-e-Musa, Babu Ilahi Bakhsh announces the following revelation concerning me This happened on the 7th فَيَتْ وَ هُوَ كَافِرٌ.رُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِ لِعَانُه وَ أَزْ لِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ.

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 693 of Ramadan 1317 Hijrah.(Translation): 'This man shall die an apos- tate.His mutual curse or the mubahalah prayer will be rejected and recoil on him.Paradise is close for those who fear God.' The import of this revelation is that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh is righteous, that I am a disbe- liever, and that the mubahalah or the mutual invocation of the curse of God to fall upon the one who lies, shall, according to his revelation, fall upon me whereas he will be successful in every single thing.Let it be clear that [lian] in Arabic means [mulā'anah].اللعَانُ وَالْمُلَاعَنَةُ : اللَّعْنُ بَيْنَ اثْنَيْنِ فَصَاعِدًا The Arabic lexicon] Lisanul-Arab states'] in other words, the two expressions li'an and mula 'anah refer to the act of two or more persons invoking the curse of God upon one another.Furthermore, in this same Lisānul-'Arab the term [la'n] is described to mean ,'la'nab], or 'curse] لَعْنَةُ ,In other words.اللَّعْنُ الْإِبْعَادُ وَالطَّرَدُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ means to deprive someone of every virtue, wealth, blessing, and bet- terment.Then, another meaning of the word * [la'nah] is given as lanah] means that one is] لَعْنَةُ ,In other words الْإِبْعَادُ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمِنَ الْخَلْقِ rejected by God and is deprived of His acceptance.It also means to become degraded in the eyes of the people and to lose respect and honour.In short, in the sight of God the term [la'nah], or ‘curse', encompasses in its meaning every kind of frustration, deprivation, and rejection; and to be deprived of every type of blessing; and remaining rejected and frustrated is among its essential requirements.The final outcome of whosoever becomes the target of God's curse is his death and destruction.This is why the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, 'Had the Christians of Najran entered into the mubahalah (which is done by pronouncing [The curse of Allah be upon the liars']) with me they would have suffered such death and destruction as would have killed even the birds in their trees.' Now, every fair-minded person would understand the meaning of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's [vaunted] revelation in which mula'anah or invo- cation of curse [by two mutually contending parties] is mentioned.The meaning of the revelation' is this that the mula'anah which took place

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HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 694 between myself and Bābū Ṣāḥib, which is mentioned on page 2 and page 7 of the book, Aṣā-e-Mūsā, and elsewhere, shall have its evil con- sequences upon me alone and that I will die and perish in his lifetime, whereas the fact of the matter is that the will of God Almighty mani- fested itself in the opposite manner.And that was not all.On the one hand, Bābū Ṣāḥib died of the plague in my own lifetime, deprived of the fulfilment of every one of his wishes and desires.On the other hand, God blessed me with fruits and success in every way, so much so that I acknowledge my most profound gratitude that so far some 400,000 people have repented from their sins and disbelief at my hands.And God granted me such honour that I became well known with great renown and prestige throughout the world; namely, Europe, Asia, and America.Accordingly, Dr.Dowie, who commanded such honour and prestige as belongs to royalty in America and Europe, God caused him to die in response to my mubahalah [prayer duel] and my prayer, and caused an entire world to incline towards me.This phenomenal event was published by all the leading newspapers of the world and became famous and well known to one and all.And I see that from among those who have taken the bai'at [pledge of allegiance] with me, thou- sands adopted the ways of righteousness and a notable transformation took place in their deeds.Furthermore, from a worldly point of view as well, I was the recipient of great bounties.So far, the servants of God have humbly and courteously offered, 1* and continue to offer: 1.☆ For instance, consider this Prophecy made twenty-six years ago me, hun- st فَجٌ عَمِيقٍ، يَأْتُونَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ.يَنْصُرُكَ رِجَالٌ نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ.وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ وَلَا تَسْتَمْ مِّنَ [Help will come to you by every distant track.People will come to you so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.So many people will come to you that the track on which they travel will become deep.Allah will help you from Himself.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from Ourself.Be not arrogant towards Allah's creatures and be not tired of receiving visitors.'] Wonderful indeed is grace of God that on the one hand, an old prophecy was fulfilled and on the other hand hundreds of thousands of rupees were received as income and several hundreds of thousands of people became my disciples.(Author)

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 695 dreds of thousands of rupees in cash and all manner of gifts.Indeed a veritable sea of diverse types of God's grace is flowing, and, apart from this, God has manifested thousands of Signs in my support.Hardly a month passes without any Sign.Indeed, God Himself has drawn the sword to confront the enemies on my behalf.Whoever filed any case against me in any court was forced to face ignominy and defeat, and whoever entered into a mubahalah contest with me, died or suffered great humiliation.Hence, by way of specimen, such Signs of divine suc- cour have been incorporated into the present book, Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi.Now let those with a sense of justice tell me whether this revelation of Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh proved true that the result of the mutual invocation of divine curse between myself and him would be that I would exclu- sively deserve death and destruction and that he would succeed in the fulfilment of all his designs? Was the result of the mubahalah in his favour or in my favour, and was the evil effect of the [mula'anah or 'invocation of curse'] averted from him or from me? O readers for God's sake!-reflect upon this so that God may reward you.But in any case God Almighty has not yet ceased to show the Signs of His help and succour.And I swear by Him that He will not cease until He has demonstrated my truthfulness to the whole world.Listen all of you who can hear me! Be fearful of God and do not trans- gress the limits set by Him.Were this a human scheme, God would have destroyed me and not a trace of all this, my work, would have been left.But you have seen for yourselves how the help and succour of God Almighty continues to be with me.So many Signs have been manifested for me as defy counting.Look at the number of my enemies who perished after entering into a mubähalah [prayer duel] against me.O creatures of God! Do pause and think—is this the way God deals with liars? Some ignorant people say that Ātham did not die within his prescribed period.Yet they know that he died and I am still alive.Furthermore, prophecies of wa'id-in which a prophecy is made of divine punishment to befall someone-are not necessarily fulfilled

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696 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION within the prescribed time frame.As a matter of fact, they need not be fulfilled if the person who is warned repents or recants.Such proph- ecies can be, and have continued to be, warded off by resort to pro- found regret, repentance, almsgiving, and charity on the part of the person who has been warned.The Holy Quran and earlier Scriptures bear witness to this.Bear in mind that the prophecy of wa’ïd means a prophecy portending divine punishment.When God wills to send down some calamity upon a person on account of his sins, the way of Allah is that most of the times He averts such calamities if the person involved has recourse to repentance, seeking forgiveness, charity, and almsgiving.And when someone becomes subject to such a trial and turns to God Almighty as a result, then mostly such a one is shown mercy.This is how the chastisement upon the people of Prophet Yūnus [Jonah] was averted.The whole world knows that repentance, seeking forgiveness, charity, and almsgiving serve to avert calamities and a prophecy of wa'id is nothing more than a calamity of which warning is given through someone commissioned by God.Thus, if it is true that a calamity can be averted through repentance, seeking for- giveness, charity, and almsgiving, then why cannot such prophecies be averted, the warning of which may have been communicated through someone commissioned by God? Furthermore, the ignorant enemies do not know that prophecies portending chastisement can be averted through mere penitence and entreating forgiveness of God and need not contain a condition.However, the prophecies concerning Ātham, Ahmad Baig, and his son-in-law were conditional.In other words, it was written that they would be visited by a calamity if they persisted in their arrogance and did not retract.Thus, Ātham proved through his silence, his refusal to take an oath, or to prosecute, or to make hostile remarks against Islam, that he had given up his rebellious misconduct.Furthermore, he clearly demonstrated his retraction by hanging out tongue and placing both his hands on his ears right in the middle of our debate in the presence of some sixty to seventy witnesses, and no one can deny this.The audience at that time not only consisted his

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 697 of Muslims but half of them happened to be Christians.Reliable tes- timonies also prove that he continued to cry for as many as fifteen months.Does all of this still not establish the fact of his retraction? About Ahmad Baig's son-in-law, it should suffice to say that this prophecy was two-pronged, of which one was about Ahmad Baig and the other about his son-in-law.Thus, Ahmad Baig's death and the resultant shock demolished the arrogance and hubris of his rel- atives and he died within the prescribed time frame.Those not related to them, or not well informed about them, cannot imagine the kind of devastation which overtook his other relatives, the lesson it taught them, and the gloom that overwhelmed them.The end result was that Mirzā Maḥmūd Baig—with whose family the marital ties had actually been established, and who was, in fact, the head of the family entered into the covenant of bai'at with me.Now, if in the face of all these facts someone still persists in speaking nonsense, what remedy can I have for him? How can I convince such a dark-hearted person who is totally bereft of decency and shame? What treatment can I apply to cure this deep-rooted sickness of prejudice other than allowing God Himself to cure it? - کیا تضرع اور توبہ سے نہیں ٹلتا عذاب کس کی یہ تعلیم ہے دکھلاؤ تم مجھ کو شتاب Is divine punishment not warded off by supplication and repentance? Show me quickly whose teaching this is.اے عزیز و! اس قدر کیوں ہو گئے تم بے حیا کلمہ گو ہو کچھ تو لازم ہے تمہیں خوفِ خدا O dear ones! Why have you become so shameless? You believe in the Kalimah and therefore it is incumbent upon you to have at least some fear of God.Right on top of page number 152, which records the revelation of Bābū Ṣāḥib in which he writes with regard to me that this man shall die a disbeliever and the evil end of mula'anah-mutual invocation of curse-shall be caused to recoil on him; the following line of his is

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698 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION written: 'Tonight I received this revelation regarding the end of Mirza Sahib and the poor Muslims who follow him.' And then, on page 172 appears this revelation: 'It is indeed something nice and welcome that it should be decided whether truth is on the side of Mirza Sahib.Then, on page 173 of 'Aṣā-e-Mūsā there is one of his revelations along with some introductory lines as follows: "This humble one is also taught اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَ أَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِيْنَ this prayer by way of revelation He translates this to mean that, 'May God Almighty adjudicate between me and him'; i.e.this humble one.Now the verdict that has been delivered is no secret.It is rather strange that his entire book is full of such 'revelations' that during his lifetime I shall be completely eradi- cated, my entire Jama'at will be scattered, the evil effect of the mubaha- lah shall be cast upon me, and that he will not die unless and until he witnesses my decline.And then his friends say that when he became ill with the plague, he received this revelation jji.e.now you are about to leave this world.Who is there whose heart does not cry out the departure-after contracting this deadly disease? الرَّحِيْلُ : According to the Arabic lexicon, the term ță'un itself means death.I will not interject anything; let the readers decide for themselves: First, Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh insisted vis-à-vis these revelations that he would live a very long life.For instance, ‘long life' and ‘survival for long' form part of the body of his revelation, and then it was said that the believers would immensely benefit from his long life.Then again, is the revela- tion that he will not die unless and until he first sees my death by the plague and witnesses my total annihilation.Yet again is the revelation that he would attain very great heights within the world as well, that the whole world would turn to him, he would be the lord and owner of gardens and orchards, and that through him Islam would make great progress.These were the earlier revelations with which his entire book Asa-e-Musa is full.But then, when he fell ill of the plague and, witness- ing the daily death tolls of hundreds, the certainty of his own death by plague became so stark and real, it was then that Bābū received the

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 699 revelation the death' or 'the departure'-a revelation which annulled all the erstwhile revelations contained in his book Aṣā-e- Mūsā.Nevertheless, even if this is assumed to be a revelation, it would mean to imply divine displeasure, not grace, indicating extreme misfor- tune and also the falsehood of Ilāhi Bakhsh's [preceding] revelations.Furthermore, there is nothing surprising about a revelation of this kind because most people, regardless of being believers or disbelievers, are wont to experience such dreams or receive such revelations when they lose all hope of recovery.In this context, the revelation would mean that: 'O Ilahi Bakhsh! You thought you were going to live long and sought the destruction of the contending party, and thinking that the inspirations of your baser self were revelations from God, you used to announce, "My opponent will die of the plague within my own life- time", but We command you to leave this world.' In short, I need not argue about the authenticity of this revelation; he might very well have received it by way of displeasure and warning that he, Ilahi Bakhsh, had better leave this world on account of his fail- ure to accept the truth.I am surprised at the thinking of these people who, by ascribing [the departure'] to Ilāhī Bakhsh as his revelation, destroy the sum total of his revelations and do not realize that by doing so they reduce the authenticity of the entire body of his revelations on the basis of which he used to denounce me as a disbeliever and a dajjāl and used to call himself Mūsā.The truth of the matter is that all his revelations were confused dreams and promptings of the ego and they were satanic insinuations which is why they could not be fulfilled; rather, they brought about his humiliation and disgrace.But of course it is quite possible that the departure—had actually been revealed by God because this phrase is by way of a reproach and warning.Indeed, even if Pharaoh had made the claim to have received such a revelation there would have been no cause for us to reject such a claim because it is an established fact that everyone regardless of their being a muwaḥḥid [believer in Oneness of

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700 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION God] or a polytheist, righteous or sinful, truthful or liar, can receive such a revelation in their dying moments.It is to this very issue that the following verse draws our attention: وَ إِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ Meaning that, there is no one out of the People of the Book who, before his death, fails to believe in the Holy Prophets or Haḍrat ‘Īsā [Jesus].It is recorded in the books of exegesis that the People of the Book receive this revelation when they are going through the agonies of death or are at death's door.Evidently, they happen to believe only when God reveals to them that a particular Prophet is true.But this revelation does not make them the Elect of God.However, this indeed is the divine practice that when death is imminent, most people tend to see a dream or receive a revelation.It is not exclusive to any particular religion nor is there the requirement that one be righteous and a doer of good.Then, on page 180 of his book Aşa-e-Musā, Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh writes: I too am commanded through revelation to be the helmsman of the ark and after I was commanded by revelation to get the بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرِيهَا وَ مُرسَهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيْمٌ ark ready, it was revealed to me [In the name of Allah be its course and its mooring.My Lord is assuredly Most Forgiving, Merciful].This was followed by Surely, those] إِنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوْا إِنَّهُمْ لَمُغْرَقُوْنَ another revelation, namely who are wrongdoers will be drowned].By the grace and benev- olence of God Almighty I am sure about the fulfilment of this revelation.In addition, I have also received this revelation a 1.2* سَارِيْهِمْ آيَاتِي فَلَا تَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ number of times 1.Surah an-Nisa', 4:160 [Publisher] 2.On the one hand Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh writes: 'I do not consider my revela- tions to be certain for they may well be satanic.Yet he is so definitely hopeful

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 701 The meaning of this revelation is that he alone is the helmsman who will carry passengers across and those who board his ark will be the ones who will be saved.Then pointing towards me, he says that those-meaning me—who are unjust will be drowned.He adds that it has also been revealed to him a number of times that God says: 'I shall demonstrate my Signs to these enemies.Let them not be so hasty.' Now the readers can ponder that his death by the plague has proven all his revelations false.Would you call such people ‘helmsmen' who so readily drown themselves? Given that the promise was to drown those who were his enemies—namely, myself—then what kind of a helms- man is he and what kind of an ark! And what a revelation that backfires upon its own recipient! Then on page 186 of his book, Bābū Ṣāḥib writes: "The work of which Mirza Sahib is so proud and happy, its condition was spelled meaning that, all their قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِالْأَخْسَرِيْنَ اَعْمَالًا out in the revelation deeds are found false and wanting.' And on page 201, he says about me: 'Mirza Sahib, do not be so hasty! I am so certain and perfectly sure that in accordance with divine practice those who are proud and arrogant and claim to have no equal must, by the grace of God, suffer failure and discomfiture.Now it is for the readers to answer: This phrase of the Munshi was about me, but did God, in accordance with his statement, cause me to die in a state of failure and frustration, or was this the fate of Bābū Ilāhī about the fulfilment of such revelations.It is indeed surprising how with this meagre wherewithal, he opted for such ferocity.Surprisingly enough he him- self became the victim of the revelation which was received about the drown- ing of others.As for Bābū Ṣāḥib's revelation: 'Do not be hasty, I shall soon demonstrate my Signs', it was fulfilled, as we know, with his death.True, his death is not a Sign in his favour but of course it is surely a Sign in my favour.(Author)

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702 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Bakhsh? I do not want to say anything more, for he has already passed away.1 ☆ Then, on page 202 [of his book] Munshi Ilāhī Bakhsh Ṣāḥib says: Balaam refused to curse in the first instance.Then his people bribed him and got him into trouble.That is how he brought about his ruin.There is an object lesson in this story for the person whose life resembles that of Balaam, who dispossesses people of their rights and makes false claims.This indeed is the sum total of his thesis.What a pity that Bābū himself never paused to think about the fate of someone who attacks others without ascertaining the full facts and brands one who is hon- est and innocent in the sight of Allah (and who, in reality, has neither usurped anyone's right nor has he made any false claim) as an impostor and a dajjal without full evidence.He pays scant regard for this person in whose support Signs of God are raining down in such profusion.Is there or is there not any penalty for a person of this kind? But there is no need to prolong these discussions, because now, after his mubahalah and mula'anah, Bābū Ṣāḥib has already witnessed the result of these false accusations and foul speech.Then, there is one more revelation of Bābū Ṣāḥib which is recorded إِنْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ إِلَّا كَذِبًا إِتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَ كَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا on page 224 of his book and it is as follows Meaning that, whatever claim this man makes, is false; he follows his own selfish desire; he has crossed the limit—that is to say, now the days of his destruction have arrived.Readers can themselves understand the response to this revelation.Now it is for Bābū's supporters to declare whether God dealt with me in that manner or He dealt with Ilāhī Bakhsh in that way, in conformity with His age-old practice of dealing with liars? According 1.Some ignorant persons, pointing to me, ask, ‘If Ilāhī Bakhsh died the death of frustration, have all my desires and plans been fulfilled?' However, they fail to ponder and reflect that I am still alive and my aims and objectives are being realized day by day whereas Bābū Ṣāḥib has died and his so-called 'staff of Mūsā [Moses]' recoiled upon him and itself lies broken.(Author)

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 703 to the teachings of the Holy Quran, whoever falsely claims to be from God perishes having remained frustrated in the achievement of his designs.So, is it not true that this was exactly the fate of Bābū Ṣāḥib? Then, on page 319 of his book, Bābū records the following reve- lation concerning me Meaning that, [divine] wrath shall be heaped upon him; I shall reduce him like unto a rotten bone and make him like unto carded wool.Readers themselves can ponder over who was proven to be the actual target of this revelation! سَيَنَالُهُمْ غَضَبْ عَلَى غَضَبٍ جَعَلْتُهُ كَالرَّمِيْمِ.كَالْعِهْنِ الْمَنْفُوشِ.Then on page 437 there is the following revelation with reference to mes that is, God will kill him and then put him into the grave.And then, page 441 of the book 'Așa-e-Mūsā includes Bābū Ṣāḥib's يَمِيْزُ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ جَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءًا مَّنْثُورًا.following revelation about me and adds: Its fulfilment shall take place] سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ كَتَبَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ.at the appointed time, God willing.' The meaning [of the Arabic] is: 'God will separate the bad from the good and manifest it.' In other words, He will demonstrate such a miracle of His might as will con- clusively establish who is true and who is false.'And We shall make this person (meaning me) like unto scattered dust'; that is to say, We will destroy him.But O Ilāhī Bakhsh, 'Peace be unto you.God has promised grace for shall be saved from destruction."* you and you Now let those who can think, ponder over what his end actually was.Did that destruction which Bābū's revelation portend for me descend upon his own self or not? Then, on the same page, he writes that he received the revelation Meaning: 'O fire become cool and become a source 1.What kind of saved being is this that he dies and, indeed, died of the plague! O friends of Bābū! Tell me truthfully, was this really your wish that Bābū should die in the lifetime of mine, for whose death and destruction he was so eagerly waiting? What harm did the hundreds of his revelations portending my destruction do to me? What is this strange event that he was struck by the lightning of his own revelations? Is there anyone who can reply to this? (Author)

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704 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of peace!' I do not know which fire became cold for him.The only fire that overtook him was that of the plague which of course did not cool down, and consumed him in the span of a single day.In Lahore, hun- dreds contracted the plague and recovered in the end, but this so-called mulham [the recipient of revelation] failed to recover and his untimely death forced him to leave this transitory world along with thousands of unfulfilled wishes.Now he has, of course, left this world, and I am obligated to write this in the interest of his friends because after Bābū's death I had received the following revelation: فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ Meaning that, through Ilāhī Bakhsh's death, We decided to try his friends to see whether, even now, they have understood or not.It is well known that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh had aggressively risen to oppose me and that he left no stone unturned to degrade and insult me.He had misled people by means of his book.Every day, he eagerly awaited my death and destruction and used to regale his friends by reciting hundreds of such revelations.And very specifically he had announced in his book that I would die by the plague, but what happened was that he himself died of the plague in total frustration.And God helped me in every way and it is clearly written in the Holy Quran that: كَتَبَ اللهُ لَاغْلِبَنَ أَنَا وَ رُسُلِي Meaning that, it is a categorical promise of God that those people who come from God triumph over those who oppose them.So what mystery lies hidden behind the fact that Bābū could not succeed in his opposition to me? A huge storm of plague which had 1.Allah has decreed: 'Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers' (Sürah al-Mujadalah, 58:22).[Publisher]

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 705 broken out in this country was an even bigger storm than the one that had arisen in the time of Mūsā and Pharaoh-verily, it was immensely larger than that storm-and despite claiming to be Mūsā, Bābū perished therein and he whom he called Pharaoh was bestowed safety by God through His grace and benevolence.I am certain that at the time [of his death], he must have pronounced these words comprising the Quranic verse: امَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الَّذِي أَمَنَتْ بِهِ بَنُوا إِسْرَاءِيلَ Again, I have a question.Three classes of people are mentioned by God in Surah al-Fatihah, which is the Mother of the Book: (1) Those upon whom God has bestowed His blessings, (2) Those who incurred His displeasure, and (3) Those who have gone astray.Please ponder over this and kindly express your assessment of the class wherein God has included Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh? If in your opinion he belongs to the divinely blessed, the onus lies on you to show whether those who belonged to this blessed class ever contracted the plague.And then also establish what bless- ing was bestowed upon him, and that blessing should be something that the world recognizes as a proven matter; it should not be like the Christian concept of 'Atonement'; that is to say, it should not be just one's own opinion.If he is deemed to be from among those who incurred the wrath of God, that is more likely to be true, because the Holy Quran and the Torah both testify that the plague symbolizes the wrath of God.Believers of the highest class and the Elect of God like Prophets and Siddiqin [the Truthful] have never suffered from the plague.No one can prove that people belonging to this class ever con- tracted the plague, because it is a chastisement of God which comes down to punish the disbelievers and transgressors and those who go 1.I believe that there is no God but He in Whom the children of Israel believe (Surah Yunus, 10:91).[Publisher]

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706 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION on committing sin.The Elect of God are never made to partake of it.Thus, he who considered himself to be such a beloved of God and in support of this claim quotes his own revelation in his book 'Aşa-e- Tell them] قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ Musa which is as follows if you want Allah to love you obey me then will Allah love you'], why would such a 'beloved of God' become the victim of the plague? God says about the Jews: 19 1988 لِمَ يُعَد بكُم بِذُنُوبِكُمْ Of course, believers who are not sinless and are not part of the high- est class and are not free from sins and frailties may suffer from the plague for the sake of being cleansed and purified, but he who comes from God like unto Mūsā can never suffer from the plague.A perfect believer falls under the verse: أولَيكَ عَنْهَا مُبْعَدُونَ And if you believe Munshi Ilāhī Bakhsh to be among the ḍāllin [those who have gone astray] then know that this title fits him most aptly because first he abandoned the truth deliberately and then he became so foul-mouthed, impertinent, and inflammatory that he left no room for ever listening to reason.If anyone happened to mention my name in his presence, his first reaction was to hurl abuse at me ten or twenty times followed by a deliberate rejection of truth.But God Almighty knows what is in each heart.The fact of the matter, therefore, is that the way God has dealt with him is an object lesson for the wise.Only my heart knows the extreme pain he had caused me: 1.Why then does He punish you for your sins? (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:19) [Publisher] 2.These will be removed far from it (Sūrah al-Anbiyā, 21:102).[Publisher]

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 خدا تا دل مرد نامد بدرد پیچ قومی را خدا رُسوا نه کرد 707 God does not humiliate a people so long as the heart of a man of God does not cry in anguish.With the fear of God Almighty in your heart, do tell me if this was indeed your wish and true desire that Ilāhī Bakhsh should die of the plague in total frustration while his opponent—about whom he had so publicly announced before thousands that he would die of the plague-be safeguarded by God from the plague and be blessed with extraordinary success from Him and demonstrate hundreds of Signs in his support to the extent that Ilāhi Bakhsh's death, too, should become one such Sign.Did the revelation received by Ilāhī Bakhsh, namely, meaning that, God will distinguish the pious from يَمِيْزُ الْخَبِيْثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ the impious, really mean that Ilāhī Bakhsh would die of the plague leaving many mourners behind? How harsh and bitter that day was for Munshi 'Abdul-Haqq and his friends when Bābū—who was their spiritual guide-died of the plague contrary to all his claims and left them in a most painful state indeed! What is more, he left behind a house infested with plague related substances.May God Almighty grant his companions wisdom even now so that they may recognize the truth! Then, on page 294 [of his book], there is another revelation of قُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا.قُلْ لَّسْتَ his which is as follows Meaning: Truth has مُرْسَلًا ذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوْا حَتَّى يُلَاقُوْا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوْعَدُوْنَ.come and falsehood has vanished.Tell your opponent'-meaning this humble one- -"You are not from God." Leave them alone, engaged for a few days in their fun and pastime until that promised day comes, the day of death by the plague that has been promised.Holy is Allah! What kind of revelations are these and what kind of 'truth' was this which retreated before 'falsehood', proving the revelation to be false? And what kind of a promise of plague was this which mistak- enly recoiled upon the recipient of the revelation himself! Let some

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708 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION fair-minded person answer me: If these revelations were not satanic then what were they? And if God has always saved all those whom He loves from the plague, then why was this hapless Ilāhī Bakhsh— بعد از خدا بزرگ توئی قصہ مختصر who claimed to have received the revelation ["The sum and substance of it is that after God, you are the greatest'], Say If you قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللهُ and also the revelation love Allah, then follow me, then will Allah love you"]-deprived of the benefit of this permanent practice of Allah? Why then did this heavenly chastisement, which is the usual lot of sinners and transgres- sors, descend upon a man who claims to be the greatest after God, and claims to be such a beloved of God that by following him one becomes the beloved of God? Has the time not yet come for fair-minded people to realize that for Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh to leave this world with such a death of frus- tration a death which was caused by the plague and was against the intent of all his revelations-is a decisive fact? And if prejudiced per- sons are yet unable to understand this, they should remember that no one can frustrate God; He will demonstrate yet another Sign.Pitiable is the condition of those who do not benefit from the hundreds of Signs of God which continue to shine like the bright day, but persist in quoting one or two such prophecies as have either been fulfilled as far as their main point is concerned or have been half fulfilled.These are prophecies of warning and do not admit of any objection in light of the way of Allah.Is it fair to ignore some 10,000 prophecies and go on insisting upon a particular Sign that is beyond their comprehen- sion? This being the case, the faith of such people is as precarious today as it shall be tomorrow, for the manner in which God has treated me is not such as has no parallel in the case of any other Prophet.There is no objection that has been raised against me that cannot also be raised against another Prophet.Therefore, the condition of those who, at the time of raising an objection against me, fail to reflect that their

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 709 objection can also be levelled against other Prophets is very dangerous indeed and the danger is that such persons may well die as atheists.¹* It must be borne in mind with regard to the obduracy and audacity with which Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh stood up in opposition to me and pre- dicted that I would die of the plague and face every kind of frustration and failure, had the matter ended as he had predicted and had I died in the lifetime of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh, one wonders with what kind of curses Ilāhi Bakhsh's friends would have remembered me and to what heights of honour and glory they would have exalted him to.Now, however— without exception—not a single one of them speaks up and they hope for this Sign of God Almighty to disappear.They know only too well that Bābū had become the target of the mubahalah and my supplications.He might well have been spared for a few days more if he had adopted some measure of gentleness, but his 'revelations' based on the promptings of the ego proved to be a fatal poison for him.He did not know that one acquires true converse with God only after undergoing annihilation.He alone is granted [spiritual] life who truly purifies himself of all self- ish desires and aggrandizements and sheds all kinds of arrogance and impertinence; a kind of death overtakes him for the sake of God.For those who achieve this stage of self-effacement, converse with God is a prized reward.Everyone who claims to have attained this stage must see whether he has attained true self-effacement or whether he is still full of selfish motives.نہ ہر کہ سر بتراشد قلندری داند ہزار نکته باریک تر ز مو این جاست There are thousands of subtleties, finer than the finest hair; Not everyone who shaves his head is a saint.Then, on page 69 of his book 'Aṣā-e-Mūsā, Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh says, 1.Some mischievous liars assert that if Signs are shown by the Mirza, so were signs shown by Musailimah, the Liar.In reply to them it suffices to say [The curse of Allah be upon the liars!'] (Author)

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710 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 'Being a frail human, I felt afraid that because of Mirza Sahib's displeas- ure I might suffer some loss.At this, I was reassured about my safety and security with this revelation: وَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ فَسَلَامٌ لَّكَ Meaning that, God shall be your Protector and you shall remain in peace.You will not be visited by any chastisement of God.This is the revelation that Bābū claims to have received which reas- sured him that the curse of the opposing party—meaning, my hum- ble self would cause no harm to him and that he would remain safe.It seems it was this revelation that gave him the licence for using foul language and abuse that kept growing until it transgressed all bounds quite like a breach in the embankment of a river that devastates the surrounding habitations.It is a great pity that hundreds of Signs were fulfilled in his life- time but he failed to benefit from any of them.After witnessing each Sign or hearing its report from someone he invariably responded that Ātham did not die within the prescribed time frame and that Ahmad Baig's son-in-law was still alive whereas the revelation had said that the wedding of Ahmad Baig's daughter had been solemnized in heaven.Also, for his guidance, it was repeatedly recorded in [different] books that, in any case, Deputy Atham had died and that it was irrelevant whether he had died within the time frame or after it, the important fact was that he did indeed die.Furthermore, the prophecy was con- ditional.In other words, his death was linked to the conditions that he would not recant, but Ātham did recant during the middle of the very debate when he was told that the reason why I had to make the 1.It is a pity that none of his friends ponders that when 'God Almighty' had promised to protect him and that my becoming displeased with him would not cause him the least damage, then why did it so happen that he was caught by the plague? Where did that 'promised protection' go? (Author)

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 711 prophecy was that in his book Andrūna-e-Bible he had used the name dajjal for the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Then, in the presence of some sixty or seventy persons, about half of whom were Christians, he, adopting an attitude of extreme fear and humility, with both his hands on his ears and his tongue hanging out, announced, 'I have certainly not called the Holy Prophet the Dajjal.Later it was learnt by reliable means that he continued to cry for as many as fifteen months.God Almighty also informed me through His revelation that the prophecy had caused him a grave shock and he had become as if insane and his heart was impressed by the great- ness of Islam and he completely ceased being insolent and abusive.Furthermore, and beyond all these things, he did not dare to declare on oath that he still held fast to the Christian faith even though he had been offered a cash reward of 4,000 rupees.Oath taking is not only permissible in the Christian faith, but it is also obligatory under certain conditions, and to conceal such a thing is clearly mischievous and a sign of faithlessness.Haḍrat Īsā himself took an oath as did Paul and Peter.All these facts constitute evidence of his recantation and should suffice for a fair-minded person.Furthermore, had there been no evidence in support of his recantation, for me it was sufficient that God Himself had informed me of his recantation.Nevertheless, he died six months after my last public announcement relating to this matter.Thus, as this prophecy was conditional and signs of the fulfilment of the conditions precedent had become visible, it is not correct for any God-fearing per- son to continue raising objections by shedding all regard for decency and shame.The fact of the matter is that it is a universally accepted doctrine that prophecies presaging chastisement are conditional even if no condition is specifically mentioned therein.They can be averted because they consist of a warning of punishment for a guilty one.God, who is the True Master, can avert any punishment He Himself pre- scribes if someone repents and seeks forgiveness.For instance, He for- gave the people of Prophet Yūnus [Jonah].All Prophets agree on this.As Allah the Exalted, Himself says:

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712 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 1 وَ إِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُه وَ إِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبُكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ ! Meaning that, if this Prophet is a liar, then on him will descend the chastisement of his having lied but if he is truthful, then some of that which he threatens you with will surely befall you.Note that here God uses the term 'some, not 'all'.This means that some of the Prophecies comprising warning which this Prophet has made will certainly be fulfilled while others will be held in abeyance.Hence this Quranic verse proves that the fulfilment of a Prophecy that gives a warning is not binding.Of course, it is understood from this verse that an impostor can never escape chastisement for which the cat- egorical verdict of the Holy Quran is: اِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُ Hence, if there is a prophecy forecasting the chastisement of an impos- tor it cannot be averted.Alas! What a pity! What shamelessness it is that, on the one hand, these people admit that a calamity can be warded off by char- ity, almsgiving, and prayer etc., while on the other, they insist that a calamity of which a Messenger is told that it will befall such and such a people or person, that calamity cannot be warded off at all by char- ity, almsgiving or repentance, and seeking forgiveness.It is strange how their intelligence becomes so veiled that it permits them to combine such contradictions in their statements.They say that a calamity can be warded off through penitence and seeking forgiveness but they simul- taneously claim that it cannot be warded off.And then, even though God had informed me through His revelation that Ātham had cer- tainly recanted and the signs of this had already appeared in the shape 1.Surah al-Mu'min, 40:29 [Publisher] 2.And if he be a liar, on him will be the sin of his lie (Surah al-Mu'min, 40:29).[Publisher]

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 713 of his words, these people still do not desist from mischief.Is this their righteousness? At the very least, why did they not hold their tongues!!** 1.Those who do not fear God raise such objections arguing along the lines of which even the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would come under their criticism.For instance, some foolish people say 1 that certain members of the Ahmadiyya Jama'at also died of the plague.Among such objectors is Dr.‘Abdul-Ḥakīm Khān.He writes rather gleefully that such and such Ahmadis who belonged to Sanaur died of the plague.In reply to such bigots I say that the case of some persons from our Jama'at dying of the plague is like the case of some Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Holy Prophets being martyred in the wars of Islam.It is established on the basis of Quranic texts that the wars of early Islam were by way of chas- tisement descending upon the disbelievers alone as Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran, ‘If I so wish, I would rain punishment on them from on high or raise punishment for them from the earth or let them taste wars with one another.' But nevertheless, the fact remains that the Companions of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continued to be mar- tyred during those battles.But the end result of it was that the number of the disbelievers continued to fall and that of the Muslims continued to rise and, for the Muslims, those wars proved to be a great blessing and they uprooted the disbelievers.In the same vein, I claim with full confidence and emphasis that if one person of our Jama'at dies of the plague, 100 or even more enter into our Jamā‘at in his place.This plague continues to increase the number of our Jama'at and continues to decimate our opponents.Each month, at least 500 and, at times, 1,000-2,000 new persons enter the fold of the Jama'at on account of the plague.Thus, the plague is a boon for us, but a bane and a chastisement for our opponents.I am sure that if the plague continues to remain rampant as it is now for another ten to fif- teen years, the entire country will be filled with the Ahmadiyya Jamā‘at.It is an established fact that the plague continues to increase the numbers of our Jama'at and decrease those of our opponents.And if someone can prove otherwise, I solemnly declare under oath to God that I shall pay 1,000 rupees in cash to such a person.Is there anyone to challenge this offer and collect the reward from me? What a pity that these opponents have become so blind.They fail to realize that the plague is our friend, but it is their enemy.The amount of progress we have made in the last three to four years with the help of the plague would not have been possible even in fifty years otherwise.Hence, blessed be the God who sent the plague into the world so that with its help we should grow and prosper and our opponents should be made to vanish and disappear.This is why God informed me through revelation long

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714 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION So may I ask: 'Had this episode been attributed to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and had he declared on the basis of revelation that a particular person was deemed to be wor- thy of receiving chastisement but had secretly stopped committing his impertinence, would these people have accepted these remarks of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or would they have rejected his statement? And in case of rejecting his statement, would they, in the sight of Allah, have become deserving of punishment or not?' Thus, given that God Almighty had already affixed this pre- condition for Ātham and had informed me through His revelation that Ātham had ceased to persist in his mischief and insolence, the demand of piety was to completely abandon this discussion, employ goodly and positive thinking, and reflect in their hearts that this may well be the right thing.Furthermore, not only was I informed by revelation from God, but Ātham, on his part, had also shown the corroborative signs that I have just written.Therefore, every righteous person was under obliga- tion not to venture into this and to fear God.has already been As for the case of Ahmad Baig's son-in-law, pointed out a number of times that the prophecy consisted of two branches.The first branch had to do with the death of Ahmad Baig and the second branch had to do with the death of his son-in-law.Moreover, the prophecy was conditional.As a result, Ahmad Baig died within the prescribed time frame on account of his failure to fulfil the condi- tion, but his son-in-law and his other relatives fulfilled the [prescribed] before the actual incidence of the plague that the plague would break out in the world and that our opponents would continue to be decimated by it, and that our numbers would be bolstered up with its help.Hence, who could be more blind than the one who cites the death of a few Ahmadis by plague, yet remains oblivious to the many hundreds of thousands whom the plague has caused to enter into the fold of our Jama'at—and continues to cause daily entry into our Jama'at? Hence, blessed is this plague that is causing our num- bers to increase while causing the numbers of our enemies to decrease.Indeed no one belonging to our Jama'at has really been lost on account of the plague; for, each lost one has been replaced by 100 or even more.(Author)

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 715 condition and received the consequent benefits.It was but natural that the death of Ahmad Baig would have aroused fear in the hearts of his relatives, for they, too, were part of the prophecy.When one of the two parties died, it was necessary due to human nature that the person who was the second target of this prophecy, as well as his relatives, should become fearful of their own death.This was just as if two people share the same food and one of them dies of it, the other would begin to apprehend his own death, too.Thus, Ahmad Baig's death caused his son-in-law and the other relatives to have such fear that they became as though they too had already died.The end result was that the elders of the family, who were the original cause of this episode, entered into my bai'at.The fact that the revelation also stipulated that this woman's mat- rimonial rites had been announced with me in heaven is indeed cor- rect.But as we have already stated, for this marriage that had been announced in the heavens to take place, there was a condition that had been imposed by God and which had been announced simultaneously Thus, when these أَيَّتُهَا الْمَرأَةُ تُوْبِن تُوبِى فَإِنَّ الْبَلَاءَ عَلى عَقِبِك and it is as follows Whether the marriage ? يَمْحُوا اللهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يُثْبِتُ Do you not know that people fulfilled the condition, the marriage was annulled or delayed.was solemnized in heaven or the 'Arsh—the Divine Throne-the entire process was conditional.This should be pondered over after shedding satanic doubts.Was the prophecy of Yūnus [Jonah] any different from this conditional marriage, in which it had been announced that it had been decreed in heaven that these people would be visited by chastise- ment before the lapse of forty days? But this chastisement never came despite the fact that the prophecy had mentioned no condition.Thus, for God who had annulled such a definitive decree of His own, would it be difficult to annul or delay this marriage? In short, these shameless people do not think when they make such 1.O Woman! Repent, repent, for mischief is pursuing you! [Publisher] 2.Allah effaces what He wills and establishes what He wills.[Publisher]

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716 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION objections that all Prophets would be exposed to such criticisms! Even the number of the obligatory Prayers was first fixed to be fifty but was then reduced to five.Study the Torah and see that hundreds of the chastisements stipulated by God were cancelled at the intercession of Haḍrat Mūsā.Also, the punishment that had been written down in the heavens for the people of Yunus was cancelled as a result of their repentance and an entire populace was saved from that chastisement.Instead, Ḥaḍrat Yūnus himself fell into a great trial for he was over- come with the impression that the prophecy was unconditional and that God's will to punish was irrevocable.What a pity that these peo- ple learn no lesson from Yūnus's episode! Haḍrat Yūnus, despite being a Prophet, suffered so deeply simply because he wondered how the definitive will of God had been held back and how God saved the lives of 100,000 people because of their repentance, paying no attention to what Yūnus thought about it.How ignorant are those people who believe that God cannot change His will or, in other words, avert [the fulfilment of] a prophecy portending chastisement.For my part, I believe that He can avert such punishments and has always been warding off chastisement, and— indeed will always continue to do so.I do not believe in such a God who is unable to ward off a promised calamity in response to penitence and seeking forgiveness and who cannot change His will in response to humble seekers of forgiveness.Indeed, He will continue doing so forever and always.It is on record in the earlier heavenly Scriptures that there was a king who had been left with only fifteen days of his life.God changed the fifteen remaining days of life into fifteen years in response to his cries and humble supplications.This indeed has been my own personal experience that [even] a frightening prophecy can be staved off by prayer.Thus, if the imaginary 'God' of these people does not have this power, I do not believe in him.I believe in that God whose attrib- ute has been written down in the Holy Quran as being:

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 1 الم تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرُ ا 717 All Prophets agree that prophecies of warning can be averted, and inso- far as the prophecies containing the promises of God, the Holy Quran says: It is إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ الْمُعَادَ part of our faith to believe that God does not go back on His promise which is consistent with His knowledge.However, if a person takes a certain thing to be a promise of God out of his own error, as was done by Hadrat Nūḥ [Noah], breach of such a promise' would be allowed, for in reality it was never promised by God in the first place; rather, it had been declared to be a promise of God through human error.It is about this that Sayyed 'Abdul-Qadir Jīlānī says Ýíció meaning that, sometimes God makes a promise but does not fulfil it.This statement only means that there are a number of subtle conditions attached to a promise 3* and God is not under any obligation to reveal 1.Do you not know that Allah has the power to do all that He wills? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:107) [Publisher] 3.2.Surely, Allah breaks not His promise (Surah Al-e-Imrān, 3:10).[Publisher] This is an age-old practice of Allah vis-à-vis prophecies that they contain some parts that are interpretable or metaphorical and others that are very clear, and sometimes some prophecies are purely of an interpretable or met- aphorical nature and an ignorant person rejects it only keeping in view the interpretable or metaphorical part.So if a prophecy that is metaphorical in nature, is not fulfilled in accordance with the recipient's interpretation, it should not be said to have been proven false.We should rather say that there was an error of judgment on the part of the recipient of the revelation.The hadith * ['It occurred to me...'] testifies to this.However, this is also true that the prophecies granted to the Elect of God use very little figurative language and use far more plain and clear speech, but still metaphors too are always there so that God may distinguish the righteous from the unrighteous.Indeed, the Elect of God are recognized by a profusion of clear Signs.It is not that their prophecies are totally free from metaphors.(Author) * This reference is to a dream of the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa in which he saw migration to a verdant city and it occurred to him that it was Yamamah or Hijar, but it turned out to be Madinah.[Publisher]

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718 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION all those conditions.On such an occasion a novice is likely to stumble and disbelieve, but the perfect person admits his lack of knowledge.This is why during the Battle of Badr, despite the fact that there was the promise of victory, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, kept supplicating most tearfully and prayed to God thus: اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ أَهْلَكْتَ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةَ لَنْ تُعْبَدَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَبَدًا The Holy Prophet sa did so because he was afraid that there might possi- bly be certain hidden conditions precedent attached to [the fulfilment of] the divine promise that might remain unfulfilled.[The one who excels in cognition, exceeds all in the fear of God].Another objection raised by Bābū was that I had prophesied the birth of a boy but a girl was born instead.However, he knows that the girl was as good as non-existent for she died [soon] thereafter.After this, a boy died as well, but after this, God gave me four sons—one after the other-who are still alive through His grace and mercy.Hence, in terms of knowledge of God, the prophecy cannot apply to the child who died for he is as good as non-existent in the knowledge of God.This prophecy was about a male child who was destined to live.There is no revelation of God that says that the boy who will live long would be born from the first pregnancy.And if this is a criticism of some inter- pretative statement, then to raise objections against it is the pastime of those who consider a Prophet's own personal judgement to be infalli- ble.It is indeed surprising how these people manufacture an objection based on their own concoction.The fact of the matter is that once a per- son considers lying permissible, his shame and fear of God also suffer decline.The readers should remember that I had never published any such prophecy, the revealed words of which specify that the boy would 1.God, my Lord! If You let this party perish, no one will worship You on earth.(Author)

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 719 be born from the present pregnancy.As for ijtihād [interpretive judge- ment], I personally believe that no Prophet came to the world who never committed any error in interpretive judgement.So when even the Best of the Prophets sa could not avoid an error of judgement-for instance, the journey to Hudaibiyyah was an error of judgement, as was the intended migration to Yamamah—why raise objections regarding others! A Prophet can, therefore, err in his judgement; but the revela- tion of God contains no such error.Of course a Prophet can sometimes misunderstand what is outside the purview of the imperatives of the shariah.For instance, the Prophet Malachi could not understand that the descent of Ilyas [Elijah] from heaven could only be metaphorical in sense and not literal, nor could any Israelite Prophet realize that the Last of the Prophets sa would be from the House of Ismā‘il [Ishmael].It was also an error of judgement on the part of Hadrat Īsā [Jesus] to consider himself a king; even clothes were sold to purchase weap- ons.Judas Iscariot was promised a heavenly throne.Moreover, a strong promise was made to return from heaven in that very age.In the end, all these prophecies turned out to be false.Errors of judgement, therefore, are shared by all Prophets, without any exception.So, why allow such an issue to be the basis of objection? Surely, it would be unworthy of a righteous person.God Almighty has allowed Prophets to be subject to errors of judgement lest they come to be regarded as deities, but it does not at all detract from their perfect authenticity because their truth is estab- lished through means of the abundance of miracles.The true Prophets of God can never resemble Musailimah the Liar, or other impostors due to the mere error of judgement on their part about a prophecy, because within them lies such a profusion of the light of truth, blessings, mira- cles, and the succour of God, that the sharp edge of their truth smashes the opponent into pieces and the thousands of Signs shown by them are like the rushing waters of a mighty river.If someone were to object, 'Where are the miracles you speak of?", I would not merely reply that of course I can show them, but I would

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720 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION mir- also by the grace of God-declare that God has shown so many acles in order to prove the truth of my claim that few are the Prophets who have shown so many miracles.The truth is that He has caused a river of miracles to flow and—with the sole exception of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—it is impos- sible to find categorical evidence of so many miracles being shown by any of the past Prophets, may peace be upon them.For His part, God has incontrovertibly established the point.It is now up to the people to accept it or not.These are those objections raised by my opponents which Bābū Ilahi Bakhsh has repeatedly mentioned in his book, 'Aṣā-e-Mūsā, believing it to be an act worthy of great reward by the Almighty, the reality of which must have been manifested upon him after his death.However, for the benefit of the general public, I hereby set down that the objections raised by my opponents are only of three kinds: 1.FIRST, the sheer fabrications and lies that they have levelled against me without any fear of the wrath of God Almighty.They have flaunted these allegations with the greatest degree of mis- chief and audacity, saying that a certain prophecy which was about such and such a person had not been fulfilled; whereas the prophecy which they say concerned that person had nothing to do with that person at all.For instance, they attribute the prophecy.to Maulawi Muhammad Husain on their own كَلْبٌ يَمُوْتُ عَلَى كَلْبٍ لَعْنَةُ اللهِ عَلَى الْكَذِبِينَ So in answer to that what can I say other than ["The curse of Allah be upon the liars']? 2.SECONDLY, the objection relates to a prophecy that actually does pertain to a person but it was a prophecy that contained warning of a chastisement and has either been fulfilled in accordance with its condition or shall be fulfilled at some time in the future.1.He is a dog and he will die according to the value of the letters in the word kalb (dog), which amounts to fifty-two.[Publisher]

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 721 3.THIRD type of objections relates to matters which consisted of interpretive judgement, but the critics first accorded them the sta- tus of the Word of God and then later claimed that the prophecy was not fulfilled.This being the case, it is evident that no Prophet can remain safe from their verbal attacks.I have repeatedly announced that even if all my opponents from the east and the west jointly try, they cannot raise any objection against me which was not earlier raised against one or the other of the past Prophets.They always face humiliation because of their connivances and yet they do not discard them.On the other hand, God Almighty is showing so many Signs in my favour that if they had been shown in the days of Nūḥ, those people would not have drowned.But to whom can I compare such people? They are like the inherently stub- born person who, even upon seeing a bright sunny day, insists that it is night, not day.God Almighty warned them of the plague beforehand, saying: الأَمْرَاضُ تُشَاعُ وَالنُّفُوْسُ تُضَاعُ [Diseases will be spread and lives will be lost.] But they paid no heed to this Sign.Then God warned them of an extraordinary earthquake, destined to hit this country on 4 April 1905.It did, of course, occur, resulting in hundreds of deaths, but these peo- ple similarly did not care in the least for this Sign.Then God warned that yet another earthquake would occur in the spring.It also came but these people ignored it as well.Then God warned of a ball of fire which duly appeared on 31 March 1907 and its peculiar shape was wit- nessed for nearly 1,000 miles; still, these people learnt no lesson from it.Then God forewarned that it would rain heavily in the season of spring and there would be heavy snow and hailstorms accompanied by intense cold, but no one even cared to raise an eye towards this mighty Sign.Then God forewarned of another earthquake to take place during

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722 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION this same March of 1907, and this did hit with great force in parts of Peshawar and Dera Ismā'il Khan-but they also treated this as null and void.Similarly, God warned of major earthquakes in other parts of the world.All these prophecies were fulfilled but these people did not learn any lesson of righteousness from them.Now their battle is with God Almighty.If indeed these Signs are from God Almighty and are in support of an appointee of His, He will not relent until He causes their necks to bow in humble submission and acceptance before him.However, if they are not from God Almighty then these people will triumph.Then on page 78 [of his book] Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh quotes the following revelation of his and interprets it on his own in the same place, as follows: It seems the Signs which the God of Honour and Glory has ordained for me, shall never be equalled by the Jama'at of Mirza Sahib.Now, every fair-minded person can understand that hundreds of Signs have already appeared on this side, but where are Bābū Ṣāḥib's sup- posed 'Signs'? Perhaps in his sight his death by the plague is indeed a Sign? Then on page 83 of Aşa-e-Mūsā, he writes: When Mirza Sahib insisted that I must display Signs, I received يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُوْرَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَ لَوْ كَرِهَ the following revelation meaning that, these people الْكَافِرُونَ.جو اور کا چاہے بُرا اُس کا بُرا ہو جائے گا.desire to extinguish the light of God with the breath of their mouths, but God will not leave it alone until He helps fulfil it.He who desires ill for others, shall suffer harm himself.Now can anyone tell me about the light' which was taken to perfec- tion by Miyān Ilāhī Bakhsh? However, the revelation of Bābū Ṣāḥib that 'He who desires ill for others shall suffer harm himself' has been

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 723 was on clearly fulfilled because he desired my death by plague and this account that he had published the revelation.So, in the end, he himself died of the plague.Bābū's friends should pause and think here: Are these indeed the revelations that he was supposed to remain alive to see the fulfilment of? Then on page 124 of his book, Aṣā-e-Müsā, Bābū writes the following: Just consider if opposition to the Imam is so dangerous even to the one whom the Merciful and Benevolent is kind enough to bless with such revelations, then why should he be the recipient of such revelations at all? But if the All Powerful, Lord of all lords, the Helper of the helpless, and Guide to those who have lost the way, is bent upon damaging and destroying this poor, innocent, and helpless recipient by means of revelation, then Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall] إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَجِعُوْن we return'].My response: It is clear that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh perished on account of his frivolous 'revelations, but it is wrong to say that it was the will of God Almighty to annihilate him through his own revelations.God Almighty does not desire to annihilate anybody.It is the people who destroy themselves by their own insolence and rebellion.Can rational thinking accept that a divine appointee should appear at the turn of the century, invite people to the right path, and God should speak and communicate with him, showing thousands of Signs in his support; while one person refuses to accept him and claims that ‘I myself am the recipient of revelation' but is unable to produce any clear evidence to the effect that his revelations are indeed from God, and yet, fails to desist from denying and using abusive language? Thus, if such a person perishes, he perishes on account of his own insolence, because he turned away without any proof from that which was clearly proven! Since no evidence was available to the Bābū―neither the act of God nor any

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724 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION other strong supporting proof that this claimed 'revelation' was from God—yet to audaciously confront a claimant whose authenticity as a recipient of divine revelation was testified to by works of God compris- ing not merely one or two, but thousands of highly credible testimo- nies—was such behaviour based on integrity and righteousness? Bābū died of the plague because of his cunning and insolence, whereas the Elect of God never die of the plague.And given that there are satanic inspirations and promptings of the ego, how can any words be said to have emanated from God unless and until they are accompanied by a strong testimony of the Works of God? There is the Word of God on the one hand and then on the other there is the Work of God.Unless the Word of God is attested to by the Work of God, such a revelation would be described as satanic.Furthermore, 'attestation' means such heavenly Signs that are far beyond the normal human experiences; oth- erwise, you cannot give the name 'Sign' to an occasional true dream or revelation because this is an inherent capacity granted by God as a kind of seed to all creatures.A Sign, on the other hand, comprises the profuse number of Signs which pour like rain and acquire the stature of uniqueness so as to testify with final and absolute certainty that it is indeed the Word of God and not of man.There is no greater foolish- ness than to claim that a person is from God on account of his experi- encing a few ordinary dreams and revelations which are experienced by people all over the world.You cannot blame God for letting a person experience revelation; rather, the blame lies upon the fool who mis- takenly took the promptings of the ego to be revelation.Look at the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him! When the angel Gabriel appeared, he did not immediately believe that this was from God.Rather, he was somewhat fearful when he approached Haḍrat Khadijah and said meaning that, I have become greatly fearful for myself lest it be a satanic connivance.But those who are desirous of becoming the Elect of God without the prior cleansing of the self, quickly fall into Satan's trap.Therefore, one ought to reflect that if Bābū's alleged revelations were not satanic, why did the mighty

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A SHINING SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 198 725 acts of God not testify to their truth? What a pity that he himself died, but placed the stamp of humiliation and shame on the faces of his com- panions.Similarly, thousands have perished prior to Bābū on account of such 'revelations.How sad-worldly people take the care to test gold lest it be discovered counterfeit, but they do not care to evaluate their own revelations whether they be from God or Satan.Then why is God to blame? Anyone who takes pride in mere words without the [supporting] testimony of the Work of God, is bound to suffer this ignominy sooner or later.He will suffer not only death in the lifetime of the opposite party after engaging in a mubahalah, but also the igno- miny of the plague.A true hadith states meaning that, the plague is Satan's whip.Thus, the plague also proves that the Bābū was under the influence of the descent of satans.Then Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh, on page 4 of his book, had published our mutual correspondence, a perusal of which would inform the readers that I had asked Bābū to publish the aspersions he had cast upon me, of which he has come to know through revelation—that this person is a liar and a spendthrift, that his claim to be the recipient of revelation is a lie, that he has exceeded the limit.This will finally settle the issue.For God says in the Holy Quran: وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِايْتِهِ Meaning that, who is more unjust than he who imputes lies to God or denies the Word of God? In answer to this, Bābū on page 4 of his book promised to publish such revelations.Again on page 7 of the same book my last answer is published and it runs as follows: 'I shall seek the solution only from God, so that He arbitrates between those who call me a spendthrift and a liar and those who testify that I am the Messiah.Then on page 9 of the book, Bābū writes that he shall publish all 1.Surah al-An'ām, 6:22 [Publisher]

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726 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the revelations, including notes and commentary, for the benefit of the general public.Thus, from page 19 to the end of the book, he has published all his revelations, holding back some as pertain to my pun- ishment.In any case, in some of those that have been published in the book, he calls me a liar; in some he designates me an impostor, while in some others a dajjāl, an accursed one, a swindler, an unjust one, and a disbeliever.In the same vein, his 'revelations' confer a number of names upon me but God has settled the matter on the basis of his use of a sin- gle word-liar-which means that I have excessively lied in the name of God and ascribed my lies to Him.The people who will read pages 4 and 7 of the book 'Aṣā-e-Mūsā will realize that I had sought Allah's verdict on this accusation levelled against me by Bābū.Allah's curse is upon the one who lies.In addition, God Himself promises in the Holy Quran that anyone who lies in His name shall never escape pun- ishment, nor shall one who denigrates the Word of God ever be saved from punishment.From all of this, it is clear that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's death by the plague on 6 April 1907 was in fact the verdict of God which was finally delivered by His court.One may accept it or not, but I declare war مَنْ عَادى لي وَلِيًّا فَقَدْ أذَنْتُه بِالْحَرْبِ.in accordance with the hadith on anyone who is the enemy of My friend'], Bābū has seen for himself the end of the battle.Now his friends claim he has attained martyrdom.Nevertheless, it is my prayer that all mischief-mongers and enemies of truth be ‘martyred' in the same way.Āmīn, again āmīn.Second Part-Comprising a statement of the revelations concerning Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh, the Accountant, that God Almighty revealed to me.When Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh compiled his book Aṣā-e-Mūsā, the sole intent of the compilation was to denounce me as Pharaoh and to claim his very self as Mūsā [Moses].He repeatedly wrote: 'I receive the reve- lation from God that this man'—meaning me—is a chronic liar, dajjāl

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 727 [deceiver], and an impostor.It was then that after reading his book, I wrote the following lines as a footnote in the booklet Arbain, Number 4.It contains a prophecy and a prayer, which is as follows: How sad that he (i.e.Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh) has not at all feared the woeful warning contained in the verse: وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ تُمَزَة Nor has he paid any heed to the verse: 25% لَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ in He repeatedly writes about me: 'He has assured me that on account of my false accusations he will not sue me in a human court of law.' I say in response that not only shall I not sue you any human court of law but I also do not wish to sue you in the court of the Divine.However, since you have levelled cat- egorically false and shameful charges against me and—despite my innocence—caused me deep pain, I certainly do not believe that my Almighty God will cause me to die before exonerat- ing me from all these false charges and proving you to be a liar.Beware! Verily, the curse of Allah is upon] أَلَا إِنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِيْنَ the liars].It was about this that I received the following definite and categorical revelation on Thursday, 11 December 1900.³ 1.Woe to every backbiter, slanderer (Surah al-Humazah, 104:2).[Publisher] 2.Follow not that of which you have no knowledge (Surah Bani Isrā'il, 17:37).[Publisher] 3.The date 11 December is a scribe's error.Other citations of this revelation re- cord it for 13 December-which was a Thursday.[Publisher]

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728 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION گر امیدے دہم مدار عجب بر مقام فلک شده یا رب انشاء الله تعالیٰ ་་ بعد Your pain-filled supplications have reached heaven, Then be not surprised if I should give you hopeful news.After eleven, if God Almighty so wills.In any case, during this period, a Sign will appear for my exon- eration that will cause great humiliation to you.Do not ridicule the Word of God.Mountains move, rivers can dry up, seasons change, but the Word of God does not change, until it is com- pletely fulfilled.Similarly, the following revelation about Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh is recorded on page 19 of my book, Arba'in, Number 4: يُريدُونَ أَنْ يَرَوْا طَمَثَكَ وَاللهُ يُريدُ أَنْ يُريَكَ إِنْعَامَةَ الْإِنْعَامَاتُ الْمُتَوَاتِرَةُ.أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ اَوْلَادِي.وَاللهُ وَلِيُّكَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا.Meaning that, Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh wishes to see your menstruation or come to know of some other filth or defilement, but God, on the other hand, will shower His bounties upon you, which shall be perpetual.You do not have menstruation, but you do have a child- -a child who is at the status of the children of God.In other words, menstruation is something impure, but a child's body grows out of it.Similarly, when man surrenders to God then all the filth and defilement, which is part and parcel of human nature, is transformed into a spiritual body.This menstruation becomes the cause of human progress.This is the basis for the saying of the mystics: 'Had there been no sin, human beings could have made no spiritual progress.' The same was the cause of Adam's progress.This is why every Prophet, keeping in view the hidden shortcomings, kept invoking

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 729 istighfar [seeking forgiveness], and the same fear has always been the cause of all kinds of progress.God says: إِنَّ اللهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِينَ ) Thus, every son of man inherently contains the impurity of menstru- ation within him, but that very menstruation prepares the body of a pure and clean child for the one who sincerely turns to God.This is why those who lose themselves in God are called the children of God.However, this does not mean that they are literally God's sons.It would be sheer blasphemy to say so; for, God is Holy and has no sons.But they have been called 'children of God' only as a figure of speech since, like an innocent child, they keep on remembering God with utmost zeal.Indicating the same spiritual station, the Holy Quran says: فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ كَذِكرِكُمْ آبَاءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًا Meaning that, remember God with such love and heartfelt compassion as a child remembers its father.This is why God has been addressed as Ab or Pitā [meaning 'Father'] in the scriptures of every people.Figuratively speaking, God has a resemblance to a mother also and just as a mother rears her child in the womb, so are the beloveds of God nourished in the lap of God's love.They are granted a holy body out of a filthy origin.This is why the auliya' [friends of Allah] are called 'children of God' by the mystics.It is only a figure of speech.Otherwise, God has no children, and God is: لَمْ يَلِدُ وَلَمْ يُولَدُ 1.Allah loves those who turn to Him and loves those who keep themselves clean (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:223).[Publisher] 2.Surah al-Baqarah, 2:201 [Publisher] 3.He begets not, nor is He begotten (Surah al-Ikhlas, 112:4).[Publisher]

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730 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION And, in the above-mentioned revelations, the sentence: فَقُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُوْنِي بَرْدًا Means that We will put out the fire of mischief publicly lit by Bābū Ilahi Bakhsh with his book.The death of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh has ful- filled all these prophecies.[Allah be praised for all this].The second prophecy regarding the death of Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh is the one that, having been conveyed by Allah the Exalted on 15 March 1907, has been published in Badr and in al-Ḥakam and it is as follows: گا اور لوگوں کے سامنے اُس کو عزت دوں گا.پر جس نے ایک موسیٰ ہے میں اس کو ظاہر کمروں گا میرا گناہ کیا ہے میں اس کو ٹھیٹوں گا اور اُس کو دوزخ دکھلاؤں گا میرے نشان روشن ہو جائیں گے.میرا دشمن ہلاک ہو گیا یعنی ہلاک ہو جائے گا.ہن اُس دا لیکھا خدا نال جا پیا ہے.[There is a Mūsā whom I shall make manifest and upon whom I shall bestow honour in the eyes of people.But he who has sinned against Me I shall drag him and shall show him Hell.My Signs shall be manifested.My enemy has been ruined, i.e.will be ruined.He is now accountable to God.] Here, God named me Mūsā in the same way He had called me Mūsā in many places in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya some twenty-six years ago.In short, the revelation says that in the present age there is only one Mūsā and not two.Anyone who claims to be the second Mūsā is a liar.Then He said that the time has now come that I should make the Mūsā who has been raised by Me, manifest and grant him honour in the eyes of the people, but I shall drag him who has sinned against Me; namely, he who parades as Mūsā under false pretences.In other words, I shall humiliate him and cause him to die an ignominious death; I shall make him behold 'Hell'.In other words, he will contract the plague and die.This prophecy, with all its details, emanated from God Almighty, because at the time Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh was the lone contender who claimed to be Mūsā in opposition to me and whom God caused to die

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 731 of the plague.Prior to his illness and death, this revelation of God was widely published among thousands through Badr and al-Ḥakam.In the end, it happened exactly as it had been announced.Bear in mind that in all my prophecies, by 'Hell' is meant the plague.It was a great prophecy which had announced beforehand that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh would die of the plague.By way of example, I would like to mention that in the context of all the revelations received by me, 'Hell' stands for the plague and a long time ago I received a revelation which has since been published along with its explanation in Badr and al-Hakam, which is as follows: يَأْتِي عَلَى جَهَنَّمَ زَمَانٌ لَيْسَ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ This was interpreted to mean that a time will come when not even a single person shall be left in this country who would be suffering from the plague.By and large, God will deliver the people from this affliction.There is yet : another revelation, according to which by 'fire' is meant the plague.This revelation also was published a long time ago.It is as follows: آگ سے ہمیں مت ڈراؤ آگ ہماری غلام بلکہ غلاموں کی غلام ہے Do not threaten us with fire; for fire is my servant and indeed the servant of my servants.Meaning that not only will I remain safe from the plague, but also those whose love for me is genuine and perfect.Finally, a fair-minded person ought to closely consider two points in the context of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's case.The first point worth considering is that when Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh turned away from me and began telling his friends his revelations against me, in denial of my truth, what did I request to be done in 1.The literal meaning of this Arabic sentence is: ‘A time will come upon Hell when no one will be left in it.[Publisher]

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732 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION settlement of the matter? That request of mine is written on pages 5 and 6 of his book Aşa-e-Musā and readers can read it to see that in real- ity my request was for a mubahalah, or in other words, it was a sincere heartfelt prayer to the Glorious God to settle the matter.The relevant part of this is reproduced below and is as follows: I seek a heavenly decision; or, in other words, it is my desire that people may follow the right path after recognizing the person who, in reality, is the one who can benefit them and is, in fact, the Imam sent by God Almighty.And who is it that until now has acquired this knowledge as to who he is? That is known to God Himself, or to those who have been granted spiritual insight by God.Therefore, this arrangement has been made (namely that the Bābū should publish all his revelations relating to my being false that he has received).Thus, if the revelations of Munshi Ṣāḥib are truly from God Almighty then those rev- elations that he has received concerning me will manifest some miraculous Sign of their authenticity (meaning that thereafter I shall without fail suffer some affliction and destruction).And thus the people, who merit mercy, will be saved from an extrav- agant 'impostor.(That is to say, since Bābū [Ilāhī Bakhsh] con- siders me an impostor and says that I have lied in the name of God by claiming to be the Promised Messiah, I shall perish.) But if there is something to the contrary in the knowledge of God Almighty against this ill thought about me, it will become manifest.(Meaning, in other words, that if in the knowledge of God Almighty, I am indeed the Promised Messiah, He will tes- tify to it on my behalf.) For my part, I hereby undertake neither to sue you in any court of law-God forbid―nor shall I mount any baseless attack on your honour and prestige.I shall seek the solution to this dispute from God alone.(In other words, I shall desire that if I am not an impostor and the attack on me is false and unjustified, I be granted acquittal.

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 733 As for Bābū Ṣāḥib's falsehood, God may Himself cause some- thing to descend.To seek acquittal from God is the way of the Prophets, as was done by Haḍrat Yusuf [Joseph].Furthermore, it has been the practice of God from the beginning to acquit the truthful.This is the letter of mine which is recorded on pages 5, 6, and 7 of Bābū Ṣāḥib's book 'Aṣā-e-Mūsā.It is obvious that in this letter I had also sought a decision from God Almighty, and the verdict that God Almighty gave thereafter is obvious.On the one hand, He granted me great progress, while on the other, He caused Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh to die in a state of utter frustration.He died of plague and left this world with a multitude of disappointments and dismay.Did he desire in his heart that he should die of the plague and then for that to happen during my lifetime? Nonetheless, God Almighty caused it to happen in this manner.The second point worth considering for fair-minded readers is that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh published the corpus of his revelations against me that he had collected over a period of one year in his book ‘Aṣā-e-Mūsā.The sum and substance of these revelations was that I would die of the plague in a state of utter helplessness and frustration in the very life of Bābū Ṣāḥib and that great suffering and destruction would visit me on account of the evil effect of the mula'anah [invoking mutual curse] and the mubahalah.But against all this, Bābū Ṣāḥib would prosper and God would grant him a long life and he would see all this destruction that I would suffer with his own eyes and he would be granted lands and gardens, and a whole world would turn to him.1.Twenty-six years ago in my book Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, a revelation was published concerning me about it.God Almighty says, just as earlier on false charges were levelled against Mūsā, so would false charges be brought against this Mūsā, meaning this humble one, but God will acquit him.The text of the Allah cleared him of what they] فَبَرَّاَهُ اللهُ مِمَّا قَالُوا وَ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَجِيْهَا revelation is spoke of him.And he was honourable in the sight of Allah'].Has not this prophecy been fulfilled by Ilāhi Bakhsh's death? (Author)

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734 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION These revelations that Bābū Ṣāḥib published against me cover a period of about one year.The revelations that he had received for about six years after this, i.e.until the time of his death, were held back by him for some unknown expediency.Otherwise, it is evident that a person who receives so many revelations in one year must have received many more over a period of as many as six years.But now, I do not think these revelations will ever be published; for, as I have always heard, they were all about my failure and my suffering chastisement.Now, as God Almighty has given His judgment, why would his friends publish such revelations? In fact, they would have hastened to consign them to flames.And if they were not burnt then Munshi 'Abdul-Haqq, who was his foremost friend, should state under oath whether the flow of reve- lations had completely ceased after the publication of Așă-e-Mūsā, to the extent that he did not receive even a single revelation for six years.If only the remaining revelations had also been published, it would have demonstrated the truth even further.Those who have come into obstinate opposition against me on account of their own selfish motives, will never follow the path which would reveal the truth.God, however, shall not relent until He makes truth manifest.If I am a liar and an impostor, then my end will be the same as Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's end, but if the Lord of Honour and Glory is with me He will not let me die in a manner that I am engulfed by the curse of God.This is so because His age-old practice, in relation to the truthful, is that He never lets them be destroyed.Although, during their interim period, people might, on account of their ignorance, raise objections and find fault with those who are truthful, but, ultimately, God makes their acquittal manifest.In fact, this sightless world has never spared any of the Prophets.The Jews still insist that not a single prophecy of Ḥaḍrat Īsā [Jesus] has ever been fulfilled.He claimed to be a king but remained without a kingdom.He promised Judas Iscariot a throne in Heaven, but this promise too was not fulfilled.Then he foretold that his second com- ing would take place during those very days, but that proved false also.

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 735 Such are the objections that the Jews and the disbelievers raise against Hadrat Isa, and the Christians raise [similar objections] against the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.It was therefore necessary that they be raised against me, but, God has sup- ported me with thousands of Signs in a way that very few of the earlier Prophets were supported.Even then, those whose hearts are sealed do not, in the least, benefit from the Signs¹* of God.For Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh's friends this constituted a bright Sign that though Bābū Ṣāḥib, in his book ‘Aṣā-e-Mūsā repeatedly mentioned his revelations that I would die of the torment of plague during his own lifetime and would suffer destruction and decline, yet God treated me in a manner quite contrary to his revelations and consoled me with His prophecies that He would make me triumph and would make my truth manifest.It is noteworthy that Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh had published his revelations in ‘Aṣā-e-Mūsā in very harsh terms saying that God Almighty had rejected me and God says that: 'I will make him die of the plague in utter destruction, humility, and failure.' Thereafter, God, who is so jealous for the sake of His servants, consoled me with His rev- elations for six consecutive years in opposition to Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh's so-called 'revelations.He not only continued to console me but also continued to show mighty Signs.The prophecies concerning the sup- port and succour of God Almighty are, in fact, of two kinds.1.Prophecies that are recorded in my book Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya and certain others which were published later.These prophecies precede Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh's book 'Aşa-e-Müsā by a number of years.1.God confounded my enemies by showing thousands of Signs, but they are so shameless that despite being so confounded they still have the temerity to face me.Indeed, they would not benefit even if they happen to see 100,000 Signs.They start shouting whenever they do not understand something.The truth of the matter is that, at heart, they are estranged from all the Prophets, for there never has been a Prophet who satisfied their imagined expectation.(Author)

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736 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 2.Prophecies that were published after the publication of Aṣā-e-Mūsā until the death of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh.Bābū Ṣāḥib after compiling Aşa-e-Musā became silent about the publication of his 'revelations, but during these six years following [the publication of ‘Aṣā-e- Mūsā], God Almighty vouchsafed to me hundreds of prophecies which continued to be published in the magazine the Review of Religions and the newspapers Badr and al-Ḥakam of Qadian and in the booklets that were published from time to time after the publication of ‘Așă-e-Mūsā.They are also incorporated in my book Haqiqatul-Wahi.In short, these six years which began with the publication of ‘Așă-e- Mūsā and ended with the death of Bābū Ṣāḥib were not uneventful.Divine revelations kept pouring like rain.The sum and substance of these revelations is that addressing me God Almighty said: I will enrich you with My bounties, and many of your oppo- nents will be destroyed in your lifetime.Their houses will be laid waste, and they will die in a state of utter helplessness and disappointment.I will humiliate him who seeks to humiliate you because I have ordained that My Messengers shall prevail in the end.I will safeguard all those who dwell in your house from the plague and the shock of earthquake, 1* and you will see how I deal with the wrongdoers.I will cause to descend such a decree from heaven as will please you and in the end it is you indeed who will be victorious.I will demonstrate your truthfulness with powerful assaults.I Myself will fight with your enemies.I shall stand by you and shall rebuke the one who rebukes you.They desire to extinguish the light of Allah.Take note, surely 1.This revelation means that at the time of the plague whosoever dwells within the four walls of this house, whether they are children or servants, will be saved from it.(Author)

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A SHINING SIGN—SIGN NUMBER 198 the party of Allah shall ultimately prevail.Be not afraid at all, for I shall make you prevail.We shall send down to you many mysteries from heaven and shall break your opponents into pieces and shall show Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts that which they are afraid of.Thus, grieve not, for your Lord lies in wait for them.Allah will not leave you nor separate Himself from you until He has caused the pure to be distinguished from the impure.No Prophet has been sent into the world whose enemies were not humiliated by God.We shall deliver you from the evil designs of your enemies.We shall make you prevail.I shall grant you honour in the world in such a manner as will be a source of wonderment.I shall comfort you and shall not uproot you and shall raise a great nation from you.I shall show very great Signs for you and shall demolish the structures built by your opponents; meaning, their designs and schemes shall be destroyed.You are that Revered Messiah whose time shall not be wasted.A jewel like you cannot go to waste.You have a high standing in heaven and among those who possess sight.Allah will safeguard you against the evil of your enemies and will grant you all that you desire and God will attack those who attack you because they have transgressed the bounds.God will descend with a drawn sword in order to destroy the enemy and his resources.Peace be upon you from the Merciful God.He will make a distinction between you and the wrongdoers.Say to them: 'I am the truthful so wait for my Signs.' On that day the matter will be settled and there will be clear victory.We shall take away that burden which had well-nigh broken your back.We shall cut off the roots of the transgressors.They desire that your affair should remain incomplete, but Allah does not intend to leave you until the completion of all of your affairs.God will walk ahead of you and will declare your enemy to be His enemy.He will be wroth with the one with whom you are wroth and will love the one you love.Those who are accepted 737

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738 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of God exhibit Signs and evidence of such acceptance.They are revered by kings and mighty ones and are called princes of peace.I shall destroy fourteen beasts¹ because they had trans- gressed the limits.I shall be victorious, and I shall prevail.And I will allow those who benefit people to endure.You shall be granted a dominance that shall be praised.God is the Enemy of a liar and will convey him to Hell.There is a Mūsā whom I shall make manifest and upon whom I shall bestow honour in the eyes of people, but I shall drag him who has sinned against Me and shall show him Hell.My enemy has been ruined.He is now accountable to God; meaning, he shall be destroyed.O Moon! O Sun! You are from Me and I am from you.Soon God will bestow upon you such reward as will please you.These are the revelations which I received from God Almighty in a period of six years following the publication of Aṣā-e-Mūsā.These rev- elations began from that time and relate to the period before the death of Bābū Ṣāḥib.The worthy readers should now, on their own, compare the revelations contained in Aşa-e-Musā and the above-mentioned revelations of mine and tell whether my revelations were proven true or the revelations of Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh.For a reasonable person, this comparison should suffice.This alone can distinguish a truthful one from one who is false but if there is no sincerity in one's intentions then God Almighty shall Himself determine his case.1.Bābū Ilāhi Bakhsh died of the plague after eleven beasts had been killed by plague, as is indicated in this revealed couplet.بر مقام فلک شده یا رب.گر امیدے دہم مدار عجب.بعد گیاراں.[Your pain-filled supplications have reached heaven, then be not surprised if I should give you hopeful news that would not be inconsistent with My way and My bounty.After eleven.] This shows that the number of Bābū Ṣāḥib was twelve.Two more will follow to complete the number fourteen.(Author)

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SIGN NUMBER 199, 200, 201 739 199, 200, 201.[ONE HUNDRED NINETY-NINTH, TWO HUNDREDTH, AND TWO HUNDRED AND FIRST] SIGN NUMBER-For the sole pur- pose of hurting and abusing me, the Āryas of Qadian issued a newspa- per from Qadian which was named Shubh Chintak.It was edited and managed by three people: Sūm Rāj, Ichchar Chand, and Bhagat Rām.The deaths of these three served as three Signs from God.All three of them were extremely malicious and cruel.Anyone who has read a few issues of their paper Shubh Chintak will concede that all these papers were replete with filth and falsehood.For example, in their issue dated 22 April 1906, they published the follow- ing about me: This man is selfish, self-conceived, depraved, and a sinner; that is why he sees dirty and unholy dreams.Again, their issue dated 15 May 1906 says: Shubh Chintak is the only newspaper that has shouldered the responsibility of exposing the true nature of the revelations and prophecies of Mirza of Qadian.The Messiah of Qadian is immoral, a fame seeker, and a glutton.Again, its issue dated 22 May 1906 says about me: A wretch, one who shirks work to earn a living, and a master of cunning, deception, and lying.Then again, its issue dated 22 December 1906 says: We will surely expose his clever tricks, and we do hope to succeed in our plans.

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740 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Again, the same issue says: Mirza is an impostor and a liar.Members of the community of Mirza are evildoers and rogues.In short, every single issue of their paper has been full of filthy abuse.I beseeched God a number of times that He may destroy the people who run this newspaper and eliminate this mischief.As a result, it was dis- closed to me a number of times that God Almighty would root them out.Most disturbing to me was that since these people lived in Qadian, their lies were taken as truth owing to their proximity to me.In fact, with the sole intent to deceive, they themselves published in the news- paper dated 1 March 1907: I We have...for the last fifteen years, constantly lived with him in the same town and deeply reflected upon his circumstances subsequent to which we discovered this man to actually be a pretender, selfish, self-indulgent, and abusive etc.Thus, it is quite clear that those people, after claiming a period of neigh- bourhood extending over fifteen years, declare that this man is in fact a pretender and an impostor.One can only imagine how the [false] testi- of these people can mislead others.Again, the same paper writes: mony During this period we have not witnessed any Sign, but we have seen that every day he fabricates false revelations and is an incomparable fool.So, this was the sole reason why I had to pray against them.Finally, I wrote a book entitled Qadian kei Arya aur Hamm ['Ahmadis and the Aryas of Qadian'] the summary of which is that from among the Āryas of Qadian there are two persons, one named Sharampat and the other Malāwāmal, both of whom have been coming to me over a long period of

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SIGN NUMBER 199, 200, 201 741 time.They are eyewitnesses to many heavenly Signs, which the editor and manager of the paper Shubh Chintak deny altogether, declaring me to be a pretender and an impostor.If I am such a liar and pretender, let both of them declare under oath that they have not witnessed these Signs.So far, they have not dared to testify under oath.As far as the other three per- sons named Sum Rāj, Ichchar Chand, and Bhagat Rām are concerned, I have incorporated into this book whatever I was told by the Almighty about them.Included therein is the prayer which is recorded on the other side of the title page of the same book.The two couplets are as follows: موت لیکھو بڑی کرامت ہے شامت ہے سمجھتے نہیں ✓ Lekh Ram's death is a great miracle, But the trouble is, they do not understand.آسماں سے پھر اک نشان دکھلا میرے مالک تو ان کو خود سمجھا O my Master! You Yourself make them understand, And show them another Sign from the heavens.The sum and substance of these verses is that God Almighty may, as in the case of the death of Lekh Rām, manifest a Sign by way of chastise- ment against the Aryas of Qadian as well.Again, on the pages 21 and 22 of the same book, I prophesied regarding these people that they have transgressed all limits in denying the Prophets whose truth is as bright as the sun; God, who is Jealous for His servants, would certainly settle this matter and would surely demonstrate His might in favour of His dear Prophets...may God judge between us and them.Again, by way of prophecy, on pages 53-54 of the same book the following verses were recorded about the editor and others belonging to the Shubh Chintak newspaper.کہنے کو وید والے پر دل ہیں سب کے کالے پر دہ اُٹھا کے دیکھو ان میں بھرا یہی ہے Though they claim to be the followers of the Vedas, their hearts are black; Raise the curtain and look—they are filled with the very same.This Prophecy is concerning Sūm Rāj etc.the manage- ment of Shubh Chintak.(Author)

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742 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION This Prophecy is concerning Sūm Rāj etc.the manage- ment of Shubh Chintak.(Author) ہر دم زباں کے گندے قہر خدا یہی ہے فطرت کے ہیں درندے مردار ہیں نہ زندے By nature they are like wild beasts; spiritually, they are dead not alive; Every breath of their tongue is stench-such is the wrath of God upon them.سب گالیوں پر اترے دل میں اُٹھا یہی ہے دین خدا کے آگے کچھ بن نہ آئی آخر Ultimately proven futile in opposing the religion of God, Abuse became their final resort—their hearts filled with the very same.وہ بڑھ چکے ہیں حد سے اب انتہا یہی ہے شرم و حیا نہیں ہے آنکھوں میں اُن کے ہر گز There is no trace of shame and decency in their eyes; They have transgressed all limits.This indeed is the extreme limit.اُس نے ہے کچھ دکھانا اس سے رجا یہی پیا ہے ہم نے ہے جس کو مانا قادر ہے وہ توانا The God we believe in is Most Powerful and Omnipotent, That He may show something [miraculous] from Himself—our sup- plication being the very same.Letter of Munshi Allah Ditta 1.Munshi Allah Ditta, a former postmaster of Qadian and present Postal Clerk, Amritsar Head Office, writes the following letter addressed to Shaikh Ya'qub Ali, Editor al-Ḥakam.He [Allah Ditta] doesn't belong to the com- munity.On the contrary, he is one of those who are our enemies.The subject matter of the letter is given below [Author]: On learning that Lālah Ichchar Chand Varma, an Āryah of Qadian, had died of plague I was reminded of a conversation that took place in my presence between you and Lālah Ichchar Chand.It has proved wholly correct.Its details are that one day there was a discussion between you and Lālah Ichchar Chand about Ḥaḍrat Mirzā Ṣāḥib.During the con- versation you had said that Haḍrat Mirzā Ṣāḥib remaining safe and im- mune from the plague, is indeed a Sign, and that no one can say he shall remain safe from the plague.In answer to this, Lālah Ichchar Chand had said: 'Look! Quite like Mirzā Ṣāḥib, I also hereby claim that I will not die of the plague.' At this, addressing him I [Ya‘qūb ‘Ali Irfānī] had said: 'You certainly will die of the plague.' Hence, this is exactly what happened.Was-salām, 24 April 1907.

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SIGN NUMBER 199, 200, 201 743 Again on page 61 of the same book, there are a few couplets by way of prophecy which are as follows: اے آریو یہ کیا ہے کیوں دل بگڑ گیا.گیا ہے ان شوخیوں کو چھوڑو راہِ حیا یہی ہے O Aryas! What is this! Why have your hearts gone astray? Discard these shenanigans—the path to modesty is the very same.بہتر تھا باز آتے دور از بلا یہی ہے مجھ کو ہو کیوں ستاتے سو افترا بناتے Why do you persecute me by concocting a hundred lies? It was better for you to desist, this alone will save you from catastrophe.پنڈت لیکھرام ماتم پڑا تھا گھر گھر وہ میرزا یہی ہے جس کی دعا سے آخر لیکھو مرا تھا کٹ کر This indeed is the same Mirza; as a result of whose prayers Pandit Lekh Ram was cut to pieces, stirring many a home to mourn.گستاخ ہوتے جانا اس کی جزا یہی ہے اچھا نہیں ستانا پاکوں کا دل دکھانا It is not good to torment, to injure the hearts of the pure ones; And anyone who persists in such insolence—his reward is the same.very *In other words, much like Lekh Rām, whoever from among the Āryas does not stop using abusive language will not escape chastisement.[Author] These indeed are the prophecies which were made when the editor and manager of the newspaper Shubh Chintak crossed all limits in abusing me, and God revealed to me that their end was imminent.Most of those revelations were published in the newspapers Badr and al-Hakam.Then arrived the hour of retribution for these unfortunate ones, and they were three in number: first was Sūm Rāj, the second was Ichchar Chand, and the third was Bhagat Rām.Divine wrath made short work of them within a matter of three days and all three died of the plague.Their offspring and their families also received their share

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744 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of retribution.For instance, Sūm Rāj did not die until he had seen his dear children die of the plague.Such is the punishment for mischief and impudence.Notwithstanding, I still cannot believe that the rest of their ilk who are living in Qadian will desist from their mischief.On account of their abuse and blasphemy, the souls of the chosen Prophets as are crying before the All-Powerful God.Without doubt these holy souls do have such position of honour that the jealousy of God should flare up for their sake.Therefore, know for sure that these people are planting the seed of their destruction with their own hands.Remember! Those who are evil-natured people can never prosper.How can a tree which is dried up as well as poisonous, ever deserve to be protected? On the contrary, it shall, in fact, be the first to be hewn down.Further, do not think that the death of these three persons from the plague constitutes only a single Sign; rather, it constitutes three Signs.For my part, I now wait to see who will succeed them in Qadian and similarly proclaim in newspapers that this person—that is, myself is a pretender and a liar and that he has witnessed no heavenly Sign concerning me! OĀryas of Qadian! Fear the wrath of God! Do not be ever-ready to lie.God can decimate the unjust and the insolent in a single moment.Had the grand Signs that you have seen ever been witnessed by an Aryah of goodly disposition, he would have accepted them.Is there a human being who can predict that after the days of his anonymity and helplessness, a time would come when hundreds of thousands of human beings would become his followers and that the machinations of his enemies would not be able to avert the fulfilment of the proph- ecy? Moreover, who can predict when he has nothing, that a time would come when a whole world would turn to him with gifts and wealth of all kinds, and that God would instil the desire to help him in their hearts with the utmost sincerity and fidelity, and to be sacrificed in his path? Therefore-O Āryas!—you are only too well aware that during the days of my anonymity and poverty, God disclosed this same

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SIGN NUMBER 199, 200, 201 745 news to me in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya which I am now writing.Also, addressing me God had said: The world shall flock to you from every direction.Hundreds of thousands of humans shall come to serve you.People will come in such immense numbers that you might get tired of meeting them and become impolite.Roads will develop ruts under the stress of their traffic.And a whole world will turn towards you.The enemies will exert themselves to prevent it, but God will fulfil His promise.You were the first witnesses of this prophecy, but you withheld the tes- timony all too knowingly.O fearless and hard-hearted people! Have you not read this grand prophecy in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya? Are you not witnesses to the fact that these prophecies really belong to a time when human reason could not envisage that something like this could ever occur? Can you say that any human being passing through such a time of obscurity could make such a prophecy? If there is any such precedent in the world then do present it.Otherwise, be sure that the argument of God has been completed against you.You cannot flee from it anywhere.Anyone who treats a Sign of God with disrespect is inherently dishonour- able of the first degree and possesses an unholy nature.He does not die until he witnesses another awe-striking Sign of wrath.Therefore, shed your audacity lest the wrath of God descend upon you and leave you totally decimated.The All-Powerful God can never be fatigued by man.I perceive that He shall show yet another Sign, for the world has not so far acknowledged His Signs, but has, instead, ridiculed them.Strange indeed is the plight of the earth; it is as if it is dead.No one looks with the eyes of righteousness as to how much the truth has been manifested.Rather, they are inclined towards rejection and do not benefit at all from the Signs of God.Everyone is content with fables, which people prefer to the bright Signs of God.I can see that these

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746 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION characteristics of the present-day world are worthy of rejection.It is not known what is about to happen, as the hearts have hardened, the eyes have been blinded, and the fear of God has disappeared; but my God has informed me that there will yet be other Signs akin to the Day of Resurrection.I wish that people could understand and thus be saved from the forthcoming chastisement.God said that: ایک اور قیامت برپا ہوئی 'Another Doomsday occurred' Meaning, shall occur.It was 27 April 1907 when the above revelation was received.ارے اک اور جھوٹوں پر قیامت آنے والی ہے نشاں کو دیکھ کر انکار کب تک پیش جائے گا Having witnessed the Sign, how long will you go on denying? Remember, upon the liars another Doomsday is bound to appear! تری اک روز اے گستاخ شامت آنے والی ہے یہ کیا عادت ہے کیوں سچی گواہی کو چھپاتا ہے What is this habit of yours? Why do you withhold true evidence? O insolent one! One of these days, disgrace is bound to appear! کہ یہ جاں آگ میں پڑ کر سلامت آنے والی ہے تیرے مگروں سے اے جاہل میر انقصاں نہیں ہرگز O ignorant ones! Your tricks can never harm me! I will emerge safely, even if I am put into fire! کہ عزت مجھ کو اور تجھ پر ملامت آنے والی ہے اگر تیر ابھی کچھ دیں ہے بدل دے جو میں کہتا ہوں If you yet possess anything of religion, avert what I predict That honour for me and rebuke for you is bound to appear! مگر یہ یاد رکھ اک دن ندامت آنے والی ہے بہت بڑھ بڑھ کے باتیں کی ہیں تو نے اور چھپایا حق You have indulged in tall talk while concealing the truth, But remember this: One day regret is bound to appear!

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SIGN NUMBER 202 سنو اے منکرو اب یہ کرامت آنے والی ہے خدا رسوا کرے گا تم کو میں اعزاز پاؤں گا God will disgrace you, whereas I shall be granted honour; Hearken-O disbelievers! this miracle is bound to appear! دلوں میں اس نشاں سے استقامت آنے والی ہے خدا ظاہر کرے گا اک نشاں پر رعب و پر ہیبت God will manifest a Sign-awe-striking and stunning— And from this Sign, the planting of firm faith within hearts is bound to appear! مری خاطر خدا سے یہ علامت آنے والی ہے خدا کے پاک بندے دوسروں پر ہوتے ہیں غالب 747 The holy servants of God always prevail over others— This Sign from God is about to appear for my sake! 202.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED AND TWO-Sayyed Nāşir Shāh, Overseer, a friend of mine was disturbed and upset as he had been transferred to Gilgit.He could not bear the intensity and hardship of the journey.Eventually, he procured leave from his work and came to me requesting prayers, hoping he might be posted to Jammu and may not need to go to Gilgit.This appeared impossible; for, he had already been transferred to Gilgit.He was, therefore, extremely upset.One night I prayed for him and made many other prayers.I also prayed for the glory of Islam.I continued praying during the tahajjud prayer.Then, after a slight drowsiness, God informed me that all the prayers including the prayer for the strength and glory of Islam had been accepted.Hence, in this way I was informed that Sayyed Nāṣir Shāh's transfer had been delayed.I was very happy that God had accepted my supplication for him.I was also content since the major Signs of grace and mercy are that He accepts our prayers.I, therefore, informed him at once that my supplication regarding him had been accepted.Later, on the third or fourth day after this, he was informed by an official of the state that his transfer had been put off.At this he took leave of me

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Letter of Sayyed Năşir Shāh 748 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION after a few days and left for Jammu.From Jammu, he wrote the letter which is reproduced below and is as follows: To His Exalted Holiness My spiritual guide and master! The Promised Messiah and Promised Mahdi, May Allah keep your benign shade always over us! Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and His blessings! I sub- mit my congratulations to Your Holiness.I have been posted to Jammu first subdivision and the orders have been issued.Now All praise] الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ.I will not have to travel to Gilgit belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds].He granted the prayer of Your Holiness and delivered me from this long and arduous journey.Your Eminence, for this humble one this great miracle has been shown.My beloved Messiah and Mahdi! May my life and wealth be sacrificed for you.I am all the more pleased that Huḍūr's revelation has been fulfilled that the prayers that have been granted today include the strength and glory of Islam.Huḍur had told me that among other prayers was the one that my transfer to Gilgit might be held in abeyance and that I might be posted at Jammu, about the acceptance of which I have now been informed.Allah be thanked that it has hap- اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ! اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ!!.pened in accordance with what God had said [Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah!!] Yours sincerely, Sayyed Nasir Shāh, Overseer, Sub-divisional Officer, Jammu 11 April 1907

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SIGN NUMBER 203 749 203.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED AND THREE—A few days before 13 April 1907, I received the following revelation: أَرَدْتُ زَمَانَ الزَّلْزَلَةِ As a result, it was published beforehand in the two newspapers, Badr and al-Hakam.The meaning of this revelation was: 'I will cause the days of the earthquakes to return.' After this, an earthquake hit the Punjab, the news of which I received from Khairabad, District Peshawar.It was a devastating earthquake, a sample of Doomsday.I also received the news about the earthquake from Lawrencepur and many other places and many friends wrote letters to me; news of this was also published in the Civil and Military Gazette.Later it was learnt through the English newspapers that America and parts of Europe had also been shaken by three terrifying earth- quakes after the revelation, resulting in the destruction of a number of cities.Since the prophecy is general in its implication, it is understood that this will not be the end of it all; rather, many more earthquakes will happen, for God says, 'The time has come that I shall once again shake the earth with earthquakes.' Therefore, do wait for these earth- quakes.Decrees of God cannot be averted.204.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED AND FOUR-Maulawi 'Abdul- Majid, a resident of Delhi, after referring to me in his book, Bayānun Lin-Nas, challenged me and prayed against me by means of a mubā- halah, saying that the one who lied should die in the lifetime of the one who is truthful.Hence, he suddenly died within my lifetime.This indeed is worth taking a lesson from.

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750 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION ☆ 205.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE-Again, another person named Abul-Ḥasan,¹ wrote a book titled Bijli Āsmānī Bar Sar-e-Dajjal-e-Qadiānī [i.e., 'Heavenly Lightning on the Head of the Dajjal of Qadian'] in refutation of my claim.In numerous places the book contains a prayer against the one who lied.Imagining my death, he wrote in a dirge chorus as if I had died and he was writing the dirge after my supposed death.The end result was that this Maulawi himself died from the plague after the publication of the book.Again, another person, named Abul-Ḥasan ‘Abdul-Karīm published the 1.His name is Muḥammad Jän, alias Maulawi Muḥammad Abul-Hasan, compiler of a commentary of Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhāri known as Faiḍul-Bārī, resident of Panj Garaiń, Tehsil Pasrur, District Sialkot.He was quite well known in this district.On page 3, lines 17-18, of his book Bijlī Āsmānī, he says in the form of a couplet: 'I pray that God Almighty may uproot the Mirza totally so that nothing remains of him and he dies.Then on page 100, line 15 of this book, promising to bring out the second part of his book, (Bijlī Āsmānī), he نبیاں تائیں اس متنبی لائیاں بڑیاں سلاں.دو جے حصے اندر دیکھیں میریاں writes this couplet about me [meaning that, this false prophet has undermined the dignity of true Prophets; in the second part of the book you will read about my reply to him].But, this poor, unfortunate Maulawi had not yet finished the sec- ond part of his book Bijlī Āsmānī, when he was hit by another kind of light- ning: 'the lightning of the plague.For nineteen days he remained at death's door.Eventually, he died an agonizing death.Thus, on page 100, line 19, this توبہ کر جلدی اے محمد موت نیڑے ہے آئی.آج کل Maulawi prophesies against me writing ,Meaning: Hasten to repent مر دنیا توں غافل ہونا ہے توں راہی.for your death is nigh, O heedless one! You will die in a day or two and depart from this world.Perhaps it was a revelation or a dream of the Maulawi Ṣāḥib, but two years ago he himself died of the plague.The eyewitnesses report that he continued to suffer from the plague for as long as nineteen days.He kept screaming and died an extremely painful death.Then on page 107 of the same book, Bijlī Asmāni, Maulawi Ṣāḥib writes the following couplets by way of prophecy: مرزا مویا خوشیوں مینوں راتیں نیند نہ آئی مرزا گذر گیا.مرزا مویا بے شک جانو میں ہن نصرت پائی مرزا گذر گیا.Meaning that, without doubt, Mirza will die and I will be victorious.Again on page 107, he writes a couplet to the effect that I had prophesied the spread of the plague, which proved false.What the Maulawī Ṣāḥib did not know was that he himself would die of that very plague.Strange are the ways of God Almighty's providence in that he himself was targeted by heavenly lightning.(Author)

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SIGN NUMBER 205 751 second edition of this book.He too died during the present epidemic of the plague.I wonder why, despite all these Signs, no one cares to reflect how someone who is accompanied by such succour of God can be a liar? O reader of this book! Be fearful of God and read this book once from beginning to end and pray to the All Powerful One that He may open your heart to the truth, and never despair of the mercy of God.نصرت آن ذوالجلال ما ببین مرد میدان باش و حال ما ببیں Be brave and look how we have prospered! And note that the help of the Glorious God is with us.امتحاں گن پس مال ما ببین طعنہ بابے امتحان نامردی است It is cowardice to raise objections without making proper investigation; Test us and watch how we prosper in the end.My dear one! It is inappropriate to hastily cast doubts against the serv- ants of the Gracious God.What was the end of those who cast doubts upon the exalted ones in the past? Shed the belief from your hearts that it is not proper to accept unless and until the [literal] fulfilment of all these Signs about the coming of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (which you entertain only on the basis of doubtful reports).This belief resembles the belief of those Jews who neither accepted Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā, nor the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, because, on the basis of some of their own reports, they had imagined that certain Signs had not been fulfilled.Hence, do you envision that your imaginary signs will be fulfilled? No, not at all.On the other hand, such prophecies contain a hidden trial.God tries you to see whether you view His Signs with honour or not.How can

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752 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION all reports be true; many false reports get commingled.Therefore, to place total reliance upon them is a dangerous matter.!* Pray tell, in the case of which Prophet were all the signs fulfilled that the earlier people had established? Therefore, fear God and do not reject the one sent by God, like the former disbelievers, with the plea that all the conditions that you had pre-determined had not been fulfilled.Remember with certainty that no one has been granted all their listed and ostensible signs for an ordained Prophet.This is why they stumbled and landed in Hell; otherwise, it is not part of human nature to refuse after witnessing all the ostensible Signs.Certain phe- nomena pose a potential obstacle on account of which an unlucky person falters.The Jews thought that the Messiah who was to come would appear in the form of a king and, preceding him, the Prophet Ilyās [Elijah] would once again descend from the heavens.This is why they have failed to accept Hadrat ‘Īsā until now because neither did the Prophet Ilyas descend before him, nor did ‘Īsā ever become a king.Of course an attempt was made, but it was unsuccessful.Again, about our own Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Jewish scholars—and, indeed, all their Prophets―held this very belief that the Prophet of the Latter Days would come from 1.[206.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED AND SIX] I had finished at Sign number 205 when I discovered another treatise which raised the number of Signs to 206.The name of this treatise is Durrah Muḥammadi and the name of its author is Imdād ‘Alī.This per- son has written this couplet about me on page 7 of his book: It means: May اللہ اجیسے پیغمبر تائیں جلد بجلد سمہالے.جس کاذب نے دُنیا اندر بہتیرے چلے چالے.God cause this person to die quickly.' Then on page 8 he writes about me['The curse of Allah be upon the liars.'] Then he promises to compose a second part of the book.He had not yet com- posed the second part when he was seized by the plague such that he would bite his own flesh with his teeth.In the end, he died in this very state.These are the maulawis who hold me to be a liar..['So take a lesson, O ye who have eyes!'] (Author)

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SIGN NUMBER 205 753 among the Children of Israel, but it did not happen as they expected.This Prophet, on the contrary, was born from among the Children of Ismail [Ishmael].As a consequence, hundreds of thousands of Jews were deprived of the honour of accepting him.Had God so desired, He could have described the Signs in such graphic detail as to obviate any chance of the Jews erring.Since there was no such clarification in the case of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, how could it then be done for anyone else? Therefore, remember, such prophecies also imply a kind of trial.Those who are gifted with rational thought are not destroyed during such a trial.They treat such reports or legends as a mere heap of conjectures and also believe that even if a report or story is authentic, it is vulnerable to misinterpretation.Hence, their sole criterion for the recognition of truth is the help and support of God and His Signs and testimonies.To them, whatever of the Signs reported in the traditions that have been manifested is sufficient, and they reject the rest of the stories and discard them as worthless things.This was the criterion adopted by the right-minded Jews who became Muslims.This alone has been the way of the truthful.If the righteous and the God-fearing had not fol- lowed this path, not a single Jew or Christian could have ever come to believe in the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, nor would any Jew have accepted Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā.Many Jews live in this country.Ask them why they have not believed in Hadrat 'Īsā and the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.After all, they are not mad, they must have an excuse upon rely.Remember, their invariable answer will be that the signs written in their traditions and records had not been fulfilled.Therefore, by holding fast to this impertinence, they landed themselves in Hell and go on being so condemned.which they Now that it has been established that insisting on the total fulfil- ment of all the reported signs as a condition precedent to faith is a path to Hell, the result of which hundreds of thousands of Jews landed themselves into Hell, then why do you wish to take this path? A believer

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754 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION should learn a lesson from the plight of others.Does it surprise you you too might be facing the same trial as God caused the Jews to face? Allah the Almighty says: that الم أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ Know for certain that this whole enterprise is from God and not of man.Therefore, be the first to accept.Do not quarrel with God as to why He did this in this way.If you examine righteously you will realize that the way you are holding fast to the contradictory reports is not incumbent upon you on the basis of reason and justice; it is all a collec- tion of conjectures, which is susceptible of being untrue and also stands in need of interpretation.Therefore, have mercy on your souls.Why do you discard what is certainly true? Can a conjecture ever be equal to certainty? Is it not possible that the traditions you believe to be authen- tic are untrue or perhaps have a different interpretation? Can you not be confronted by the same predicament as was faced by the Jews by their insistence upon the fulfilment of all the signs (as they understood them)? Therefore, try to benefit from their mistakes.Remember, no unequivocal verse of the Holy Quran proves that Ḥaḍrat ‘Īsā is sitting in the heavens alive.On the contrary, it is his death which is so positively established.Therefore, why do you claim he is alive whom the Holy Quran declares to be dead? Of course, the Prophets are alive in Heaven but they are all alive in the same way.'Isā is not invested with any unique life of his own.And most of all, our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is invested with a heavenly life more blessed than anyone else.Read Sūrah Nūr dil- igently.You will find that all future successors [of the Holy Prophet³] will be raised from among this very ummah.Does tradition not testify 1.I am Allah, the All-Knowing.Do men think that they will be left alone be- cause they say, 'We believe', and that they will not be tested? (Surah al-Anka- būt, 29:2-3) [Publisher]

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SIGN NUMBER 205 755 that even Jews will be born in this very ummah? Why do you won- der then if the Promised Messiah too is raised from among the same ummah? When did I ever desire to be the Promised Messiah? If I had any aspiration to this effect, why would I have recorded in Barahin-e- Ahmadiyya on the basis of my earlier belief that the Messiah would descend from the heavens despite the fact that in that very same book God had named me ‘Īsā? So you can very well understand that I had not given up my earlier belief until God made me give it up on account of shining Signs and unequivocal revelations.Therefore, how can I give up certainty and accept your doubtful notions instead, and how can I abandon that which is clearly visible and adopt doubtful constructs, the falsehood of which has been disclosed to me by God just as the falsehood of Jewish traditions was disclosed to Ḥadrat Īsā and to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? Hence, how can I discard that clear insight which has been bestowed upon me and is accompanied by mighty Signs? God has made it clear to me that not all the existent traditions are authentic.Some, which are consistent with the Holy Quran, are authentic, while others are little more than fabrications and their lack of authenticity became apparent.Other traditions though authentic, were misunderstood.Had this not been the case, the Promised Messiah could not have legitimately been called the Ḥakam [Arbiter].If it had been binding upon the Promised Messiah to accept all traditions as authentic, in what sense could he legitimately be called the Ḥakam? Every tree is recognized by its fruit and the status of a slave is indicated by the favours he receives from his master and every fragrance testifies on its own behalf.Therefore, in my case, why do you show haste? Why do you exceed all limits in soiling your tongue with filth? Be patient and exercise piety.If I am not true and am instead like unto a thief and a highwayman, how long will such thievery and highway robbery manage to go on!

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756 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION خدمت او می کند شمس و قمر چون چاکران آنکه آید از خدا آید بدو نصرت دوان " He who comes from God, succour from God comes rushing to him; Like humble servants, the sun and the moon are at his service.عشق آن یار ازل می تابد اندر روئے شان صادقان را از خدا نوری عنایت می شود The truthful are bestowed with a light from God; Their love for the Eternal Friend radiates from their countenance.خادمان بے اُجرت اند و پردہ پوشانِ جہان از نے ہمدردی دنیا مصیبت می کشند Because of their sympathy and concern for the people of this world, they court hardships! They are the voluntary servants who earnestly try to cover the weak- nesses of this world.عالم بے نیاز از حاسدان بادشاہانِ دو از گروه اہل نخوت لا اوبالی مے زیند They care not the least for those who are arrogant and pompous; They are the monarchs of both worlds and are worried not the least by their jealous rivals.جان دهند از بهر آن دلدار وقت امتحان دل سپردن دلستان را سیرت ایشان بود It is part of their character and conduct to surrender their heart to the Beloved; When the time comes for test and trials they surrender their lives for the sake of the Beloved.Here I close the list of Signs and pray that God Almighty may create a large number of such souls as might benefit from them, and adopt the path of truth and discard ill-will and vengefulness.[Publisher] لا ابالی Read.1

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SIGN NUMBER 205 757 O my All Powerful God! Hear my humble prayers and open the ears and hearts of these people.Show us the time when the worship of false deities should disap- pear from the world and You should be worshipped sin- cerely throughout the earth.May the earth be filled with Your righteous servants who believe in Your Oneness as the ocean is filled with water and may the greatness and truth of Your Messenger, Muḥammad Muṣṭafā [the Chosen One], may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, be established in the hearts of people.Āmin.O my All Powerful God! Show me this change in this world and accept my prayers for You have all power and strength.O Powerful God! Make it so..Amin, again Amin! وَ أَخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ [Our last prayer is that all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.] THE END After finishing this book, one more Sign by way of a mubahalah and another Sign in the form of prophecy appeared.This brings the number of Signs [recorded here] to 208.As a result, a couple وَهَذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي إِنَّ رَبِّى ذُو الْفَضل of pages had to be added to the book And this is the grace of] الْعَظِيْمِ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِى الأولى وَالْآخِرَةِ وَهُوَ الْمَوْلَى الْكَرِيمِ.my Lord, certainly my Lord is the Master of immense grace.To Him belongs all praise in the beginning and the Hereafter and He is the Master, the Benevolent.]

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ANOTHER FRESH SIGN OF VERDICT THROUGH MUBĀHALAH 207.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED AND SEVEN-Reproduced below is the mubahalah which Munshi Mahtāb 'Alī, a member of our Jama'at, had on 12 June 1906 with Faiḍullāh Khān, son of Zafar-ud- Dīn Aḥmad, a former professor of Oriental College, Lahore.The result of this was that Faiḍullāh Khān, in accordance with his own wish, suf- fered from an attack of the plague and not only died himself on 13 April 1907 CE, Besakh 1, 1963—Vikram Calendar-but also became the cause of death for some of his relatives.In addition, it would be relevant to mention here that the father of the aforementioned Faiḍullāh Khān, Qāḍī Zafar-ud-Din, was also a bitter enemy of this Jama'at.And when he started writing an Arabic poem against my Jama'at,¹* he had not yet finished it and its manu- script was still with him but had not yet been published, when he died.1.I had written an ode in Arabic named I'jāz-e-Aḥmadi ['The Miracle of Ahmad'].It was revealed to me that no one would be able to compete with it.If anyone did happen to have the ability, God would thwart their attempts.Thus, Qāḍī Zafar-ud-Dīn Aḥmad whose nature was leavened with denial, prejudice, and conceit had started writing a reply to this ode to deny the word of the Divine when the Angel of Death put an end to him and his design.(Author)

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760 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Below are the reproduced texts of the mubahalah from each side.The signed statements of both sides are in my possession.The Signed Statement of Faiḍullāh Khān Signed Statement of Faiḍullah Khān بسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيم.الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لَا فِى السَّمَاءِ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ.[In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.All praise be to Allah with whose name nothing can harm, either in the earth or in the heaven.He is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.] After praising God and invoking blessings upon the Holy Prophet of the Lord of all the worlds, I, Qāḍī Faiḍullāh Khān, son of the late Qāḍī Zafar-ud-Din Ahmad, hereby declare that I am a Hanafi Muslim fully abiding by the tradition of the Holy Prophets.I believe that after the demise of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who is Khatamun-Nabiyyin [the Seal of the Prophets], the descent of waḥi [divine revelation] is against the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.I reject Mirza Sahib's claim that he is the like of, and the Promised Messiah.And Munshi Mahtāb Ali son of Munshi Karīm Bakhsh, a resident of Jalandhar city and a follower of the above-mentioned Mirza Sahib, claims that whoever denies this claim of his shall be overtaken by the chastisement of God.be Therefore, I pray that whoever is the liar of us two may overtaken by a divine chastisement such as death, a disease like the plague, or incarceration resulting from some legal case.In

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ANOTHER FRESH SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 207 accordance with the example of the Holy Prophets, I fix one year as the time frame for this mubahalah.I prescribe the fur- ther condition that if divine chastisement overtakes any relative other than me or Munshi Mahtab, it would not be deemed to fall under this agreement.وَأَخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ.وَ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى خَيْرٍ خَلْقِهِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّالِهِ وَ أَصْحَابِهِ أَجْمَعِيْنَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ.[Our last prayer is that all praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.May Allah the Almighty, send His blessings upon the Best of His creatures, Muḥammad, and upon his progeny and upon all of his Companions.We beg you for Your Mercy, O the Most Merciful One.] Qadi Faiḍullah Khān Resident of Jandiala Baghwala, District Gujranwala Dated 12 June 1906 Signed Statement of Munshi Mahtab 'Ali 761 بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى [In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings (upon His Noble Messenger.)] I believe that His Holiness, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, is the true Messiah, and I believe, without any doubt or mis- giving, that all his claims concerning religion are true.On the Signed Statement of Munshi Mahtab 'Ali

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762 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION contrary, in opposition to me, Qāḍī Faiḍullah, the son of the late Qadi Zafar-ud-Din, declares with conviction that Mirza Sahib is an impostor and his claim is entirely self-manufac- tured and self-fabricated.Therefore, I challenge Qāḍī Ṣāḥib to a mubahalah, and I have full and perfect conviction that whichever one of us is a liar will suffer an agonizing torment from God.The heavens and the earth might change their course, but this chastisement will certainly not be averted and will cer- tainly manifest its flash.For, this is the eternal law of God Almighty, and it is the final and the best method to distin- guish truth from falsehood.Therefore, I pray to God that He may show an early conclusion to this mubahalah.O God! O God! Nothing is impossible for You.If You so will, You can send down chastisement in an instant.But, in keeping with the tradition of the Holy Prophet sa I propose a time frame of one year.The punishment should come down either upon me or Qadi Sahib.For instance, death or plague or incarceration in some lawsuit.This is the sole condition.The coming down of punishment upon some next of kin or a relative shall not form a part of the condition.The chastisement shall target no one other than us.Yours humbly Mahtab Ali Sayyāḥ of Jalandhar Dated 12 June 1906 As has already been pointed out, after these statements were signed, the result was that Qāḍī Faiḍullāh Khān, in keeping with the prayer that had been done for the liar, died of the plague in Jammu within and in accordance with the prescribed conditions.God saved a year

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ANOTHER FRESH SIGN-SIGN NUMBER 207 763 Mahtab from the plague, for he was true in his claim, in accordance with the verse: وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَن تَمُوتُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللهِ.But since Faiḍullah Khān was false, he fell victim to the plague.2 1.And no soul can die except by Allah's leave (Surah Al-e-Imrān, 3:146).[Publisher] 2.A point worthy of being remembered: God Almighty states in The Holy ,He reveals not His secret to anyone فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَى غَيْبِ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِنْ رَّسُولٍ Quran except to him whom He chooses, namely, a Messenger of His' (Surah al-Jinn, 72:27-28)].This verse is categorically and certainly understood to mean that clear- cut prophecies that happen to be large in number and most unambiguous are communicated only to God's chosen people and not to others.But, rev- elations as are not of this level can also be shared by others.They are mostly ambiguous and unclear.This is how God's chosen people are recognized.Remember that in light of this verse it is possible that such revealed proph- ecies and revelations as are not explicit nor are they so high in number that they overwhelm the normal capacity of man and are mostly susceptible to dif- ferent interpretations, can also be received by those who are not the Elect of God and are commoners.Hence, the Quranic criterion for the identification of the chosen ones too is that their revealed prophecies have little element of doubt and are incomparable to anyone in the world in terms of vastness of their numbers and clarity.Otherwise, even a sinful person can be a recipient of revelation as is not qualitatively equal with the former.For instance, I may Help will] يَأْتِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ.يَأْتُونَ مَنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ.mention that the prophecy come to you upon every track.People will come to you upon every route so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.] has been so clearly fulfilled as to establish its truth.In fact, it has been fulfilled not once but hun- dreds of thousands of times with such clarity as establishes it to be fully sup- ported by God's help and succour.Hence, such a prophecy cannot be made by anyone except by an Elect of God.If it can be made, let someone come forward with a precedent.(Author)

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DIVINE PROPHECY ABOUT A WRONGDOER IS BOUND TO BE FULFILLED 208.SIGN NUMBER TWO HUNDRED and eight-When Dayanand, the founder of the Āryah faith, propagated his views in the Punjab and incited mean-natured Hindus to insult our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and likewise other Prophets; and when he himself, from the moment he began to write, insulted and denigrated all holy and chosen Prophets of God, and made frequent use of the filth of lies, particularly in his own book, Satyārath Prakāsh, and abused the chosen Prophets in a most vile manner, it was then that I received this revelation about him: خدا تعالیٰ ایسے موذی کو جلد تر دنیا سے اُٹھا لے گا.Meaning that, God Almighty will very soon remove such an evil one from the world.I also received this revelation: سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَ يُوَلُّوْنَ الدُّبُرَ.Meaning that, the Āryah religion is decreed to be defeated by God, and they will run away from their religion, turning their backs on it, and it will finally become non-existent.This revelation came to me a long time ago, a matter of nearly thirty

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766 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION years, and I communicated it to Lālah Sharampat of the Āryah Samāj who lives here.He was told in plain words that their foul-mouthed pandit Dayanand would die soon.Accordingly, God Almighty saved His religion from this abusive pandit before the year was out and he died in Ajmer.It was a great Sign for Sharampat.However, not only did he fail to benefit from this Sign, he also witnessed many other manifest Signs but unfortunately did not accept Islam even then.In a separate book named Qadian kei Ārya aur Hamm, I have recorded all these Signs of which not only Sharampat but many other Hindus of Qadian also are witnesses.Alas, these people have not benefited from these Signs in the least.Instead, they have crossed all limits in impertinence and mischief so much so that three individuals Sūm Rāj, Ichchar Mal, and Bhagat Rām brought out a newspaper from Qadian and named it Shubh Chintak, and made it a point to use it to print abuse and foul language against me.But God had, for many years, repeatedly informed me that the days of the Āryah Samāj were numbered.For example, on page 66, lines 7-8 of my book Tadhkiratush-Shahādatain which was published on 16 October 1903, I recorded the following prophecy which was revealed to me by God Almighty.It runs as follows: وہ مذہب (یعنی آریہ (مذہب) مُردہ ہے.اس سے مت ڈرو.ابھی تم میں سے لاکھوں اور کرڑوں انسان زندہ ہوں گے کہ اس مذہب آریہ کو نابود ہوتے دیکھ لو گے.That religion (i.e.Āryah Religion) is as good as dead.Do not be afraid of it.Millions and tens of millions of you will be alive and shall witness the disappearance of this Āryah faith.Similarly on pages 4-5 of my book Nasim-e-Da'wat which was pub- lished against the Āryas on 28 February 1903, I had prophesied: ہر ایک جوش محض قوم اور سو سائٹی کے لئے دکھلاتے ہیں خدا کی عظمت ان لوگوں کے دلوں میں نہیں.قادیان کے آریہ خیال کرتے ہیں کہ ہم طاعون کے پنجہ سے رہائی یاب

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DIVINE PROPHECY ABOUT A WRONGDOER-SIGN NUMBER 208 ہو گئے ہیں مگر کیا یہ بد زبانیاں اور بے ادبیاں خالی جائیں گی؟ سنو اے غافلو! ہمارا اور اُن راست بازوں کا تجربہ ہے جو ہم سے پہلے گزر چکے ہیں کہ خدا کے پاک رسولوں کی بے ادبی کرنا اچھا نہیں.خدا کے پاس ہر ایک بدی اور شوخی کی سزا ہے.767 All their enthusiasm is solely for show to their people and soci- ety.Their hearts are devoid of any regard for God's majesty.The Aryas of Qadian think that they have escaped from the clutches of the plague.But, will their foul language and insolence go unpunished? Listen! You who are heedless! It is my experience and the experience of those truthful souls who have passed before me that to show disrespect to God's holy Messengers is not good.God has a punishment in store for every wrongdoing and impertinence.Again, on pages 21-22 of my book, Qadian kei Ārya aur Hamm, which was published on 20 February 1907, I recorded the following prophecy: یہ لوگ نبیوں کی تکذیب میں جن کی سچائی سورج کی طرح چمکتی ہے حد سے بڑھ گئے ہیں خدا جو اپنے بندوں کے لئے غیرت مند ہے ضرور اس کا فیصلہ کرے گا اور وہ ضرور اپنے پیارے نبیوں کے لئے کوئی ہاتھ دکھلائے گا.These people have exceeded all limits in denying the Prophets whose truth is resplendent like the sun.God, who so jealously protects the honour of His servants, will certainly deliver His verdict and for a certainty will show some Signs of His might.Then, on page 54 of the same booklet, Qadian kei Arya aur Hamm, the following prophecy is recorded in the form of a poem: شرم و حیا نہیں ہے آنکھوں میں ان کے ہرگز وہ بڑھ چکے ہیں حد سے اب انتہا یہی ہے There is no trace of shame and decency in their eyes; They have transgressed all limits.This indeed is the extreme limit.

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768 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION اس نے ہے کچھ دکھانا اس سے رجا یہی ہے ہم نے ہے جس کو مانا قادر ہے وہ توانا The God we believe in is Most Powerful and Omnipotent, That He may show something [miraculous] from Himself—our supplication being the very same.The sum and essence of this prophecy was that God would show these people Signs of His power! Again on page 2 of the title page of this book we find the following couplet: آسماں سے پھر اک نشاں دکھلا میرے مالک تو ان کو خود سمجھا God! My Lord! You make them understand Yourself; Do manifest again a Sign from the heavens! The sum and essence of this prayer is that another calamity will over- take the Aryas by way of a Sign.These are the prophecies that were made in regard to the Āryah Samāj.A reasonable person would realize how these prophecies about the Āryah Samāj have so clearly been fulfilled and their unlucky star has made its appearance! For instance, all the active members of the Qadian chapter of the Āryas who managed and looked after their newspaper Shubh Chintak, without exception, succumbed to the plague, as it had been prophesied five years beforehand in my book Nasim-e-Da'wat that they would die of the plague.Elsewhere, too, most of the so-called leaders of the Āryah Samāj, because of whose social status and position the other Āryas had also become rude, were meted out their deserved punishment.Some were simply expelled from the country by the jurisdiction of this Government.It is indeed regrettable that these people have expressed such ingrat- itude in the face of countless favours of the British Government and exposed their rottenness by making rebellious statements against it.In fact, it was but necessary that all these prophecies which were made as many as five years ago about the decline and fall of these people should

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DIVINE PROPHECY ABOUT A WRONGDOER-SIGN NUMBER 208 769 have been fulfilled.For a certainty, this means the end of the Āryah Samājists and the definitive verdict of God was duly fulfilled.Can a human being make such prophecies beforehand? Hence, a thousand thanks to the Almighty who deserves all glory and praise, for He mani- And peace] وَالسَّلَامُ عَلى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدى..fests such magnificent Signs for Islam be upon those who follow the guidance].Today—that is, Sunday, 12 May 1907-when I had written this far, I was shown in a vision someone whose face I cannot recall, but I do remember that he is a bitter enemy of mine who reviles me in his speeches and writings and uses foul language against me.This was fol- lowed by the revelation: بدی کا بدلہ بدی ہے اُس کو پلیگ ہو گئی The recompense of evil is evil.He has been inflicted with plague.Meaning that, he will surely suffer from the plague.I am sure that sooner or later you will hear that some such enemy about whom your hearts will testify that he deserved the affliction, as indicated in this revelation, will die of the plague.If this does not happen, you would be entitled to reject my claim.Thereafter, it was manifested to me that heedlessness, sin, and daring have spread widely in the country and that people will not give up opposition until God manifests His mighty hand.Thereafter, I received the revelation: اُس کا نتیجہ سخت طاعون ہے جو ملک میں پھیلے گی.کئی نشان ظاہر ہوں گے.کئی بھاری دشمنوں کے گھر ویران ہو جائیں گے.وہ دُنیا کو چھوڑ جائیں گے.ان شہروں کو دیکھ کر رونا آئے گا وہ قیامت کے دن ہوں گے زبر دست نشانوں کے ساتھ ترقی ہو گی.ایک ہولناک نشان.Meaning: The result will be the outbreak of a severe plague in the country.Many Signs will be manifested.The houses of many

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770 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION powerful enemies will be ruined and they will depart from this world.These [ruined] cities will cause people to weep.Those will be the days of Judgment.Progress will take place with powerful Signs.A terrifying Sign.In other words, one of these Signs will be terrifying.This might refer to the promised earthquake or another heavenly Sign or wide- spread ruin as the result of the plague resembling Doomsday.Then Allah the Almighty addressed me in the following words.میری رحمت تجھ کو لگ جائے گی اللہ رحم کرے گا.اَعْيَيْنَاكَ.Meaning: My mercy will adhere to you; Allah will show mercy.We shall demonstrate such abundance of Signs as will make you weary.Then, on Monday, 13 May 1907, I received the revelation: سَنُنْجِيكَ.سَنُعْلِيْكَ.سَنُكْرِمُكَ إِكْرَامًا عَجَبًا.Meaning: We shall soon deliver you from the mischief of your enemies and shall make you prevail over them and will hon- our you in a wonderful manner.The fact of the matter is that those who are com- missioned by God are recognized only by the Signs from God Almighty.If God does not settle the matter Himself by His Own hands, mere talk can settle nothing.THE END 15 May 1907

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْمِ.نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلَّى عَلَى رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيم.ANNOUNCEMENT- Addressed to the Muslim Ulema قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِايْتِهِ 2 Meaning that, [Allah, Lord of Honour and Glory says:] 'Who is more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or gives the lie to His Signs and manifestations?" It is known to everyone that some twenty-six years have passed since my claim that I have been appointed by God Almighty and have the honour of converse with Him.During this period, all my opponents made every effort to destroy my Jama'at.They took me before the authorities too, but I remained safe from all their attacks.It is surpris- ing that despite facing hundreds of failures on their part to eradicate me, my enemies have still not understood that I am supported by a Hidden Hand that saves me from them.They call me a liar, the Antichrist, and an impostor, but they do not answer the question as to which impostor has ever existed in the 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke blessings on His Noble Messenger.[Publisher] 2.Surah al-An'am, 6:22 [Publisher]

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772 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION world whom God saved from the dangerous attacks of his enemies for as long as twenty-six years, to the extent that by His special grace He kept him safe for a quarter of this century, granted him success upon success, caused him to grow from one to having hundreds of thousands of followers, and caused all his enemies to be ineffectual, and we have no knowledge of what progress the future holds.Which impostor has there ever been in the world against whom, at the time of the muba- halah, every believer fell prey to death or some other kind of chastise- ment? Which liar has there been for whose sake, and in accordance with whose prophecy, there were solar and lunar eclipses in Ramadan and the earth was hit by global plague? Is any sign found of some other Mahdi who had prophesied fifteen years before the actual occurrence of the lunar and solar eclipses, or had warned as many as three times― first, twenty-six years before, then twelve years before, and then three years before the occurrence—that the plague would spread in this country? The purpose of writing these lines is that I have sufficiently incor- porated in my book Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi all kinds of evidence in support of my claim.Although my health did not allow me to undertake such strenuous effort during these days owing to suffering numerous illnesses and repeated bouts of various ailments and physical weakness, I undertook all this work solely for the good of mankind.I, therefore, appeal in the name of God to all the distinguished scholars, elders, and those who can read this book from among my people that if this book reaches them they should study it closely from beginning to end.Again, I appeal to them in the name of the Almighty, the One without associate, in whose hand rests the life of everyone, that they should- even at the cost of their time and engagements-closely study this book from end to end.Yet again, for the third time, I appeal to them in the name of the Honourable God, who punishes those who fail to pay heed to the oaths in His name, that if they receive this book and can read it, be they the clerics or religious elders, they must study it at least once from beginning to end.To some of these people, I shall—God

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ANNOUNCEMENT-ADDRESSED TO THE MUSLIM ULEMA 773 willing-personally send a copy of this book.As for others, I promise that if they write to me stating under oath that they are unable to pay the price of the book, I will send them a copy provided the book is avail- able and I can afford to send it, under the condition that they should write to me stating under oath that they will surely read the book from beginning to end and that they are unable to buy it.I further pray that anyone who happens to receive this book, but is heedless of the oath in the name of God, and looking down upon such an oath does not read it from start to finish, or only partially reads it, yet persists in using foul language, may God Almighty destroy and disgrace such persons in this world and the Hereafter.Amin.But the person who reads this book from start to finish and under- stands it well, his case rests with God.I now conclude this announce- And peace be upon those who follow the] وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدَى..ment guidance].ANNOUNCED BY, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah Qadian 15 March 1907 PRINTED AT MAGAZINE PRESS, QADIAN

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بشم الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الله نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّي 1 FOR THE ATTENTION OF RESPECTED ARYAS No reasonable person can deny that since the beginning of time the Shariah [religious law] emanating from God has been divided into two parts: (1) The first and foremost is to believe that God Almighty, with all His perfect attributes, is One without any associate, and to believe that He has no partner, both in His being and in His attributes, and that one should believe that He is the Source of all blessings and is the Source or Fountainhead of every phenomenon and the Creator of every being that exists, and has the power over everything which is con- sistent with His greatness, majesty, and glory, and is not inconsistent with His perfect attributes.He precedes every being that exists and is the Ultimate Refuge of the entire universe.He comprehends all perfect attributes.He is Holy and Pure from the defect that His attributes may fall into decay at any time in the past or the future.He is the Creator since eternity, the Provider since eternity, and the All-Powerful since eternity.Nobody knows what He did in the past or what He will do in the 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke blessings.[Publisher]

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776 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION future.No one can comprehend His powers.He is One in His being, in His attributes, and in His works.There is none who can compare with Him in any of His attributes.He is free of every defect and blemish.He is close in spite of being far, and is far in spite of being close.He is Lofty and Exalted; nonetheless it cannot be said that there is any- one below Him.He is Hidden beyond hidden, yet we cannot say He is not Manifest.He is the Most Manifest, yet we cannot say that He is not Hidden.He shines forth from the sun and His light is seen in the moon, yet we cannot say that He is the sun or the moon.On the contrary, all those things are His creation, and one who calls them God is a disbeliever.He is Transcendent beyond the transcend- ent, yet He is Most Evident.Each soul derives its powers and capabil- ities from Him and every particle has been granted its properties by Him alone.If those properties, powers, and capabilities are taken away, then neither souls nor particles are left with any reality of their own.Therefore, the ultimate point of human cognizance of God is that all these things emanate from the hand of God.The bond of love between God and souls exists because all these things have been created by Him.It is He who has leavened their nature with the salt of His love.Without it, love for God would have been an impossibility, because of the absence of a mutual relationship between them.A child loves its mother because she gives birth to it, and the mother, too, loves it because it is a part of her being.Since every soul has emanated from the Divine, it is, therefore, in constant search for its True Beloved.Hence, some mistakenly worship idols or the sun or the moon or water or man.Hence, the cause of this mistake, too, is the same craving for the True Beloved-the very craving that is ingrained within human nature.Just as a child, in its eagerness for its mother, sometimes mistakes another woman for her and clings to her, simi- larly all creature-worshippers have mistakenly begun bowing in front of other objects.And God's Shariah has been revealed to rectify these mistakes.And God's Shariah is the only thing that can root out these mistakes with full force.

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FOR THE ATTENTION OF RESPECTED ARYAS 777 Only that Shariah can rectify such errors that is capable of reveal- ing the countenance of the True Beloved through the manifestation of resplendent Signs, because if a Shariah is unable to demonstrate fresh Signs it too represents an idol, not God.The being that stands in need of our reasoning or logic for his manifestation cannot be God or Parmeshwar.Which knowledgeable person would believe in such a 'God' who, like an idol, is dead and devoid of any Signs of might and power? Hence, the true and perfect Shariah is indeed the one that shows the True Living God with all His might and Signs; and it is the only one through which man can attain perfection in the second part of the Shariah.(2) And the second part of the Shariah is that man should refrain from all those sins that are rooted in injustice towards mankind; for example: adultery, theft, murder, false testimony, every type of deceit, treating one who does good with evil, and falling short of fulfilling one's obligation to deal kindly with mankind.Hence, to act upon the second part of the Shariah, one has to understand its first part.As I have just said that the first part, i.e.cognition of God, is not at all possible unless and until one recognizes God with His fresh Signs and demonstrations of His power, for without it even worship of the Divine is a kind of idol-worship.If God is just like an idol who cannot answer a question or a query nor can He demonstrate His power, then what difference would there be between Him and an idol? The Living God must pos- sess the Signs [of a Living God].If He cannot answer our questions nor demonstrate His power, how is it possible to know that He exists? How can His existence be established by one's self-made arguments? Since every human being is able to prove his own existence, why should God not be able to prove His? Is God even weaker than a man? Is His power not to be seen in the future; was it merely a thing of the past? If the power to speak no longer remains within Him during this age, what argument can prove that He ever had this power [to begin with]? And if He cannot speak in this age, how can it be proven that He can even hear and accept our

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778 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION prayers? If He had sometimes demonstrated His powers in the past, why can He not do so now to disconcert the atheists? Therefore, my dear friends, the God of Power we all seek and are in need of is to be found only in Islam.Islam presents all the powers of God today as they had been manifested in the past.Remember well that no one can be persuaded to believe in God without the demonstra- tion of His powers and resplendent Signs; otherwise, it is nothing but a myth to declare that one believes in Parmeshwar.It is His Signs alone that help one to recognize God; if there are no Signs, then there is no God either.I have, therefore, compiled this book—Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi— by way of specimen out of sheer sympathy [for mankind].I enjoin you in the very name of that Parmeshwar, in whom you profess to believe, to read this book from beginning to end at least once, and to ponder over the Signs incorporated in it.Then, if you find your own religion to be lacking in similar Signs, then abandon your faith and embrace Islam out of the fear of God.Of what use and benefit is a religion that cannot lead to the Living God through the help of living Signs? Once again, I call upon you in the name of that very Parmeshwar to study this book from cover to cover at least once and do testify truly if by following your present faith you can recognise the Living God.For a third time, I call upon you in the name of the same Parmeshwar to study this book, entitled Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥī, from beginning to end at least once, for the world is nearing its end and the wrath of God is evident on all sides.May God be your Guide.You never know when death will strike.There And peace be] وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الْهُدى.is no God but the Living God upon those who follow the guidance].ANNOUNCED BY, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The Promised Messiah of Qadian PRINTED AT THE MAGAZINE PRESS QADIAN

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بشم اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّىٰ عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الْكَرِيْمَ AN INVITATION TO TRUTH قُلْ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحينِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ العِيدِينَ Tell them, if there had been a son to God, I would have been the first to worship him.I address this announcement to the Christian clergy with great humility, respect, and meekness.I submit that if Hadrat Īsā Masīḥ [Jesus, the Messiah], on whom be peace, was actually the son of God, or God himself, I would have been the first to worship him and I would have propagated his divinity throughout the country and would never have given up this propagation even if I had been persecuted or killed or slaughtered or cut to pieces in his cause.But, my dear people, may God have mercy on you and open your eyes, Hadrat 'Isā [Jesus], on whom be peace, is 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke blessings on His Noble Messenger.[Publisher] 2.Surah az-Zukhruf, 43:82 [Publisher]

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780 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION not God, but only a Prophet and nothing more than that.I call God to witness that I bear such love for him as you cannot.You can never recognize him with the enlighten- ment with which I recognize him.There is no doubt that he was a beloved and exalted Prophet of God and was one of those who are particularly blessed by Him and purified by His hand.However, he was neither God nor the son of God.I do not say this on my own.Indeed, God, who is the Creator of heaven and earth, appeared to me and has made me the Promised Messiah for this latter age.He has revealed to me that Yasu' 'Isa Ibn-e-Maryamas [Jesus, 'Īsā, son of Mary] was not God or the son of God.God has informed me by addressing me that the Prophet who brought the Quran and called people to Islam is a true Prophets and that he is the one under whose feet lies sal- vation, and no one can ever achieve any light without fol- lowing him.When my God disclosed to me the high status and greatness of this Prophets, I trembled and my body was shaken.People have exaggerated their praise of Hadrat ‘Īsā the Messiah so much as to deify him, but they have not recognized the true status of the Holy Prophets in the manner worthy of his recognition and they do not real- ize his greatness as he deserves.He is the one Prophet who sowed the seed of Tauhid [the Oneness of God] in such a that it has not withered to waste even to this very day.way He is the one Prophets who appeared during the time when the whole world had been corrupted and he departed at a time when he had spread the Oneness of God all over the world like an ocean.And he is the one Prophet for whom God has been exhibiting His jealousy throughout

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AN INVITATION TO TRUTH 781 all ages and manifesting thousands of miracles in his sup- port and affirmation.The Holy Prophets was immensely slandered in this age as well.Therefore, God's jealousy was stirred more than it had been in any past age and He sent me as the Promised Messiah so that I may bear witness to his Prophethood before the entire world.If I put forward this claim without any evidence to sup- port it, I am false.But if God bears witness to my truth with such Signs that have no parallel from east to west, north to south, then justice and fear of God demand that I should be accepted with all my teachings.God has exhib- ited such Signs in my support that if they had been dis- played to the [earlier] peoples who were chastised by water or fire or wind, they would have been spared destruction; but how shall I describe the people of this age? They are like an unfortunate person who but cannot possesses eyes see, who possesses ears but cannot hear, and who possesses understanding but cannot comprehend.I cry for them but they laugh at me; I offer them the water of life but they heap fire upon me.God has appeared to me not only through His words but has also manifested Himself to me through His works and has shown-and will continue to show- such works in my support that are not shown in support of anyone unless he is the recipient of God's special grace.People abandoned me, but God has accepted me.Who can compete with me in showing these Signs? I have appeared so that God may appear through me.He was like a hidden treasure, but now, by sending me, He has designed to silence all atheists and all faithless people who say that there is no God.My dear people! To you who

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782 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION seek God, I convey the good news that the True God is He who has revealed the Quran.It is He who has manifested Himself to me and who is ever with me.O Christian Priests! I enjoin you in the name of God, who sent the Messiah, and remind you under oath of the ostensible love you have for Masih Ibn-e-Maryam to study my book Ḥaqiqatul- Wahi at least once from beginning to end, word for word.If any scholar asks for my book Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi with genuine interest, with this condition, and will swear to it that he would study it closely from beginning to end, I will send a free copy to him.In case this fails to satisfy him, I hope and expect that God will demonstrate some other Sign, for He has promised that He shall make His With this I end my arguments manifest this upon words and truth.Amin.age.pray that may God be with the seeker after Humbly Mirza Ghulam Ahmad The Promised Messiah Qadian, District Gurdaspur 20 March 1907 PRINTED AT THE MAGAZINE PRESS QADIAN

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Al-Istifta' Supplement to Haqiqatul-Waḥi

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بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ نَحْمَدُ اللهَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمَ وَنُصَلِّن عَلَى رَسُوْلِهِ الكَرِيمِ.رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا جِئْنَاكَ مَظْلُومِيْنَ فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِيْنَ.آمین In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Allah, the High, the Incomparably Great; and we invoke blessings on His Noble Messenger.O Our Lord! We have come to You while being wronged; there- fore, make a distinction between us and the wrongdoing people.-Amin To proceed, know—may Allah have mercy upon you—that I have divided this treatise into two parts and made it in two chapters.Its pur- pose is to perfect the argument against the obstinate opponents.I have written it with tears in my eyes and anguish in my heart.With full trust in the Lord of mankind, I have finished it with a Conclusion.1* 1.I have attached this treatise to my book Ḥaqiqatul-Wahi and made it a Supplement.I have also published some copies separately.(Author)

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' (Call for a Religious Verdict) O scholars of Islam and jurists of the religion of the Best of Creation [the Holy Prophet Muḥammads]! Give me your verdict regarding a man who has claimed to be from Allah the Benevolent, and who believes in the Book of Allah and His compassionate and merciful Messengers.Allah has shown supernormal matters for him, and has manifested brilliant Signs and magnificent victories.He has appeared in an age which has nothing to do in regard to the Faith, and is [pierced] into the heart of Islam like a spear.The [reli- gious] scholars of the time are like a man whose legs are both paralysed.The Christian priests have emerged like a valiant champion who is equipped with two arrows: one which they sharpen with lies and a variety of slanders to smite the religion of Islam; and the other which they load into their bow to lure people into the fold of Christianity.You will find them resembling a wolf that wreaks havoc or a robber who plunders the possessions [of others].They possess nothing but false traditions and [doctrines] which reason rejects.The wood of Atonement is the lone pillar upon which their faith is supported, and with it, all doors have been flung open for an-nafsul-ammarah [the self that incites to evil].Is there anything more frightening, more obscene, and beyond acceptance by the good natured than this doctrine? In addition, they

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788 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI [these priests] hurl abusive language against the religion of Allah [Islam] and the Best of Creation; this is the greatest affliction to befall Islam.A religion that is based upon a mere piece of wood merits no inves- tigation, nor does reason guide towards affirming it.On the contrary, a pious nature abhors it, flees from such a tale, and pronounces three divorces¹ upon the religion of Trinity.As for the ascension and descent of 'Isā [Jesus], it is a matter that is rejected both by reason and the Book of Allah, the Holy Quran.It is nothing more than a lullaby by which children are put to sleep, or like a doll with which little girls and boys play.There is no proof of its validity, nor is there any convincing argu- ment to verify it.To sum up, therefore, this claimant has appeared in these days in the face of rampant mischief and religious innovations, and the debilitating state of Islam.No trace of the habits of deceit, falsehood, and calumny is found in this person's life before his claim-neither in his old age nor in his youth.Nor is there anything to be found in his conduct which is opposed to the Sunnah [practice] of the Best of the Prophetssa.Rather, he believes in all the commandments and prophecies brought by the Noble Messengers, and in all that is proven to be from our Prophets, the Leader of the righteous; and that he [the Holy Prophetsa] is the healer for carnal desires and has bandaged and cured the wounds of sins.He came to remedy the ills of all people and to unite the ummahs of the earlier times with the last Ummah.If you seek who his role model is, you will surely find in him the moral character of al-Mustafa [the Chosen Ones], whom he follows in all paths of guidance.The enemies exerted their utmost efforts and fell upon the claimant like a tribulation.They closely scrutinized his case in an attempt to find any flaw or any statement in contravention to the illustrious religion 1.In Islamic law, divorce becomes irrevocable after three pronouncements.[Publisher]

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 789 [of Islam].They delved deeply into the events of his life on account of their enmity and malice.But in spite of their deep-seated enmity, they did not find any grounds for criticism, fault-finding, or scorn; nor did they find in his actions anything which could be attributed to personal or carnal desires.In his early days he was concealed in a life of seclusion-unknown and overlooked with neither hope nor fear associated with him.He was ignored and was granted no respect.He was not even considered a worthy topic of conversation amongst the general public or the elite.It was considered that he amounts to nothing and the intellectuals avoided mentioning him in their assemblies.During that very period His Lord gave him the glad tidings that He is with him; that He has chosen him; that He has included him among His loved ones; that He will soon exalt his remembrance and raise his status, and will grant him great authority.As a consequence, he will be renowned amongst the people, and will be remembered both in the Easts and the Wests of the earth with goodly words and reverence.His greatness will be spread throughout the entire world by the command of the Lord of the Heavens.He will be granted succour from the Lord of Grandeur, and, like a stormy sea, hosts after hosts [of people] will flock to him by every distant track, so much so that he might well-nigh grow weary on account of their large number, feel constrained by their sight, and be overawed much like the head of a large family who must discharge his responsibilities despite the large size of his household and meagreness of his resources.People will abandon their homelands and will adopt his town as their home because of the attraction God has infused within their hearts for him.They will discard the company of their close friends for the sake of meeting him.Their hearts will be burning with the yearning for keeping his company, and their hearts will grow tender at the sight of his countenance.Godly people will hasten to follow him with the utmost truthfulness, sincerity, and fidelity.They will prefer to endure diverse kinds of hardship for his sake.There will be a group among them

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790 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI who will be called Asḥābus-Ṣuffah,' who will live in some of his court- yards like mendicants.Their personal ambitions will melt and their hearts will flow like water.You will find their eyes flowing with tears on account of their recognition of the truth and beholding the heavenly light.They will say: 'Our Lord, verily we have heard a crier calling unto faith.' They will weep with extreme delight and ecstasy like those who have recognized their Lord.And they will be grateful because Allah has helped them achieve their objective and their souls will prostrate before the Lord of Grandeur.Thus, all kinds of gifts, wealth, and a variety of other things will arrive from all sides for this man of God.His Lord God will grant him great blessings, an overpowering soul, and intense attraction, as has been ordained for him since the beginning.People will hasten to reach his door and kings will seek blessings from his garments, and hosts of kings and chiefs will come to pay frequent visits to his court.Some people from every nation will rise to oppose him and will try in every way to eradicate him.They will hatch schemes of all kinds to extinguish his light, to conceal his overwhelming success, to dimin- ish his status, and to prove his arguments to be spurious.Moreover, [they will try] to kill him or crucify him, or expel him from the land, or reduce him to a forlorn beggar, or drag him to the rulers through back- biting and fabricating lies and accusations against him with beguiling and cunning words, or torture him in the worst possible manner.Despite all this, God, in His grace, will safeguard him from heaven against their unholy designs, and will cause their machinations to recoil upon them, and will debase them.As a result, all of them will return totally frustrated and unsuccessful, as if they are not of the liv- ing.God will vouchsafe upon him all the rewards and bounties that He has promised.Allah will never do anything contrary to His promise in favour of His servant, nor [will He avert] the warning of punishment against his enemies.1.See footnote for Aşḥābuş-Şuffah on page 102.[Publisher]

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 791 This is from the prophecies of Allah which were revealed to this servant [of His] before the occurrence of these events.They were recorded, published, and disseminated in different countries for the general public as well as the elite, and were communicated to diverse nations and different countries.As such, each nation had been made like a witness thereof.These prophecies had been published twenty-six years before our present time.At the time, there was simply no indication of the fulfilment of these prophecies nor did anyone among the wise have any clue about their fulfilment.Indeed, every person regarded their fulfilment to be far-fetched, mocking them and considering them to be false or self-con- ceived thoughts rooted in wishful thinking, or from the temptations of Satan and not from the Lord of Grandeur.Indeed, all these prophecies are recorded at different places in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, which is one of the books of this servant of God written in the Indian language;¹ whosoever has doubts about them should revert to that book and read it with pure intention and with the fear of Allah.He should ponder over the grandeur, glory, and excellence of these prophecies; the lofti- ness of their arguments; the lengthy period since they were published; and [also reflect upon] their brilliance and lustre.Is any human being capable of making such prophecies without being informed by God, the Knower of all things? Such prophecies are plentiful.I have men- tioned some of them and not others.This much should suffice for the righteous who fear God and whose hearts are moved when they rec- ognize the truth.They do not pass by them like the unfortunate ones.Instead, they pray, 'Our Lord! We have believed.Therefore, count us among Your believing servants and witnesses.' Again, know-may Allah have mercy upon you—that the time of [the announcement of] these prophecies was when there was no trace of their fulfilment, nor any manifestation of their light, nor any avenue 1.The Promised Messiah as has mostly written his books in Urdu language.[Publisher]

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792 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI to find their hidden aspects; rather, the matter was completely hidden from the eyes and thoughts of people, and this servant of God was lying in complete anonymity.No one knew him except a few people who were his father's acquaintances since the beginning.If you so wish, you can enquire about it from the residents of the township called Qadian, and from the Muslims, polytheists, and his enemies living in its sub- urbs.It was at that time that Allah the Exalted addressed him and said: أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ تَوْحِيدِى وَتَفْرِيْدِي.فَحَانَ أَنْ تُعَانَ وَتُعْرَفَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ يَأْتُونَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ يَأْتِيَكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ، يَنْصُرُكَ رِجَالٌ نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَانْتَهَى أَمْرُ الزَّمَانِ إِلَيْنَا.أَلَيْسَ هَذَا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ لِخَلْقِ اللهِ وَلَا تَسْأَمُ مِّنَ النَّاسِ وَوَسِّعُ مَكَانَكَ.You are to Me as My Tauhid [Oneness] and Tafrid [Uniqueness].The time has arrived when you will be helped and made well- known among the people.The help will come to you by every distant track.People will come to you so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from Ourself from the heavens.When the help of Allah comes and the age turns to us, it will be asked: 'Is this not the truth?' Do not turn away from Allah's creatures and be not fatigued by people.And enlarge your house (in order to accommodate those who will come to meet with you out of love).These are the prophecies from Allah; by this time, twenty-six years have elapsed since their revelation.There is a great Sign in this for the wise.Then, after this, God Almighty helped this servant [of His], as was His promise, with various kinds of favours and multi-faceted bounties.As a result, seekers after truth flocked towards him in droves with mon- etary contributions, presents, and all that they could afford, so much so that not enough room was left to accommodate them and he might have well-nigh felt weary due to meeting with the large numbers.Thus, what Allah had said was fulfilled truly and to the letter.Indeed, who

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 793 is more capable of fulfilling his promise than the Lord of Grandeur? No enemy had the power to stop the support and descent of bounties which Allah had decreed for him.Eventually, God Almighty unveiled His plans which the enemies sought to frustrate, and fulfilled His promise which they denied.He bestowed upon that servant of His the title of Khilafah [vicegerency] from heaven.There is a great Sign in this for a seeker after truth who comes after discarding hatred and malice.Hence, O righteous people! Explain and be rewarded.Is this the act of Allah or the fabrication of a man who dares to commit the sin of falsehood to be counted amongst the people who are sent by God? Are such criminals immune from divine punish- ment in this world, or will they be chastised? Now, O jurists! I seek your verdict for the second time, so be right- eous for the sake of Allah and deliver your verdict like those who fear Allah and are not unjust.O brave young people! A man claims that he is from Allah, then those who reject him contest with him through a mubahalah [prayer duel], hoping to be victorious.But Allah destroyed and disgraced them and frustrated their plans.If you like, you may read their stories in this book and [reflect upon] how Allah treated them.Is that not a conclusive argument against those who reject [him]?1* Allah supported him in every contest and caused him to prevail 1.Among the people who entered into the mubahalah and died as a result is a man named Maulawi Ghulām Dastagir of Qaşür.Others among them are peo- ple named Maulawi Charāgh Dīn of Jammu, Maulawi ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Muḥy- ud-Din of Lakhukay, Maulawi Ismā'il of Aligarh, Faqir Mirzā of Dulmial and Lekh Rām of Peshawar, and some others.Most of them died, and some were reduced to a life of disgrace, cutting off of progeny, and a straitened life.I have described their events in detail in my book Ḥaqiqatul-Waḥi.Given here is a summary for the seekers [after truth].Among them is one who died in this calendar month, namely Dhul-Qa'dah.His name was Sa'dullāh [literally meaning one who Allah grants good fortune], but he remained far removed from sa'adah [good fortune].I was informed [by God Almighty] that he would die in disgrace and disappointment before I die, and that God would cut off of his progeny.Accordingly, he died the death of failure and frustra- tion.Such is the requital for those who fight Allah and reject His Messengers with injustice and enmity.(Author)

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794 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI over his enemies; He informed him about it before the events took place―O wise people!—is that not a Sign of his truthfulness? Does your reason permit that the Most Holy God—who is not pleased with anything but good deeds and does not grant His nearness to anyone except on account of his good deeds—would love a transgressor and an impostor, and permit him to have a life longer than that of our Holy Prophet, peace be upon him; that He would show enmity to his ene- mies and love to his friends and would show Signs in favour of him, honour him with His support and help him with His miracles and favour him with His blessings and grant him victory over his enemies in every field; that He would save him from harmful places and occa- sions of being reviled; while He-being displeased—would destroy and abase the one who challenges him through a mubahalah and, for his sake, would wield His whip and kill his enemy with a sword from the heavens? Would He do all this despite the knowledge that the man is imputing falsehood to Him and then, along with the fabrication, he presents his self-coined lies to people in order to mislead the ignorant? What is your opinion about this man? Has God helped him despite his fabrication, or is he from God and one of those who are truthful? Will those attain salvation who experience false dreams but claim to have received divine revelation, even though nothing has been revealed to them and they are only telling lies? Again, O learned people! I seek your verdict for the third time regarding the person you have heard about and the blessings that God Almighty has bestowed upon him.God has granted him fur- ther Signs aside from these that people might recognize him.One of these Signs is that the shooting stars broke apart and fell down on two occasions to support him.The moon and the sun testified to his truthfulness when they were eclipsed in the month of Ramadan.The Holy Quran had prophesied about them, when it mentioned both of these among the Signs of the Latter Days.Then the Hadith elabo- rated on what the Holy Quran had mentioned in brief.Certainly, God Almighty had also informed His humble servant about them, as was

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 795 recorded in Barāhīn-e-Aḥmadiyya, long before their occurrence.O honourable people! There are certainly Signs in them for all who have eyes.Therefore, give a clear verdict and be rewarded [from Allah the Exalted].Is this the act of Allah or the fabrication of a human being? Moreover, among the Signs is that God Almighty informed him of great earthquakes in far-off lands and in this country before their occurrence and before there were any indications of their appearance.Accordingly, you have heard what has happened in this country and around the globe.You are well aware of how mankind was hit by these calamities in such a manner that the sun rose upon bustling popula- tions, but when it set, it set upon entire metropolises lying destroyed with the roofs of the houses razed to the ground, burying their inhab- itants and filling the houses with death and grief.Assemblies were moved from palaces to graves and the gathering places vanished under- ground, thus exposing life to be nothing more than a mirage or a bub- ble of water upon the surface of the sea.Anxiety stamped the hearts of those who survived, and grief tore apart their bosoms.Razed to the ground were the mansions, to reside in which they so proudly vied with one another and which they considered a distinction to abide in.This series of earthquakes has neither relented nor has it ended.Rather, the one that is imminent will be of much greater severity than the earlier ones.Verily, it is a means of enlightenment for the righteous people.Therefore O equitable people!-explain and be rewarded.Are these divine Signs or forgeries hatched by fabricators? - Believers are those who are truthful when they speak; and when they are appointed to give a verdict, they are just, and they do no wrong.But those who fear people as they should fear Allah and hide the truth as if it would cut off their noses [i.e.degrade them] or put them behind bars, are women in the garb of men and disbelievers in the guise of believers.Another Sign is that Allah informed this servant [of His] of the plague that was to break out in this country and indeed, in all direc- tions and all regions.He said:

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796 AL-ISTIFTA'―SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI الْأَمْرَاضُ تُشَاعُ وَالنُّفُوْسُ تُضَاعُ Diseases will be spread and lives will be lost.So you have seen that, quite like voracious animals, the plague has played havoc with people's lives.You witnessed how the plague ran rampant in this country and quite a large number of people were killed.It still attacks like wild beasts and keeps roaming and seizing people every day.With each passing year it becomes more dreadful than the previous year.Moreover, it has been followed by terrible earthquakes.All these prophecies were widely published even in distant lands before their fulfilment.In this, certainly, there is a great Sign for those who can see.Allah has also informed him of another earthquake which will be like doomsday; we do not know what Allah will reveal thereafter.Surely, for those who are endowed with reason, there is a reason to fear.So explain and be rewarded-O brave young people!—is this the work of Allah or the fabrication of a human being? Verily, Allah has ordained deaths as well as gifts for this age.Those who believe and do not taint their faith with injustice, will be granted gifts by the Gracious God; however, those who do not repent nor seek forgiveness, nor does the piety of heart or the fear of that which has befallen the towns bring them to this servant of God, and who are guilty of a great rebellion against God, and—like the intoxicated—are bent on pursuing their worldly pursuits, they will be given a taste of death on a massive scale because they had crossed all limits in disobedience.The heavens shall crash down upon their heads and the earth shall split beneath their feet.Everyone shall encounter their [due] reward.The promise of God the Requiter shall be fulfilled on that day.Another Sign for him is that God gave him the glad tiding that the plague would not enter his house and the earthquakes would not destroy him or his helpers, and that God would keep the evil of both [these calamities] away from his house.The arrows of both of them will not be brought out of the quiver, nor will they be shot, feathered, or sharpened.And so has it happened by the grace of Allah, the Lord of all

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 797 the worlds.Surely, this Servant of God and his Companions are living in peace by His mercy.They do not hear even their faintest sound and have been granted protection from fright and wailing.On the other hand, you can see the havoc the plague is wreaking in our country as well as the other regions and faraway lands.It is visiting the streets and the markets.Similarly, the earthquakes do not seek permission from residents, nor do they ask [their victims] before they strike and destroy.They continue to wreak havoc on this country.In the township of this servant of God, many people within its vicinity and neighbourhood fell prey to it and died of the plague in the houses situated left and right and all around; whereas not even a mouse-let alone a human being— has died within the premises of his home.There is a Sign in this for the one who has eyes.By God, should you seek to count the Signs the Almighty God has showered in support of this servant of His, you will certainly not be able to count them.Such a variety of wonderful boun- ties have been laid out for him as have not been witnessed or tasted by anyone [in this age].Certainly, in this, there is vivid proof [of his truth- fulness] for a people who reflect—those who do not hasten to reject, and ponder over the matter.Another Sign for him is that Allah hears his prayers and does not let his cries [in supplications] go to waste.I have already recorded a large number of illustrations of this acceptance of prayer in the book Haqiqatul-Waḥi, and how God showered His grace whenever he turned to his Lord with earnest supplications.There is no need to repeat them here.Anyone who is enslaved by doubt should refer to it [the book Haqiqatul-Waḥi].Yet another Sign for him is that God Almighty has granted great eloquence to his statements in the Arabic language, with due regard to truth and wisdom, even though he is not an Arab, nor was he well- versed in their language, nor had he thoroughly studied the vast corpus of Arabic literature.Likewise, he is not from among those who have

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798 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI been fed milk from the breast of eloquence.' Yet there was not even a single human being who could compete with him in this fierce battle.In fact, they [his opponents] did not even come close to [challenging] him out of the fear of humiliation.This [God-given eloquence] is, in fact, the drink that no other has sipped in this age.God offered him to partake of this drink, so he drank it from the Lord of all mankind.You neither reflect nor act with righteousness: So where are you going? Do you say that he is a poet? Actually, the poets do not speak except in vain talk, and they wander aimlessly in every valley.Have you ever seen a poet who does not forsake truth and verities, and does not utter anything except points of cognition and subtle truths, and does not speak except in wisdom, and does not utter anything but subtle points replete with knowledge [about God]? Rather, the poets speak like those who talk nonsense, or like mad- men who babble deliriously.On the contrary, you will find this dis- course [of mine] to be filled with subtle points of spirituality and divine insights.Moreover, it is designed with the utmost refinement, exquisite composition, and lofty wording, and you will not find in it anything without purpose.What is the matter with you that you do not reflect? God is my Witness that my writings are a shadow of the eloquence of the Holy Quran, so that it may be a Sign for those who reflect.Do you allege that I am a plagiarist? If you are truthful, then do produce the likes of these plagiarised pages, which adhere firmly to truth and wisdom.Is there a writer amongst you who can compose the calibre of writing I have composed? If you cannot do so- -and you cer- tainly will not—then know that it is a Sign like other Signs for a people who see.- In brief, God has revealed every Sign for the sake of this servant of His and has aided him with all kinds of succour.He has comprehended within him every Sign of the truthful and all the characteristics of the 1.Meaning that Arabic is not his mother tongue which he learned from his mother in the cradle.[Publisher]

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 799 Messengers.He trained him in the best possible manner and enabled him to perform the cardinal virtues.He made him follow His Sunnah [go through the same experiences] that He has established for all the Prophets.As a result, any attack on him amounts to an attack upon all the Prophets, and indeed upon everyone sent by the Lord of Grandeur.Furthermore, God assured him of His protection in times of danger and invested him with steadfastness and stability under all circum- stances and helped him when the conspirators hatched plots against him.He protected him from the mischief of the mischief-makers, from the harm of the harmful, and the attack of the attackers.He provided him ease after hardship and shade after heat.Therefore O community of the righteous!—reflect over this! Could reason allow the Holy Lord to grant these rewards and support to a man whom He knows to be amongst the fabricators? Can any text or statement of the Lord of all the worlds be found in this regard? And do you find any such precedent of this anywhere in the universe? Can reason affirm that all such matters can be found in their entirety in an impostor? That he attributes false statements to God day and night, and does not repent from his lies by discarding his own shamelessness; nevertheless, God grants him respite for twenty-six years, reveals to him knowledge of the unseen in abundance, helps him in every way, and grants him succour in every mubahalah against his enemies.Certainly not! Indeed, such a statement can be uttered only by someone who does not believe in the Best of Judges.Beware! Allah's curse is upon the people who ascribe lies to Allah and upon those who reject His Messengers, despite witnessing the Signs of their truthful- ness; they knowingly deny Signs which they have seen.Do they not see that an impostor is never supported like the truthful? Were such a one to be supported, the whole affair would have been confused and false- hood would have been mingled with truth.There would have remained no difference between the recipients of revelation from Allah and the impostors.Beware! The curse of Allah is upon the one who forges lies against Allah or rejects the truthful.Whosoever rejects the truthful or

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800 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI forges lies, Allah will gather them altogether in a fire that He has pre- pared for them and they will be incapable of escaping therefrom.قُل كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ فَسْتَلِ الْعَاذِينَ قُلْ إِنْ لَبِثْتُم الا قَلِيلًا لَّوْ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ Those who had rejected [the truth] would say: 2 ما كنا لا نرى رِجَالًا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُمْ مِنَ الْأَشْرَارِ And we reckoned them to be among the liars.On that day, God will inform them that: 'Those people are in Heaven and you will abide for long in the burning hot Hell.' There they will testify to the truth of the Prophets under the canine teeth of Hell.Woe unto those who reject! When it is said to them, 'Let us turn to the Book of Allah for arbi- tration between us and you, they say, 'Nay, we shall instead follow our past elders.' They have, in fact, abandoned the Scriptures of Allah.Instead, you will find them to rely on others [i.e.books] besides them.They flee from the one who has been sent to them, even though he is al-Hakam [the Arbiter] commissioned by Allah; and Allah testified to his truth and He is indeed the Best of Testifiers.He appeared at the head of the century and God sent down such Signs for him that help cure the sick and diminish the need for back-and-forth discussion.However, the Signs are of no use to a people who exceed the limit.O wise people! He has been raised at the time of true need when Islam faces great hardships at the hands of the disbelievers and just 1.God will say, 'What number of years did you tarry in the earth?' They will say, 'We tarried for a day or a part of a day, but ask those who keep count.He will say, 'You tarried but a little, if only you knew!' (Surah al-Mu'minun, 23:113-115) [Publisher] 2.'What has happened to us that we see not the men whom we used to reckon among the wicked?' (Surah Ṣād, 38:63) [Publisher]

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 801 when the two eclipses [lunar and solar] have taken place during Ramadan, as was prophesied.He has invited you to truth, as supported by true insight.He has been aided by everything that is provided as assistance to the elect of God and those whom He loves.Furthermore, the age demands that he should come and silence the disbelievers [with arguments] and demolish what they have constructed.He is calling [the people of] the age and the age is calling for him.Despite that, those who exceed the limit go on denying him, are ever so eager to deride him, and view him with ridicule.He is indeed the Promised Messiah-the one to break the Cross with clear arguments based on true guidance, in much the same way the cross broke [the body of] the earlier Messiah.Now is the time for the rays of Islam to reach their zenith.The Promised Messiah came at the time of midday [when the heat is at its peak] by the command of the All-Knowing God, so that Allah may reveal His complete light to mankind after darkness.As a result, his truth has been manifested like the sea when it surges or the deluge when it strikes.These matters were destined for him for the Latter Days by the Gracious God.Hence, it happened exactly as ordained by the Munificent God.He looked at the Indian subcontinent and found it worthy of the seat of this Khilafah [vicegerency], for, in the beginning of creation, this part of the world was the cradle of the first Adam.1* This is why God raised the Adam of the Latter Days in this part of the world, with a view to establishing their mutual resemblance and connecting the beginning to the end, and thus completing the full 1.Here I have prefixed the definite article [al-] to the word Adam; howev- er, in this context, it is used as an indefinite noun.In my opinion, the word Adam is not of Hebrew origin.Of course, it may have concurrent use in both languages.Such concurrence of usage is found in abundance in that language and in Arabic.I have clearly established in my book Minanur-Raḥmān [‘The Blessings of the Gracious God'] that Arabic is the mother of tongues and all other languages have been derived from it with the passage of time.(Author)

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802 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI circle of the divine call, as was the requirement of truth and wisdom.Thus, the time has now come back to its original state and reached its destined form which the Best of Creation [Holy Prophetsa] had referred to.Thus it was that in this blessed land, the end point merged with the starting point and the sun rose in the East.This is what was recorded in the holy Scriptures of Allah, so that those people should be comforted whose tears did not cease upon viewing darkness.Their cheeks radiate their happiness and they take delight in it.Allah has indeed removed all thorns of doubts from their path.As a result, they walk in peace and they have been transported from wilderness to gardens.They have come out of the dark cave to the light of the Lord of all creation and behold! they have begun to see.They have moved from the wilderness to the fortress of God, the Protector.Lamps of faith have been lit in their hearts and they have entered the safe haven of peace, to which satanic people cannot even come close.As for those who love the life of this world, their hearts have been sealed; therefore, they do not under- stand.The night has cast its shroud over them and darkness has spread its ropes.Therefore, they are straying in darkness.O brave young people! Once again, I ask you, so that the argument is clinched against him who rejects the truth; and the reward be estab- lished for the one who speaks the truth, keeps guard over his right- eousness and faith, and does not follow the paths of Satan.Give me your verdict about the one who says that he has been sent by Allah, and every day he is helped by Allah, and is honoured and never dis- honoured.His Lord God is with him at every step.He provides for his needs expeditiously and blesses his provisions, life, Jama'at, follow- ers, and community.He grants him succour and acceptance among the people many times greater than could be imagined in the beginning of his mission.He elevates his remembrance and spreads it to all parts of the world and carries it to all sides and ends of the earth.He elevates his rank and makes his arguments magnificent.He grants him clear victory in every field and causes his praises to flow from the tongues.

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 803 He hears his prayers at the time of adversity and disgraces his enemies and perfects His bounties to such an extent that people begin to feel jealous on this account.God destroys whoever enters into a mubāha- lah [prayer duel] with him and disgraces the one who seeks to disgrace him.He inspires people at large to think and speak well of him and protects him from all kinds of dishonour.He declares him free of the slanders hurled upon him and helps him in extraordinary ways on all occasions.He declares him innocent of all that is said about him by the ignoble.Allah testifies to his truth with Signs that are not granted except to the truthful and with the support reserved only for the truthful.He blesses his lifespan, his breath, his words, his arguments, and the Signs he shows.People are attracted to him in large numbers to hear his words and seek his favourable attention.He endears him to His right- eous servants and gathers large parties of sincere followers towards him.Initially, He causes him to emerge as a seed that sends forth its sprout, with no one among the people being with him, but then He makes him like a grand tree, and a large number of people take shelter under his shade and fruits.Through him, God bestows life to the soil of the hearts so that it becomes fertile, and He illumines the faces with His argument and they begin to glow.Through him, He opens the eyes that were blind, the ears that were deaf, and the hearts that were wrapped up [in heed- lessness].O brave young people! You have witnessed all of this.You have seen for yourselves how some members of my community demon- strated supernormal steadfastness, to the extent that some of them were murdered and some stoned to death only because they belonged to this community.They fulfilled their vow with truthfulness and firm faith, and drank the cup of martyrdom like a pure wine and surrendered their lives blissfully.It certainly constitutes a Sign for one who has eyes.I swear by Allah that from the early days of his adolescence up until now, this servant of God has been witnessing a large variety of bounties from the Gracious God.Whenever one bounty was delayed, another would

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804 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI appear instead.Every time trouble of any kind was posed by an enemy, it was warded off by Allah, and he continued to remain victorious in each and every battle, until the time came for divine help to reach him, and truth became distinct [from falsehood], doubt vanished away, and a multitude of people had recourse to him.Those who asked, 'Whence did you come by all this?, God demonstrated to them that all this was from Him.Those who sought to disgrace him, God caused them to taste disgrace and destruction and placed them under the threat of the hatchet.Whenever they held their heads high, the divine hand came down hard on them.It happened thus so that they may acquire hearts with which they should understand, and ears with which they should hear, and so that they may be awakened or their sensory organs be sharpened.Among them are many who entered into a mubahalah and, in consequence, were smitten with disgrace or were destroyed, or their lineal descendants were cut off, so that Allah might awaken them from their slumber.Whenever they hatched a plot, God defended His servant, even if their machination was powerful enough to move mountains, and He caused every conspirator to taste something of a chastisement.And God recoiled the curse upon everyone who invoked curses upon His servant.ومَا دُعَوُا الكَفِرِينَ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَلٍ At the time of the mubāhalah, having compassion for the weak and helping those who were unaware of the reality of the situation, Allah destroyed their leaders.Thus, Allah averted the evil outcome and resolved the issue, and there remained no one to dare to take up the challenge of mubahalah.God thus demonstrated for them such Signs as had not been shown to their forefathers.This was done so that the 1.But the prayer of the disbelievers is of no avail (Surah al-Mu'min, 40:51).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 805 paths of the guilty ones should be exposed and so that Allah may dis- tinguish between the rightly guided and those who had gone astray.God thus disproved their boasts of knowledge, piety, sacrifice, worship, and righteousness.God exposed to mankind the deeds they were hid- ing; He removed their clothing, revealing their emaciation.But God granted safety to those who feared Him and whose hearts trembled.Thus, they were saved from punishment.Moreover, many of the transgressors dragged this servant of God to the authorities so that he may be incarcerated, hanged, or banished from the land.You are well aware of the final and ultimate verdict that God delivered in this encounter.All the bounties and grace that I have mentioned that God granted to this servant of His during times of hardship were announced based upon information received from the Lord of Glory well before they were actually manifested.Do you know of any precedent under the heavens where this ever happened in the case of impostors? If so, then come forward with it and stop this verbal wrangling.Verily, the people wronged him greatly and committed an injustice against him; they encircled him like mountains.But then a clear victory came to him from Allah.Thus, the high were laid low, and whatever they shot recoiled on them and struck them on their skulls and heads.God demonstrated His help in perfect form.But the refuse of mankind ral- lied with full preparation to assist his enemies; however, by God's com- mand, they suffered defeat, and Allah's word alone reigned supreme.All those on whom the enemy relied were found ineffective and God granted His servant success, victory, and triumph in all affairs, in every direction, and under all circumstances.God, who does whatever He wills, invested him with great awe and majesty.Had you only observed the hosts of initiates who have spread across the earth, and the hosts that Allah has gathered for His servant who seeks Allah's pleasure, and the gifts and wealth that came to him from countries near and far, you would certainly concede that it is nothing but Allah's grace, support, and succour, and divinely bestowed honour and grandeur [for him].But people continued to disbelieve despite witnessing divine

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806 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI support and Signs.They hatched all kinds of plots to inflict some harm upon him but Allah granted him security and peace against every mischievous Antichrist and from every person who came out for a fight and a dispute.Whenever they sought to disturb his life, Allah transformed his fears into felicity, and, by the command of Allah, the Bestower of Bounties, his life became more pleasant than before.They wanted to broadcast his [supposed] faults, but he was lauded and praised on account of his comely virtues and noble deeds.They wanted his livelihood to be straitened; instead, there descended upon him presents, gifts, and monetary contributions from all sides, falling down upon him like ripened fruits.They wished to see his humiliation and disgrace, but Allah blessed him with spectacular honour and raised his status.The most surprising part of it is that they malign and vilify him even though they are totally unaware of the facts.When they are told to believe as others have believed, they say, 'Shall we believe as the foolish have believed?' Beware! It is surely they that are foolish, but they perceive it not.They do not reflect on the act of God and how [benevolently] He has treated His servant.Is this the reward for those who forge lies? Verily, those who blaspheme are cursed in this world and in the Hereafter and they are never helped.For them there is no share of this world except a tiny portion.Then, in the end, they die of divine chastisement that overtakes them from above and from beneath their feet and from their right and left.They shall be given full requital for what they used to do.No true Prophet was ever sent except on whose account Allah debased the people who would not believe.They eagerly await his death whereas only those are destroyed who deserve to be destroyed.Will God destroy someone whom He knows to be truthful on account of the designs and prayers of these people? Nay, it is they who are blind.O fair-minded ones! What do you say about this servant of God and his enemies? Have you ever witnessed someone who fabri- cated lies about God, and was engaged in a mubahalah with a believer,

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 807 but Allah helped him against the believer and utterly destroyed the one who opposed him and engaged in a mubahalah with him? So explain-O wise people!—and be rewarded: Have you ever seen that a person fabricated lies about God, and then God supported him and removed every hurdle meant to harm him? And whenever a plot was hatched against him, God Almighty smashed it into pieces, and opened for him the doors of His grace, mercy, and bounties, and rewarded him as He rewards His Messengers; and opened for him the doors of every bounty and blessing, protected his honour and life against the enemies, and then, with His Signs and divine testimony, cleared him of all their charges? [One whom] God Almighty safe- guarded against [the mischief of] his enemies and attacked those who sought to attack him, descending against anyone who showed enmity towards him, and helped His servant as He helps those who are sincere to Him? O brave young people! Give me your verdict in this matter and show me an impostor upon whom God bestowed such favours and bounties like this servant of His.Fear God to whom you will return.O learned ones and erudite scholars! Yet again, I seek your verdict.Do not say aught but the truth and fear God in whose hand is your recompense.You know that the virtuous never lie, and to conceal [the truth] is not among their traits; none hides the truth except the one doomed for wretchedness.O brave young people, contemporary jurists, learned men of the time, and erudite scholars of various towns! Give me your verdict concerning him who claims to have come from God and for whom divine protection appeared like the midday sun, the light of whose truth is resplendent, like the full moon on a dark night, and for whose sake God displayed brilliant Signs, and in whatever matter this serv- ant of God decided to proceed, God arose to help him.Furthermore, God answered [his prayers] about his friends and foes.This servant of God says nothing except what the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had said and does not take a single

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808 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI step away from the right path of guidance.He says that God has des- ignated me a Prophet in His revelation and the same name has also been conferred upon me earlier by the tongue of our very Prophet al-Muṣṭafă [the Chosen One of God].¹ By ‘Prophethooď he means a.1* great abundance of converse with Allah, abundant news of the unseen from Allah, and abundance of revelation.He says: By 'Prophethood' I do not mean what the earlier Scriptures meant.On the contrary, it sig- nifies a spiritual station that is not granted except through [complete] following of our Holy Prophet, the Best of Mankind.Whosoever is blessed to attain this station, Allah speaks to him abundantly and with great clarity.The Shariah remains sacrosanct.No command is dropped nor is any injunction added.He also says: I am just an individual mem- ber of the Ummah of the Holy Prophetsa.Despite this, by virtue and blessings of the Muḥammadan Prophethood, God has designated me a Prophet and has revealed to me what He has revealed.Therefore, my prophethood is nothing but his prophethood.And there is nothing 1.Footnote: If someone objects and asks, 'How can there be a Prophet with- in this Ummah since God has set a seal on Prophethood?, the answer is that the God of Honour and Glory has not named this man Prophet except to establish the perfection of the Prophethood of our Holy Master, the Best of Creation [the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa], since the perfection of the Holy Prophet's Prophethood cannot be established without establishing the per- fection of the Ummah, without which it would just be a mere claim for which the wise have no rational evidence.The Seal of Prophethood being set for a particular person has no meaning except that in the case of that particu- lar person the merits of Prophethood should culminate into their ultimate height.Among the perfect merits of a Prophet is the perfection of his grace.This perfection cannot be identified without the presence of its specimen in the ranks of the Ummah.Moreover, I have repeatedly pointed out that the divine intent regarding my Prophethood is nothing but the abundance of converse with God.This indeed is an accepted fact among the elders of the Ummah.Thus, this contention is only verbal.Therefore, O people who pos- sess reason and intelligence, do not be hasty in this case.Allah's curse be upon him who claims even an atom's weight contrary to this, and the curse of all mankind and of angels be upon him as well.(Author)

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 809 in my attire except his light and rays.Were he not there, I would not be anything worthy of mention, nor [even] be named.Every Prophet is recognized on the basis of his beneficence.Imagine how lofty is the spiritual station of our Holy Prophets who is the great- est of all the Prophets.He is greater than them in beneficence and his spiritual station is loftier and higher than all of them.What worth is a religion whose light does not illumine any heart, whose elixir does not quench any thirst, whose appearance does not have a profound impact upon the hearts, and which does not possess any praiseworthy fea- ture that clinches the argument when quoted? What worth is a faith that does not distinguish a believer from the one who disbelieves and rejects, as though he who enters it is just like the one who leaves it, and no difference can be seen between them? Of what worth is a religion that does not bring death upon the base desires of the living one nor gives him a new life? God becomes his who devotes himself to God entirely; this has been His way among the peoples of the past.A Prophet who lacks the quality of bestowing grace upon others possesses no firm argument to establish his truthfulness, nor can he be recognised by anyone who comes to him.His case is like a shepherd who does not provide fresh leaves and water for his flock but instead restrains them from water and pasture.You are well aware that our Religion [of Islam] is a living faith and our Holy Prophetsa raises the dead to life.His advent brought great blessings like heavy rain from the clouds.No religion dares to com- pete with it [Islam] in regard to these magnificent features.Other than this resplendent Faith, there is no religion that removes the burden of a person's veil, or brings him to the edifice of Allah and its door.Only he who is blind can doubt these [excellences of Islam].People conspired to draw their swords from their sheaths against this servant of God.In reply, the Lord of Creation advanced forth to fight against them.Consequently, some were cut off, some disgraced, and some-in accordance with His warning-were granted reprieve until the time destined for their punishment.For their part, they had

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810 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI solemnly vowed to treat him with nothing but injustice and falsehood.Their multitude drifted away from the path of righteousness and fled from the path of truth as if there was a ferocious lion tearing them apart, or a snake ready to bite, or some other affliction facing them.It was their desire that this servant of God be slain or incarcerated or expelled from the land, so that they might later claim that he was a liar, and therefore, Allah had destroyed and annihilated him or humil- iated and debased him.Instead, God helped him with never-ending support both from the earth and the high heavens.He prayed for vic- tory and God caused all his arrogant enemies to come to naught.God enabled him to turn to Him during every trial and make heart-rend- ing supplications; He then accepted his prayers and blessed them with influence.Whosoever prayed against him was [himself] destroyed, and many fell victim to the plague as a result of his prayers and tasted hor- rible death even while they, for their part, had been anxiously awaiting the day of his death all the while saying: ‘Allah has intimated his death to us through revelation.' Verily, there is a Sign in this for those who possess wisdom.God made his house a sanctuary of peace.Whoever entered it was protected from the plague and was not harmed in the least, whereas people living in his neighbourhood continued to be swept away by it.Surely, anyone who has eyes to see will discover the hand of divine omnipotence in this.God granted him the bounty of performing good deeds along with their fruits for the benefit of the pious, as if they are gardens beneath which rivers flow.He granted him renown across the land and, as a result, people hasten to him day and night; God drew towards him hosts of enlightened people possessing purified souls, noble natures, clean hearts, and bosoms as vast as the oceans.He has engendered mutual love and compassion among them and has dispelled all kinds of heedlessness and pride from their bosoms.God had informed him of these phenomena at a time when this servant of God was totally unknown and this succour was a hidden secret.God granted him the staff of truth with which He disgraces the enemies.This staff then

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 811 devours the snakes of secretly hatched plots, and God promised that He would disgrace whoever intends to disgrace this claimant.Thus, anyone who insulted him and was arrogant suffered disgrace.Verily, they continued to reject him without knowledge while their hearts were in a state of negligence on account of their mundane desires.They looked upon the divine order spitefully and tormented the servants of God with their aspersions.They themselves do not enter the abode of truthfulness; and more- over, they block those who wish to enter it and not to remain in denial.Therefore, the wrath of Allah is upon them and He has prepared for them robes of fire and afflicted them with the flames of deprivation.They can neither bear them nor can they repel the heat of restlessness.They look right and left but can find neither refuge from the wrath of God Almighty nor one who can save them from ruin.Hence, their end was nothing but loss, destruction, humiliation, and degradation.The arrows they shot at this servant [of Allah] missed as God kept him safe from their evil.God admitted him into the sanctuary of peace and the house of tranquillity.They emptied their quivers to ward off the inevitable decree, and sought to extinguish with their mouths the heav- enly light that had descended.Like a rock they fell upon him with the desire to reduce him to dust.They wanted mountains to crash down upon him, wiping out his existence, but God granted him overwhelm- ing victory, that Allah might make it a cause of regret for them.Surely, Allah never allows the disbelievers to prevail over the believ- ers.The disbelievers could not ward off the misfortune that Allah had forewarned about them.Allah gave His ordained servant the glad tid- ing that: he would always be under His protection and security, the enemies from among the wicked would not be able to harm him in the least, and he will always live under the grace of the Most Forgiving God.God thus kept him safe and welcomed him in His presence, but for his enemies, He became like a sharp sword.God helped him, like a friend, in every field and granted him prosperity after distress and for his sake transformed the earth into a verdant vale or an orchard

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812 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI laden with fruit; He placed blessing in his breath and cleansed him of every impurity and carried the light of his holy lamp to the ends of the earth.As a result, many of the righteous turned to him, forsaking their homelands for the sake of Allah the Almighty, and adopting his village as their home in the hope of attaining the mercy of Allah the Most Forgiving.Consequently, the enemies burnt with envy and they hatched all kinds of plots but they all dissolved into dust.They tried all stratagems but the only portion they acquired from God was their own destruction.They collaborated against him and mounted a united attack.But he returned with the grace of Allah and greater worldwide acclaim.Thus did Allah help His servant and fulfil His promise.God Almighty granted him many helpers and gave him the glad tiding that He would protect him against his enemies and that He would attack whosoever attacks him.Accordingly, God fulfilled His promise and kept him safe from all types of harm.God has made him a chosen one, free from every type of defilement, and has purified him.He drew him near to Himself for special com- munion and revealed to him that which He did reveal, and taught him the path of wisdom and guidance, and on his account joined together the Signs from both the earth and the high heavens.He warded off the mischief of his enemies.He caused all his affairs to be based on piety and righteousness and rectified his matters after they had suffered great dissipation.He enabled his arrow to hit its target every time.God Almighty caused the world to serve him like a maid who comes to him selflessly, opened the door of every bounty, and protected him against every calamity.He nourished him and taught him on His own, and thus revealed to him profound verities.He came to you at the appointed time.Hence, what do you say about this man? Is he truthful or is he a liar? What is the source of this beneficence? Did Allah bestow on him what He bestowed or does Satan possess the power to do these great things? Explain and be rewarded, and fear the Day of the final decision that will expose all that is concealed.

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CHAPTER TWO Hear, O noble ones! May Allah guide you to the paths of good fortune.I am, indeed, the seeker of a verdict, and I am the claimant.I do not speak with any veil [of ignorance]; rather, I am established upon clear insight from the Lord God, the Great Bestower.Allah has commis- sioned me at the turn of this century, so that I may revive the Faith, illu- mine the face of the Religion, smash the Cross, extinguish the blaze of Christianity, and establish the Sunnah of the Best of Mankind [Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa]; and so that I may reform what has been cor- rupted, and revive [the values] that have stagnated.I am the Promised Messiah and Prophesied Mahdi.Allah has graced me with His revela- tion and word and He has spoken with me as He spoke with His hon- oured Messengers and He has testified to my truth with Signs that you are witnessing.He has shown my face with such light as you recognize.I do not ask you to accept me without any proof and believe in me without any indubitable argument.Rather, I announce to you to stand up with justice for Allah's sake and consider the Signs, arguments, and testimonies that God Almighty has sent down for me.O host of deniers! If you do not find my Signs to be consistent with the established practice of Allah regarding the righteous, and with His past practice for the earlier Prophets, then you may reject me and not accept me.But if you witness my Signs to be like the Signs for the earlier ones, then faith demands that you should accept me and not walk away by ignoring them.Do view the you of God with scep- ticism, whereas the time for it has come? You see that the Religion has lost its flesh, and its bones have become exposed.Its enemies have been elevated and its servants debased.What is wrong with you that mercy you

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814 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI witness the Signs of Allah and yet you reject them; and you see the sun of truth in front of your very eyes, yet you are not convinced? O people! Allah's argument has been clinched against you; so, whereto do you flee? And certainly His Signs have appeared from all sides.Islam has descended into the cave of banishment and its com- mandments are not being practised.Every calamity has descended upon it, every affliction has exposed its canine teeth for it, and every misfortune has opened its door to it.The sixth millennium, during which the Messiah was promised to appear, has already passed.So what do you think? Did Allah go against His promise or did He fulfil it? Do you not see how all nations have united against this Religion? They have attacked it together like a pack of wild beasts that emerges suddenly from behind a single cluster of trees.Islam has become like a lonely outcast and the target of every transgressor.It is Ïd [Eid] for the opponents, but ours is the moon of Dhul-Qa'dah.¹ We sit in utmost fear and terror, as if vanquished by the disbelievers.They malign our religion and their taunts are worse than the attacks of spears.In the face of all that, my Lord appointed me at the turn of the cen- tury.Do you think that He sent me without necessity? By Allah, I see that the need [for my advent] is greater than in previous times.Good for- tune has disappeared like a slave who has fled.Islam was like a man with a wonderful physique and handsome face but now you will see the ugliness of religious innovations and the wounds of fabricated rituals on its face.And its robustness has turned into frailty, the clear water of its spring into murky water, its light into darkness, and its mansions into wastelands.It has become like a home with no inhabitants, or like a honey- comb with nothing left in it except the bees.How can you imagine that 1.Meaning, our opponents are rejoicing in launching assaults against us and re- joicing in what they do, but we have been prohibited from responding in kind.Therefore, our position is as if we are passing through Dhul-Qa'dah—one of the four Islamic months in which fighting is forbidden by God Almighty.[Publisher]

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CHAPTER TWO 815 God did not send a Mujaddid [Reformer] in this age when this was the precise time for bringing down the heavenly food-n -not for folding up the dining table? How can you imagine that the Benevolent God did not want to reform mankind in the face of this profusion of innova- tions and flood of evils; and that, instead, He imposed on Muslims an Antichrist [deceiver] from among themselves, so that he might cause them to be destroyed by the poison of misguidance? Was the Christian mischief not sufficient enough in its perversity that God Almighty had to complete it by means of this Antichrist? By Allah, such an opinion has not sprung from the fountain of wis- dom and insight, but it is a sound uglier than the braying of a donkey and weaker than the cry of a baby camel.In addition, how is it possi- ble that successive Signs be shown in support of a a person whom Allah knows to be an impostor? O band of deniers! Is there no vestige of righteousness left in your hearts? It is simply impossible that anyone should forge a lie against Allah yet Allah should help him the way He helps the chosen ones.If that were to happen, peace would disappear, the matter would become suspect, and faith would be shaken; in this is a trial for the seekers.Do you imagine that one can forge lies against God every day and night, morning and evening, and claim that he receives revelations―albeit nothing has been revealed to him—yet His Lord helps him as He helps the truthful? Is this something sane reason can accept? What has gone wrong with you that you do not reflect like the righteous? Are the Antichrist your only lot? Where are the rejuvenators and reformers at the time when the worms of disbelief have devoured the Faith? Do you not see? Do you not see how the Christian scholars are deceiving the igno- rant and how they gild their words and deeds in order to lure them? Most certainly God has sent down for you an argument against them.O Wise ones! Why do you not benefit from His argument? I swear by Allah that even if their earlier ones and their latter ones, their elite and their commoners, and their men and their women, were to gather together, they would not be able to produce a single Sign like the ones

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816 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI our Lord has bestowed upon us, even if some of them were to help oth- ers.This is because they are established on falsehood, and we are estab- lished on truth; our God is Living, and their god is dead and cannot hear their sobbing and sighing.Verily, we have a Prophet, the Signs of whose truth we are witnessing even in this very age, whereas they have nothing but the vegetation that grows in manure.Hence, O heedless people! Where do you flee to from the citadel of peace? Indeed, our Prophet is Khatamul-Anbiya' [the Seal of the Prophets].There is no Prophet after him, other than the one who is illuminated with his light and whose advent is a zill [shadow] of his advent.Hence, by following him, revelation is our due right and entitlement; it is the lost property of our natures, which we have rediscovered by virtue of this blessed Prophet whom we follow.Thus it has been granted to us for free and not as a purchase.The perfect believer is the one who is granted this bounty as a gift.And an evil end is feared for the one who is granted nothing of it.This is our religion.We see its fruits and witness its light at all times.As for the religion of the Christians, it is like a house whose darkness frightens people and whose smoke blinds the eyes.Does it have a Sign which we can behold? By Allah! If the religion of Islam was not there, recognition of the Lord of all the worlds would have been difficult.Through this religion alone, the hidden verities have come into light.Verily, it is like a tree that bears fruit in every season and invites the wise to partake of it.As for the religion of ‘Īsā [Jesus], it is like a tree that has been uprooted from the earth, displaced by furious winds and then the thieves have left no trace of it.There is nothing in their religion except tales that have been handed down, and it is lacking in tangible evidence.It is obvious that mere tales do not provide conviction and they do not have the power to attract one to the Lord of all the worlds.The power to attract is only in tangible Signs and existent miracles, and by them the hearts are transformed, souls are purified, and faults are effaced.All this is unique to Islam and the following of our Prophet, the Best of Mankind; I am among the witnesses thereof.Indeed, I am

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CHAPTER TWO 817 one of its recipients and of those who have personal experience.And it is with it that we clinch the argument against the deniers.After all, what good is a religion that is like a house whose relics have been oblit- erated or is like a garden whose trees have been uprooted? No reasona- ble person would be content with a religion that is like a ruined house, or a broken staff, or a barren woman, or a sightless eye.Therefore, all praise belongs to Allah that Islam is a living religion that quickens the dead, grants verdure to the barren land, and imparts lustre to life.By God, I am deeply astonished at those who claim to belong to one of the sects of Islam, yet deny the blessings of this religion and the blessings of our Prophet, the Best of Mankind, and deny converse with the All- Knowing God.What has gone wrong with them that they do not wake up from their slumber and do not open the eyes of their reason? So I seek refuge with Allah from the like of the state in which they are, and I am surprised at them and at their assertions.Certainly, I have stood among them as the appointee from Allah, but they do not believe.I invite them towards Allah, but they do not come; and they pass by as if they have not heard, though they do hear.Have not the stories reached them of the people who used to reject their Messengers and who did not desist from it? Or is there an exception for them in the Quran that they hold fast to? By Allah, I am truly from the Gracious God.My Lord speaks to me and grants me revelation by His grace and beneficence.I searched for Him until I found Him, and I sought after Him until I attained Him.And I have been granted life after death.I found the Truth after for- saking the transitory things.Verily, our Lord does not waste the people who seek, nor does He leave in doubt the one who seeks conviction.Certainly you have exercised all kinds of connivance and, if it had not been for the grace and mercy of God, I would have been annihilated.My Lord addressed me and said: إِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا You are, certainly, under Our watchful care.

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818 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI Accordingly, He fulfilled His promise in every field and against the machination of every one who devised plans [against me].He helped me and granted me refuge with Himself.I was attacked by each one of you, but no man could overpower me.Thus they all returned in frustra- tion.You cut asunder what God Almighty had enjoined to be united.You propagated among the masses that these people are not among the Muslims.You wished that we should be among the forsaken.But Allah caused your wishes to recoil upon you and spread our name through- out the world.Is such the recompense of the impostors? O people! You have two colours: a colour of your hearts, and a colour of your tongues-belief is on your tongues while disbelief is in your hearts.You have made your words for the Gracious God, but your actions for Satan.So where do you stand with respect to the guidance of the Holy Quran? You read in the book of Allah that ‘Īsā tasted the cup of death, yet you raise him to the heavens with his corporal body.Therefore, I do not comprehend the reality of your belief in the verses [of the Holy Quran].You recite in your prayers that ‘Īsā has died and not that he was raised bodily or is still alive.* Then after the prayer you sit cross-legged by the pillar in the miḥrāb and, turning to your companions, you say, 'One who believes in his [Jesus's] death is a disbe- liever, worthy of punishment in Hell; and it is obligatory to pronounce 1.And when Allah, the Holy and Exalted, says, ['O Jesus, I will cause you to die a natural death and will exalt you to Myself.(Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:56)], it does not mean the ascension of the body along with the soul.The argument for it is that the death is mentioned prior to the ascension, and this ascension after death is the prerogative of every believ- er.This is substantiated by the Holy Quran, Hadith, and traditions.Jews, on their part, disputed the ascension of ‘Īsā.They said that certainly ‘Īsā would not be raised like believers, nor would he be granted life; and that was so because they declared him to be a disbeliever and did not consider him to be from among the believers.This is why God Almighty refuted them in this verse and in other verses, as He said: [On the contrary, Allah exalted him to Himself?' (Surah an-Nisa', 4:159)]; and they [the Jews who ca- lumniate Jesus] are among the liars.(Author)

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CHAPTER TWO 819 him to be a disbeliever.' Such are your prayers and these are your state- ments.You read in the Quran and you believe in it, yet you knowingly cast its import behind your backs.Do you find in the Book of Allah any mention of the descent of ‘Īsā after his death? Then, O wise people! What is the meaning of ? Do you reject the Book of Allah after having believed in it? Do you not fear Allah, and seek instead to please your brethren? Do you show enmity to the one sent at the turn of the century, though he is one from amongst you and belongs to this ummah; one who has come at the time of need and at the time of the mischief of Christianity? He adhered to the narrow paths of the Scriptures of Allah with truth and wisdom, and Allah testified to his truth with shining Signs.What is the matter with you that you reject the mercy of Allah when it has descended, and are not among the grateful? Your night [i.e.unenlightened thinking] has covered Islam and your flood [i.e.violent behaviour] is raging towards it, yet you think what you are doing is good? What is the matter with you that you do not take note of this age and its attendant troubles, of the storm of disbelief and its assaults? Is no man amongst you to be counted among the sagacious? By Allah, I am utterly surprised and completely baffled by what you say and what you do.What strategy have you devised against the disbelievers, and what preparations have you made in response to the Christians? You cut your roots with your own hands and you support the enemies of religion with your state- ments.Allah has raised His servant at the time of this storm, but you reject him and expunge him from the circle of faith, while he has come with a brilliant light and beautiful insights so that he may be the divine argument for the truth of Islam, so that the sun of Islam may emerge from the darkness, so that Allah may protect it from the harm and bit- terness of the time, so as to lengthen its shade and multiply its fruit, so as to show its light to the masses, so as to enable people to see for them- selves that it [Islam] is greater than all other faiths in terms of quality, 1.But since you did cause me to die (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118).[Publisher]

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820 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI quantity, reform, and rectitude; yet you reject him.Nay rather, you are the foremost of his enemies! I thought you were the elect of the age and a running spring for the thirsty, but it has become evident that you are like impure water; indeed, no one equals your impurity through- out the entire world.You disputed, and disputed excessively, until you surpassed those who have gone before.You crossed the limits and you broke the covenants, and you declared Muslims to be disbelievers.Do you not see that I was a humble servant hidden in the corner of oblivion? I was so far from accolade and recognition that no reference was made to me nor any allusion; no benefit was expected from me nor any harm, and I was not among the well known.It was then that my Lord addressed me and said: إِنِّي اخْتَرْتُكَ وَأَتَرْتُكَ ، قُلْ إِنِّي أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ.I have chosen you and I have preferred you.Therefore, say: 'I have been commanded and I am the first of the believers.' And He said: أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ تَوْحِيْدِى وَتَفْرِيْدِى، فَحَانَ أَنْ تُعَانَ وَتُعْرَفَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ.يَأْتُونَ مَنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ.يَنْصُرُكَ رِجَالٌ نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ.يَأْتِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ.You are to Me as My Tauḥīd [Oneness] and Tafrīd [Uniqueness].The time has come that you should be helped and be made well known in the world.Help will come to you by every distant track—such tracks which will become deep due to the excessive travel of the people that will come to you.So many people will come to you that the track on which they travel will become deep.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from the heavens.Gifts will come to you by every distant track.This is what my Lord said.Thus can you see the manner He has shown His help.People came to me in multitudes.Gifts were offered to me in such profusion as if they were a raging sea.These are the Signs of Allah,

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CHAPTER TWO 821 the light of which you do not see and which you deny after they have made their appearance.Why do you not ponder concerning my case? Had you ever heard of my name before my Lord gave the news? I was hidden like an ordinary person who was not mentioned amongst the elite or the commoners.For a long while I remained unworthy of any mention, and I lived like one whom people considered forsaken.My town was far too isolated to be the destination of travellers and lowly in the eyes of its beholders.Marks of its heyday had been obliterated, and residing in it was disliked.Its blessings had dwindled and its pains and troubles had increased.People living in it were like animals.Because of their obvious degradation, they invited [the rebuke of] the reprover.They did not know what Islam is, or what the Quran and its command- ments are.Therefore, it is from the extraordinary decrees of God and unusual acts of His Omnipotence that He raised me from this desolate place in order that I may serve like a spear against the enemies of the Faith.And He gave me the glad tiding in the period of my obscurity and in the days of my acceptance, that I will soon become the recourse of the masses, and an impregnable wall against the onslaught of the dis- believers; I will sit at the head chair and I will become like a protective chest for the hearts.They will come to me from every distant track with gifts and all that is valuable.This is heavenly revelation from the Lord of Majesty.It is not a concocted statement, nor is it a product of selfish motives.It was, on the contrary, the promise of my Most Exalted Lord, which had been documented, published, and publicized to the entire world before its fulfilment and it was dispatched to cities and towns.Then it became manifest like the midday sun, and you see people flock- ing to me with gifts that are beyond count and enumeration.Is there not a Sign in this for those who have wisdom? If you consider me a liar, then reveal my secret to mankind and expose what I hide.Inquire from the residents of this town; maybe you will find assistance from my enemies.I have laid out this case to you so that you may investigate and be rightly guided.

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822 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI Thus, if you do not fear Allah, then you may continue on your course; Allah will bring someone in exchange for you.But if you fear Him, then the argument is evident and the matter is easy.Islam has faced the trauma of autumn.Consider, then, has not the time arrived for spring and its pleasant breeze? You see that the hearts suffered from drought in this age of ours and the cool refreshing winds departed and left them forsaken.Then came the mercy of God like heavy rain and redressed the situation in a perfect manner.In this age, Allah has willed to remove the thorns that have wounded the feet of Islam, and to cut down every thorny branch that lies in its path and to cleanse the Earth of the ignoble ones.Whether you accept it or not, certainly, I am the spring shower.I have not made this claim out of selfish ambition.Rather, I have been sent by Allah, the Originator, so that I may purify the world of its idols and cleanse the minds of carnal desires and satans.Do you not see what has befallen this Religion and how weaknesses have piled up atop weakness? The epidemic has extended beyond household members to the neighbours.Death has called its mate [victim] in the same manner in which he invited it.Religion has been trampled beneath the feet of the worshippers of a human being.Its enemies have attacked it like a serpent, until it became like a town ravaged by flood or like ground overrun by horses.Allah then took note that the Earth had been laid to waste and the thoughts of people have become corrupt and nothing was left in them except ambitions of the world and its desires, and its admirers have lurched toward it.It is at this juncture that Allah has raised me amongst you for the revival of the Religion, and for the refor- mation and beatitude of the Faith.So ponder―may Allah have mercy on you—have I come to you untimely, as the impostors do, or have I come to your aid when satans are plundering you? May God guide you.Know that this matter is with the decree and determination of Allah.This light is not from any darkness; rather, it is from His Full Moon [the Holy Prophet sa].How many a wolf has torn apart the servants of Allah? Do you not

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CHAPTER TWO 823 see? How many a thief has pillaged the wealth of the Faith? Do you not bear witness? So then, what do you think? Has the time not yet come for the Gracious God's help? Aye, the days of the bounty and beneficence of Allah have come.I have not come to you without a clear-cut argument.I have testimonies from Allah that add certainty upon certainty.I was like a dead one among the living of my people.I was in a house but was homeless.I was obscure and unknown.No one knew me in this town except for a few among them.I was living in the corner of obscurity.No one from among men or women came to me.I was hidden from the people of the time.I did not undertake a trip to any land, nor did I travel all over the world.I have not seen Arabia nor explored Iraq.And, Allah is my Witness, I did not have an abundance of wealth.I have not suckled from the [udders of the] world, except like suckling from the barren from whom the milk of high quality can- not be expected; I did not ride an animal except such as did not pro- vide any comfort.Then my Lord gave me glad tiding in those days that He would suffice for me in all my endeavours and would open for me the door to every blessing from the bounties.As I have pointed out, it was a time of scarcity and of diverse needs when my Lord gave me the glad tiding that He would make my affairs easy and my path effortless and provide for all my needs.At that time, and in a time far removed from peace, I was commanded to get a ring made with these prophecies engraved on it so that, at the time of their fulfilment, it would be a Sign for the seekers of truth and an incontrovertible argument against the enemies.O people of sound judgement! I still possess this ring.Here is its impression 2 Then Allah acted in accordance with His 1.More than thirty years have passed since the casting of this ring but it has not been lost up to this day by the grace of God Almighty.At that time, there was no sign of any honour for me nor any mention of my fame.I was in the corner of obscurity, deprived of renown and acceptance.(Author) 2.The inscription reads; meaning, ‘Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?' [Publisher]

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824 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI promise and the cloud of His bounty rained just as it had thundered.Allah transformed a small seed into tall trees and ripe fruits.There is no way to deny even if all the groups of the disbelievers were to unite, for the testimony of the witnesses has blackened the face of everyone who denies it.How can the midday sun be denied? When the Word of my Lord was fulfilled and He filled my coffers, people came running to my door.From a drop, I became like oceans; from a small pebble, I became like mighty mountains; from a small plant, I became like trees laden with fruits; and from an insect, I became like a renowned hero of the battlefield.Certainly there is a Sign in this for those who are wise.Similarly, in the very beginning of my mission, my Lord gave me the glad tidings of a long life, saying: تَرى نَسْلًا بَعِيْدًا.You will witness a distant progeny.Hence, in keeping with this, He granted me a life long enough to see not only my own children but also the children of my children.He saved me from being like the abtar, who are not granted a child.This Sign alone shall suffice for a person of good fortune.Therefore, O ulema, muhaddithin [traditionalists], and fuqahā [jurists]! Does your wisdom allow you to accept that Allah would take care of all these mat- ters for someone who forges calumnies against Him and tells lies in His presence? Can you find any precedent in the sunnatullah [way of Allah] that, for such a long time, He would continue to manifest His knowledge of the unseen upon an impostor; that He should perfect His bounty upon such a person as He does in the case of His truthful Messengers; that He should help him with manifest honour in every field; that He should grant him such respite that he reaches from youth to old age, despite such fabrication; that thousands of his friends should be joined with him; that He should, on the one hand, help him and, on the other, reprove his cruel enemies as if they were dogs; that He should grant him what

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CHAPTER TWO 825 you not has not been granted to any of his contemporaries, and annihilate or disgrace and abase before his eyes whoever engages in a mubahalah with him? Have you ever witnessed divine succour, like that bestowed upon me, for someone who is always inclined towards worldly pursuits, and has fallen in love with worldly charms and is from among the fabricators and deceivers? Have you ever seen Allah's help for such a one the way He has helped me? What then is the matter with you? Why do reflect like the righteous? May God guide you.How long will you con- tinue to declare the servants of God, who are recipients of His support, to be disbelievers? You reject me, and I do not know why you reject me.Have I repudiated the Book of Allah or denied that which the Prophets have brought? Or have you not witnessed divine Signs, so that you are in doubt? Or have I come to you at the wrong time to let you allege that I have come like an impostor? What is the matter that you neither understand nor recognize the truth? Reflect upon the earlier group of impostors and the large multitude of pretenders claiming to receive revelation: how Allah smashed them into pieces on account of their imposture and how He destroyed them, left no trace of them, effaced their signs, and annihilated their supporters for their lying and for their competing with the truthful ones.Had it not been for the differentiation made by Allah between truth and falsehood, peace would have disappeared.The holy would have been deemed to be at par with the unholy, and the deserts with habitations.No distinction would have been left between those favoured by God and those rejected by Him.May God have mercy on you.Know that falsehood does not last long and impostors are humiliated in the last part of their lives.Moreover, the impostors are a forsaken community that is not sup- ported by the All-Knowing God, nor does He testify to their truth.Their quivers are without arrows.They possess nothing but talk.They are not supported, nor blessed like the elect of God.For this indeed is the way of Allah that whenever an impostor rises against a truthful one, and stands up to him in disagreement and confronts him with

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826 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI the intent of mubahalah, God Almighty throws him down with dis- grace and humiliation.This is what God, the Holy One, always does in order to distinguish between the truthful and those who are liars.Impostors are never granted help from Allah, nor are they supported by the Spirit from Him, nor are they blessed with heavenly light.They are not offered the food that is granted to the virtuous.They are noth- ing but the dogs of the world; you will find them ever inclined towards it.You will find their bosoms full of mundane desires.Indeed, their own actions testify against them.Hence, eventually, they will be humil- iated.Only then will the Being that distinguishes the wicked from the pure be recognized.As for those who were found to be truthful by their Lord, Allah the Exalted turned their attention away from the mundane world and inclined them to His own self.Therefore, for His sake, they opted for the dark day [i.e.a life of trials] and a red death [i.e.the death of martyr- dom].They surrendered both their body and soul to Him and hastened to Him to the best of their ability.They fulfilled all the requirements of love and completed the circuits of devotion.Such people shall not be disgraced in this world or in the Hereafter.They will abide in mansions of honour and loftiness.They will not witness any weakness when fac- ing their enemies, and Allah will protect them from every slip.He shall pardon them and exalt them if they stumble.As such, they will lead a life of security.The difference between them and fabricators is compa- rable to the growing brightness of the forenoon, and the night when it becomes still, or the one between good milk and very sour vinegar.To the onlooker, the light upon their face is very evident.They have bidden farewell to the hag of the world and her embellishments and opted for the Hereafter and tasted its tranquillity.They attained peace with God after discarding their baser desires.They fell prostrate at the altar of God and hastened to Him after their estrangement from this world.They contented themselves with the coarse fabrics and humble vegetables of this world.Thus, their souls are given cloaks shining like lightning along with

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CHAPTER TWO 827 a pure diet, and they are given back what they have left behind-this is how Allah treats His sincere people.Allah looked upon them and found them clean and pure.He saw that they preferred Him to what- ever is other than Him; therefore, He accorded them preference in opposition to their opponents.He found that they were His and so He became theirs; and made them the recipients of the descent of light.This indeed has been the divine practice for the earlier people as well as the latter ones.Numerous wells are dug up so that they may be thrown into them, but God pulls them out with His own hands and assists them.The calamities they face are not meant to destroy them, but are intended to show God's miracles through them.The afflictions they encounter are not meant to annihilate them, but to prove that they are the ones receiving His succour.These are the people whom their Beloved has chosen for Himself.And God does not humiliate a people unless the hearts of these [chosen ones] are distressed because of the trouble caused by the evil ones.Such has been His practice since times immemorial, for whenever His servants turn to Him, their entreaties are accepted.And when they seek victory, the plans of every unjust and stingy [opponent] are frustrated.His chosen servants live under the mantle of His protection.You see them to be living, but they have annihilated themselves [for Him].Do you think that such people belonged only to earlier ages and that God does not desire similar indi- viduals to be raised in the Latter Days? May your mother lose you!¹ This kind of thinking is manifest error.May Allah forgive you! You have strayed too far away from the sunnah [practice] of the Lord of all the worlds.But for the presence of such [Elect of God], the earth and its inhabitants would have fallen into chaos.This is why their being is essential until the Day of Judgment.My Lord has sent me to restrain the hands of the disbelievers from reaching you, and to prepare you for the descent of the heavenly light.1.In the Arabic language, this phrase is used to convey a reprimand with affection.[Publisher]

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828 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI What is the matter with you that you are not grateful, but are instead turning away from guidance? Do you know that you will be left [to yourselves] uncontrolled? Every day is followed by its morrow.I have not come to you out of any selfish inclination, nor was I eager to make an appearance.Rather, I preferred to live an anonymous life quite like the dwellers of the graves.Despite my dislike for being known, my Lord made me go before the people, and despite my fleeing from fame and prominence, He illumined my name throughout the world.I spent a sizeable portion of my life in a manner that resembled a close secret, or a scared hedgehog, or an old, rusty bone buried beneath the earth, or an insignificant whit.God then bestowed upon me that which has made my opponents indignant.He honoured me graciously with His shining revelation, which incensed the ignorant.They were unjust and unfair and tried to outdo each other in aggression.Whirlwinds and great gales [of hatred] raged from them against me.But―O wise peo- ple!—you have witnessed their sad end.Now, after them, I invite you to Allah.If you accept, Allah will suffice for you, but if you reject, again, Allah is enough to reckon with you.Peace shall be upon him who fol- lows the guidance.O brave young people! May Allah's mercy be upon you.You are witnessing a great revolution in the world and watching a variety of Signs.The most unfortunate people in this age are the Muslims; their dominion has been snatched away from them and many of them are alienating themselves from the Faith.No calamity descends except upon them, and no misfortune befalls except upon their people; nor is there any innovation but is introduced among them.The world does not present its treasures to them except to dazzle their eyes.We see their youth—they have discarded the lifestyle of the Islamic nation and have obliterated the marks of the sunnah of the Prophet.They shave their beards, take pride in their moustaches and let them grow, along with dressing like the Christians.They are the unluckiest people under the canopy of the heavens, for whom the earth provides a shelter in this age.They turn away from the grace of Allah whenever it visits

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CHAPTER TWO 829 them, flee from the mercy of Allah when it comes, and avoid Allah's serving table [heavenly food] when it approaches them.They follow other paths.They fear not the heat of the fire and its flames, yet they fear the bitterness of the world.They have traversed the entire path of which Satan did not cover even half; in this way, they have gone beyond the rebellious sneaking whisperer.Among them are some who say they alone are scholars, yet they talk like fools and mislead people without possessing knowledge and guidance.They turn away from the truth which now is so open and self-evident.They bury the Best of the Messengers in the earth but raise ‘Īsāªs to the heavens.That, indeed, is an unfair division! They have sight, but do not see.They witness the truth, yet they pretend knowingly to be sightless.They hide truth that is as manifest as the midday sun.Do they not see the help of Allah and the way it came? Each year, God demonstrates to them Signs, which they so abhor.Then they pass by them as if they have not seen any- 1.I have recorded time and again that among the magnificent Signs of Allah is the prophecy that contains the news that great multitudes of people will accept me and join this Movement.I received this revelation when I was unknown and obscure among the commoners and the elite.After that, the number of my followers increased to such an extent that its full range and the extent of its numbers is known to God who has knowledge of all that is known and unknown.Therefore, pause and reflect! Is this not one of the great Signs? My statement is also supported by what I received today, the last day of January 1907, from Egypt.I reproduce a couple of lines for the perusal of the fair-minded, which are as follows: To, The Honourable and worthy of respect, The Promised Messiah of Qadian, India and the Punjab, After salutation, it is submitted that in this country the number of your fol- lowers is very large, quite like the particles of sand and pebbles.Every one of them is a genuine follower of your creed and the follower of your helpers.The writer: Aḥmad Zuhri Badr-ud-Din of Alexandria 19 December 1906.Letter of Aḥmad Zuhri Badr-ud-Din of Alexandria ―(Author)

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830 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI thing.They are distancing themselves from the paths of piety as if there is a lion wreaking havoc on these paths, or there are other afflictions that would seize them.Do they imagine that they will not be called to account and will be left alone like something lost and forgotten? Do they not see the Signs of my Lord, or have they ever seen Allah treating an impostor like this? What has happened to them that they do not give up the habit of inflicting pain, using abusive language and hurling insults? Are they under an oath or a pledge or a promise? The fact is that God listens and watches.Woe be upon them! They exceeded the limit of piety, and their hearts have been sealed.As a result, they have given preference to nyctalopia and blindness.They do not fear God but are afraid of [His] creatures.Nor do they protect themselves from the heat and flames of Hell.They were given the keys of the house of the Faith, which they neither entered themselves, nor did they let others enter it.Can there be any hope that they would believe in the Imam of the age? On the contrary, they say that he is an impostor who is misleading the world and parading in the garb of a Muslim, and that he does not believe in God and His Chosen Prophet [Muḥammadsa].They have not split my chest open; what then has informed them of my secret disbelief? They have witnessed such Signs that if they had been witnessed by the perished people of the earlier ages, they would not have suffered chastisement in this world and in the Hereafter.It is indeed so unfortunate that the sun rose in their presence, became so bright, and yet they are hiding themselves in a cave, and give preference to darkness.They make no distinction between the embezzler and the trustworthy, nor between the bright day and a dark night.They seek to put out the light sent down by the Glorious God, but Allah is the Master of His will even if their machination could move mountains.Do they imagine that they are a people who know no decline? God will soon nullify their machination even if it looks like the milk that goes down the throat fast and becomes part and parcel of the body, or like a diet that is very nice and sweet.Do they have the power to avert His decree? Holy is our Lord, the Incomparably High.He is always

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CHAPTER TWO 831 triumphant and is never defeated.The jurisdiction of His writ extends from the heavens to the depths of the earth.Is there a brave young per- son who fears Him and does not transgress? Is there an emancipated person [unfettered by prejudice] who submits to Him and does not disobey? Are they relying on the beliefs of their early forefathers in whose thinking there was no consistency; you would find that they dif- fered among themselves.Their minds repeatedly tossed their views in diverse directions and, therefore, they could not muster any stability or permanence.Each moment it continued to change.I swear by Allah that I am truthful.They denied what I brought without any knowledge or clear reason.Should they be proven true, I willingly surrender myself for the slaughter-what more can I do? For their part, they only concoct wild conjectures while remaining unaware of the truth.They claim that the earthquakes and the plague had struck them due to the evil fortune of those people who are inauspicious.Look at what they are saying! They simply blurt nonsense.O enemies of the Book and the Messenger! Wherefrom do you auger evil fortune? Do you think that this calamity has hit you because Allah has sent His servant to clinch His argument and to warn the people who are heedless? Woe unto you and your conjecturing! Allah had given tidings of these phenomena beforehand, yet you mock Allah and His Messengers.Verily, Allah is watching all that you do.You witness the nights of dis- belief and their darkness and you do feel the need for a Messenger and behold the Signs of his coming, yet you deny as if you were a blind peo- ple.Ever since the auspicious day of Islam dawned and Allah decided to eliminate shirk [associating partners with Allah] from the world by demonstrating extraordinary Signs, you made it a point to hatch plots against His Signs, so that people might not turn towards the truth.This is despite the fact that you clearly read in Surah an-Nur that all the Khulafa' [Caliphs or Successors] will be raised from among this very ummah.Nevertheless, you continue to search for Īsā, who was amongst the Israelites, and forget about what has been explicitly stated [about the Khulafa' within this ummah].

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832 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI t You read the hadith of the Prophet of Allah [stating,] ['Your Imam will be from among you'], yet you feign ignorance.Do you dare deny the one who has come from the Gracious Lord with clear Signs and arguments? You can see how badly the disbelievers have damaged your Faith, the best of all faiths.They are bent upon making you apostates and turning you into the cohorts of Satan as they them- selves are.May Allah have mercy upon you.Know that Allah, out of His jeal- ousy for His honour, has decreed that He will send His servant to the world, fulfil His promise, and safeguard His servants from the band of the rebellious.Thus, I am the appointed servant of God and the present time is that time which had been written about beforehand.Truth has been manifested and the time has been determined.What is the matter with you that you do not understand? Woe unto you for becoming the first to reject me, whereas previously you had been waiting for someone to come.Do you not see how the earth has been completely overtaken by shirk? Why then do you reject knowingly what Allah has Himself sent down? O scholars of this nation! Do not be inclined towards the goblet of sleep, for God is awakening you with extraordinary calamities, and is warning you of even greater troubles.Where is the fear like that of the righteous, and where is the water of tears [that flow] in remembrance of Allah the Supreme? You were the vessel of faith, yet this [vessel] overflowed, indeed, and started streaming down with disbelief.It has astonished me that the bird of your souls did not bear young ones or eggs.O squanderers! Were you created for merely sitting at neatly laid tables to eat bread with roasted meat? Nay, Allah the Exalted said: مَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ 1.I have not created the Jinn and the men but that they may worship Me (Surah Adh-Dhariyāt, 51:57).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER TWO 833 He did not say, '...but that they may eat.' Holy is Allah! What a path you have adopted and what a way you have taken! Do you think you will live to the end of the world, never die, and continue to reap the fruits of this world forever? The world is approaching its end.Why do you not wake up and ponder-even after the plague and many other calamities have encamped in this land of yours? Summer or winter, these calam- ities are your constant companions that never leave you alone.Why do you not reflect? Are you weak of eyesight or you are stark blind? You have witnessed a number of calamities unfolding before your eyes.They have not spared even your own selves, your children, your women, and your near ones.Many of your relatives depart this world with each passing day.Indeed, you do little more than wail and cry.Allah never chastises a people unless He first sends a Messenger to them, so that He might clinch His argument against them and decide the matter once for all.Thus has Allah declared in His Book, and thus has it been His practice with regard to the earlier ummahs.What, then, is the matter with you that you do not recognize the Imam that has been sent to you, and fail to follow the summoner raised among you? Are you una- ware of the end of those who denied and rejected? Are you content to die in ignorance and to be held accountable in the Hereafter? You are being guided to the pure word, so why do you prefer the impure and leave what is purer? You reject him who has appeared before you yet call upon the one who is dead [i.e.Jesus] from the high heavens.You are guilty of abusing and maligning and say whatever you [want to] say without fear of the day when every soul will be brought before God for the Reckoning.A Prophet is never disgraced but in his own land.Hence, you may continue to abuse and malign, but Allah is All- Hearing and All-Seeing.O my people! Why do you pretend to be blind when you can see? Why do you feign ignorance despite being knowledgeable? Are you not aware of the end of those who were guilty of ridicule? You sting like a wasp and cause pain to the one who emits light like a lamp.You see the full moon but bark at it.The righteous, on the other hand, are

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834 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI benefiting from its light, but you remain lurching in darkness.People turned towards me, whereas you turned away.Many of those who rid- iculed me prophesied my death, as if they had been informed about it by the All-Knowing God.They persisted in their prophecies and advertised them among the public, but the end result was exactly the opposite.God Almighty exposed their falsehood and recoiled their mockery on their own selves, and their livestock [i.e.unenlightened following] was left with nothing but the fodder of shame and disgrace.Some of those who were instrumental in causing me pain were able to do so because God Almighty willed to manifest of some Signs through them.I have narrated the stories of some of them in Haqiqatul- Waḥi for the enlightenment of men and women who seek after truth.One recent incident is of a person who died in the month of Dhul- Qadah.He used to revile and curse me.His name was Sa'dullāh.His abuse was as painful as a dagger.When his abuse reached its extreme and he exceeded all others in tormenting me, my Lord informed me of his death, disgraceful end, and cutting off of his progeny, and said: إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ Your enemy will certainly be without issue.I publicly announced this revelation of my Lord, the Incomparably Great, and thereafter, God Almighty fulfilled my revelation.So I decided to write about it in detail and convey publicly how Allah dealt with this mischief-maker and enemy of the servants of the Gracious God.A lawyer who is a member of my Jama'at tried to stop me from publishing this prophecy, and warned me of the frightful consequences of my intended publication.He said that if I published it, I would not escape the displeasure of the authorities, and the law would deem it a crime and there would be no way of escaping and no way of salvation.A chain of calamities would cling to me like a creditor, and the ulti- mate result after the troublesome prosecution is also obvious; for, the government would not spare a ‘criminal.He urged, therefore, that the

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CHAPTER TWO 835 safer way would be to keep this revelation secret, as due precaution.I told him that divine revelation must be duly honoured, and my failure to announce it publicly would be sinful and an act of lowly character.I also told him that no one except the Creator of the creatures has the power to cause any damage; therefore, I was not afraid of the repri- mand from the authorities.I would pray to my Lord, who is the Source of all grace and benevolence, but if He does not accept the prayer, I would cheerfully accept humiliation.I affirmed with an oath in the name of Allah that He would not let that evil man [Sa'dullāh] prevail against me and He would afflict him with some calamity to safeguard His beseeching servant.1 A scholar who is the utmost in sincerity and magnificent in the knowledge of the Religion—namely, my devotee, Maulawi Ḥakim Noor-ud-Deen-heard what I said.The hadith [there are some people who have tousled hair] flowed from his tongue spontane- ously.My affirmation along with his mention of this hadith served to reassure the hearts [of those present].They realized that the cautioner was mistaken and his fears had no substance.Thereafter, I continued to supplicate during three days for Sa'dullah's ruin and begged the All- Knowing Lord to cause his death.Thereafter, He revealed to me: رُبَّ أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ لَو أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَأَبَرَّهُ Meaning that, Allah the Almighty would safeguard me against the mis- chief of that person.I swear by Allah that only a few days had passed when the news of his death arrived.So Allah be praised for having made that enemy the of His whip.target 1.The first three words of a hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim that follows: The revelation that the Promised.أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ مَدْفُوعٌ بِالْأَبْوَابِ، لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَأَبَرَّهُ Messiah as received includes some words of this hadith.The meaning of the full hadith is: there are some people who have tousled hair and are covered with dust...if they were to take an oath in the name of Allah about something, Allah the Almighty would certainly fulfil their oath.[Publisher]

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836 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI O people! I have come to you with a serving table from my Lord to feed those who are [spiritually] poor and in need.Is there anyone among you who would partake of this table and save themselves from baneful hunger? Those who do not find this food congenial are indeed unfortunate, but those who partake of it will enjoy immense reward, followed by abundant grace.Allah desires to relieve you of your burdens and rid you of all chains and shackles; He wants to deliver you from the famine-stricken land and lead you to a territory that is enriched by bounty and prosperity.He wants to deliver you from the darkness that is accompanied by fierce winds, and guide you towards palatial homes enlightened by brilliant lamps; He wants you to be free of sin and falsehood, so that you may become like a person who has just returned from the Hajj accepted by God.But you are pleased to be soiled by the dross of sinfulness, and content to be forever away from the threshold of the Beloved.I offer you the water of life, but you prefer the chalice of death.I invite you to the Ancient House [the Ka'bah], but you hasten to worship idols.I bear all kinds of hardship and pain for your sake.In times of darkness of grief, I pray for you as if offering [last prayer of the day offered after nightfall] 'Isha' prayer.Certainly the matter rests with Allah.He does what He pleases.The time is nigh when the stone [i.e.the obstinate heart] will soften.How long will this anxiety last? O people! Do not follow the masses, for they have already turned away from the paths of peace.Should you be astonished, then there is nothing more astonishing than their statement that 'Īsā is alive in the heavens with his physical body; but in spite of this, he has joined the dead and entered Paradise along with them.They also say that during the Latter Days he would part company with the dead and descend of the world where he would live for as many as forty upon some part years and then depart from this world and join the dead again until the end of time.This is the gist of their beliefs and the essence of their absurd ideas.I am amazed at what they claim.I remain perplexed by

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CHAPTER TWO 837 their statement, along with their madness.I do not know whether their selfish desire has dragged them to it or if they are overpowered by black bile [resulting in loss of mental balance].What has gone wrong with them that, despite the passage of a long time and reciting the Holy Quran, they have still not turned towards the truth? I am at a loss to understand what kind of madness it is which does not leave them even after centuries.By Allah, I am astonished at the way they insist upon a belief that is contrary to the Holy Quran and deadly to the Faith.This is in spite of the fact that the Arbiter commissioned by Allah has already come to them at the turn of the century with truth and wisdom and at the time of prevalence of every type of innovation and of the ascendency of disbelief.Hence, I am utterly amazed as to what causes them to deny him in spite of the fact that he is calling the [people of his] time, and the time is calling for him.Allah is my Witness that I alone am the Promised Messiah.God my Lord has granted me with an incontrovertible argument and graced me such conviction that even if all veils were to be lifted, it will not add anything to my certitude.Allah sent me when He found people sinful and the age full of darkness, so that they might repent.How can I admonish them when they do not listen to me and are moving away from the true path? They rejected the food sent by God Almighty and its loafs, and dispersed, leaving the [heavenly] table alone in its place.For their part, they preferred worldly porridge.Their mouths watered for it and their lips relished its taste.Hence, in order to demonstrate my truth, the least would be that they suffer a part of the calamities about which I have warned them.What has gone wrong with them that they do not wait? They say that 'Īsā is alive, a claim based on their ignorance of the Holy Quran and the Hadith.Thus, they vehemently reject 'Isa's death and insist that he is alive.They cling to this belief until they die.But you should dis- card this belief if you are from among those who believe in the Furqan

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838 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI [Holy Quran] and do not deny it.And do not be like those who have put the Word of God behind their backs and do not care.They say that there is consensus among the Muslims about him still being alive.Nay, they are telling a lie.How can there be a consensus as long as the Mu'tazilah are among the Muslims? When they are asked, 'Why do you not reflect upon the Word of your Lord; or do you not believe in it?', they have no answer to this except to misinterpret the words of God and say that tawaffi means the raising of the spirit along with the material body.Behold how they deviate from the truth.They know that these are the words of 'Isa which he would deliver on the Day of Judgment before the Lord of Honour when He would enquire from him why his people digressed from the right path.This is what you read in the Holy Quran.Allah is my Witness; I am amazed at their plight and their lack of reason and understanding! Do they not know that no human being is capable of presenting himself on the Day of Judgment unless he sur- renders his soul and joins the ranks of the dead? What has gone wrong with them that they do not ponder that the Companions buried the Best of Mankind [the Holy Prophet] in dirt and his grave is still present in al-Madinatul-Munawwarah.² Hence, it would be extreme disrespect to say that 'Īsā did not die.Indeed, it amounts to extreme shirk, which undermines virtue and is totally opposed to reason.Rather, the fact is that 'Isā died just like his brothers and contemporaries.Indeed, the belief of his being alive has infiltrated the Muslims from the Christians, who, only because of this [presumed] characteris- tic, have deemed him worthy of worship.Then the Christians, spend- ing money and wealth, carried this creed to towns and villages where there dwelled no learned scholars or thinkers.As for the early Muslims, it was a slip or a stumble on their part to profess this statement.Hence, 1.But since You did cause me to die (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118).[Publisher] 2.Literally, 'the Radiant City'; an honorific title for the city of Madinah.[Publisher]

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CHAPTER TWO 839 they may not be held accountable before God for a mistake they made unwittingly.Allah forgives every man of opinion who opines with sin- cere intentions and fulfils the requirement of investigation without any dishonesty, according to his ability.The exceptions are those to whom the Imam al-Hakam [the Just Judge] has come with clear arguments for guidance and has distinguished guidance from falsehood and has exposed what was concealed.Yet people ignored his statement and did not opt for the paths of truth; rather, they tried to prevent those who followed it.They opposed him and died like mortal enemies in a state of enmity and mischief.They were happy over this and forgot the one who had come from God.Will they deny that of which Allah has warned? They will not be able to traverse beyond their appointed time when the decree comes.Every soul will then witness the acts it had performed out of selfish motives.He who presents himself before Allah with a righteous heart, God will save him from the flames of Hell.As far as the sinful evader, he will taste Hell, in which he will nei- ther die nor live.Indeed, I await this day and night and my eyes keep searching in every direction for the decrees.For a certainty, the chas- tisement of Allah has knocked upon your door and has broken your canine teeth, yet you fail to see that you have come close to the lion of death in the jungles.Hence—O heedless ones—build for yourselves a fortress to protect you against this kind of death.Save yourselves from this suicide.Indeed, your life depends upon belief and the Religion, and not upon the bread and sweet water of springs.When faith is lost, no life remains.One who loses faith is like the dead.You see that disbelief has mortally damaged Islam and people only pay lip service to it.By Allah, the lion [of Islam] has been injured by the dogs [of disbelief] and forced to retreat instead of advancing forth to attack the prey, and has seated itself in the boat among those who are destined to die.This is why you are surrounded on all sides by pain and hardship, and calamities have visited you to accompany you forever, as if they found your homes inviting.Indeed, with each passing day, these calamities continue to crush you to pieces.You find

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840 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI them descending upon you one after the other and see them inflicting destruction upon you, with each new calamity being severer than its predecessor, but still, you do not fear.You have witnessed a few of these calamities, but there are more to come.Therefore, turn towards your Creator that you might attain salvation.How can hope for repentance be expected for you when you turn away from every Sign that comes to you? Soon you will hear the fulfilment of that which you used to ridicule.Among the calamities you are afflicted with is that there is a people [i.e.the Christians] who are inviting you to disbelief by offering gold and silver.They are offer- ing gold to any apostate in the hope that he may become a Christian.Of course, they are rich, and you are poor.The doors of worldly wealth have been opened to them, whereas you are passing your days in pov- erty.This is a mischief greater than any other mischief, and a calamity greater than all other calamities.You depend upon these people; they do not depend upon you.They landed in your homeland and their kings conquered it.To be affected by it is a necessary consequence that you witness.Another calamity is that the rich among you mock the Faith and the poor hanker after the world.Therefore, I am neither solaced by those [rich] nor by these [poor]; I am disappointed with all.When I looked at the condition of both groups, I was caught by what catches the sick upon seeing the signs of death.You could not have been defeated by any disbeliever; rather, your own sins have defeated you.You forsook the Ever-Present, so you will be forsaken likewise.He looked at your hearts and found them devoid of righteousness.As a result, He thrust upon you a pack of transgressors and armed them with spears to tor- ment you, but will you desist? إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُغَيْرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيَّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ 1.Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts (Surah ar-Ra'd, 13:12).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER TWO 841 So then, will you change yourselves? مَا يَفْعَلُ اللهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ وَأَمَنْتُمْ ! Hence, will you come to believe! Do you consider yourselves [spiritually] alive while you are con- stantly afflicted with sinfulness? Indeed, for a brave, young person it is better to die than to live like an animal.What is wrong with you that you pay no heed? Christianity devours you day by day as fire devours timber so that what He has ordained and decreed for you be fulfilled.By Allah, this epidemic is the worst of all epidemics and this earth- quake is the greatest of all earthquakes.O transgressors! What has befallen you has descended only as the consequence of your sins.Worldly calamities destroy only the body, whereas spiritual calamities destroy the body, soul, and faith all at once.If you are wise, do not censure your enemies; censure yourselves.What has gone wrong with you that you look not up to the heavens and have become the children of the world? Verily, Allah has offered you the fresh and nourishing milk of faith, but you reject it; yet on the other hand, there are a people who offer you the flesh of swine, and you eat it with delight.He who converted from among them to your faith has done so with hypocrisy.His only purpose is to move around in the markets and greedily beg people for money.They [i.e.Christians] are increasing and you are decreasing [in number].O ignorant people! How long you will live in this world? You are pursuing the riches of this world and pay no attention to where they come from.You see tables adorned with food, but you fail to notice the beguiling deceivers as if you are a blind people.Instead of offering the ‘Ishẩ prayer, you indulge in drinking in the company of your friends.You live in lethargy and dare not touch religion with your fingertip 1.Why should Allah punish you, if you are thankful and if you believe? (Surah an-Nisa', 4:148) [Publisher]

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842 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI lest you feel a sting from it.Despite all this, you say, 'We have done everything we could [for religion] and now we can relax.Reflect O brave and young people!—had the time not come for God to send the Imam for the present day dwellers of the world? Indeed, you break your covenant with Allah.You cut asunder what Allah had commanded to be joined and create disorder in the earth.By Allah! This indeed is the time [for the Imam to come]! What has then gone wrong with you that you do not accept him? I declare in the name of Allah that just as the Ka'bah exists in Makkah for the pilgrims, I am the Ka'bah for all those who are in need [of guidance].I alone am al-Hajrul-Aswad [the Black Stone] whose acceptance has been ordained for the whole world and the touching through which people seek blessings." May Allah's curse be upon those who accuse me of being a seeker of the world despite the fact that I am far removed from the world.I have come to make people firm in Tauhid [Oneness of God] and in prayer, and not to bestow different kinds of gifts.Allah is fully aware of what lies in my heart.He has proven through His Signs that my accusers are liars.My claim is not based on my own fabrications.Instead, I have brought the truth, and with truth have I been sent.What has gone wrong with you that you do not recognize me? O Muslims! Indeed, I am your lost property.I will not lead you astray.Hence, is there anyone among you who is willing to accept me and reflect on my words in good faith? O proud people! Is there not even one right-minded man left among you? O brave young people! If I had not been sent in this age, the people of the Cross would have trampled the Faith under their feet.This flood has reached as high as 1.This is the summary of what God has revealed to me.In fact, Allah the Benevolent has used this expression for me as a figure of speech.To the inter- preters of dreams, al-Hajrul-Aswad [the Black Stone] signifies a person with sound judgment in religious matters and a man of wisdom.(Author)

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CHAPTER TWO 843 the head and has drowned many a soul.Do you not know the manner in which the priests mislead? Doubtless, I have been sent at a time that has through its darkness-rendered the whole world impure and ruined those who inhabited it.What, then, has gone wrong with you that you do not understand? By God, there is no other nation in the world whose condition is more astonishing than yours.It has been a long time since you began treating me with indifference and disinterest.You witnessed Signs and were granted perspicuous evidence, yet you rejected them all as if they were worthless pebbles.The doors of piety were opened to you, but you closed them upon yourselves lest goodness should enter your homes.What has gone wrong with you that you do not observe the limits set by Allah and hasten to deny me? Allah is wielding His sword.He is ready to attack anyone who crosses the limits set by Him.Indeed, I am the Promised Messiah, but you reject me and slur foul language against me.You also say that my claim is false and is a state- ment that has been opposed by earlier people.This statement of yours has shocked me, despite all your claims to knowledge and scholarship.Do you allege something that contradicts the Holy Quran, even while you are aware of it? Any claim of ijma' [consensus] after the Companionsгa [of the Holy Prophetsa] is false and an atrocious lie.Only the wrongdoers can persist in it.And what consensus? Have you forgotten what the Mu'tazilah said? Do you think they were not Muslims, and only you are Muslims? Thus it is proven that your viewpoint is not unanimous; rather, there are disagreements among you.Therefore, Allah Himself will now decide about your mutual disagreements.I am supported by the testimony and Signs from my Lord to which you are witnesses.Do you persist in denial? There is no blame on those who passed away before me, and they are not answerable for what they did.However, those whom my claim has reached, who have seen my Signs, who recognized me, and to whom I introduced myself, and

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AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI 844 against whom my argument has been fully established, but they never- theless rejected the Signs of Allah and oppressed me—they are a people who have become deserving of Allah's punishment, as they do not fear Allah and mock at Allah's Signs and His Prophets.I did not come to them without manifest Signs.My Lord showed them Sign after Sign and miracle after miracle.The argument has been established and all disputes and disagreements have been settled, yet they persist in denial.Do they fight Allah because He made me the Promised Messiah and the Prophesied Mahdi? To Him alone belongs the command and the decision.He cannot be questioned for what He does, but they will be held accountable for what they do.Some of them withdrew from this dispute out of shame and fear and returned to me repentant, but most of them remain astray.Do they insist that ‘Īsā is alive and conceal the consensus agreed upon by all the Companions and go against the people who were blessed with the company of the Holy Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, whereas every one of them benefited from, and was taught by, the Holy Prophet? They formed a consensus on the death of 'Īsā, and this was the first consensus reached by them after the [demise of the] Messenger of Allah.The learned scholars are well aware of this.Have you forgotten the Word of Allah: قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ : Or do you opt knowingly for disbelief? Every single one of the Companions died while they adhered to this consensus.Later, you became sects and the winds of dissension started blowing among you.You have been deprived of any authoritative argument for his [‘Īsā’s] life.You follow nothing but conjectures.Allah quotes ‘Īsā as saying 1.Verily, all Messengers have passed away before him (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:145).[Publisher]

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CHAPTER TWO 845 1, yet you do not reflect upon these words of Allah, nor do you pay heed to them.Or do you say that which you do not know? Know also that the term that is coined to convey a particular mean- ing deserves to be applied to everyone equally in its assigned sense without any distinction or exception.But you particularize ‘Īsā for the meaning that you have devised for the word tawaffi [to ascend bodily] and say that no one else in all the worlds shares that meaning, as if this particular meaning came into existence only when ‘Īsā was born and it had no existence before him, nor will it exist again [after him] until the end of times.O brave and young person! Assume that ‘Īsā was not born and was not granted a physical body by God Almighty.In that case, the word tawaffi would have been left like a woman deprived of her ornaments.So ponder without showing me your canine teeth.Fear Allah, the Oft-Returning with compassion.Do you think that this meaning [for the word tawaffi] is a carpet that only Ibn Maryam [the son of Mary] walked upon, or a tablecloth that no one has betaken except this hon- ourable king [‘Īsā]? Moreover, even if we accept that in the phrase the word tawaffi signifies physical ascension to the heavens, despite the supposi- tion of this meaning, the verse would reject the idea of ‘Īsā ever return- ing to the earth and the purpose of my enemies cannot be achieved; rather, the matter of not descending remains intact.This is not hid- den from the wise, because ‘Īsā will utter these words on the Day of Judgment.In other words, he will say on the day when all creation will be resurrected and presented [before their Lord].O wise ones! This is what you read in the Holy Quran.Īsā's reply, to put it in a nutshell, is that he would state to God that: 'I left my people estab- lished upon the Oneness of God and belief in Allah, the One Jealous of 1.Since You did cause me to die (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118).[Publisher] 2.Do you know better or Allah? (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:141) [Publisher]

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846 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI His Honour.Since then, I never saw them again up to the Last Day, nor did I ever visit the earth again until the Day of Resurrection.Therefore, I do not know what they did after me with regard to polytheism and evil deeds, and I am not to be blamed.' If his return to the Earth before the Day of Judgment were a real- ity, then it would imply that he would resort to a despicable lie when questioned by the Lord of Honour about his people.This is evidently false.Hence, the belief in his descent is also false without and ambiguity.any doubt Therefore―O brave young people!—wake up! How far have you drifted from the teachings of the Holy Quran! Actually ‘Īsā died just as his fellow Prophets and joined them in Heaven, as you read in the aḥadīth of the Best of the Prophets sa.Have you ever read in the Hadith of the Leader of the Worlds that 'Īsā is resting in a chamber separate from other dead people? Indeed, not.The fact is that he is dead and will never return to the Earth up to the Day of Resurrection.Anyone who deliberately states something contrary to this is from among those who deny the Holy Quran.As for those who have passed away before me, they are not answerable to God for the error they made.The Holy Quran testifies that on the Day of Judgment Jesus will deny any knowledge of the apostasy of his people and of their abandon- ing the Lord of the entire creation and making him into God.He will thus absolve himself of any knowledge of the disorder in Christianity and their falling into error.If he were destined to descend before the Day of Judgment, then he would have said so truthfully before God Almighty, as was befit- ting his lofty station.This is what the righteous do.Indeed, truth is from among the cloaks of the Prophets and Imams.How then can it be imagined that he would resort to falsehood and be guilty of hiding the testimony by saying, 'O my Lord! I never returned to the earth, neither do I have any knowledge of what happened to my people, nor do I

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CHAPTER TWO 847 know how they acted after I had left them.' This would be a despicable lie that makes the body tremble and shake violently.!** that If we assume that such would, indeed, be the answer of Jesus, and he would, when enquired by Allah the Glorious, hide intentionally the fact of his return to the Earth and, despite being aware of his followers' apostasy and falling away from the right path, will try to conceal it, then no doubt God would say to him, ‘O ‘Īsā! What is wrong with you you do not fear My honour and glory and lie to My face in answer to My questions? Did you not return to the Earth upon your descent, and become aware that your followers indulged in shirk [associating partners with Allah]? Did you not see those who made you into God and then spread to every part of the world and, like a galloping horse, they came down from every high place.You actually fought against them and broke their Cross with your power and effort.But you now deny that you returned to the Earth? Indeed, I am amazed at your false- hood and imposture.In short, your belief in ‘Īsa's bodily ascension is false and so harm- ful to Islam, as if it were a murderer.You say that the word rafa'a is found in the Holy Quran.True, it is there, but its meaning can be seen from the words mutawaffika [I will cause you to die].Rather, the entirety of the wording of the verse testifies to ‘spiritual ascension.Do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part? Is this your 1.☆ Imam Bukhari relates from Mughīrah bin Nu'man that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, 'On the Day of Judgment some people from among my ummah will be brought before me and dragged to be with those on the left.At this, I will say, "O my Lord! They are my Companions." I will be told that I do not know what they did after I left them.To this I will respond in the same words as did a righteous servant of God (i.e.And I was a witness] وَكُنْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ : (Isa over them as long as I remained among them, but since You did cause me to die, You have been the Watcher over them." (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:118)] Imam Bukhari also quotes a hadith by Ibn 'Abbas regarding the meaning of the word tawaffi.Ibn 'Abbas said, 'Mutawaffika means mumītuka [i.e.I will cause you to die].(Author)

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848 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI Islam or is it disbelief and deviation? Or do you wish to interpolate the Book of God just as the Jews did? Do you not see that the word mutawaffika occurs before the word rafaa and is present in the Holy Quran? What is the reason that you discard the sequence and opt: for what is harmful to you and avoid what is beneficial to you? Indeed, you cross the prescribed limits.Has not Allah prohibited you from misinterpreting the meanings of the Holy Quran and following the ways of Satan? By Allah! Again, by Allah! Nothing but prejudice and enmity has taken you away from the truth.You consider the greatest mischief as the very means of removing mischief itself, yet you accuse me saying, 'You declare the adherents of the Qiblah [i.e.the Muslims] to be disbe- lievers and you oppose the word of Khairul-Bariyyah [i.e.the Best of Creation-the Holy Prophet Muhammad³ª].' Subḥānallāh [Holy is Allah]! How quickly you have forgotten your edicts against me; for, I have neither been impetuous in issuing edicts of disbelief nor have I been the first to demean others.Have you not publicized [the accusation of] my disbelief in every street and alley all over this country? Have you forgotten the papers documenting your edicts and the shameless comments you made—and continue to make about me? Indeed, you spared no effort to refute my beliefs and frustrate my plans.For twenty years, or even more than that, you hatched all kinds of plots against me and created every kind of disorder and vituperated against me in the manner of your choosing.Then you advertised those abusive remarks among friend and foe alike, as if you are immune from chastisement and accountability.God Almighty, however, perfected the light you wanted to extinguish, and filled the ocean you wished to run dry.You prayed against me for a famine-stricken land, but God, on the

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CHAPTER TWO 849 other hand, granted me refuge in an elevated land,₁* and a lush-green valley and garden.He showered upon me bounties and favours and vouchsafed to me blessings which neither you nor your forefathers ever witnessed.Is this the reward of imposture? Have you ever heard of such rewards being showered on a liar in any of the past ages? May God have mercy on you all! Know that the issue of the truth of my claim and the death of ‘Īsā was not hard to understand, but your own self incited you to reject your Imam.So, your hearts were per- verted and you did not duly reflect upon the matter.I brought to you manifest Signs, testimonies, and clear-cut arguments.In addition, God Almighty revealed to me what He had kept hidden from you about Ibn Maryam.It is His grace that He made me understand what He never disclosed to you, nor made you understand: أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّ أَصْحَبَ الْكَهْفِ وَ الرَّقِيمِ كَانُوْا مِنْ أَيْتِنَا عَجَبًا.Do you think that the People of the Cave and the Inscription were a wonder among our Signs? For a long time, he kept me hidden from your eyes and placed a cover- ing over them.Consequently, you kept waiting for the Messiah to come And We] وَاوَيُنْهُمَا إِلى رَبِّوَةٍ ذَاتِ قَرَارٍ وَمَعِينٍ God Almighty said in the Holy Quran *.1 rescued them and helped them reach an elevated land, a restful place with springs of running water' (Surah al-Mu'minun, 23:51)].When God raised me in the image of 'Īsā, He caused the British Government to be an elevated land for me, i.e.an abode of peace and comfort.Hence, all praise is due to Allah, the Refuge of the oppressed.He alone is the Source of all wisdom and fore- sight.No one can cause harm to a person whom He wants to protect.Surely, He is the Best of all Protectors.(Author) 2.This is the revelation that God Almighty vouchsafed to me in Quranic words.Thus did He keep me hidden as He kept hidden the People of the Cave.Indeed, His practice is such that He keeps some of His secrets hidden from the eyes of people, so that they might come to know that their knowl- edge is limited, and so that He might put His servants to test and distinguish between the believers and the guilty ones.(Author)

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850 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI down from the heavens.Thus did God Almighty keep your minds and thoughts from understanding this illuminating truth, so that He may make you realize that you cannot grasp the mysteries and secrets of the God of Majesty.It is from the ways of Allah to teach you the etiquettes of expressing your opinion.Hence, the matter remained dubious to you so that He may put you to the test; then, after that, He caused it to be manifested after keeping it hidden.What can be a greater sin than this: Allah gives the news of the death of ‘Īsā in the Holy Quran; He mentions that on the Day of Judgment ‘Īsā will plead that he died before the apostasy of his people and has no knowledge about it, as has been mentioned earlier; and the Holy Prophet sa says that he saw 'Isa among the dead with Ilyās [Elijah] during the night of Mi'rāj;¹ yet you raise him with his physical body to the heavens! I have not seen anything stranger than this! What is the matter with you that you do not understand? What I have said in this regard is decisive; you cannot flee from it.You insist on him being alive, yet you fail to present an argument for it.وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللهِ قِيلاً The only answer you have to this is that your forefathers adhered to the same belief, even though they might have fallen away from the right path.What is the value of the thoughts of those who were born after the Companions—indeed, three centuries later? They had no right to interpret the news [of the unseen] conveyed by Allah before those events had actually taken place.Due respect called for leaving the issue of the origins of this spring to Allah.Indeed, such has been the practice of the 1.The spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa to Heaven, which is recorded in both the Holy Quran and the Hadith, wherein he met the pre- vious Prophets.[Publisher] 2.And who can be more truthful than Allah in word? (Surah an-Nisa', 4:123) [Publisher]

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CHAPTER TWO 851 elders of the ummah that while interpreting the tidings of the unseen they never insisted on any single meaning.They believed in the prophe- cies in their entirety and left the details to the All-Knowing God.This is the safest way according to those who possess righteousness and wisdom.However, afterwards, there came a people who transgressed the limits of their knowledge and forgot what has been said: 1 لَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ Like fleas, they jumped around from one place to the other and insisted upon things they had not fully comprehended.What pity upon them and their audacity! They have caused such damage to the Religion that it can be called the sister of the damage caused to it by Christianity.Indeed, they are like the years of famine for the Religion.They raise 'Īsā with his physical body to the heavens and do not reflect upon the words of God Almighty: قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي 2 " Instead, they continue to increase in malice and spite.O brave young people! What is your stance vis-a-vis these verses? Why do you follow that which is dubious and abandon the Signs that are evident and cer- tain? Do you not know that the disbelievers had, according to the verse 1.Follow not that of which thou hast no knowledge (Sūrah Bani Isrā'il, 17:37).[Publisher] Say, Holy is ] قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا Here, I mean to refer to the verse *.2 my Lord! I am not but a man sent as a Messenger (Surah Bani Isrā'il, 17:94)].Doubtless, this verse categorically rejects the idea of any human being ascend- ing to heaven with his physical body.Only the most ignorant would deny this.In fact, the words refer to another verse of the Holy Quran, which is [Therein shall you live and therein shall you die (Surah al- A'raf, 7:26)], for physical ascension of any individual to heaven would result in the breaking up of this natural law and God Almighty does not violate His law.Hence, reflect upon it, O wise ones! (Author)

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852 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI mentioned above, demanded from our Holy Prophet sa-the Best of Mankind and the Chosen One of God—the miracle of physical ascen- sion to heaven? In response, God told them that His practice never allowed any human being to be physically raised to heaven; rather, it was in contradiction with His eternal practice and law? Suppose that 'Isā [Jesus] was really raised to the Second Heaven, then what would the restriction laid down in the aforesaid verse imply? Did the God of Honour not consider Īsā to be a human being? So why was there an urgency for him to be raised to the high heavens? Had the earth become too narrow for him? Or was there no refuge left for him to escape the Jews so that he had to be raised to the heavens to be hidden? O people! Deviate not from the right path, and weigh with a fair balance.By God! The death of Jesus is better for Islam than his life.The victory of the Religion [of Islam] lies entirely in the death of Jesus.Do you want to exchange what is good for that which is foul? Can you not distinguish between profit and loss? By God, Jesus' life can- not coexist with the life of Islam.You have seen what his presumed life has constructed and what it has demolished, and you are seeing how it has helped and advanced Christianity and has wounded the most upright religion.Since the damage it has caused is proven before us, how can we expect it to bring any good in the future? Having so long experienced the harm done by his presumed life, what good can we hope to acquire from this belief thereafter, given the established proof of its being invalid? Wise indeed is he who does not go against this experience.God Almighty guides to the paths of wisdom, and shows mercy to His serv- ants and safeguards them against the doors which lead to misguidance.Without a doubt, the belief that Jesus is alive and will descend is a door from among the doors to misguidance and nothing can be expected from it except for various unwholesome consequences.In His works Allah has wisdom which you cannot comprehend, as well as appropri- ateness which you cannot fathom.Therefore, ponder over this; may

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CHAPTER TWO 853 Allah have mercy on you! The belief about Jesus being alive which you insist upon to this day, and the belief of his descent in the Latter Days, is a matter that has not provided you even an iota of benefit.Moreover, it has not helped our Faith, which is the best of all faiths.It only sup- ported Christianity and caused droves of Muslims to join the people of the Cross.O people of Islam! I do not understand what made you feel the need for Jesus to descend.The fact is that his life only brings you harm, not benefit.Have you not witnessed its damage in the past years? Has this belief benefited you in the bygone age? Instead, it brought ruin upon you by causing your males and females to become apostates.Therefore-O brave, young people!-How can anything good be expected from this belief? You have seen that the converts to Christianity were pulled towards the priests only through these lassos, and indeed they [these priests] are the very thief who threw them into the well of destruction even though they had descended from the Muslims.But, then they became like snakes and wild beasts.They became hostile to Islam and defamed it in a voice worse than a donkey's.They left their near ones and their parents weeping and wailing upon their condition and devoted themselves to vituperation against the Best of Mankind [the Holy Prophet³] and to blaspheming the Best of Books [the Holy Quran].They alleged that it contained nothing but poetry and that it had not been beneficial to anyone.They made our religion the target of their ridi- cule and spoke of it only as an object of derision and warned the Muslims that if they died practicing it, they would enter Hell.that May God show you the right path and safeguard you from the path of His displeasure.Remember that the bane [of Christianity] you consider to be harmless is, in the eyes of God, a great evil.It has ruined many among you and dispatched them to Hell.This is why God Almighty warned of it in a number of places in the Holy Quran.Indeed, it is to this very belief that He ascribed the renting asunder of the heavens, the blowing away of the mountains, and the appearance of

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AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI 854 the Signs of great punishment.By Allah, I am amazed at the Muslims who have supported the Christians by stating what is contradictory to the Word of God Almighty; they said that Jesus was physically raised to the heavens and would, at some time in the future, return to the earth.The Christians consider this to be the greatest argument in sup- port of their belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ.Indeed, they mis- guide so many ignorant people by dint of the same argument in spite of the fact that Jesus is dead and is living among the dead.This is affirmed by a number of arguments set out both in the Holy Quran and Hadith.The Holy Quran speaks of him as dead in a number of places.The Holy Prophets saw him in the Second Heaven during the Night of Mi'raj, residing among the dead along with Prophet Yaḥyā [John].What can be a greater and more magnificent testimony than this? Yet the igno- rant attack me when they hear it from me.They say that if they had a sword, they would have killed me.Verily, the sword of Allah is sharper than the swords of this group.Have not some of them already seen the strike of His sword during the mubāhalah [with me]? The Holy Quran repeatedly mentions Jesus ['Īsā] to be dead.It also mentions that he was granted refuge on an elevated land of green val- leys and springs of running water.It has been established with a number of other arguments that this was none other than the land of Kashmir, where Jesus' grave has been discovered.This event is also mentioned in the old literature of this country-evidence that cannot be denied.Truth has become manifest, and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.The people of this country [Kashmir] have testified that the grave is that of an Israelite Prophet who had migrated to this region after he was persecuted by his people, and that this occurred almost as many as 2,000 years ago.In short, there are incontrovertible arguments to prove that Īsā is dead.Only one who does not believe in the categorical argu- ments of the Holy Quran and Hadith can deny this.Had God so willed, He would have granted guidance to such people, but He lets go astray who wishes it and guides who wishes it, and they will all be returned to Him.They follow nothing but conjecture.I do not find them sticking

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CHAPTER TWO 855 to any reasonable argument.To cling to conjectures in the face of such precepts of incontrovertible import is dishonesty and departure from the path of righteousness.Woe unto those who do not desist.Those who do not ponder would say that Jesus' advent is a 'Sign' of the Day of Judgment [and quote the verse]: وَإِنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَبِ إِلَّا لَيُؤْمِنَنَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ This is what they have heard from their forefathers, but they have never pondered over it like the wise.What has gone wrong with them that they do not know that the word 'Sign' here signifies his miraculous birth which was without a father which is mentioned in the Scriptures and which no sane and knowledgeable person denies! As for the belief of the People of the Book in [the truthfulness of] Jesus—as is imagined to be the import of this verse—you are only too well-aware of its real- ity.There is no need to delve into it further.You know that hosts of Jews have died without believing in Jesus.Therefore, do not interpolate the Word of God for the sake of a belief so obviously wrong.Verily, God has said: الْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاء إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيمَةِ Hence, how can they be his enemies after believing in Jesus? Is there not an iota of sense in your brains? Does this verse not disprove any such person who believes that all the sects of the Jews will come to believe in Jesus? Why are you then going against the text that is so clear and evident? Which verse [of the Holy Quran] is now left in your hands to which you are clinging? 1.And there is none among the People of the Book but will believe in it before his death (Surah an-Nisa', 4:160).[Publisher] 2.We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection (Surah al-Ma'idah, 5:65).[Publisher]

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856 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI Indeed, I am amazed at your condition! What argument do you have to oppose me? God Almighty repeatedly mentions the death of Jesus in the Holy Quran.Why, then, are you not admonished? There cannot be any contradiction in the Word of the Lord of all the worlds.What has gone wrong with you that you bear enmity towards the rational arguments and reject the scriptural records? I present to you the Word of God but you turn your faces aside and walk away.You are well aware that both you and we unconditionally agree on the advent of the Promised Messiah.So the real contention between us and you is the issue of the son of Mary coming down from the sky.God Almighty has settled this issue by conveying the news of Jesus' death in His enlightening Scripture.Anyone whom God chooses to guide to the right path, He opens his heart to accept the Quranic statements.After all, which book, besides the Furqan [Holy Quran], deserves to be fol- lowed with the utmost conviction by you and us both? Woe unto you! You neither want to show up for the debate nor accept the invitation to mubahalah.You only attack from afar.I have numerous arguments in my support from the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messengersa, but how can I present them to those who are turning away? Know they not that Allah never grants succour to those who bring innovations into faith or are unbelievers, nor are they helped.Such people are neither accepted by Him nor are they given preference as is granted to the righteous.After all, what wrongdoing can my opponents ascribe to me except that I have informed them of Jesus' death? Whereas all other Prophets that lived before him are also dead, will they reject an established con- sensus that is evident and based on an incontrovertible argument, or will they make a decision on their own? I declare in the name of Allah that Jesus is dead.They [my opponents] are hostile to evident truths and claim what is contrary to the Holy Quran.Indeed, they have no fear [of the Almighty].What prevents them from accepting that ‘Īsā is dead? The fact of the matter is that they are a people who exceed all bounds.They ascribe to him [i.e.Jesus] an attribute which is not found in any human being, and knowingly support the Christians.How can the jealousy of

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CHAPTER TWO 857 Allah tolerate ascribing anyone with one of His attributes, which no one has shared with Him from the beginning of the world to the end of times? What can be closer to disbelief than this belief? Would that they had pondered over this, for such particularization is the very basis of idolatry.O ignorant ones! Is there any sin greater than holding partners with God Almighty? Remember when the Christians said that Jesus was the son of Allah because he was born fatherless and they were holding firmly to this belief.Allah responded to them with His word: إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَى عِندَ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ خَلَقَهُ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ : But we do not find in the Holy Quran any response to Jesus' assumed peculiarity of physical ascension to heaven and then his descent from there, whereas the people of the Cross consider it to be the strongest evidence in support of their deification of Jesus.If Jesus' ascension to the heavens and his descent from there were correct in the knowledge of our Gracious Lord, He would surely have compared Jesus with a person with the same attribute in the Holy Quran, just as He has compared him with Adam to refute the argument of the people of the Cross.Hence, cer- tainly, the absence of such a comparison implies that the whole story of ascension is false; it is entirely baseless, and is nothing but nonsense.Do you know what wisdom prevented Allah from giving this answer whereas He was expected to respond to and uproot the Christian inference com- prehensively? The Christian scholars are a people who are, with each passing day, increasing in exaggeration; and they do not turn towards the truth because of their arrogance and haughtiness.Nevertheless, I have fully established Allah's argument in support of Islam against them.I wrote numerous books on this subject and, for the benefit of the general population, published them in far off countries.However, 1.Surely, the case of Jesus with Allah is like the case of Adam.He created him out of dust, then He said to him, 'Be!', and he was (Surah Al-e-Imran, 3:60).[Publisher]

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858 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI when the debate between me and my opponents was prolonged and I did not find even a single person taking interest in Islam, I understood that it was a matter that demanded the succour of Allah the Great Bestower; for, I am nothing except when the mercy of my Gracious Lord comes to me.I then prostrated at the threshold of the Holy Lord to seek His help like a person who was already dead.It was then that my Lord blessed me with a new life by granting me two sentences and enlightened my eyes.He said: يَا أَحْمَدُ بَارَكَ اللهُ فِيْكَ.اَلرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أُنْذِرَ أَبَاؤُهُمْ وَ لِتَسْتَبِيْنَ سَبِيْلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ.قُلْ إِنّى أُمِرْتُ وَ أَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.*1 1.My enemies from among the Muslims call me the foremost of the disbe- lievers.To refute this, the Word of Allah that is recorded in my book Barahin- e-Aḥmadiyya, is: 'Say: I have been commissioned from God and I am the first of the believers.Also, my enemies asserted that I should not be buried in a Muslim graveyard.To refute them, the Holy Prophet sa said that the Promised Messiah would be buried in his grave and they will be raised together on the Day of Resurrection.This is in response to those who say that I have declared Muslims to be disbelievers and consider me from among those who will enter Hell.If you have any doubt about what I have quoted above, you may enquire the righteous ones.It is from among the peculiarities of the state between the day of death to resurrection that some people, after they die, are granted spiritual nearness to the grave of the Holy Prophet sa which holds Paradise beneath it; whereas some are taken away from it.The Holy Prophetsa has, therefore, declared me to be from among those who will be granted nearness.This negates anyone who considers me to be from among the dwellers of Hell.God Almighty will spiritually bury me in the grave of the Holy Prophetsa.This is what has been intimated on a number of occasions in the Book of God Almighty as well as in the sayings of the Holy Prophetsa.Those who are cog- nizant of the spiritual realm do testify to the truth of this phenomenon.Another objection that my opponents raised was that those who follow me will become disbelievers, and, therefore, should not be buried in a Muslim graveyard.To them, my followers were the worst of the disbelievers.At this, God spoke to me and drew my attention to a piece of land which He said held Paradise beneath it.He said those who will be buried in it shall enter Paradise and shall be granted security.Hence, there would have been no such rewards

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CHAPTER TWO 859 Allah has placed blessing in you, O Aḥmad.The Most Gracious God has taught you the Quran so that you should warn the people whose ancestors have not been warned, and that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest; say, 'I have been commissioned from God and I am the first of the believers.' Similarly, He gave me glad tidings: Islam will be granted dominance and will be greatly disseminated' and ‘a jewel like you is not wasteď.This was the first revelation that my insignificant self received from Allah, the All-Powerful and the Helper.My Lord granted me the glad tiding that He will show for my sake bright Signs and help me by repeated manifestations of His succour, so that He should confirm the truthfulness of truth and falsity of falsehood with supremely powerful arguments and splendid miracles.Thereafter, I invited the priests, the Christians, and those who had embraced Christianity, as well as the Brahmus and polytheists, and asked them to judge the true faith in light of the Signs and succour of Allah, to make it clear who will be supported by Allah and who will be the object of His curse.However, they did not come out for this com- petition as the armed soldiers do; rather, they hid themselves in their nests.God is my Witness that if they had come out for this competi- tion, my Lord would have shot His arrows precisely on the target and none of them would return except in loss and frustration.By Allah, if you had made proper investigations, you would have found that Islam is a treasure house of Signs and a city of their dwelling.You would have found in it the light capable of granting comfort to each and every soul.Regrettable indeed is the condition of those who deny its hidden troves, pay no heed to its treasures, and consider Islam to be like rotten bones and not full of magnificent bounties.by Almighty God if my enemies had not maligned me.The hostile attitude of my enemies kindled the mercy of the Gracious God to be showered upon me.All praise is, therefore, due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.(Author)

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860 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI These are the people who do not believe that Allah will speak to anyone after our Master, the Chosen Prophets.They say that divine converse has been sealed after the Best of Mankind [the Holy Prophet].It is as if God has lost His ability to speak in this age and is able to hear only; perhaps He may also lose the ability to hear in the future.Thus, when He is [supposedly] unable to speak and hear the prayers offered to Him, then one can no longer rely on the integrity of His other attributes either.In other words, all His attributes will become unreliable.Hence, anyone who denies the eternal nature of even one single attribute of God Almighty denies all His attributes and inclines towards atheism.O people of wisdom! What would you say about such a person? Do you believe him to be a Muslim or has he fallen from the tower of the Faith? Do you believe that Islam has nothing except a handful of stories and that it is devoid of tangible Signs? Has our Lord turned His blessed countenance away from us after the demise of the Holy Prophets, the Best of Mankind? If so, what is the proof of the truth of this religion? Has God forgotten about the reward that He had promised in Sūrah al-Fatihah; that is, He would make the people of this ummah like the Prophets of the earlier ummahs? Has not the Holy Quran declared us the Best of Ummahs? What has then contrary to the Furqan-made us the worst of ummahs? Does reason permit that, despite our best efforts to obtain the cogni- zance of Allah, we will fail to tread upon the ways that lead to Him; and that, in spite of dying for the gentle wind of mercy, we will not be granted its breeze? Is this the limit of perfection for this ummah? Whilst the sun of this world is about to set, know that this belief is false not only from the standpoint of perfect wisdom, but it is also false on the basis of an in-depth look at the holy Scriptures.Is there any death worse than a death of ignorance? What blindness is more painful than the prevention from beholding the countenance of Allah, the Great Bestower? If this ummah had been like the dumb and deaf, the lovers would have died on account of this grief.Those

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CHAPTER TWO 861 away in the who melt themselves for meeting the Beloved and have no desire in the world other than achieving this objective—how can their Beloved leave them in the flames of restlessness and in the fire of waiting? They are lovers who let themselves melt away in order to attain the closeness to their Beloved.They entertain no other wish in this world except that they find the desire of their heart, God.How, then, can God—their Beloved Lord be so heedless of them as to let them burn fires of unrelenting wait for finding a look at His blessed countenance? Had this been the case, this nation would have been the worst of nations.Its morning would not be bright, nor its cries heard; its peo- ple would die weeping and wailing.But, this is not the case—/ -Allah is the Most Merciful of all who show mercy! He has not created hunger except that with it He created food for the hungry, and He has not created thirst except that with it He created water for the thirsty.Such has been His continuous sunnah for those who seek after His cogni- zance.This is what I have seen, so how can I deny it after seeing it? I have experienced it myself, so how can I have doubts about it after my personal experiences? Hence, I have no choice but to call people towards that which I have found with perfect insight.Therefore, everyone who believes in Allah the One and Unique, and is not averse to Kalimatut-Tauḥīd,' should not rest content with old rags, but rather seek the august cloak of religion and be eager to perfect both the inner and the outer gar- ments, and should knock upon the door of God the Benevolent with perfect sincerity and pathos for He is Most Generous and tires not of the pleas of people.His treasures are beyond reckoning and imagination—so, the one who asks for more will receive more gifts.Therefore, one of the beauties of faith is that His servant should not despair of His munificence and should not consider His door to be closed upon His loved ones.1.Declaration of the Oneness of Allah: La ilaha illallāh, 'There is no one wor- thy of worship except Allah.[Publisher]

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862 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI O people! You are in need of Allah's bounties and grace.Therefore, it will be a great misfortune if you reject the bounties after they have been bestowed upon you.Which of the hungry can be more ill-fated than the one who is about to die of hunger, yet refuses to accept the delicious food and wholesome bread that is offered to him, nor glances upon it even though he is struck with hunger and unnerved by it? Despite that, he does not want it! My brothers! May Allah the Gracious have mercy on you! I have come to you with a feast from heaven.Upon the turn of this century God has fulfilled the desires for which you used to pray.He, therefore, opened the doors of His bounties to you.Will you now accept them? I know you will never be pleased with me unless I follow your beliefs, but how can I ignore the revelation of my Lord and follow your desires? He is Supreme over His servants, and to Him alone will you be returned.Verily, I have been granted Signs and blessings and every kind of help and support.This door is not opened to liars, even if they exert so hard in worship that nothing remains of their bodies except the ten- dons.Do you expect God to love someone who is dishonest and sinful? I have come from His Honour to help you like a lion that emerges from his den, displays its canine teeth, and attacks.Show me a single person from among the clergy, or the atheists, or the disbelievers at large, who can confront me in this battleground and defeat me with the Signs of Allah the Supreme.By Allah, they all are my prey and Allah has closed the path of escape upon them.No jungle will provide them shelter, nor any of the seas.We are covering the earth, closing upon them speed- ily like fast-moving travellers, and will—God willing-overtake them victoriously.They would never have prevailed over you, but you rejected those who could protect you and have headed for the wastelands.You 1.My Lord spoke to me and said, 'I will accept all the prayers you make to- night; among them is the prayer for the victory and ascendency of Islam.' This occurred on 16 March 1907.(Author)

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CHAPTER TWO 863 shunned the refuge of the one who could safeguard you and you fled to the wilderness.You deprived yourselves of the ambrosial food of knowledge, and became as a famished one in dire straits.You made yourselves like a decrepit old man who is deprived of sound opinion and wisdom, or like an animal that knows nothing beyond green foli- age.You refuse to arm yourselves with the weapon that the God of Grandeur has sent down for you from heaven.As for the worldly arms, they amount to nothing against these enemies.So now you dwell in a land that is barren and a desert devoid of water.You intentionally move away from the running streams that can satiate the thirsty.You prefer deserts and fail to take caution against those who will destroy you.Your bodies have been scorched by the noonday sun.What, then, has gone wrong with you that you do not take refuge under the mighty shade that may protect you against the blistering heat, lead you to the cold sweet water, and safeguard you from falling into the pits of graves [of ignorance]? The biggest argument in favour of the truth of a claimant of Prophethood is the very age which is steeped entirely in darkness.If you have any doubt about my claim, then be patient until God Himself decides between us.Indeed, He is the Best of the Judges.Is it not sufficient for you that God granted me decisive victory when my enemies entered into a mubahalah with me? They claimed that God would cause them to emerge victorious, but Allah destroyed those who were to be destroyed through clear proof.You hatched plans against me, but God made His own plan; and He is the Best of Planners.You can see how the enemy is encamped, surrounding you, and how calam- ities are descending upon you.You are subdued by them due to your own weaknesses, and your selfish desires have attracted you towards them.Surely, they have prepared such wiles as amaze both the eyes and insight.What is the matter with you that you cannot see the tornado which has uprooted the trees? They [i.e.Christians] are a people who are desirous of apostasy and misguidance for you.They never fall short of inflicting evil upon you.They have subdued all the peoples of the world

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864 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI and made them like their servants and maids.They might even try to launch their arrows at the heavens.Allah is my Witness, you cannot compete with them.They consider you nothing more than a speck of dust.Now, tell, should I be annoyed with you, or should I not? Why are you sleeping at this time? Are you pleased with the life of this world in exchange for the Hereafter and have, therefore, stooped heavily to the earth like drunkards? What has benumbed have you so that you become a victim of loss? O honourable people! What strength has survived in you? By Allah! Nothing remains save our Lord, the Great Bestower.I do not know what you earned in the past and what you will gain from your [worldly] resources in the future and how your wisdom, which is no more than a fly, will come to your help, and what adorn- ment you exhibit through these garments.When I stood up among you and claimed to be from Allah the Benevolent, you became angry and furious, calling me an impostor.You said that this man is a liar, and considered me to be like Satan the accursed.You did not even pay attention to the time, whether it called for the Antichrist to spread mis- guidance, or the Reformer to revive the Faith and return to you what you had lost.I call Allah as the Witness to what is in my heart.By Allah, I am from Him and I have not done anything with falsification.Indeed, you committed a great wrong when you undertook to declare me a disbe- liever and to humiliate me.You even ignored the crimes that are being committed today against Islam.So I cry for you with flowing tears and falling teardrops in the same way as you laugh and mock at me.What has gone wrong with you that you neither reflect upon your own selves nor upon the debilitating state of Islam? Are you not fed up with Antichrist that you crave for another one in this frightful time and in these threatening days? I have come to you at the turn of the century and at a time of true need.The lunar and solar eclipses, earthquakes, and the plague have all testified to my truth.It amazes me that you witness the Signs but still your doubts do not vanish.O scholars, is this what your insight tells you? Nay, the pride which you kept secret, and

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CHAPTER TWO 865 still hide, has intervened between you and your righteousness.Indeed, you have become blind, so you cannot see the mischief of the enemy.You call me the Antichrist and do not use any insight.You issue the ver- dict that I am a disbeliever; rather, a greater disbeliever than all those who disbelieved in the Prophets! What a marvel your declarations are! The wonder upon wonder is that you do not hold those to be Antichrist who from among the Christians and unbelievers want to totally destroy the Faith; on the contrary, I am the Antichrist, rather the worst of all those who spread mischief.Hence, I cry out unto none other than Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.Whilst you have declared me a kafir, how can it be expected that the admonishment of the disbelievers would do you any good? But I wanted to narrate the hardship that I have borne in the way of Allah.It was for this reason that my discourse deviated towards narrat- ing them.May God have mercy on you! What has gone wrong with you that you do not shun cruelty and transgression, neither do you fear the All- Knowing God, the Lord of reward and punishment? O my people! I have come from my Lord at the appointed time.I speak not but when He wants me to speak.I convey to you the message of truth, but you respond with curses.I do not comprehend your vile response.You have imitated the Jews so much so that your shoes resemble their shoes and your statements resemble their statements.The Jews, on account of their miserliness, called Jesus [‘Īsā], who was a Prophet of God Almighty, the Antichrist.Similarly, I have been given the same name by you.Thus you have resembled them in word and deed.Indeed, if it had not been for the sword of the Government, I would have seen the same thing from the disbelievers as Jesus saw.Hence, it is not out of sycophancy but rather out of sincere gratitude for the favour it has done us that we thank this Government.By Allah, we have been blessed with such peace under this Government as cannot be expected from any Islamic government.This is why I consider it utterly wrong to raise the sword against this Government in the name of Jihad.I rather

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866 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI deem it unlawful for any Muslim to wage war against it or support a rebellion or an insurgence against it, for the Government has been kind to us in numerous ways, and one must respond to kindness with kind- ness.There is no doubt that this Government guarantees us peace on account of which we have survived the cruelties of the people of this age.However, we make no secret of the fact that we are against the Christian clergymen; rather, we are their foremost opponents.The reason for this is that they declare a weak and humble human being to be the Lord of all the worlds, and forsake the True Creator of the heavens and the earth.Indeed, Allah knows that they are liars who fabricate and Antichrists who interpolate.We know for a fact that the Government is not with them—it neither incites them to adopt such behaviour, nor does it help them.Instead, the Government is Christian only in name.They have formulated laws by themselves and have placed the Gospel behind their back.How can we call them Christians? They are rather a different people with different views.They do not read the Gospel, neither do they act upon its commandments, nor do they pay any attention to it.When it comes to deciding a dispute, we find them just and fair.During certain court cases I have experienced this for myself.They respect us better than many others.They wish to be peaceful and want others to do the same.The night we spend under them is better than the day we spent under the idolaters.Therefore, gratitude towards them is incumbent upon us; and if we do not thank them, we would be sinful.In short, we found this Government benevolent to us.The Book of God Almighty has made it incumbent upon us to be grateful to it.This is the only reason why we thank them and wish them well, and pray to the Almighty that He may guide them to Islam and help them get rid of the worship of the humble human who, in respect of bearing hardships and trials, was in no way different from them.May He open their eyes so that they can see the truth of His Faith, and may He lead them to the best of all faiths [i.e.Islam].May He protect them against any loss, be it worldly or religious.

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CHAPTER TWO 867 This is my prayer, and the reward of goodness is nothing but good- ness.Only the one whose heart has become sinful and who follows Satan can commit wrong in return for goodness.Hence, I do not wish to follow those who were guilty of wrongdoing.The addressees of my critique in this booklet are only those Christian scholars or clergymen who have considered it their religious obligation to vituperate and blaspheme our chief and master, the Best of all Creation [i.e.the Holy Prophet].My Lord has, therefore, appointed me to stop and keep peo- ple away from committing this wrongdoing.God is the Helper of His religion, and He is the Best of Helpers.My Lord, in order to help His faith, addressed me with words in which I find a great promise.He said: بَشِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ وَذَكِّرْهُمْ تَذْكِيْرًا.Give them good news of the days of Allah and keep reminding them well.with great say I can, therefore, conviction and confidence that God will help His religion and protect it from its enemies, and will Himself, from the heavens, make prevail over all other religions.However, this victory will not be attained through any war or jihad, but rather through extraordinary Signs and by the Hand which will crush the skulls of the enemies.This is what we find written in His Book.Then my Lord once again sent down His revelation to me like He had sent it earlier.I have only given a summary of it.Allah would never go against His promise, and the wrongdoers will receive full requital for their wrongdoing.Hence, it was in accordance with this that the Signs of the fulfilment of divine promise appeared in this age and my Lord made His countenance manifest to the world through an extraordinary demonstration of His wrath.He showed Signs of His retribution all over the world.Countless people have died due to the plague.Many have been uprooted by earthquakes and death overtook them.You can see that those who, just a few days ago, took pleasure in sleeping in

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868 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI their palatial homes are now lying dead in their graves.They are no longer seen to enjoy the company of their friends.Their palaces have been deserted, and they have entered a home which does not allow them to return to their brethren and regain possession of their homes from their occupying neighbours.You can see that people are unable to protect themselves against this epidemic [of plague].They fail to find any refuge from it under the heavens.Remember this calamity does not result from any ill-luck or coincidence, as our opponents allege.Fortunate, therefore, is the one who recognizes these Signs and enters into these rocky valleys [i.e.life of hardship for Allah's sake].May Allah have mercy upon you! Remember these calamities were preordained; they were never witnessed by you prior to this age, neither were they ever witnessed by your forefathers.Indeed, these Signs have been shown for the sake of the one who has been raised among you by Allah the Great Bestower in order for Allah to revive the Faith and estab- lish His arguments, and in order to restore the lost greenery and verdure to its orchards and make its trees laden with holy fruits and turn the with- ered and burnable branches into fresh green boughs.This happened so that people may recognize the strength of the mighty faith of Allah and submit completely to their Merciful Lord, and so that they might come to hate this world like the one whose heart is truly noble.When the day dawned for the revival of Islam and its truth was proven through incontrovertible arguments, then most of its oppo- nents tried to keep their eyes low so as not to see the light of truth.They intentionally disliked the message of God Almighty.Alas for them, they flee from good and incline towards loss.Indeed, the time has come for the door [of God Almighty] to open.Is there anyone who is ready to knock upon it again and again? The fountain [of cognizance] is flowing for those who have eyes to see.Allah is Most Forgiving and Merciful.Therefore, He does not reject anyone who comes to Him with a right- eous heart.To the one who asks for more, will God grant more.It is strange that this nation has combined physical poverty along with spiritual poverty, yet they think that they do not need a Reformer

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CHAPTER TWO 869 from Allah, the Benevolent! The doors of all kinds of goodness have been closed upon them, yet they imagine that they have been granted all kinds of bounties.They are content to live like animals turning their faces away from Allah's blessings and rewards.I am amazed at their sub- dued resolve and degraded condition.Hence, I will continue to seek their reformation from the Almighty until they are granted success.Indeed, I have devoted most of my time, particularly early in the morn- ing, to pray for them, and also [I have devoted to their well-being] my eye, which can never overlook these concerns.Allah is my Witness; I had informed them of the days of the plague before it actually broke out.I said nothing except when my Lord dis- closed its secrets to me and commanded me to make them known.Only then did it happen that the plague caught them and death was inflicted upon them, and I had informed them of this at a time when no physician could predict it and no sane person had prophesied about it.Then what followed was in accordance with what God had revealed to me.Indeed, this was a great argument from the Lord of the Heavens, yet people did not turn their eyes towards it.There was none among them who shed tears, neither did they hasten to repent or do good deeds.On the contrary, they only increased in sinfulness and vice.They rejected me and called me a kāfir and accused me of being the accursed Antichrist.In moments of my solitude, there was no one to console me except my Lord.In fact, they all united against me in abusing and vituperating me and chased me as creditors hound their debtors.Indeed, they did not recognize me on account of their age- old prejudice.I, therefore, kept myself hidden from their eyes like the People of the Cave and Inscription.وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَ عُلُوا 1.[And they rejected them] wrongfully and arrogantly, while their souls were convinced of them (Surah an-Naml, 27:15).[Publisher]

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870 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI On account of their own injustice and transgression they rejected divine Signs despite the fact that at heart they had come to believe them.Hence, it was not possible for them to return to God after they had been guilty of violence and vice.By Allah, the Signs of God Almighty showered from heaven like rain.They were lamps that radi- ated light, but failed to dispel the darkness that had overtaken people who remained seated on dry wood and who disregarded lofty trees, luscious fruits, and the most beautiful flowers.Allah is my Witness; I am at a loss to understand as to why, in the presence of such evident Signs, they turned away from me and did this despite the fact that Allah had established His argument against them and against all those who had been overtaken by darkness.When I feared them like the one who is alone and helpless, the help of my Lord came to my rescue and increased day by day.I was granted this help and succour continuously until the time I had successfully established my argument.God Almighty always supported me, and divine Signs became so large in number that I was unable to count them.However, I have considered it appropriate to mention just one of these Signs at the end of this book so that it might benefit those who possess a right- eous nature, and so that people may realize that succour from Allah encompasses both the east and the west of the earth.This has caused such a widespread acclaim among the righteous as well as the vicious that the holy influence of these Signs has reached even America, one of the farthest countries of the world.Any revelation that was sent down to me by God Almighty with bright Signs and incontrovertible arguments was not to support me alone, but rather to testify to the very truth of Islam.I am but a servant among so many.Indeed, I am amazed at the condition of the deniers.They insisted upon denial to an extent that they became foremost among those who were unfair.Each one of them tried hard and exerted all his energies trying to blow out the light that descended from heaven.But, Allah, on the other hand, caused His light to shine brighter.He proved their efforts to be nothing better than dust.I saw their mischief

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CHAPTER ONE IN AL-ISTIFTA' 871 to be like raging seas and devastating floods, but the end result was that I was granted victory and they were defeated; I was honoured, and they were humiliated.Had this affair been from someone other than Allah, my opponents would have shattered me to pieces and removed all traces of mine from this world.But the hand of God safeguarded me against the mischief of my enemies until the Signs He showed for me became known in far off countries, and this was done by none other than the Lord of all the people.I would now like to write about the great Sign that has been shown for the people of the American continent.Though the sun of my glory rose from the east, it became so bright that its dazzling light was seen by the people in the west in a remarkable manner.This happened purely on account of Allah's grace and mercy and His benevolence and graciousness.Hence, glad tidings are for those who recognize Him and blessed are and the servants of Allah who accept Him.

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About the Mubāhalah to which I invited Dowie along with my prayer against him, and the Details of what Allah did in this contest after my announcement among the people 花花 May Allah have mercy upon you! Know that among the many examples of the succour of God Almighty and testimonies of my truth is a Sign that God Almighty showed in my favour by destroying a man called Dowie.The detail of this illuminat- ing Sign and great miracle is that Dowie was one of the wealthy Christians and arrogant clergymen of America.He had a following of approximately 100,000 who served him like slaves and bond- maids, as is the tradition among the Christians.He became so famous among his own people as well as other people that his name became well known in the far-off corners of the world.His magic spell won over a large number of Christians.Along with proclaiming the Ibn-e-Maryam [Son of Mary- Jesus] to be God, he claimed to be a Messenger

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874 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI and Prophet himself, and used foul and abusive language against our Most Noble Messenger sa.He claimed to possess a lofty station and a high rank.He considered himself more pious and vir- tuous than any other person.With each passing day he grew in fame, wealth, and the number of his followers.He started living like a king, whereas previously he was akin to a beggar.If a Muslim, who was weak in faith, had seen him ascending to such glory despite his falsehood and fabrica- tion, he would have gone astray and been at a loss.Even if such a Muslim had been a learned scholar, he could not have saved himself from falling into error, the reason being that he [Dowie] was an enemy of Islam who used foul language against our Prophets, the Best of Mankind, yet reached.the pinnacle of fame and wealth.He used to say that he would soon wipe out all of the Muslims, without sparing so much as a single believer in the Oneness of God.He was one of those who say what they do not do.He transgressed in the earth like Pharaoh and was heedless of death.He devoted his days to plundering people's money and his nights to drinking wine.The ignorant and foolish among the Christians gathered around him.They continued to drink from the goblets of misguidance and, being ignorant, testified to his claim of prophethood, whereas he was actually a

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 875 slave to the world without freedom.He was like a shell without a pearl.Moreover, he was the Satan of his time, and a cohort of his Satan.But God gave him respite until the time that I invited him to a mubahalah [prayer duel] and prayed to the Lord of Honour against him.I used to smell the stench of Satan in him.I saw that he had been completely overtaken by the Transgressor [Satan] and was an enemy of the serv- ants of the Gracious God.He contaminated the Earth and polluted the breaths of its inhabitants with diverse types of filthy nonsense.I have never seen a person more deceptive and rebellious than him.He was a blind lover of the Trinity, an enemy of the Oneness of God, and a persistent follower of the unholy religion.He saw its evils as its excel- lences and sought solace in its faults.The ignorant from among the rich and the well-off gathered around him and supported him with riches not to be found except in the treasuries of kings and rulers.He received piles of wealth, so much so that it was said that he was a king who, like kings, lived a life of pomp and show.When his riches reached their peak, he surrendered himself to nafsul-ammārah [self that incites to evil] and did not purify it.Beguiled by Satan, he proclaimed he was a Messenger and Prophet and persisted in

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876 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI imposture, falsehood, and slander.He thought he would never be held accountable for this and would continue to live a life of luxury and ease, continually growing in prestige and renown.What is more, he became proud and arrogant and feared not the torment of the Lord of Honour.There is no doubt that the impostors are even- tually seized and precluded from prospering.The wrath of Allah tears them apart like a ferocious lion and confronts them with the day of ultimate ruin and destruction promised in the Book of the Almighty and Most-Loving God.Verily, those who fabricate lies against God and are guilty of false- hood live not but for a short period of time, after which they are seized.The curse of Allah pursues them in this world and in the Hereafter.They taste disgrace and dishonour and are not granted respect.Has the news not reached you of what became of the impostors of the earlier ages? Verily, God does not care for the end of those who fabri- cate lies against Him.He draws His sword against them and cuts them into pieces.When the day of his destruction came near, I invited him to a mubāhalah and wrote to him that: Your claim is false and you are naught but a lying fabricator, merely feeding on the carrion of the condemnable world.'Isā was nothing more than a Prophet and you are simply an impostor.

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 877 You are a man with no extraordinary merit from among those who are in error and you mislead oth- ers into error; therefore, fear Him who sees your imposture.I invite you to Islam, the True Faith, and to turn to Allah, the Possessor of Power and Honour, for repentance.If you decline to accept my invitation and move away from it, then let us engage in a mubahalah and invoke the curse of Allah upon the one who has forsaken truth and claims to be a Messenger and Prophet by way of imposture.Verily, Allah will decide between you and me and will destroy the liar during the lifetime of the truthful so that people should know who [between the two of us] is the truthful and who is the liar, and so that, after this judgment, the dis- pute is settled once and for all.I swear by God that truly I am the Promised Messiah whose advent was prophesied to occur in the Latter Days and the time of the spread of misguidance.Surely, ‘Īsā has died and the doc- trine of the Trinity is false.By claiming to be a Prophet, you are guilty of imposture against Allah; for prophethood came to an end after our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and there is no Book after al-Furqan [the Discrimination; i.e.the Holy Quran] which is superior to all earlier Scriptures, neither is there any new shariah after the Muḥammadan Shariah.

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878 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI However, the Best of Mankind declared me to be a Prophet, and this is a matter of being his reflec- tion due to the blessings of complete submission.And I find no excellence within me; all that I have obtained is through his holy soul.By calling me a Prophet, Allah means only [that I receive] abun- dant revelations and converse [with God].May the curse of Allah be upon the one who aspires to anything beyond that, or considers his own person as something special, or frees his neck from the yoke [i.e.complete submission] of the propheth- ood [of the Holy Prophet sa].Surely, our Messenger is Khātamun-Nabiyyin [the Seal of the Prophets] and the chain of Messengers has ended with him.Therefore, no one has the right to claim prophethood after our Messenger, the Chosen One, in an independent manner, and nothing has remained after him except dialogue [with Allah] in abundance.Even this is conditional upon following [the Holy Prophetsa] and is not granted unless one is a true follower of the Best of Creation.I swear by God that I have been blessed with this spiritual station only by fol- lowing the radiant rays of the light of the Chosen Prophetsa.I have been granted the name 'Prophet' by Allah, not in its original sense [of being raised independently], but as a subordinate Prophet.This

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 879 does not in the least undermine the honour and dignity of God Almighty or of His Messenger sa, for I am being raised under the blessed wings of the Holy Prophet.I walk in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet.What is more, I never said anything on my own; I have only followed the revelation which my Lord granted to me, and thereafter, I fear not the threats of the people against me.On the Day of Judgment, everyone will be held accountable for what they did.Certainly, there is nothing that is hidden from Allah.I had told the impostor [Dowie] that: If you do not come forward for the muba- halah after my invitation, and also do not repent of your claim of prophethood that you have made by way of sheer fabrication against Allah, then you should not imagine that this strategy would spare you; rather, Allah would destroy you by inflicting utter humiliation and a harsh punishment.He will disgrace you and make you taste the punish- ment of your imposture.Hence, he waited for my death and I for his.I put my trust in Allah, the Helper of the truth and Supporter of this religion [of Islam].Having done this, I fully and completely

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880 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI published all over the United States my statement that I had sent to Dowie, so much so that they were published in most of the newspapers of the United States.I believe that thousands of newspapers pub- lished my message and its publication reached such a great number that I am unable to count it, and the papers [at my disposal] do not hold the capac- ity for me to provide details.As for the American newspapers that were sent to me and which men- tioned my point of view, my invitation to Dowie for a mubahalah, and my prayer against him in which I sought judgment, I consider it appropriate to mention the names of some of those newspa- pers in the footnote so that the people might come to know that there was nothing hidden or secret about the mubahalah; rather, it was a matter well advertised all over the world-in the east and in the west, in the north and in the south.peo- The reason for such [large-scale] advertisement was that Dowie was like the great kings in renown.In America and Europe there was not even a sin- gle person in the upper and lower classes of soci- ety who did not know him well.In fact, the ple in those countries held him in great honour and revered him as a king.Moreover, he travelled extensively and used mesmerizing speeches to lure people into his trap, like a hunter traps his prey.This is why no newspaper editor ever refused to

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 881 publish the material sent to them regarding the mubahalah.Instead, they were eager to publish it out of a strong curiosity to see the end of this con- test.There are a large number of American news- papers that published the news of my invitation to Dowie for a mubāhalah and my prayer against him.Here, however, by way of specimen, I will mention the names of only a few of them in the footnote below.¹ In short, Dowie was the worst of people, whose heart was accursed and who was like the sneaking whisperer [i.e.Satan].He was an enemy of Islam; indeed, the worst of all enemies.1.Footnote: No.NEWSPAPER DATE SUMMARY OF NEWS I Chicago Interpreter 28 Jun.1903 Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a resident of the Punjab.He has invited Dowie to a mubahalah.We wonder if Dowie will accept this challenge.Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad] writes that Dowie is an impostor and false in his claim of prophethood and that he prays that God may destroy Dowie and completely annihilate him.Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad] says she is true in his claim whereas Dowie is false.Hence, Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad] argues, God will destroy him who is a liar by completely annihilating him in the lifetime of the one who is truthful.Mirza Ghulam Ahmad says that he alone is the Promised Messiah and that Islam is the only true religion.

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882 AL-ISTIFTA'―SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI No.NEWSPAPER DATE SUMMARY OF NEWS 2 Telegraph 5 Jul.1903 3 Argonaut, 1 Dec.San Francisco 1902 4 Literary Digest, New York 5 New York Mail and Express 6 Herald Rochester 7 Record Boston 8 Boston Advertiser The same as above with minor differences in words.The same as above with minor differences in words.Further, the editor says that a mubahalah is a reasonable and just way to determine the truth.Without any doubt the one whose prayer is accepted should be considered true in his claim.20 Jun.A detailed description has been given of my 1903 challenge of mubahalah to Dowie.The paper also published Dowie's photo as well as mine.The rest of the report is quite similar to the ones published in the above-mentioned newspapers.1903 report 28 Jun.'Mubahalah between two claimants of Prophethood' is the heading of the report published in the paper.The mentions my prayer against Dowie and further states that the truth can be determined only through the death of the liar in the lifetime of one who is truth- ful.The remaining part of the report is similar to the ones published in the above-mentioned newspapers.25 Jun.1903 The newspaper reports that Dowie has been invited to a mubahalah, and then gives details of the whole issue as published by above-men- tioned newspapers.27 Jun.The same as above-mentioned newspapers.1903 25 Jun.11 1903

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883 MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE No.NEWSPAPER DATE SUMMARY OF NEWS 9 Pilot Boston 27 Jun.IO II Pathfinder, Washington 1903 The newspaper introduced Dowie and me and then gives details of what mubahalah is and how it is conducted.27 Jun.The same as above-mentioned newspapers.1903 The Chicago 27 Jun.The same as above-mentioned newspapers.Inter-Ocean 1903 25 Jun.The newspaper report is headed as mubahalah followed by details as in the above-mentioned newspapers.12 The Democrat Chronicle, Rochester 1903 13 Chicago [Name // and date torn] 14 The 27 Jun.11 Burlington 1903 Free Press 15 Worcester 28 Jun.11 1903 16 17 Spy The Chicago 28 Jun.The newspaper has published a report on the Inter-Ocean 1903 mubahalah.Albany Press 25 Jun.// 1903 18 Jacksonville 28 Jun.11 Times 1903 19 Baltimore 25 Jun.11 American 1903 20 Buffalo Times 25 Jun.// 1903

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884 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI No.NEWSPAPER DATE SUMMARY OF NEWS 21 New York Mail 25 Jun.11 1903 22 Boston 27 Jun.11 Record 1903 23 Desert 27 Jun.11 English News 1903 24 Helena I Jul."/ Record 1903 25 The Groom- 17 Jul.// shire Gazette 1903 26 Nuneaton 17 Jul.// Chronicle 1903 27 Houston 3 Jul.Chronicle 1903 28 Savanna 29 Jun.11 News 1903 29 Richmond I Jul.News 1903 30 Glasgow 27 Herald Oct.1903 31 The New York 26 // 32 Commercial Oct.Advertiser 1903 The Morning 28 Telegraph of Oct.New York 1903 The newspaper has published a report on the mubahalah and also mentions Dowie in this regard.(Author)

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 885 He desired to uproot Islam, leaving no trace of its name under the heavens.In his own accursed newspaper, he repeatedly prayed against the Muslims and the believers in the Oneness of God and said: 'O God! Destroy all Muslims with no trace of them left in any of the countries of the world.Show me their decline and destruction, and cause the Trinity and belief in the [three] persons [in godhood] to be disseminated to every part of the Earth.' Also, he said: 'I hope to see the death of all Muslims and the uprooting of the religion of Islam, and these are the greatest objectives of my life and I have no other aim greater than this.' All these statements are present in his newspapers in the English language that are still in my pos- session.Anyone who reads these newspapers will surely come to know of what he said.Hence, O ye who wish to reflect! These statements are suffi- cient to judge how filthy the mind of this impostor was.Due to this, our Prophet, may peace and bless- ings of Allah be upon him, has named him Khinzir [the Swine], because pure things are detested by this evil one and the filth of polytheism and fab- rications please him.Indeed, the readers of his writings have come to find his statements full of

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886 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI extreme irreverence against Islam, and witnesses have testified to his accursedness exceeding every accursed person, so much so that he became noto- rious among the people for abusing and cursing; he would not desist from it when prevented or asked to stop.When I invited him to a mubāhalah so that the Glorious God may demonstrate the truth of the one who was true in his claim by inflicting death upon the one who lied, one of the Americans made a witty and amusing comment and published it in his newspaper, in the matter of Dowie and his per- sonality.He said: Dowie would accept the invita- tion to mubahalah only when he is offered some changes in the conditions laid down for this pur- pose.He would not agree to the kind of mubaha- lah he has been invited to; instead, he would like to compete with others in vituperation and abuse, for, to him [Dowie], one who can prevail over oth- ers in abuse and vituperation is the real winner and his opponent would be deemed by him to be a liar.This was said by the editor of a newspaper who investigated Dowie and his character intimately.He has first-hand knowledge of the kind of lan- guage Dowie uses and the offence it causes.The edi- tors of certain other newspapers too have written similar comments about Dowie.These editors are

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 887 well respected and honoured people of America.I myself had a chance to look into his moral behav- iour when I invited him to the mubahalah.Upon receipt of my letter, he became rather incensed and infuriated with arrogance and, displaying the canine teeth like the hyenas of the wild, said: I consider this man to be a mere gnat, nay, worse than a gnat.This gnat has not invited me, but has in fact invited his own death.He published a statement to that effect in his newspaper.For you [worthy readers], this should suffice to illustrate how haughty and arrogant he was.Indeed, it was this arrogance of his that led me to pray eagerly against him, putting all my trust in Allah, the Possessor of Honour and Glory.Before I invited him to a mubahalah, he was a man of great wealth.I prayed against him that God may cause him to die in utter humiliation, poverty, and grief.Prior to my prayer, he lived majestically and enjoyed power, glory, and fame encompassing the entire earth like a complete circle.He owned a num- ber of lofty buildings as well as palatial mansions.He had not seen any misfortune during his life and had seen daily increase in his congregation.He

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888 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI possessed all the worldly bounties and comforts that one can imagine and was heedless of times of distress and hardship.He clothed himself in silk garments and rode swift and luxurious mounts.He had completely forgotten the arrow of death and believed he would be bestowed a long life.He con- sumed his days as people who are prostrated to, worshipped, and held in great esteem; at night, he slept in soft and velvety beds.But, when Allah made His decree manifest in order to testify to what I had foretold about his end, the time of jubilation and happiness changed for him, and Allah showed him the days of pain and hardship.It was then that he was bitten by his own snakes; that is, the snakes of his misdeeds and evil conduct.So, the himlaj¹ turned into a qaṭūf.² Silk bro- cade was replaced by rough wool.Similarly, in other matters too he experienced such a reversal of fortune that he was expelled from the very town he had built by squandering enormous treasures.He was deprived of the palatial homes he had erected.and solidified by spending huge sums out of his hoarded wealth.But that was not the end of what God did to him; divine providence overpowered 1.Al-Himlāj: An easy and quick-paced horse.(Author) 2.Al-Qatuf: A slow-paced and short-stepping horse.(Author)

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 889 him in every respect by destroying all such means that enabled him to live in glory and honour.All of his possessions were surrendered to the con- trol of someone else.The air of arrogance he wore smote him with such misery and darkness that he lost every hope of regaining his previous wealth.He was forced to nurse from the infertile chest of this world and to ride on the back of malnourished poverty.Then it so happened that some of his rela- tives snatched his remaining wealth from him like debt collectors.On top of this, his wife, friends, and sons treated him in an extremely disgrace- ful manner to the extent that his so-called father published an announcement in certain American newspapers that Dowie was not his legitimate son, that he was born out of wedlock and was not his seed.This is how the storm of adversity and misfor- tune uprooted him from his very foundations.Life cast upon him all kinds of humiliation, rendering him like a rotten bone buried beneath the surface of the earth or like a snake-bitten person who met a horrible end.

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890 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI کا عظیم فونوگران آناست اگر بالو [Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian The Promised Messiah & Mahdias]

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 891 This is a sketch of Dr.Alexander Dowie's portrait when he was in his days of health Sketch of Dr.Dowie afterwards in a state of affliction

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892 AL-ISTIFTA'―SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI Despite all the fame he had acquired, he became an unknown nobody.Everyone who was with him from among his followers went their own ways.He lost all his accumulated wealth, land, and perishable prop- erty.He became like a person who is miserable, des- titute, lowly, and wretched.A curse fell on his lakes, lavish gardens, vine shoots, and stately home that he had built.The lamp of his [luxurious life] was put out and his wailing and crying was heard aloud.He was deprived of the orchards and streams that ran through them and the horses he rode.The land, both hard and soft, became too narrow for him.Vales and dales turned against him.The keys of the riches he possessed were taken away from him.He faced dis- putes with his enemies and suffered extreme pain at their hands.Finally, having endured all this abasement and disgrace, he suffered paralysis from head to toe so that it might end his filthy existence and bring him into non-existence.He was carried upon the backs of people when it came to transporting him from one place to another and he was dependent on being administered an enema by other people whenever he felt like emptying his bowels.Thereafter, he suffered lunacy, as a result of which nonsense per- vaded his speech and restlessness characterized his activity and movement.That was the last humiliation he suffered.

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 893 Thereafter, death overtook him in a state of diverse unfulfilled wishes.He died on 9 March 1907.There were no lamenting ladies for him, nor were there any mourners for him to eulogize his good deeds.Before I heard the news of his death, my Lord sent a revelation to me and said: إِنِّي نَعَيْتُ.إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ.I convey the news of a liar's death.Allah is with the truthful.This made me realize that God had informed me of the news of the death of someone who wished to engage in a mubahalah with me and was my enemy, as well as the enemy of my faith [i.e.Islam].After this unambiguous revelation, I attentively awaited its fulfilment.This prophecy was published in the newspapers Badr and al-Hakam before it was actu- ally fulfilled so that it might further strengthen the faith of the believers at the time of its fulfilment.Later, when the time for the fulfilment of the promise of my Lord came, Dowie died suddenly.Falsehood vanished and truth prevailed.All praise, therefore, belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.God is my Witness, if I had been gifted an entire mountain of gold or pearls or rubies, it would not have pleased me as much as the death of this mischief-monger and liar did.So, is there anyone who is fair-minded enough to reflect upon

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894 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI this great victory bestowed upon me by Allah the Great Bestower? This is the painful torment that descended upon the ignoble enemy.As for me, God Almighty fulfilled all my desires after this mubahalah and showed a number of Signs in my favour to favour to perfect His argument, caused a whole army of righteous people to be attracted towards me, and bestowed heaps of gold and silver upon me.He granted me overwhelming victory each time someone from among the innovators and disbelievers had a muba- halah with me, and manifested a countless num- ber of radiant Signs for me, which I am unable to count, nor do I possess the [enormous] capac- ity to document [all of] them.You should, there- fore, enquire from the people of America about the end that God Almighty inflicted upon Dowie after my prayer.Come to me so that I may show you the Signs of my Lord and Master.My concluding prayer is that all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.The Exponent Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, From the place of Qadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab 15 April 1907 CE

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE 895 [Footnote related to the previous page] Verily, God Almighty repeatedly informed me of Dowie's death; the number of glad tidings in this regard is quite large.All of them were published in the newspapers named Badr and al-Ḥakam prior to Dowie's death and before he became afflicted with a number of calam- ities.One who is ready to reflect should refer to the aforesaid newspa- pers.Among the revelations mentioned therein is the one that God Almighty revealed to me on 25 December 1902 in the form of a narra- tive.It is as follows: إِنِّى صَادِقٌ صَادِقٌ وَسَيَشْهَدُ اللهُ لِن.I am truthful, truthful; and soon will Allah bear witness for me.Another revelation in this regard is the one that I received on 2 February 1903.It is as follows: سَنُعْلِيْكَ.سَأُكْرِمُكَ إِكْرَامًا عَجَبًا.سُمِعَ الدُّعَاءُ إِنِّي مَعَ الْأَفْوَاجِ أَتِيْكَ بَغْتَةً.دُعَاؤُكَ مُسْتَجَابٌ.We shall exalt you.I shall honour you in a manner that will make people marvel.Supplication has been heard.I shall come to you suddenly with My hosts.Your prayer has been accepted.Then, on 26 November 1903, I received the following revelation: لَكَ الْفَتْحُ وَلَكَ الْغَلَبَةُ.Yours is the victory and you will triumph.Then, I received the following revelation on 17 December 1903: تَرى نَصْرًا مِّنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ.إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوا وَّ الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مُّحْسِنُوْنَ.You will see the help of Allah.Allah is with those who are right- eous and do their duty to the utmost.

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896 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI Then, on 12 June 1904, I received the following revelation: كَتَبَ اللهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ انَا وَ رُسُلِي كَمِثْلِكَ دُرِّ لَا يُضَاعُ لَا يَأْتِي عَلَيْكَ يَوْمُ الْخُسْرَانِ.Allah has decreed: 'Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers.A jewel like you is not wasted.There will not come to you the day of loss.Again, on 17 December 1905, God Almighty revealed to me the fol- lowing words: قَالَ رَبُّكَ إِنَّهُ نَازِلُ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ مَايُرْضِيْكَ، رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا، وَكَانَ أَمْرًا مَّقْضِيَّا.Your Lord says: He will send down from heaven that which will please you, a mercy from Ourself and that is a matter that has been determined.Again, on 20 March 1906, I was granted the following revelation: الْمُرَادُ حَاصِلٌ.Purpose will be fulfilled.Then, on 9 April 1906, I was granted the following revelation: نَصْرٌ مِّنَ اللهِ وَفَتْحٌ مُبِينٌ.وَلا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُهُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ يُعْرِضُوْنَ.Help from Allah, and a clear victory.The punishment will not be averted from people who turn away.Then, on 12 April 1906, I was granted the following revelation: أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدًا.Allah has determined to raise you to a praiseworthy station.Meaning that, a station which has honour, victory and praise.

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE Then I received a revelation in Urdu, which said: کلیسا کی طاقت کا نسخہ 897 Meaning that, I can see the destruction of the power of the Christian Church; in other words, that the indications of the destruction of the Christian Church are visible.On 7 June 1906, I received the following revelations:¹ دو نشان ظاہر ہونگے.6 Two Signs will be shown.إِنِّي أُرِيْكَ مَا يُرْضِيْكَ.I shall show you that which will please you.Then, on 20 January 1906, I was granted the following revelation: وَقَالُوا لَسْتَ مُرْسَلًا.قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَكُمْ.وَ مَنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ الْكِتَبِ.They will say, 'He is not a Messenger of God.Tell them, 'My truth is being testified by God Himself as well as those who have knowledge of the Book of Allah.' On 10 July 1906, I received the following revelation: دیکھ میں تیرے لئے آسمان سے برساؤں گا اور زمین سے نکالوں گا.پر وہ جو تیرے مخالف ہیں پکڑے جائیں گے.Look! I shall send for you from the sky and shall produce for you from the earth; but those who are opposed to you will be seized.1.In the original Al-Istifta', which is a book in Arabic, these revelations have been given in their Arabic translation; here we are presenting the words in their original revealed language.[Publisher]

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898 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI And on 23 August 1906, I received the following revelation in Urdu: آج کل کوئی نشان ظاہر ہوگا ) Some Sign will soon appear.On 27 September 1906, I received the revelation: اے مظفر تجھ پر سلام ہو کہ خدا نے تیری بات سُن لی.اکھ Peace on you, O Victorious One because God has heard your supplication.بَلَجَتْ آيَاتِي، وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ الْفَتْحُ.My Signs have been manifested and give good tidings to those who have believed that there certainly is victory for them.On 20 October 1906, I received the revelation: اللَّهُ عَدُوٌّ الْكَاذِبِ، وَإِنَّهُ يُوْصِلُهُ إِلى جَهَنَّمَ، أُغْرِقَتْ سَفِيْنَةُ الْأَذَلِّ، إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ.Allah is the enemy of the liar and will convey him to Hell.The vessel of degraded person has been drowned.Surely the venge- ance of your Lord is severe.Again, on 1 February 1907, I received the following revelation: روشن نشان اور ہماری فتح کے Bright Signs and our victory.Then on 7 February 1907 received the revelation: الْعِيْدُ الْآخَرِ.تَنَالُ مِنْهُ فَتْحًا عَظِيْمًا.دَعْنِي أَقْتُلْ مَنْ أَذَاكَ.إِنَّ الْعَذَابَ مُرَبَّعٌ وَّ مُدَوَّرٌ.وَإِنْ يُرَوْا أَيَةً يُعْرِضُوا وَ يَقُولُوا سِحْرٌ مُّسْتَمِرٌّ.There is another ‘Ïd [Eid festival] during which you will achieve a great victory.Leave Me so that I might kill him who hurts

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MUBAHALAH WITH DOWIE you.The chastisement is destined for the enemies from all four sides and is encircling them.When they see a Sign, they turn away and say: For sure this is magic.On 7 March 1907, I received the revelation: ان کی لاش کفن میں لپیٹ کر لائے ہیں.His body has been brought wrapped in a shroud.نَعَيْتُ.I convey to you the news of a liar's death (meaning that, after the 7th of March the death of that person is destined).إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّادِقِيْنَ.Allah is with the truthful.899

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CONCLUSION It occurred to me that I should write something about my life and that of my forefathers in this treatise in order to acquaint people with my circumstances.Hopefully, Allah would benefit them, increase them in strength to remove misguidance, enable them to reflect upon the truth of the matter, and incline them towards equity and justice.Know may God have mercy upon you all—that I am named Ghulam Ahmad son of Mirza Ghulām Murtaḍa.Mirzā Ghulām Murtaḍa was the son of Mirza ‘Aṭā Muḥammad; Mirzā ‘Ață Muḥammad of Mirzā Gul Muḥammad; Mirzā Gul Muḥammad of Mirza Faiḍ Muḥammad; Mirzā Faid Muhammad of Mirzā Muḥammad Qa'im; Mirzā Muḥammad Qa'im of Mirzā Muḥammad Aslam; Mirzā Muḥammad Aslam of Mirzā Dilawar Baig; Mirzā Dilawar Baig of Mirzā Allah Din; Mirzā Allah Dīn of Mirzā Ja'far Baig; Mirzā Ja'far Baig of Mirza Muḥammad Baig; Mirzā Muḥammad Baig of Mirza Muḥammad 'Abdul-Bāqī; Mirzā Muḥammad 'Abdul-Bāqi of Mirzā Muḥammad Sulțān and Mirzā Muḥammad Sulṭān was the son of Mirzā Hādi Baig.Thereafter, know that my place of residence is a village called Islampur, which is known today as Qadian.It is situated in the Punjab [Province] between the rivers Ravi and Beas and northeast of Lahore, the capital of the Government and the centre of the towns of the Punjab.I have read in the biographies of my forefathers as well as heard from my father that they descend from the Mughals; however, God Almighty has revealed to me that they are the children of the Persians

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902 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI and not the Turkic peoples.Also, He revealed to me that some of my grandmothers descended from Fatimah, [the daughter of the Holy Propheta], and from certain other members of the Family of the Holy Prophets.Allah has combined in them the progeny of Isḥāq [Isaac] and Ismail [Ishmael] in the utmost wisdom and appropriateness.I have heard from my father and read in some of my ancestors' biog- raphies that they initially lived in Samarqand, before they migrated to India.They were among the chiefs and ruling elite of that land and were great supporters and patriots of the Faith.Thereafter, their resolve for travelling drew them to faraway lands and the journey expanded to them its tributaries until they traversed the land of this town that is named Qadian.They found it to be a blessed place surrounded by fertile and productive land.They liked its climate, its water, its trees, and its lush green fields, and thus halted their journey there.They were a people who preferred villages rather than cities.God bestowed on them plenty of land and property.They became the lords of the towns and cities around them.Later, when a considerable period of time elapsed in this condition, and God's decree descended upon the Mughal Empire, He raised my forefathers to become the chiefs of this land.They became self-governing rulers of this part of the world and exercised full control over this territory.God Almighty, in His grace and mercy, fulfilled all their desires.Later, after having lived in bounty, prosperity, and honour for a long time, God Almighty, in His deep wisdom and profound discernment, imposed on them a people known as Khalsah [Sikhs], who were cruel-hearted.They did not respect the nobility nor show compassion to the poor.Whichever town they entered, they destroyed it and humiliated its nobles.Because of their oppression, the full moons of Islam were reduced to crescents.They were among the opponents of Islam and the bitterest enemies of the religion of the Best of Mankind [i.e.the Holy Prophetsa].Therefore, during the rule of those mean people, my forefathers were inflicted with great tribulations to the extent that they were forced to abandon the seat of their government.The disbelieving lot snatched away their

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CONCLUSION 903 properties from them.They cast them away and forced them to aban- don the vast shade of prosperity.They were exiled from their home- land for several years.The cruel enemy persecuted them in the worst possible manner.Nobody, except God the Most Merciful, took pity on them.Then Allah returned some villages to my father during the British rule, so that he came upon a drop, or even less, from the ocean of lost properties.Therefore, in sum, my ancestors died in the bitterness of discomfi- ture and regrets, after being like a tree laden with lush fruits and after days that were like ornate and embellished virgins.Their life history left for me a lesson the mere thought of which fills my eyes with tears.When I imagine their situation, sadness overtakes me and I weep and cry, so much so that I tell myself that this life has been faithful to none.It is doomed to end in frustration and ruin.The narrowness of this worldly life pained me deeply.It was then that it was inspired into my heart that I should not give way to the outward shine of this world.God Almighty, by this, saved me from falling in love with this worldly life and from longing to stare at its apparent beauty or inclin- ing towards its ephemeral trees and fruits.I came to prefer seclusion and lack of renown and tried to keep away from gatherings and occa- sions of conceit and pretence.Yet, God Almighty brought me out of my seclusion and made me well known among the people, despite the fact that I never wanted to be famous.He raised me to be the Khalifah [vicegerent] of the Latter Days and the Imam of the time.He vouchsafed to me so many of His verbal revelations, of which I hereby mention a few.I believe in them as I believe in the Books of God Almighty, the Creator of the universe.These revelations are given below.¹ 1.In the original Al-Istifta', Haqiqatul-Waḥi, these revelations were given in orig- inal Arabic or in Arabic translation; here we are presenting only the English translation.The revelations in their original words are given above on pages 89-97.It may be noted that the footnotes in this section are from Ḥaqiqatul- Waḥi, Rūḥāni Khazā’in, vol.22, p.707-714, published in 2008.[Publisher]

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In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful [Translation of Revelations]" you did Allah has placed blessing in O Ahmad.Whatever you, let loose, it was not you but it was Allah who let it loose.Allah has taught you the Quran—that is, disclosed its true meanings to you—so that you should warn the people whose ancestors have not been warned, and that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest; that is, he who turns away from you be known.Say, 'I have been commissioned from God and I am the first of the believers.Say, 'The truth has come and falsehood has vanished away; and falsehood was bound to vanish.Every blessing is from Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; so, highly blessed is he who taught and he who has been taught.They will say, 'This is not revelation, rather these are self-coined phrases.' Tell them, ‘God is the One who has revealed these phrases and then leave them occupied with their sport.Tell them, 'If these phrases have been invented by me and are not the Words of God, then I deserve the harshest punishment.And who is guilty of greater wrong than one who invents a lie and utters falsehood against Allah?' 1.The English translation of the revelations is based on the Urdu translation given by the Promised Messiah as earlier in this book.[Publisher]

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906 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI God is He who has sent His Messenger and Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth in order so that He should make this faith prevail over all diverse faiths.God's decrees are bound to be fulfilled; no one can change them.People will say, 'Whence have you obtained this status? All of this being described as revelation is man's word and has been manufac- tured with the help of other people.O people! Will you then knowingly submit to deception? How can that happen which this man promises you, especially the promise of one who is lowly and mean.He is either ignorant or mad whose speech is pointless.Tell them, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you accept it or not?' Tell them again, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you believe or not.I have been living among you for a long time before this, then do you not understand?' This status has been granted as a mercy from your Lord, He will perfect His bounty unto you; so give glad tidings and by the grace of your Lord you are not demented.You have a stand- ing and status in heaven and among those who are able to see.We shall show Signs for you and shall demolish the structures which they build.All praise belongs to Allah who has made you Masih Ibn- e-Maryam [the Messiah, Son of Mary].He is not accountable for that which He does but the people are accountable for what they do.They ask, 'Do you place in it as vicegerent one who cre- ates disorder upon earth?' He answered: 'I know about him that which you do not know.I shall humiliate the person, who designs to humiliate you.In My Presence, My Messengers are not afraid of any opponent.Allah has decreed, 'I and My Messengers shall always prevail.And after their defeat, they shall soon be victorious.Allah is with those who are righteous and who do good

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] deeds.An earthquake resembling the Judgment Day is about to happen, which I shall show you.I shall keep all those who dwell in this house under My watchful protection.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away.This is that which you sought to hasten.This is the good news which was given to Prophets.You have appeared with a clear Sign from your Lord.We shall suffice against those who mock you.Shall I inform you on whom the satans descend? Satans descend upon every lying sinner.Despair not of the mercy of Allah.Hearken! indeed the mercy of Allah is near.Hearken, the help of Allah is near.Help will come to you by every distant track—such tracks which will become deep due to the excessive travel of the people that will come to you.So many people will come to you that the track on which they travel will become deep.Allah will Himself help you.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from Ourself.The decrees of Allah can- not be averted.Your Lord has said, 'A decree will descend from heaven that will please you.' We will bestow upon you a manifest victory.The victory of the friend of Allah is the grand victory and We have bestowed upon him such intimate nearness that he becomes Our con- fidant.He is the bravest of people.Had faith ascended to the Pleiades he would have reached there and brought it down.Allah will illumine his arguments.I was a hidden treasure and I willed to be recognized.O moon, O sun, you appeared through Me and I was man- ifested through you.When the help of Allah comes and the hosts turn to us, [and the Words of your Lord are fulfilled] it will be asked: 'Was this not true?' It is incumbent upon you not to be wroth towards Allah's creatures and you must not get tired of receiving them in large numbers.You must enlarge your house so that when people come in multitudes, there may be 907

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908 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI enough accommodation for them.Give glad tidings to those who have believed that they have the station of righteousness before your Lord.Recite the revelation that has been sent to you from your Lord to those who will join your Community.Ashābus-Suffah.Do you know who the Ashābus-Suffah are? You will see their eyes shedding tears; they will call down blessings upon you.They will send blessing upon you and sup- plicate: 'Our Lord we have heard the voice of a Caller, calling people unto faith and a Summoner to Allah and a refulgent lamp.'" Mercy flows from your lips, O Aḥmad.You are in Our sight, [under Our watchful care].I have named you Mutawakkil [the one trusting in God].Allah will exalt your name and perfect His bounty upon you in this world and the Hereafter.You have been blessed, O Aḥmad, and you alone deserved the blessing that Allah has bestowed upon you.Your rank is wonderful and your reward is near.The heaven and the earth is with you as it is with Me.You have a high station in My Presence.I have chosen you for Myself.All kinds of Holiness belong to Allah, who pos- sesses all blessings and is the Highest Being.He will raise your status.The name and remembrance of your forefathers will be cut off and, after you, the family tree will begin with you.Allah is not such as to leave you until He clearly distin- guishes between the foul and the pure.When the help and the victory of Allah Almighty will come and the word of your Lord is fulfilled, the disbelievers will be told, 'This is what you has- tened for.' 1.In one corner of the Prophet's mosque in Madinah, a covered platform was prepared which was known as 'Şuffah'.This served as the resting place of indi- gent Emigrants who dedicated themselves to the worship of Allah, the com- pany of the Holy Prophets, and recitation of the Holy Quran.They became known as Asḥābuş-Şuffah.[Publisher]

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CONCLUSION―[TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] from Myself so I created this Adam.He drew nearer to God and then turned towards mankind and between the two he became like one chord between two bows.He will revive the Faith and will establish Shariah.O Adam! Dwell you and your companions in Paradise.O Maryam [Mary]! Dwell you and your follower and companion in Paradise.O Aḥmad! Dwell you and your companions in Paradise.You will be helped and opponents will say, 'Now, there is no way of escape left.A man of Persian descent has written the refutation of those who have disbelieved and have obstructed [people] from the path of Allah.Allah appreciates his effort.Do they say, 'We are a strongly supported host that will inflict devastating losses'? This entire host will soon be routed and they will turn their backs.Today you are a man of established position, and trustworthy, and My mercy is upon you in [mat- ters of] the world and the Faith and you are among the peo- ple who have been granted the succour of Allah.God praises you and is coming towards you.Holy is He who took you on a journey during the night.He created this Adam and then hon- oured him.He is the Messenger of Allah in the mantles of all the Prophets; that is, he possesses some characteristic of every Prophet.Good news for you, O My Aḥmad! You are My pur- pose and are with Me.Your secret is My secret.I will help you.I shall always remain your Protector.I shall make you a leader of men.You will be their guide and they will be your followers.Is this a matter of wonder for people? Tell them, 'Allah is the Possessor of Wonders.He is not questioned about that which He does, but people are questioned.' And such days We cause to alternate among men.They will say, 'This is an impos- ture!' Say, 'If you love Allah, then follow me, so that Allah may also love you.' When Allah the Almighty helps a believer He makes many 909

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910 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI in the earth jealous of him.No one can turn away His grace; therefore, Hell is their promised place.Say, 'Allah has sent this Word, and then leave them beguiled by their useless sport.When it is said to them, 'Believe as other people have believed', they say, 'Shall we believe as the foolish have believed?' Take note! They indeed are the foolish ones, but they are not aware of their foolishness.When it is said to them, 'Create not disorder in the land, they retort, 'We are actually the ones who promote peace.' Say, ‘Light has descended to you from Allah, so do not reject it if you are believers.' Do you demand any trib- ute from them which prevents them from bearing the burden of faith? Nay! We have given them the truth, but they hate to accept the truth.Deal people with kindness and mercy.Your standing among them is like Mūsā [Moses] and be patient against what they say.Will you grieve yourself to death as to why they do not believe? Follow not that of which you have no knowledge.Do not supplicate to Me in the matter of the wrongdoers; they will be drowned.Build the ark under Our supervision and Our direction.Those who enter into a covenant with you, enter into a covenant with Allah.The hand above their hands is Allah's hand.Call to mind when the one who considered you a liar and declared you a disbeliever devised a plan against you and said, 'O Hāmān, prepare a fire for me, so that I might find out about the God of Mūsā because I consider him to be a liar.' Both hands of Abu Lahab [the Father of Flames] perished and so did he perish himself.It did not behove him to enter into this affair without fear and humility.And as for that which afflicts you, it is from God alone.A trial will arise here, then be steadfast as Prophets of high resolve were steadfast.Hearken! This tribulation is from God Almighty so that He might love you—the love of God, the Mighty and the Exalted.Two goats will be slaughtered and

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] everyone upon the earth will ultimately perish.Do not be sor- rowful, nor grieve.Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? Do you not know that God has power over all things? They have made you a target of mockery and mockingly say, 'Is he the one whom Allah has raised?' Tell them, 'I am but a man.It has been revealed to me that your God is One God and that all goodness and virtue is contained in the Quran, and in no other book.No one penetrates to its deeper meanings except those whose hearts are pure.Say, 'The [real] guidance is only the guidance from Allah.They will say, 'Why has this revelation of God not descended upon some great man from one of the two cities?' They will also ask, 'From where have you obtained this status? This is a strata- gem that you have devised together.' They look towards you but they are unable to recognize you.Say, 'If you love Allah, then come and follow me so that Allah may also love you.God has descended to bestow mercy upon you.But if you revert to sin, We shall also revert to inflict- ing chastisement.We have made Hell a place of confinement for disbelievers.And We have sent you as a mercy for the whole world.Say, 'Carry on as you like within your homes, and I shall also carry on and soon you will see whom God helps.' Not the smallest particle of a deed can be accepted without righteous- ness.Allah is with those who are righteous and with those who are engaged in doing good deeds.Say, 'If I have invented a slan- der, the sin thereof is on me.And I was living among you for a long time before this, then do you not understand?' Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? And We will make him a Sign and an example of mercy and this matter had been determined since eternity.This is that very matter which you doubted.Peace be upon you! You have been blessed.You are blessed in the world and in the Hereafter.Blessings will descend upon the sick people through you.911

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912 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI Now, come forward and go forth, as your time is near.The time is now coming that the people of Muḥammad will be lifted from the pit and their steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower.The holy Muḥammad, the Chosen One, Chief of the Prophets.God will set all affairs aright and will bestow upon you all that you desire.The Lord of hosts will turn His attention towards this.The purport of this Sign is that the Holy Quran is the Book of God and is the words of My mouth.your O ‘Īsā [Jesus], I shall cause you to die and shall raise you towards Myself and I shall grant predominance to your : follow- ers over those who disbelieve until the Day of Judgment; there is a group from among the first ones and a group from among the last ones.I shall demonstrate My light and shall raise you with a demonstration of My power.A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.You are to Me as My Tauhid [Oneness] and Tafrid [Uniqueness].The time has come that you should be helped and be made well known in the world.You are to Me like My Throne.You are to Me like My son.¹* You are to Me in such an ultimate nearness of which the people cannot have any knowl- edge.We are your Friend and Guardian in this world and in the 1.Allah the Almighty is Holy, without a son.This revelation is metaphorical فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ كَذِكرِكُمْ أَباءَكُمْ as is the case with the following commandment of God [Surah al-Baqarah, 2:201] That is, remember God in the way that you remem- ber your fathers.The Holy Quran is full of such metaphors.Those who un- derstand and possess erudition see nothing amiss in this.Thus, these words are not incongruous and similar examples can be found in multiple divine Scriptures and the sayings of those Holy people who are often referred to as Sufis.Thus, O people of understanding! Do not be hasty in coming to a deci- sion about me.(Author)

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] Hereafter.Whomsoever you are angry with, I am angry with; and whomsoever you love, I love them too.He who is at enmity with a friend of Mine is challenged by Me to battle.I shall stand with this Messenger.I shall rebuke the one who rebukes him.And I shall bestow upon you that which shall last forever.Prosperity will come to you.Peace be upon this Ibrāhīm [Abraham].We have made him a true friend and have deliv- ered him from grief.We are Unique in this matter.Then make the station of this Ibrāhīm your place of worship; that is, follow his example.We have sent him close to Qadian, and have sent him at the time of true need, and he has descended at the time of need.The prophecy of Allah and His Messenger has been fulfilled, and whatever God had willed was bound to happen.All praise belongs to Allah, who has made you Masiḥ Ibn-e-Maryam.He [Allah] is not accountable for that which He does, but people are accountable.Allah has selected you from among everything.Many thrones have descended upon the earth but your throne has been placed above all others.They will desire to extinguish the light of Allah.Hearken! It is the army of Allah which shall prevail ultimately.Have no fear, indeed, you will be on top.Have no fear, for, in My Presence, My Messengers are not afraid of anyone.The opponents will desire to extinguish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths and Allah will perfect His light though the disbelievers might resent it.We shall send down to you many hidden matters from heaven.And We shall crush the designs of your enemies into 913 1.My Lord has named me Ibrāhīm; likewise, He has named me with the names of all the Prophets from Adam to the Chief of the Messengers and the Best of the Chosen Onessa.I have mentioned this matter in my book Barāhin.He who seeks [to learn more about] it, should resort to it.(Author)

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914 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI bits and shall show Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts the hand which they fear.Then grieve not over that which they say, because your Lord is ever on the watch.No Prophet has been sent except that with his coming Allah has humiliated those who do not believe in him.We shall deliver you and will raise you high.I shall grant you such hon- our as will make people marvel.I shall comfort you and shall not wipe out your name and shall raise a great people from you.We shall show great Signs for you and shall demolish the struc- tures that are being built.You are the revered Messiah whose time shall not be wasted.A jewel like you cannot be wasted.You have a high standing in heaven and among those who have been granted insight.The Gracious God will demonstrate a Sign of Providence for you.The disbelievers will thereby fall down in prostration.They will fall upon their chins supplicating, ‘Our Lord forgive us our sins; we were in error.' Then they will address you saying, 'We testify to Allah that He has given you preference over us and that we were in error in staying away.They will be told, Now that you have believed, no blame lies upon you.Allah has forgiven your sins and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.Allah will safeguard you against the mischief of your enemies and will attack him who attacks you.This is because they transgressed and treaded upon the ways of disobe- dience.Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? O mountains and birds! Remember Me with ecstasy and heartfelt pain along with this servant of Mine.Peace be upon all of you from God who is Merciful.Step aside today, O guilty ones! I, along with the Spirit of Holiness, am with you and with the members of your family.Be not afraid; the Messengers are not afraid in My Presence.The promise of Allah has come, and He has put down His foot and repaired the gap.Then blessed is he who has found

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] and seen.There are people who accepted the guidance and there are people who have earned torment.They will say, 'He is not a Messenger of God.' Tell them, 'My truth is being testified by God Himself as well as those who have knowledge of the Book of Allah.' Allah will help you at a difficult time.The commandment of Allah, the Gracious, for His vicegerent, for whom is the heavenly kingdom: he will be bestowed a vast kingdom; treas- ures will be opened for him.This is Allah's grace and is strange in your eyes.Say, 'O ye who disbelieve! I am of the truthful ones.So wait a while for My Signs.' We shall soon show them Our Signs around them and in their own selves.On that day the argu- ments will be carried to its conclusion and there will be a clear victory.Allah will decide between you on that day.Allah does not guide the one who exceeds the limits and is a great liar.We shall bear that burden of yours which has well-nigh bro- ken your back.We shall cut the roots off of the people who do not believe in the veritable truth.Tell them, 'Continue on your side to strive for your success; I shall continue to strive on my side.Then soon will you know whose efforts are deemed wor- thy of acceptance.Allah will be with those who adopt right- eousness and with those who are engaged in doing good deeds.Has not the news of the destined earthquake come to you? Call to mind, when the earth shall be shaken violently and it shall bring forth all of its inner burdens and man will ask, 'What is the matter with the earth, that such a calamity has overtaken it?' On that day, the earth shall narrate the events that befell it.God shall reveal to His Messenger the trouble that has befallen it.Do the people imagine that this earthquake will not strike? It will certainly strike, and at a time when they will be com- pletely unprepared and everyone will be distracted in their own worldly pursuits when the earthquake shall seize them.They 915

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916 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI ask you, 'Is the prophecy about the coming of the earthquake true?” Tell them, ‘Yes, by my Lord, this earthquake shall cer- tainly occur and people who turn away from God will not be able to escape it anywhere.' That is, they will find no refuge, and even if they are standing at the door of their house, they will be unable to leave the house, except through good deeds.A mill will rotate and the decree will descend.Those from among the People of the Book and the idola- ters who denied the truth would not desist from their disbelief until this great Sign was shown to them.Had God not done this, the world would have been enveloped in darkness.I shall show you the earthquake of the Judgment Day.Allah will show you the earthquake of the Judgment Day.On that day, it will be asked, 'Whose is the kingdom this Day? Is the kingdom not of Allah, who is Supreme over all?' I shall demonstrate to you the flash of this earthquake five times.If I so willed, I would end the world that day.I shall safeguard all those who are in your house.I shall show you the marvel of divine decree that will please you.Tell the companions that the time for showing wonders upon wonders has arrived.I shall grant you a grand victory which will be very clear so that your God may forgive all your shortcomings, past and future.I am the Acceptor of repentance.He who will come to you, will be as if he comes to Me.Peace be upon you; you are the purified.We praise you and call down blessings upon you.Blessings of Allah extend to you from the Throne to the earth.I have descended for your sake and shall manifest My Signs for you.Diseases will spread in the land and many lives will be lost.God is not such as to change His decree about a people until they carry out a change in their views.He will take this town Qadian under His protection after some tribulations.Were it not for the sake of honouring you, I would have destroyed the whole of this town.I shall safeguard all those who are within

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] the four walls of this house-none of them shall die of the plague or earthquake.God is not such that He would chastise those among whom you dwell.The house filled with our love is an abode of peace.The earthquake will occur-and with great severity and the earth will be turned upside down.On that day the sky will produce a visible pall of smoke.And on that day the earth will turn yellow; that is, there will be signs of severe famine.I shall bestow respect and honour upon you after your enemies try to humiliate you.you They desire that your affair should remain incomplete, but Allah does not intend to leave until He completes all your affairs.I am the Gracious One; I shall create ease for you in every matter.I shall show you blessings from every direction.My mercy has descended upon three of your organs: the eyes and two other organs; that is, they will be protected.The glow of youth will be restored to you.You shall witness your distant progeny.We give you good news of a son, who will be accompanied by the manifestation of the True, as if Allah had descended from heaven.We give you good news of a boy who will be your grandson.Allah has purified you of every shortcoming and has approved of you and has taught you the verities that you did not know.He is the Benevolent.He walked in front of you and became the Enemy of your enemies.They will say, 'This is but an imposture.' O critic! Do you not know that God has power over all things? He puts His Spirit into whomsoever He wills from among His servants; that is, grants the station of Prophethood.Every blessing is from Muḥammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; so, highly blessed is he who taught this servant and greatly blessed is he who has been taught.God's feeling and His seal have accomplished such a lofty design; 917

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918 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI that is, God felt the need of the time, and His feeling and the Seal of Prophethood which carries very powerful grace, have accomplished a great task.In other words, there are two reasons for your being commissioned: (1) Feeling by God for the need of the time, and (2) The grace bestowed by the Seal of the Holy Prophetsa.I am with you and with the members of your family, and with all those who love you.My name demonstrated its flash for your sake.The spiritual universe has been opened for you.Therefore, your sight is sharp today.Allah will prolong your life.Eighty years—four or five more, or four or five less.I shall bless you greatly, so much so that kings will seek blessings from your garments.My name demonstrated its flash for your sake.I shall show fifty or sixty more Signs.Those who are accepted of God exhibit Signs and evi- dence of such acceptance.They are revered by kings and mighty ones and are called princes of peace.The drawn sword of angels is in front of you, but you have not recog- nized or seen or known the time.It is not good to oppose the Brahman Avatar.O my God! Demonstrate the distinction between the true and the false.You recognize every reformer and truthful one.O my Lord! Everything is in Your service.O my Lord, guard me from the mischief of the wicked and help me and have mercy on me.O enemy bent upon destroying me! May Allah ruin you and safeguard me against your mischief.The earthquake that has been prophesied is about to strike.The servants of God shall arise and observe Prayer upon witnessing an example of the Judgment Day.Allah will make you prevail and will spread your praise

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] among people.Had I not created you, I would not have created the heavens.Ask of Me; I shall grant you.Yours is the hand and supplication; the mercy is from Allah.The shock of earthquake that will demolish a part of the structure.Permanent and temporary residences will all be wiped out.It will be followed by another earthquake.When the spring comes round again, there will be another earthquake.When the spring will come round for the third time the days of the satisfaction of the mind will arrive, and by that time Allah the Almighty will have demonstrated many Signs.Lord! Postpone the time of the major earthquake to some extent.Allah will postpone the earthquake that will be an exam- ple of the Judgment Day until an appointed time.Then you will see wonderful help and your opponents will fall down upon their chins supplicating, 'Lord! Forgive us and pardon our sins, we were in error.' The earth will say, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I did not recognise you.' O defaulters! No blame shall lie upon you this day; Allah will forgive your sins and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.Deal kindly with people and be compassionate towards them.You are to me like Mūsā [Moses].A time will come upon you like the time of Mūsā.We have sent a Messenger to you similar to the Messenger that We sent to Pharaoh.Much milk—that is, the milk of insights and verities— has descended from heaven; guard it.I have illumined you and chosen you.Provision has been made for your happy life.Allah is better than everything.With Me goodness greater than a mountain.Many salutations of peace are upon you from Me.We have bestowed upon you in abundance.Allah is with 919

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920 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI those who follow the guidance and those who are truthful.Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good deeds.Allah intends to raise you to a station where you would be praised.Two Signs will appear.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! The lightning of the Signs of God would strike them blind.This is what (you) desired to be hastened.O Aḥmad! Mercy flows from your lips.Your dis- course has been made eloquent by the Benevolent Lord.There is something in that which you say, to which the poets have no access.O My Lord! Teach me that which is good in Your estimation.Allah will safeguard you against your enemies and will attack all those who attack you.They have disclosed all the weapons that they possessed.I shall inform Maulawi Muḥammad Husain of Batala at the last moment ¹* that he was not in the right.Allah is Gentle and Merciful.We have made the iron soft for you.I shall come [to you] suddenly with My hosts.I shall respond along with the Messenger and will postpone or cancel My decree at certain times and will fulfil it at other times.² They will ask, 'Whence have you obtained this status?? Tell them, 'Allah is the Possessor of Wonders.' Ayal³* came to me and chose me and rotated his fingers and signified that the promise of Allah had arrived.Then blessed is he who finds it and sees 1.This is what has been revealed to me about a person who opposed me and declared me an infidel; he is from among the scholars of India named Abu Saeed Muḥammad Husain Batalavi.(Author) 2.Holy is Allah and above committing a mistake, so the word ukhti [cancel] is mentioned by way of allegorical speech just as the word taruddud [hesita- tion] is used in the aḥādīth with reference to Allāh the Exalted.(Author) 3.By Ayal here is meant Jibra'il [Gabriel], may peace be upon him.My Lord has made me understand it in this way.As Aul and Al-Iiyāb (to return again and again) are the attributes of Jibra'il, may peace be upon him, therefore he is named Ayal in the words of Allah.(Author)

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CONCLUSION―[TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] it.Various kinds of diseases will be spread and many lives will be lost in different calamities.I shall stand with My Messenger and shall break the fast and also observe it.¹ I shall not depart from this land until a determined time.I shall bestow upon you the light of My coming and I shall proceed towards you and shall bestow upon you that which shall stay with you forever.We shall inherit the earth and will eat into it from its bounda- ries.Many will be transferred to their graves.Manifest victory will be from Allah that day.My Lord is the Possessor of Mighty Power and He is Strong and Mighty.His wrath will descend upon the earth.I am truthful; I am truthful and Allah will bear witness for me.O Eternal and Everlasting God! Come to my aid.The earth has become strait for me despite its expanse.O my Lord! I am overcome, so take my revenge from the oppo- nents and crush them into bits, because they have drawn far away from the fashion of life.When You determine a matter, it happens immediately with Your command.O My servant, since you repeatedly enter into My mansion, then see for yourself whether the shower of mercy descended upon you or not? We destroyed fourteen beasts; this was because they exceeded the limits in disobedience.The end of the ignorant one is Hell; an ignorant one sel- dom comes to a good end.I have obtained victory; I have triumphed.I have been commissioned as a vicegerent by the Gracious God, so come to me.I am the pasture of the Gracious God and I perceive the fragrance of the long lost Yusuf [Joseph] even if 921 1.This indicates the punishment of the plague and the fact that it will be manifested for a time and then halted for a time.It is in this sense that God is said to break the fast and keep the fast.(Author)

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922 AL-ISTIFTA' SUPPLEMENT TO ḤAQIQATUL-WAḤI you were to call me a dotard.Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant? Did He not revert their plan to work against them? you That which have done will not turn out to be in accord with God's pleasure.We have forgiven you.Allah helped you at the time of Badr that is, in this fourteenth century—when you were weak.They will say, 'This is an imposture.Tell them, 'Had this enterprise been from anyone other than Allah you would have found much contradiction in it.' Say, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you believe or not?' The moon of the Prophets will come and your affair will be completed.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! The earthquake will strike with great severity and the earth will be turned upside down.This is the promise that you hastened for.I shall safeguard all those who are in this house from the earthquake.There an ark and comfort.I am with you and with the members of your family.I shall desire what you desire.Concerning the order that was issued relating to Bengal-namely, the pain suffered by the people of Bengal due to the partition of Bengal—God says that they will be consoled in some other way in the future.All praise belongs to Allah who has favoured you by provid- ing you with good relations through marriage and a good ances- try.All praise belongs to Allah, who has removed my grief and has bestowed upon me that which He has not bestowed upon any other of my contemporaries.O Leader! You are indeed the Messenger of God, pursuing the right path, sent down by the Mighty, the Ever Merciful.I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] from Myself in this age so I created this Adam.He will revive the Faith and will establish Shariah.When the age of the imperial Messiah began, Muslims

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CONCLUSION [TRANSLATION OF REVELATIONS] who were only Muslim in name, were newly reconverted to Islam.The heavens and the earth were closed like a bundle and then We opened them up—that is, the earth as well as the heavens brought out their full power.The time appointed for your death has approached.The Lord of the Throne calls you.We shall not let any trace of things survive you that might be a source of humiliation for you.Only a short time is left out of the term appointed by your Lord, and We shall not let anything survive that might be a source of humiliation for you.Very few days of life are left.On that day the whole Jama'at will be disheartened and saddened.Your event will occur after several events have occurred.Many wonders of divine power will be manifested first and then the event of your death will happen.vive Your time has come and We shall cause bright Signs to sur- Your time has arrived and We shall cause clear Signs to survive you.you.O my Lord, cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.(Āmin).923

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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] عِلْمِن مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ ذِي الْآلَاءِ بِاللهِ حُزْتُ الْفَضْلَ لَا بِدَهَاءِ علم من از خدا تعالی است که خداوند نعمت باست و بذریعہ خدا فضیلت را جمع کردم نه بذریعہ عقل My knowledge is from the Gracious [God]-Possessor of all bounties- Through Allah alone have I attained grace, not through my own erudition.كَيْفَ الْوُصُوْلُ إِلَى مَدَارِجٍ شُكْرِهِ نُثْنِي عَلَيْهِ وَلَيْسَ حَوْلُ ثَنَاءِ چگونه تا مدارج شکر او توانیم رسید تعریف او می سیم و نتوانیم کرد How can one reach the stages of gratefulness? We laud Him yet we lack the ability to properly laud Him.الله مَوْلَانَا وَكَافِلُ أَمْرِنَا في هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا وَبَعْدَ فَنَاءِ خدا مولائے ما ومتكفل امر ماست درین دنیا و چه آخرت ور Allah is our Protector and Guarantor of our command, Both in this world and in the world of Hereafter.لَوْلا عِنَايَتُهُ بِزَمَن تَطَلُّبِن كَادَتْ تُعَفِّيْنِى سُيُولُ بُكَائِي اگر عنایت او در زمانه پیاپی جستن من نبودے نزدیک بود کہ سیل بائے گریہ مرا نابود کر دندے Were it not for His favour when I sought Him, The floods of my tears would have well-nigh obliterated me.

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926 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI بشرى لَنَا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا مُوْنِسًا رَبًّا رَّحِيمًا كَاشِفَ الْغَمَّاءِ مارا خوشخبری باد که مامونسی یافتیم که رب رحیم رحیم دور کننده غم باست Glad tidings for us; we have found the Sympathetic Friend: The Merciful Lord, the Remover of all sorrows.أعْطِيتُ مِنْ الْفِ مَعَارِفَ لُبّهَا أُنْزِلْتُ مِنْ حِبِّ بِدَارٍ ضِيَاءِ از دوستی من معارف داده شده ام و از محبوبے در جائے روشنی فرود آمده ام I have been gifted the essence of cognition from my Beloved.I have been made to descend by my Beloved upon the abode of light.نَتْلُو ضِيَاءَ الْحَقِّ عِنْدَ وُضُوْحِه لَسْنَا بِمُبْتَاعَ الدُّجى بِبَرَاءِ ما روشنی حق را بعد ظهور او پیروی می کنیم و تاریکی را بعد طلوع ماه نتوانیم خرید We pursue the light of truth as soon as it appears; We are not the buyers of darkness when the moon has risen.نَفْسِن نَأْتُ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا هُوَ مُظْلِمُ فَأَنَخْتُ عِنْدَ مُنَوِّرِى وَجَنَائِن نفس ما از همه تاریکی با دور شد وناقه خود را بر آستانه آنکس خواب نمیدم که روشنی بخشنده من است My soul is distanced from every darkness; I have seated my sturdy she-camel beside Him who enlightens me.غَلَبَتْ عَلَى نَفْسِن مَحَبَّةُ وَجْهِهِ حَتَّى رَمَيْتُ النَّفْسَ بِالْإِلْغَاءِ بر نفس من محبت او غالب شد تا آنکه نفس را از میان افگندم Love for His countenance overwhelmed my soul So that I cast away my inner self [from interfering]

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] لَمَّا رَأَيْتُ النَّفْسَ سَدَّتْ مُهْجَتِن أَلْقَيْتُهَا كَالْمَيْتِ فِي الْبَيْدَاءِ چون دیدم که نفس من سد راه من ست پس او را پیچو مرده در بیابانی انداختم When I realized that my inner self was an impediment [in the path] to my spirit, I threw it away, like a corpse, in a wasteland.رَبِّ رَّحِيمٌ مَلْجَأُ الْأَشْيَاءِ الله كَهْفُ الْأَرْضِ وَالْخَضْرَاءِ خدا پناه زمین و آسمان ست خدائے رحیم جائے پناہ چیزها Allah alone is the Shelter of the earth and the heavens; He is the Merciful Lord, the Haven of retreat for everything.بَر عَطُوفٌ مَأْمَنُ الْغُرَمَاءِ ذُو رَحْمَةٍ وَ تَبَرُّع و عَطَاءِ نیکی کننده مهربان جائے امن مصیبت زدگان رحمت صاحب واحسان و بخشن He is Beneficent, Compassionate, and a Refuge for the afflicted; Merciful, Kind, and Bountiful.أَحَدٌ قَدِيْمٌ قَائِمٌ بِوُجُوْدِهِ لَمْ يَتَّخِذُ وَلَدًا وَ لَا الشَّرَكَاءِ یکیت وقدیم است و قائم بالذات است نہ پسرے گرفت و نه شریکے دارد He is One, Eternal, and Self-Existent; He takes neither son nor partner.وَلَهُ التَّفَرُّدُ فِي الْمَحَامِدِ كُلِّهَا وَلَهُ عَلَاءٌ فَوْقَ كُلِّ عَلَاءِ و او را در تمام صفات یگانگی است و او را بلندی بر هر بلندی است Uniqueness belongs to Him alone in all praiseworthy attributes, And to Him belongs loftiness exceeding every height.927

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AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI الْعَاقِلُوْنَ بِعَالَمِيْنَ يَرَوْنَهُ وَالْعَارِفُونَ به رَأَوُا الْأَشْيَاءَ عقلمندان بذریعہ مصنوعات او را می بینند و عارفان بذریعہ او مصنوعات را مشاهده می نمایند The intellectuals see Him through the universe; The enlightened see all things through Him.هذَا هُوَ الْمَعْبُوْدُ حَقًّا لِلْوَرى فَرْد وَحِيْدٌ مَبْدَءُ الْأَضْوَاءِ ہمیں معبود حق برائے مخلوقات است فردست یگانه و ابتدائے ہمہ نورها ازوست He alone is truly Worthy of worship for all creation; He is Unique, Incomparable, and the Source of all light.هذَا هُوَ الْحِبُّ الَّذِي أَثَرْتُه رَبُّ الْوَرى عَيْنُ الْهُدَى مَوْلَائِن این همان محبوب است که اورا اختیار کرده ام مخلوقات چشمہ ہدایت مولائے من رب He alone is the Beloved whom I have preferred over all else; He is the Lord of all creation, the Source of guidance, and my Master.هَاجَتْ غَمَامَةُ حُبِّهِ فَكَأَنَّهَا رَكْبٌ عَلَى عُسْبُوْرَةِ الْحَدْوَاءِ ابر محبت او برانگیخت پس گویا آن ابر بر ناقه باد شمال سواران هستند The cloud of His love rose swiftly [from my heart], Hastening towards Him as if riding the north wind.نَدْعُوهُ فِي وَقْتِ الْكُرُوْبِ تَضَرُّعًا نرضى به فِي شِدَّةٍ وَ رَخَاءِ در وقت بیقراری با ما او را می خوانیم و در نرمی و سختی با او خوشنود هستیم We beseech Him in utter humility during times of distress; We remain pleased with Him in times of ease and of hardship.928

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 929 حَوْجَاءُ الْفَتِهِ أَثَارَتْ حُرَّين باد گرد الفت او خاک پرانید فَقَدَى جَنَانِ صَوْلَةَ الْحَوْجَاءِ پس دل من برحمله آن باد گرد قربان شد I have been swept up by the whirlwind of His love, So my heart is enamoured by the onslaught of that whirlwind.غَمَرَتْ أَيَادِي الْفَيْضِ وَجْهَ رَجَائِي أعْطى فَمَا بَقِيَتْ أَمَانِي بَعْدَهُ و دست ہائے فیض او روئے امید مرا پوشید مرا چندان داد که آرزوئے دیگر نماند He granted me so much that no wish remained thereafter.The favours of His grace go beyond my highest hopes.في النُّوْرِ بَعْدَ تَمَرُّقِ الْأَهْوَاءِ إِنَّا غُمِسْنَا مِنْ عِنَايَةِ رَبِّنَا عنایت ما از در نور غوطه داده شدیم و ہوا و ہوس پاره پاره شد Through my Lord's bounty was I immersed In [His] light, after all my selfish desires were shattered.وَأرَى الْوِدَادَ يَلُوحُ فِي أَهْبَائِنِ إنَّ الْمَحَبَّةَ خُمِّرَتْ فِي مُهْجَتِن و می بینم که دوستی در دل من می درخشد در جان من خمیر کرده شد محبت Verily, my spirit is inebriated with the wine of His love; I witness His love illuminating every particle of my being.فَوَجَدْتُ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ عَيْنَ بَقَاءِ إِنِّي شَرِبْتُ كُؤُوسَ مَوْتِ لِلْهُدَى پس بعد از موت چشمه بقا یافتم من برائے ہدایت کا سہ ہائے موت نوشیدم I drank chalices of death that I might find guidance; Thus, after this death, I discovered the fountain of eternal life.1.This seems to be a scribal error.The correct word is as its written in Minan-ur-Rahman, Ruhani Khazā'in, vol.9, p.170, ed.2008.[Publisher]

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930 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إِنِّي أُذِبْتُ مِنَ الْوَدَادِ وَ نَارِهِ فَأَرَى الْغُرُوْبَ يَسِيْلُ مِنْ إِهْرَائِي من از آتش محبت گداخته شده ام پس اشکها را می بینم که از گدازش من روان شده اند I am melting in love and its fire.Thus do I behold flowing tears from my melting away.الدَّمْعُ يَجْرِى كَالسُّيُولِ صَبَابَةٌ وَالْقَلْبُ يُشْوَى مِنْ خَيَالِ لِقَاءِ اشک مثل سیل با از شوق روان است و دل از خیال دیدار بریان می شود The intensity of love causes my tears to flow like floods; My heart roasts [with passion] by the very thought of meeting Him.وَأَرَى الْوَدَادَ أَنَارَ بَاطِنَ بَاطِنِي وَأرَى التَّعَشُقَ لَاحَ فِي سِيْمَائِن و می بینم که دوستے باطن باطن مرا روشن کرده است و عشق در سیمائے من ظاهر شده است I behold His love enlightening the deepest recesses of my inner self; I observe the love manifested upon my face.الْخَلْقُ يَبْغُوْنَ اللَّذَاذَةَ فِي الْهَوَى وَوَجَدْتُها فِي حُرْقَةٍ وَ صَلَاءِ مردم لذات را در ہوا و ہوس می جویند ومن لذت را در سوزش و سوختن یافتم People seek pleasure in carnal desires, But I find it in burning and anguish [for His pleasure].اللَّهُ مَقْصِدُ مُهْجَتِن وَ أُرِيدُهُ فِي كُلِّ رَشْحِ الْقَلَمِ وَ الْإِمْلَاءِ خدا مقصود جان من است و من او را , املا می خواهم Allah is the objective of my soul, and Him alone do I seek With every drop of the pen's ink and the writing therewith.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اشْرَبُوا مِنْ قِرْبَتِي قَدْ مُلأُ مِنْ نُوْرِ الْمُفيْضِ سِقَائِي ا مردمان از مشک من بنوشید که از نور فیاض حقیقی مشک من پر است O mankind! Drink from my waterskin, For my waterskin is laden with the light of the Truly Beneficent Lord.تَكَبَّرُوا لِغِطَاء قَوْمٌ أَطَاعُوْنِي بِصِدْقِ طَوِيَّةٍ وَالْآخَرُوْنَ قومی است که از صدق مرا اطاعت کردند و قومے دیگر است که از پرده نفس تکبر ورزیدند Some people have followed me with sincerity, While others were haughty due to the veils [covering their souls].حَسَدُوْا فَسَبُّوْا حَاسِدِيْنَ وَلَمْ يَزَلْ حَسَدَتْ لِقَامُ كُلَّ ذِي نَعْمَاءِ حمد کردند پس دشنام دادند و همیشه چنین است که لتیمان خداوند ان نعمت را حسد می کنند They became jealous and, in their jealousy, vituperated me.This is how the mean have always treated every recipient of bounties.مَن أَنْكَرَ الْحَقِّ الْمُبِيْنَ فَإِنَّهُ كَلْبٌ وَعَقْبَ الْكَلْبِ سِرْبُ ضِرَاءِ هر که از حق ظاہر انکار کند او سنگی است نه انسان و پس آن سگ سگ بیگان مهستند که پیروی او می کنند Everyone who rejects the evident truth Is a dog being chased by a pack of hounds.أَذَوْا وَسَبُّوْنِي وَ قَالُوا كَافِرُ فَالْيَوْمَ نَقْضِي دَيْنَهُمْ بِرِبَاءِ مرا ایذا دادند وسقط گفتند و گفتند که کافری است پس امروز ما قرض ایشان بچیزے زیادہ ادا می کند They pained me, abused me, and [accused me] saying, He is a disbeliever.' This day shall we pay back their debt with interest.931

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932 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI وَاللهِ نَحْنُ الْمُسْلِمُوْنَ بِفَضْلِهِ لكن نرى جَهْلُ عَلَى الْعُلَمَاءِ و بخدا که ما از فضل او مسلمانان هستیم لیکن بر علماء جهالت حمله کرده است God is my Witness, by His grace we are Muslims, But ignorance has leapt upon the so-called divines.نَخْتَارُ أَثَارَ آثَارَ النَّبِيِّ وَأَمْرَهُ نَقْفُوْ كِتَابَ اللهِ لَا الْأَرَاءِ ما آثار نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم را اختیار مے سیم و پیروی کتاب اللہ رامے لنیم نہ پیروی رائے دیگر We follow the traditions and commandments of the [Holy] Prophet; We follow the Book of Allah; and do not follow other opinions.إِنَّا بُرَاء فِي مَنَاهِجِ دِينِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ زِنْدِيقٍ عَدُوٌّ دَهَاءِ ما در دین او و راه دین او از هر ملحدے بیزاریم که دشمن عقل است Surely, in the path of the Faith, we are absolved Of all heretics who are the enemies of wisdom.إِنَّا نُطِيْعُ مُحَمَّدًا خَيْرَ الْوَرَى نُوْرَ الْمُهَيْمِنِ دَافِعَ الظُّلْمَاءِ دافع ظلمات است ما محمد صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم را پیروی می که نور خدا , Verily, we follow Muḥammadsa—the Best of Creation- Who is the light of God the Protector, and the dispeller of darkness.أَفَنَحْنُ مِنْ قَوْمِ النَّصَارَى أَكْفَرُ وَيْلٌ لَّكُمْ وَ لِهَذِهِ الْأَرَاءِ آیا چه ما از نصاری کافر تر ویل خدا بر شما و بر رائے ہائے شما Do we exceed even the Christians in disbelief? Woe upon you and these beliefs [of yours]!

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 933 يَا شَيْخَ أَرْضِ الْخُبْثِ أَرْضِ بَطَالَةٍ ا شيخ أرضِ.كَفَّرْتَنِی بِالْبُغْضِ وَالشَّحْنَاءِ زمین پلید زمین بطالت مرا از روئے کینہ و بغض کافر قرار دادی O sheikh of the wretched soil of Batala! You call me a disbeliever out of sheer malice and spite.اديتَنِي فَاخْشَ الْعَوَاقِبَ بَعْدَةَ وَالنَّارُ قَدْ تَبْدُو مِنَ الْإِبْرَاءِ مرا آزا رسانیدی پس از انجام بد خود بے خوف مباش و سنت الهی است که آتش از افروختن می افروزد You have tormented me; so fear the consequences, For a fire once stirred up is sure to spread.تَبَّتْ يَدَاكَ تَبِعْتَ كُلِّ مَفَاسِدٍ زَلْتُ بِكَ الْقَدَمَانِ فِي الْأَنْحَاءِ ہر دو دست تو بلاک شود تو فساد با را پیروی کر دی و بگوناگون قدم ہائے تو لغزیدند Perished be both your hands, for you pursued every mischief.Indeed! Your feet have slipped in every way.أؤذى شَبَابُكَ وَالنَّوَائِبُ أَخْرَفَتْ فَالْوَقْتُ وَقْتُ الْعَجْزِ لَا الْخُيَلَاءِ جوانی تو بلاک شد و حوادث ترا قریب به پیر شدن کرد پس وقت تو وقت عجز است نه وقت تکبر و ناز You squandered your youth while calamities have brought you close to a decrepit old man; Wherefore it is a time for humility, not arrogance and coquetry.تَبْغِى تَبَارِى وَالدَّوَائِرَ مِنْ هَوَى فَعَلَيْكَ يَسْقُطُ حَجْرُ كُلِّ بَلَاءِ تو بلاکت من وگر دشها برمن از ہوائے نفس خود میخواهی پس پر تو سنگ ہر بلا مے افتد You wish destruction and calamities for me out of your evil desire, Whereas the stone of every hardship falls upon you.

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934 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إِنِّي مِنَ الْمَوْلَى فَكَيْفَ أُثبرُ فَاخْشَ الْغَيُوْرَ وَلَا تَمُتْ بِجَفَاءِ من از جانب خدا هستم پس چگونه بلاک شوم پس از غیرت آن غیور بترس و نظم خودموت را اختیار مکن I am from the Lord, so how can I be destroyed? Fear God, the Jealous of His honour, and do not kill yourself through [your own] injustice.أَفَتَضْرِبَنَّ عَلَى الصَّفَاةِ زُجَاجَةٌ لَا تَنْتَهِرُ وَاطْلُبْ طَرِيقَ بَقَاءِ آیا بر سنگ شیشه را می زنی خودکشی مکن و طریق باقی ماندن بجو Would you strike a stone with [a shard of] glass? Do not commit suicide, but seek the path of life.أترك سَبِيْلَ شَرَارَةٍ وَ خَبَاثَةٍ هونْ عَلَيْكَ وَلَا تَمُتْ بِعَنَاءِ راه شرارت و خباثت بر حال خود نرمی کن و از رنج ممیر را بگذار Discard the way of mischief and evil; Be easy upon yourself and do not belabour yourself to death.تُبْ أَيُّهَا الْغَالِي وَتَأْتِي سَاعَةٌ تُمْسِن تَعُضُّ يَمِيْنَكَ الشَّلَّاءِ اے غلو کننده توبه کن و ساعتی می آید که دست راست خود را که خشک شده است خواهی گزید O extremist, repent! The hour is coming When you will bite your paralyzed right hand.يَا لَيْتَ مَا وَلَدَتْ كَمِثْلِكَ حَامِلٌ خُفَّاشَ ظُلُمَاتٍ عَدُوٌّ ضِيَاءِ زادے که خفاش تاریکی و دشمن روشنی است کاش مادرے پسرے بچو تو Would that no mother had given birth to the likes of you- A bat of darkness; an enemy of light.1.This appears to be a scribal error.The correct word is.[Publisher]

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 935 تَسْعَى لِتَأْخُذَنِيَ الْحُكُومَةُ مُجْرِمًا وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ مُزَوِّرٍ وَشَاءِ تو کوشش می کنی که حکومت مرا بچھو مجرم بگیرد بر هر دروغ آراینده عیب چین و نمنام واویلاست You strive for the authorities to incarcerate me as a criminal; Woe to all those who deceive and slander! لَوْ كُنْتُ أُعْطِيْتُ الْوَلَاءَ لَعِفْتُهُ مَا لِي وَ دُنْيَاكُمْ كَفَانِ كِسَائِی اگر حکومت مراد ہندی ہر آئینہ کراہت کردمی مرا بدنیائے شما چه تعلق است مرا کلیم خود کافی است است Were I offered the kingdom itself I would have shunned it; Why would I have any desire for this world of yours? My humble garment suffices for me.مِثنَا بِمَوْتِ لَا يَرَاهُ عَدُونَا بَعُدَتْ جَنَازَتُنَا مِنَ الْأَحْيَاءِ ما بمر گے بمردیم که دشمن ما حقیقت آن نمی داند جنازه ما از زندگان دور افتاده است I have died a death of which my enemies know nothing; My coffin lies [bidden ] far from [the eyes of] the living.تُغْرِى بِقَوْلٍ مُفْتَرَى وَ تَخَرُّصٍ حكامَنَا الظَّانِّيْنَ كَالْجُهَلَاءِ؟ بقول در هم بافته حکام را می انگیزی و حکام کسانی هستند که هیچو جاہلان بدگمان هستند ؟ With your falsehood and slander you try to incite the rulers To view me with suspicion like the ignorant.يا أَيُّهَا الْأَعْمَى أَتُنْكِرُ قَادِرًا يَحْمِن أُحِبْتَهُ مِنَ الْإِبْوَاءِ اے کور آیا تو وجود آن خدا را تسلیم نمی کنی که محبان خود را خود نزد خود جا داده نگه می دارد O ye who are blind! Do you deny the All-Powerful God, Who protects His dear ones and bestows them shelter?

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936 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI أَنَسِيْتَ كَيْفَ حَمَى الْقَدِيرُ كَلِيْمَةَ أَوْ مَا سَمِعْتَ مَالَ شَمْسِ حِرَاءِ آیا فراموش کردی که چگونه خدا موسی علیه السلام را نگه داشت یا انجام کار آن مرد که آفتاب مطلع حرا است نشنیدی Have you forgotten how the All-Powerful helped His Kalim' [Moses]? Have you not heard of the final triumph of the Sun of the cave Hira' [the Holy Prophet sa ]? في الأَرْضِ دُسْتُ عَيْنُكَ الْعَمْيَاءِ نَحْوَ السَّمَاءِ وَ أَمْرِهَا لَا تَنْظُرَنْ بلکہ چشم نابینائے تو در زمین فرو رفته چشم تو سوئے آسمان و حکم آسمان نیست You will never be able to look upon the sky with its verdict, For your sightless eye lies buried beneath the earth.سترَتْ عَلَيْكَ حَقِيقَةُ الْأَنْبَاءِ غرتكَ أَقْوَالُ بِغَيْرِ بَصِيرَةٍ و حقیقت خبرها بر تو پوشیده ماند چند اقوال بغیر بصیرت ترا مغرور کرد You have been made arrogant by certain words for lack of insight.The truth of the tidings of the unseen remains hidden from you.أَفَهَذِهِ مِنْ سِيْرَةِ الصَّلَحَاءِ أَدْخَلْتَ حِزْبَكَ فِي قَلِيْبٍ ضَلَالَةٍ چاه ضلالت افگندی گروه خود را در آیا همین نیکان سیرت است You have cast your cohorts into a pit of misguidance; Is this the way of the righteous?! أَشَقَقْتَ قَلْبِن أَوْ رَأَيْتَ خَفَايْن جَاوَزْتَ بِالتَّكْفِيرِ مِنْ حَدٌ التَّقى آیا دل مرا بشکافتی یا حال پنهان مرا دیدی تقوی در گزشتی در کافر قرار دادن از حد You have transgressed the limits of righteousness by denouncing me as a disbeliever.Have you torn open my heart or seen what lies within me? 1.Literally, 'the one spoken to', in this context, by Allah.[Publisher]

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] كَمِّل بِخُبُثِكَ كُلَّ كَيْدٍ تَقْصُدُ والله يَكْفِي الْعَبْدَ لِلْإِرْزَاءِ ہمہ مکرے کہ میداری بکمال رسان و بنده را برائے پناہ دادن اللہ کافی است Do your utmost in all that you plan in your evil way; For God is Sufficient as a refuge for His servant.تأتيكَ آيَاتِي فَتَعْرِفُ وَجْهَهَا فَاصْبِرْ وَلَا تَتْرُكُ طَرِيقَ حَيَاءِ کن و طریق حیا را از دست مده نشانہائے من ترا خواهند رسید پس آنها را خواهی شناخت پس صبر My Signs will come to you and you will recognize their truth, Be patient and deviate not from the path of modesty.إنِّي كَتَبْتُ الْكُتُبَ مِثْلَ خَوَارِقِ أنظُرْ أَعِنْدَكَ مَا يَصُوْبُ كَمَائِن من کتابها مثل خوارق نوشته ام آیا نزد تو چیزی است که پیچو آب من بیارد I have written books likened to miracles; See if you possess water that rains like mine.إِنْ كُنْتَ تَقْدِرُ يَا خَصِيْمِ كَقُدْرَتِيْ فَاكْتُبْ كَمِثْلِي قَاعِدًا بِحِذَائِن ا خصومت کننده اگر ترا قدرت مثل قدرت من است پس بمقابلہ من نشسته بنویس Oye who oppose me! If you possess the ability that I have [been blessed with], Then sit face-to-face with me and write as I do.مَا كُنْتَ تَرْضَى أَنْ تُسمَّى جَاهِلًا فَالْانَ كَيْفَ قَعَدْتَ كَاللَّكْنَاءِ تو آن نبودی که جهل خود راضی کشتے پس اکنون ترا این چه شد که هیچوزن ژولیده زبان نشسته You baulked at being labelled ignorant, So why do you now stall like a stammering woman? 937

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938 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI قد قُلْتَ لِلسُّفَهَاءِ إِنَّ كِتَابَهُ عَفْصُ يَهِيجُ الْقَيْءَ مِنْ اِصْغَاءِ تو سفیهان را گفتی که کتاب او بد مزه است از شنیدن قی می آید You babbled to the fools that: my book Is distasteful, the hearing of which triggers vomiting.ما قُلْتَ كَالْأَدَبَاءِ قُلْ لى بَعْدَ مَا ظَهَرَتْ عَلَيْكَ رَسَائِلِي كَقْيَاءِ بعد زانکه رسائل من تراقی آرنده معلوم شدند بگو تو مثل ادیبان چه May I ask what your contribution as a writer is, After which my books should appear to you as vomit? قَدْ قُلْتَ إِنِّي بَاسِلٌ مُتَوَكِّلٌ سَمَّيْتَنِي صَيْدًا مِّنَ الْخُيَلَاءِ تو می گفتی که من دلاور و در علم تو غل با دارم و نام من شکار نهاده بودی You claimed to be brave and an avid scholar; In your arrogance, you referred to me as your prey.الْيَوْمَ مِنّى قَدْ هَرَبْتَ كَأَرْنَبٍ خَوْفًا مِّنَ الْإِخْزَاءِ وَالْإِعْرَاءِ امروز از من بیچو خرگوشے بگریختی ازین خوف که رسوا خواهی شد و برهنه خواهی شد Today you flee from me like a rabbit, For fear of being humiliated and exposed.فكر أمَا هَذَا التَّخَوُّفُ آيَةً رُعبًا مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ لِلْإِدْرَاءِ فکر کن آیا این نشان خدا تعالی نیست که پر تو رعب انداخت تا ترا آگاه کند Reflect! Is this fear not a Sign from God Almighty; An awe inspired by the Gracious God to make you understand?

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] كَيْفَ النِّضَالُ وَأَنْتَ تَهْرُبُ خَشْيَةٌ أنظر إلى ذُلِّ مِنَ اسْتِعْلَاءِ تو چگونه با من معارضه توانی کرد و از خوف می گریزی این پاداش تکبر و ناز کردن است How can there be a contest whilst you flee in fear? Heed the humiliation you suffer because of your arrogance! إِنَّ الْمُهَيْمِنَ لَا يُحِبُّ تَكَبَّرًا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ الضُّعَفَاءِ دُوْدِ فَنَاءِ خدا تعالیٰ از آفریدگان خود که ضعیف و رکرم نیستی مستند متکبر پسند نمی کند The Supreme Being loves not haughtiness In His humble creation-those mortal worms.عُفُرْتَ مِنْ سَهْم أَصَابَكَ فَاجِنَّا أصْبَحْتَ كَالْأَمْوَاتِ فِي الْجَهْرَاءِ از تیرے در خاک غلطانیده شدی که بناگاه ترارسید و در بیابان بیچو مردگان صبح کردی You have been reduced to dust by the arrow which suddenly pierced you, And lie like the dead in the wasteland.الأنَ أَيْنَ فَرَرْتَ يَا ابْنَ تَصَلُّفٍ قد كُنتَ تَحْسَبُنَا مِنَ الْجُهَلَاءِ اکنون اے پسر لاف با کجا گریختی و تو مارا از جہلاء می پنداشتی Where have you fled, O braggart? You used to consider me among the ignorant! نَعُدُّكَ نَوْجَةَ الْحَثْوَاءِ يَا مَنْ أَهَاجَ الْفِتَنَ قُمْ لِنضَالِنَا كنا اے آنکہ فتنه با انگیخت برائے پیکار ما برخیز ماترا گردباد جائے غبار می پندا سلیم O ye who kindled the commotion! Arise to face me! I consider you nothing more than a storm of dust.939

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940 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI نُطْقِن كَمَوْلِي الْأَسِرَةِ جَنَّةٌ قَوْلِى كَقِنُو النَّخْلِ فِي الْخَلْقَاءِ نطق من مثل آن با غیست که بروادی او باران دوم باریده باشد و سخن من چون خوشه نخل است که در زمین نرم باشد My speech is like a garden of a valley refreshed twice by the rain, And my speech is like a date palm planted in the fertile land.مُزِّقْتَ لَكِنْ لَا بِضَرْبٍ هَرَاوَةٍ بَلْ بِالسُّيُوْنِ الْجَارِيَاتِ كَمَاءِ تو پاره پاره کرده شدی مگر نه بضرب عصا بلکه به تمشیر با که هیچو آب روان بودند You have been reduced to pieces not by a club, But by swords that were swift like raging waves.إِنْ كُنْتَ تَحْسُدُنِي فَإِنِّي بَاسِلُ أضلى فُؤَادَ الْحَاسِدِ الْخَطَّاءِ اگر تو با من حسد می کنی پس من مردے دلاورم دل حاسدان خطا کاران را می سوزم If you envy me then [remember that] I am a brave man, Who causes the hearts of the envious wrongdoer to burn.وَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَسْفَى كَمِثْلِ عَفَاءِ كَذَّبْتَنِي كَفِّرْتَنِي حَقَّرْتَنِي تو مرا درو نگو قرار دادی تو مرا کافر گفتی تو تحقیر من کردی و خواستی که هیچو خاک پراینده شوم You denounced me as a liar, denigrated me a disbeliever, and deemed me worthless; Indeed, you intended that I be pulverized into pieces like dust.هذَا إِرَادَتُكَ الْقَدِيْمَةُ مِنْ هَوَى والله كَهْفِي مُهْلِكُ الْأَعْدَاءِ این قدیم اراده تو در دل تو مانده وخدا پناه من و بلاک کننده دشمنان است This has been your age-old intent out of greed, But God-the Destroyer of my enemies-is my Refuge.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 941 إِنِّي لَشَرُّ النَّاسِ إِنْ لَّمْ يَأْتِين نَصْرٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمَنِ لِلْإِعْلَاءِ من بد ترین مخلوقاتم اگر مدد خدا مرا نه رسد از خدائے کہ رحمن و بلند کننده است I would be the worst of mankind e triumph.If help from the Gracious does not grant me.مَا كَانَ أَمْرُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَ إِنَّهُ رَبُّ قَدِيرٌ حَافِظُ الضُّعَفَاءِ پیچ امری در دست تو نیست وخدائے من رب قدیر است که نگهدارنده کمزوران است You are unable to enforce anything, because verily, The Lord God is the Almighty and the Protector of the weak.الْكِبْرُ قَدْ أَلْقَاكَ فِي دَرْكِ اللَّظى إِنَّ التَّكَبُرَ أَرْدَأُ الْأَشْيَاءِ این تکبر است که ترا در جهنم انداخت بلاشبہ تکبر از همه چیز با روی تراست Arrogance has cast you deeper into the depths of Hell.Surely, arrogance is the worst of all traits.خَفْ قَهْرَ رَبِّ ذِي الْجَلَالِ إِلى مَتَى تَقْفُو هَوَاكَ وَتَنْزُونُ كَظِبَاءِ از قهر خدائے بزرگ بترس و تا کجا خواهش خودرا پیروی خواهی کردو بیچو آهوان خواهی جست Fear the wrath of the Lord of Glory; How long will you persist in the pursuit of desires, leaping like a gazelle? تَبْغِى زَوَالِي وَالْمُهَيْمِنُ حَافِظِي عَادَيْتَ رَبَّا قَادِرًا بِمِرَائِي تو زوال من می خواهی و خدا نگهبان من است دشمنی من خدا را دشمن گرفتی از You wish to see me perish but God the Protector protects me; Quarrelling with me, you have invoked the displeasure of the Almighty Lord.

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942 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إِنَّ الْمُقَرَّبَ لَا يُضَاعُ بِفِتْنَةٍ والأخرُ يُكْتَبُ عِنْدَ كُلِّ بَلَاءِ ہر کہ مقرب حق باشد به هیچ فتنه بر باد نمی شود و نزد ہر بلا برائے او اجر می نویسند God's beloved is not destroyed by any trial, But reward is ordained for every calamity he suffers.مَا خَابَ مَنْ خَافَ الْمُهَيْمِنَ رَبَّهُ إِنَّ الْمُهَيْمِنَ طَالِبُ الطُّلَبَاءِ هر که از خدا بترسد هرگز زیان نمی به یقین بدان که خدا جوینده جویندگان است One who fears his Lord, the Protector, is never ruined; Surely, the Protector is the Seeker of those who seek Him.هَلْ تَطْمَعُ الدُّنْيَا مَذَلَّةَ صَادِقٍ هَيْئَاتَ ذَاكَ تَخَيلُ السُّفَهَاءِ آیا دنیا این جمع می دارد که صادقے ذلیل گردد این کجا ممکن است بلکه این خیال ساده لوحان است Does the world seek the humiliation of the truthful? That shall never be! Such is the mere fancy of fools! إِنَّ الْعَوَاقِبِ لِلَّذِي هُوَ صَالِحٌ انجام وَالْكَرْةُ الْأُولَى لِأَهْلِ جَفَاءِ پیکار ہا برائے نیکو کاران است و غلبه اول برائے ظالمان است Verily, the end of the contest is always in favour of the righteous, Although the initial attack belongs to the.aggressors.شَهِدَتْ عَلَيْهِ، خَصِيْمُ، سُنَّةُ رَبِّنَا في الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ زُمْرَةِ الصَّلَحَاءِ بر این دعوی اسے دشمن من سنت خدا گواه است که ور انبیاء و نائبان انبیاء مانده O my enemy! The testimony corroborating this claim is the sunnah [practice] of our Lord Applicable to [all] the Prophets and the group of the righteous.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] مت بالتَّغَيُّظِ وَاللَّظى يَا حَاسِدِي إِنَّا نَمُوتُ اے حاسد من بغضب و نائره آتش بمیر بعِزَّةٍ قَعْسَاءِ نَمُوتُ بِعِزَّةٍ که ما با عزت پائیدار خواهیم مرد Oye jealous of me! Die in the flames of [your] fire and rage, For I shall surely die with everlasting honour.إِنَّا نَرى كُلِّ الْعُلى مِنْ رَّبِّنَا وَالْخَلْقُ يَأْتِيْنَا لِبَغْيِ ضِيَاءِ ما همه بلندی با از خدائے خود خواهیم دید و مردم برائے طلب روشنی نزدما خواهند آمد Surely, I seek all honour from my Lord; all honour whatsoever is bestowed by our Lord; And mankind comes to me searching for light.هُمْ يَذْكُرُوْنَكَ لَاعِنِيْنَ وَ ذِكْرُنَا في الصَّالِحَاتِ يُعَدُّ بَعْدَ فَنَاءِ اوشان ترا لعنت یاد خواهند کرد وذکر خمیر ما از جمله نیکی با شمار کرده خواهد شد People will curse when uttering your name, But I will be honoured with virtues even after my.death.هَلْ تَهْدِمَنَّ الْقَصْرَ قَصْرَ الْهِنَا هَلْ تُحْرِقَنْ مَا صَنَعَهُ بَنَّائِي آیا تو محل خدا را مسمار خواهی کرد آیا تو چیزی را خواهی سوخت که ساخته بانی من است Do you want to demolish the mansion belonging to our Lord? Do you want to burn down what was built by my Builder [God Almighty]? يَرْجُوْنَ عَشْرَةَ جَدِّنَا حُسَدَاؤُنَا وَنَذُوقُ نَعْمَاءًا عَلَى نَعْمَاءِ حاسدان می خواهند که بخت ما بسرد رافتد حالانکه ما نعمت با بر نعمت با می چنیم Those who wish me ill, wish me bereft of all good fortune; Whereas I-on the contrary-rejoice in numerous bounties.943

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944 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI لَا تَحْسَبَنُ أَمْرِى كَأَمْرٍ غُمَّةٍ جَاءَتْ بِكَ الْآيَاتُ مِثْلَ ذُكَاءِ ام مرا امری مدان و پیچو آفتاب ترا نشانها رسیده اند Do not deem my work dubious, For you are in receipt of Signs as resplendent as the sun! جَاءَتْ خِيَارُ النَّاسِ شَوْقًا بَعْدَمَا شَمُوا رِيَاحَ الْمِسْكِ مِنْ تِلْقَائِى مردمان نیک نزدم آمدند بعد ازانکہ خوشبوئے مشک از جانب من شمیدند The righteous eagerly hasten to me After smelling the fragrance of musk [emanating] from me.طَارُوا إِلَى بِالْفَةٍ وَإِرَادَةٍ كَالطَّيْرِ إِذْ يَأْوِى إِلَى الدَّفْوَاءِ سوئے من بالفت وارادت پرواز کردند مثل آن پرنده که سوئے درخت بزرگ پناه می گیرد They fly to me out of love and desire, Like a bird seeking shade upon a vast tree.لَفَظَتْ إِلَيَّ بِلَادُنَا أَكْبَادَهَا مَا بَقِيَ إِلَّا فَضْلَةُ الْفُضَلَاء دیار ما جگر گوشہ ہائے خود سوئے ما افگند و بجز آن مردم دیگری نماند که فاضلان را نمیچو فضله اند Our country has gifted me its most gifted [lit.the pieces of its heart], Now only a mere remnant of the learned remains behind, أَوْ مِنْ رِّجَالِ اللَّهِ أُخْفِيَ سِرُّهُمْ يَأْتُونَنِي مِنْ بَعْدُ كَالشُّهَدَاءِ یا آن مردانے کہ ہنوز راز ایشان پوشیده داشته اند ایشان بعد ازین مثل گواہان خواهند آمد Or there remain some men of God whose circumstances are not yet known; They will join me later as witnesses testifying to my truth.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 945 ظَهَرَتْ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ أَيَاتُ الهُدى سَجَدَتْ لَهَا أُمَمٌ مِنَ الْعُرَفَاءِ از خدا تعالیٰ نشانها ظاهر شدند و عارفان بمشاہده آن خدا را سجده کردند The Signs of guidance have been manifested by the Gracious God, Prompting multitudes of the enlightened to prostrate [glorifying Him].أما اللَّقَامُ فَيُنْكِرُوْنَ شَقَاوَةً لَا يَهْتَدُونَ بِهَذِهِ الْأَضْوَاءِ مگر لتیمان از بد بختی انکار می کنند باین روشنی با بدایت نمی پذیرند But the unfortunate deny this out of their misfortune; They fail to attain guidance from this light.هُمْ يَأْكُلُوْنَ الْجِيْفَ مِثْلَ كِلَابِنَا هُمْ يَشْرَهُوْنَ كَأَنَّسُرِ الصَّحْرَاءِ اوشان بیچو سنگ ہائے ما مردار می خورند اوشان حریص مردار ہمچو کرگس بیابان با اند Like our dogs they feast upon carrion, Craving [the carcass] like vultures in the desert.خَشَّوْا وَلَا تَخْشَى الرِّجَالُ شَجَاعَةٌ في نَائِبَاتِ الدَّهْرِ وَالْهَيْجَاءِ مرا ترسانیدند و مردان بهادر نمی ترسند اگر چه حوادث باشند یا جائے پیکار They try to frighten me, although men of valour Do not fear the vicissitudes of time and its battles.لَمَّا رَأَيْتُ كَمَالَ لُطْفِ مُهَيْمِنِيْ غَابَ الْبَلَاءُ فَمَا أُحِسُّ بَلَائِن ہر گاہ کمال لطف خدائے خود دیدم بلا رفت پس بوجود بلا ہیچ احساس نه کردم When I looked upon the extreme beneficence of my Ever-Watchful God, The trouble was dispelled and I did not feel any of my troubles.

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946 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI قَدْ خَابَ بِالتَّكْفِيرِ وَ الْإِفْتَاءِ مَا خَابَ مِثْلِى مُؤْمِنٌ بَلْ خَصْمُنَا مثل من شخصے ہرگز خائب و خاسر نمی گردد بلکہ دشمنے کہ برائے تکفیر فتوی تیار کرد خائب و خاسر خواهد شد A believer like me never suffers failure; But, my enemy was frustrated as he sought to declare me a disbeliever.الْعُمْرُ يَبْدُو نَاجِذَيْهِ تَغَيْظًا أَنْظُرْ إِلَى ذِي لَوْثَةٍ عَجْمَاءِ سوئے این غنبی که مثل چار پایه است نگه کن جالے دندان خود را از دشمنی آشکارا می کند The ignorant one exposes his canine teeth in rage; Look at this dumb animal! والله كَانَ أَحَقُّ لِلْإِرْضَاءِ قَدْ أَسْخَطَ الْمَوْلَى لِيُرْضِيَ غَيْرَهُ وخدا برائے راضی کردن احق واولی بود برائے رضائے اغیار خدا را ناراض کرد He has displeased his Lord God in order to please others, Whereas pleasing God is far more deserving and proper.كَسَّرْتُ ظَرْفَ عُلُومِهِمْ كَزُجَاجَةٍ فَتَطَايَرُوْا من ظرف علوم ایشانرا بیچو شیشہ ام كَتَطَايُرِ الْوَقْعَاءِ پس بھیچو غباری که برخیزد پرواز کردند I shattered the vessels of their knowledge like glass; Thus were they blown away like dust.1.The word is written here as is in the first edition.It seems that the in- tended word is this.[Publisher] ; the Persian translation in the original book confirms

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] قَدْ كَفَّرُوْا مَنْ قَالَ إِنِّي مُسْلِمٌ لِمَقَالَةِ ابْنِ بَطَالَةٍ وَ عُوَاءِ آن کسے را کافر قرار دادند که میگوید که من مسلمانم این همه از سخن بٹالوی عوعو کننده است They denounced as a disbeliever the one who says, 'I am a Muslim, Because of the statements and clamour of the son of Batala [Sheikh Muḥammad Husain of Batala].خَوْفُ الْمُهَيْمِنِ مَا أَرَى فِي قَلْبِهِمْ فَارَتْ عُيُونُ تَمَرُّدٍ وَ إِبَاءِ خوف خدا دل ایشان نمی بینم چشمہ ہائے سرکشی در جوش اند در I do not find the fear of the Supreme Being in their hearts; Rather, their springs of rebellion and denial have gushed forth.قد كُنْتُ أَمِلُ أَنَّهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَهُ فَالْيَوْمَ قَدْ مَالُوْا إِلَى الْأَهْوَاءِ من امید می داشتم که ایشان از و خواهند ترسید پس امروز سوئے ہوا و ہوس میل کردند I had hoped that they would fear Him, But at this time they are inclined towards carnal desires.نَضُوا الثِّيَابَ ثِيَابَ تَقْوَى كُلُّهُمْ ما بَقِيَ إِلَّا لِبْسَةُ الْإِغْوَاءِ ہمہ جامہائے پرہیز گاری را از خود بر کشیدند و پیچ جامه بجز جامه اغوا نزدشان نماند All of them have cast off the robes of righteousness; Nothing remains [upon them] except the garment of deceit.هَلْ مِنْ عَقِيْفٍ زَاهِدٍ فِي حِزْبِهِمْ أَوْ صَالِحٍ يَخْشَى زَمَانَ جَزَاءِ آیا هیچ پرهیز کاری زاہدے در گروه ایشان موجود است؟ یا نیکو کاری موجود است که از روز پاداش می ترسد Is anyone left among them who is pious and God-fearing, Or one who is virtuous and fears the Day of Retribution? 947

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948 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِى تَقِيًّا خَائِفًا في فِرْقَةٍ قَامُوا لِهَدْمِ بِنَائِي بخدا که من هیچ پرہیز گارے خائفے درین فرقه نمی بینم کہ برائے بدم بنیان من برخاسته اند I swear by God that I do not find anyone who is God-fearing and righteous Among the group that has arisen to tear down my edifice.مَا إِنْ أَرى غَيْرَ الْعَمَائِمِ وَاللُّحَى أَوْ أَنْفَا زَاغَتْ مِنَ الْخُيَلَاءِ من بجز عمامه با وریش با نمی بینم یا بینی با می بینم که از تکبر کج شده اند I find nothing except turbans and beards, Or noses that have become crooked on account of arrogance.لَا ضَيْرَ إِنْ رَدُّوْا كَلَامِن نَخْوَةٌ فَسَيَنْجَعَنْ فِي أَخَرِيْنَ نِدَائِن هیچ مضایقه نیست اگر کلام مرا از تکبر خود رد کردند عنقریب این کلام در دلہائے دیگران اثر خواهد کرد It matters not if they reject my word in their.Before long my voice shall impact others.' arrogance; غس ثَلَا غُسا بِنَفِ عَمَاءِ لَا تَنْظُرَتْ غَرُوا إِلَى افْتَائِهِمْ غُ سوئے فتوی ہائے ایشان نگه مکن احمقے احمقے را در گرد و غبار کوری پیروی کرد Be not surprised at their edicts [against me], One worthless follows another worthless in the dust of his blindness.قَدْ صَارَ شَيْطَانٌ رَّحِيْمٌ حِبَّهُمْ يُمْسِنُ وَيُضْحِي بَيْنَهُمْ لِلقَاءِ شیطان رانده محبوب شان شده است برائے ملاقات شان شام می آید و صبح می آید Satan, the accursed, has become their beloved, He comes to meet them in the mornings and evenings.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] أعْمَى قُلُوْبَ الْحَاسِدِينَ شُرُورُهمْ أغرى بَوَاطِنَهُمْ لِبَاسُ رِيَاءِ دل حاسدان را شرارت ایشان کور کرد و جامه ریا باطن ایشان را برهنه نمود The hearts of ill-wishers are blinded by their mischief; Their garb of ostentation exposes their inner state.أذَوْا وَفِي سُبُلِ الْمُهَيْمِنِ لَا نَرَى شَيْئًا أَلَذَّ لَنَا مِنَ الْإِيْذَاءِ مرا ایذا دادند , ور راه خدا ہیچ چیزے لذیذ تر از اذیت مرا نیست They persecuted me.But in the paths of Allah the Protector; I find nothing more delightful for me than this pain.مَا إِنْ أَرَى أَثْقَالَهُمْ كَجَدِيدَةٍ انن طَلَيْحُ السَّيْح وَ الْأَعْبَاءِ بار ہائے ایشان نزد من بار نو نیست من فرسوده سفر و فرسوده با رہا هستم For me there is nothing new in this baggage; For, I am used to-and fond of this journey and its baggage.نَفْسِن كَعُسْبُرَةٍ فَأُحْنِقَ صُلْبُهَا مِنْ حَمْلِ اِبْذَاءِ الْوَرى وَ جَفَاءِ نفس من مثل ناقه است پس کمر آن ناقه از اینا با وجفا با لاغر شده است My soul is like a she-camel whose back has become lean With the injustice and cruelty inflicted by her people.هذَا وَرَبِّ الصَّادِقِينَ لَأَجْتَنِى نِعْمَ الْجَنَا مِنْ نَّخْلَةِ الْأَلَّاءِ من همین اصول دارم مگر قسم بخدائے راستبازان که همیشه من از درخت نعمت با میوه می چینم These are my principles! I swear by the Lord of the truthful, I pick the best fruit from the date-palm of divine bounties.949

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950 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إنَّ اللَّقَامَ يُحَقِّرُوْنَ وَذَمُّهُمْ مَا زَادَنِي إِلَّا مَقَامَ سَنَاءِ لئيمان تحقیر من بمذ مت خود می کنند مگر خدائے من مرا بلندی با داد The mean deride me but this derision results only In the elevation of my spiritual station.زَمَعُ الْأُنَاسِ يُحَمْلِقُونَ كَشَعْلَبٍ يُؤْذُونَنِي بِتَحَوُّبٍ وَّ مُوَاءِ مردمان سفله بر من پیچو روباه حمله می کنند و از آواز روباه و آواز گربه مرا ایڈا می دهند The mean-natured glare at me intensely with the piercing eyes of a fox, And they torment me with [their] barking and hissing.واللَّهِ لَيْسَ طَرِيْقُهُمْ نَهْجَ الْهُدَى بَلْ مُنْيَةٌ نَشَأْتُ مِنَ الْأَهْوَاءِ بخدا این راه شان راه هدایت نیست بلکه آرزوئے نفسانی است که از هوا و هوس پیدا شده است God is my Witness-their way is not the way of guidance; Rather, it is a vain desire prompted by greed.أَعْرَضْتُ عَنْ هَذَيَانِهِمْ بِتَصَامُم وَ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّ الشَّرِّ تَحْتَ مِرَاءِ من از بزیان ایشان دانسته خود را بهره کرده کناره کردم و دانستم که زیر مجادله شر است I avoided their hallucinations by giving them a deaf ear, For I realized that evil intent lies behind their argumentation.إنا صَبَرْنَا عِنْدَ إِبْذَاءِ الْعِدَا فَعَلَوْا كَمِثْلِ الدُّخُ مِنْ اِغْضَائِنِ بروقت ایذاء دشمنان ما صبر کردیم پس بتکبر بر آمدند ومثل دود از چشم خوابیدن من بلند شدند I confronted the hardship kindled by my enemies with patience; However, ignoring them provoked them to be haughty like smoke.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 951 مَا بَقِيَ فِيْهِمْ عِفَّةٌ وزَهَادَةٌ لَا ذَرَّةٌ مِّنْ عِيْشَةٍ خَشْنَاءِ در ایشان پیچ عفت و پرهیز گاری نمانده است ونه یک ذره زندگی مجاہدانہ They no longer have piety and abstinence; Nor is there the least trace of the tough life of self-discipline.مَالُوْا إِلَى الدُّنْيَا الدِّنِيَّةِ مِنْ هَوًى فَرُوا مِنَ الْبَأْسَاءِ وَ الضَّرَّاءِ سوئے دنیا که هیچ و کمینه است مائل شدند واز سختی با و گزند با گریختند Out of greed and aggrandizement they inclined towards this baser world, And fled from a life of poverty and afflictions.صَالُوْا مِنَ الْأَوْبَاشِ حِزْبَ أَرَاذِلٍ فَكَأَنَّهُمْ کمینه از او باش حمله کردند كَالخِثْيِ لِلْإِحْمَاءِ پس گیا اوشان سرگین خشک اند که برائے گرم کردن است The meanest of miscreants attacked me, As if they were dung used for heating.لَمَّا كَتَبْتُ الْكُتُبَ عِنْدَ غُلُوِّهِمْ بِبَلاغَةٍ وَ عَذُوبَةٍ وَ صَفَاءِ هرگاه کتاب با بروقت غلو ایشان نوشتم و همه آن کتاب با بلاغت و نذوبت و صفا پر بودند When-in reply to their exaggerations-I wrote books, Full of eloquence, delight, and clarity, قَالُوا قَرَأْنَا لَيْسَ قَوْلًا جَيْدًا أَوْ قَوْلُ عَارِبَةٍ مِّنَ الْأَدَبَاءِ خواندیم سخنے خوب نیست یا قول کسی است که از گروه برگزیده عرب و ادیبان است They said, 'We have read these books; they are not anything outstanding.They comprise only the sayings of an Arab littérateur!

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952 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI عَرْبٌ عرب أَقَامَ بِبَيْتِهِ مُتَسَتِّرًا أمْلَى الْكِتَابَ بِبُكْرَةٍ وَ مَسَاءِ یک عرب بطور پوشیده در خانه او قیام کرده است ہمان عرب کتاب را صبح و شام نوشته An Arab hides in the home [of Ahmad (as)]; Day and night he composes these writings.' انظُرْ إِلَى أَقْوَالِهِمْ وَتَنَاقُضِ سَلَبَ الْعِنَادُ اصَابَةَ الْأَرَاءِ سخن ہائے ایشان به بین و تناقض را به بین عنادے کہ میدارند رائے صائب را سلب کرد Note their statements and the contradictions therein! Their stubborn opposition to me has deprived them of sound judgment.طَوْرًا إِلَى عَرَبٍ عَزَوْهُ وَ تَارَةً قَالُوا كَلَامُ فَاسِدُ الْإِمْلَاءِ وقتے کلام مرا سوئے عرب منسوب کردند و وقت دیگر گفتند که این کلام خراب املا دارد At times they ascribe my writing to an Arab while, at other times, They say the writing is faulty in composition.هذا مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ يَا حِزْبَ الْعِدَا لَا فِعْلُ شَامِيٌّ وَ لَا رُفَقَائِن این املا از خدا تعالی است اے گروہ دشمنان نه کار شامی است و نه کار رفیقان من O troop of adversaries! This is indeed a gift from the Gracious God; Neither the work of a Syrian nor the work of any of my companions.أعْلَى الْمُهَيْمِنُ شَأْنَنَا وَعُلُوْمَنَا نَبْنِي مَنَازِلَنَا عَلَى الْجَوْزَاءِ خدا تعالیٰ شان مارا وعلوم مارا بلند کرد ما منازل خود را بر جوزا بنا می God the Protector has exalted our spiritual station and knowledge; We are building our mansions atop [the constellation of] Gemini.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 953 خَلُوا مَقَامَ الْمَوْلَوِيَّةِ بَعْدَهُ وَتَسَتَّرُوْا فِي غَيْهَبٍ الْخَوْقَاءِ بعد زین مقام مولویت را خالی کنید وور تاریکی چاہے پوشیده شوید Forgo your claim to be a Maulawi, And go hide in the darkness of a deep well.قَدْ حُدِّدَتْ كَالْمُرْهَفَاتِ قَرِيْحَتِيْ فَفَهِمْتُ مَا لَمْ يَفْهَمُوْا أَعْدَائِن بچھو شمشیر ہائے تیز طبیعت من کردہ شداست پس آن چیز با فهمیدم که دشمنان نه فهمیدند My genius has been sharpened like a sharp sword; I have been given to understand what my enemies do not understand.هذا كِتَابِي حَازَ كُلَّ بَلَاغَةٍ بَهَرَ الْعُقُوْلَ بِنَضْرَةٍ وَ بَهَاءِ این کتاب من هر نوع بلاغت جمع کرده است دانش با را بتازگی و خوبی حیران کرد This book of mine combines every type of literary eloquence; It amazes the intellects with its brilliance and beauty.الله أَعْطَانِي حَدَائِقَ عِلْمِهِ لَوْ لَا الْعِنَايَةُ كُنْتُ كَالسُّفَهَاءِ خدا تعالیٰ مرا باغہائے علم خود عطا فرمود اگر عنایت الہی نبودے من ہمچو بے خبر دان بودی Allah has granted me gardens of His knowledge; Were it not for His bounty, I would have been like the fools.إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ اللهَ رَبًّا مُحْسِنًا فَأَرى عُيُونَ الْعِلْمِ بَعْدَ دُعَائِي من از خدائے خود خواستم که رب محسن است پس چشمہ ہائے علم بعد از دعا مرا نمود I prayed to Allah, my Beneficent Lord; So I witnessed fountains of knowledge after my supplication.

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954 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إِنَّ الْمُهَيْمِنَ لَا يُعِزُّ بِنَخْوَةٍ ان رُمْتَ اِعْزَازًا فَكُنْ كَعَفَاءِ به تحقیق خدا متکبر را عزت نمی.اگر می خواهی که ترا عزت داده شود پس بیچو خاک باش وید Verily, God the Protector does not honour pride; Therefore, if you seek honour, be as humble as the dust.واللهِ قَدْ فَرَّطْتُ فِي أَمْرِى هَوَى وَ أَبَيْتَ كَالْمُسْتَعْجِلِ الْخَطَّاءِ بخدا که در امر من از روئے ہوا و ہوس تقصیر کردی و مثل جلد باز خطا کننده انکار کردی By Allah, you are delinquent in my case, out of self-aggrandizement; You have rejected me like the hasty and the mistaken.الحر لَا يَسْتَعْجِلَنْ بَلْ إِنَّهُ يَرْنُو بِامْعَانٍ وَكَشْفِ غِطَاءِ آنکه آزاد از تعصب با است او جلدی نمی کند بلکه بغور دل می نگرد و ازمیان پرده می بردارد An unbiased person never rushes, Nay, he tries to make heartfelt deliberation and lift the veils.يَخْشَى الْكِرَامُ دُعَاءَ أَهْلِ كَرَامَةٍ رحْمًا عَلَى الْأَزْوَاجِ وَالْأَبْنَاءِ نیک مردان از دعائے اہل کرامت می ترسند و بر زنان و پسران خود ازین خوف رحم می کنند Out of their love and regard for their children and family, Noble people fear the prayers of those who work miracles.عِنْدِي دُعَاء خَاطِفٌ كَصَوَاعِقِ فَحَذَارِ ثُمَّ حَذَارٍ مِنْ أَرْجَائِي نزد من دعائے است کہ بھیجو صاعقه می جهد پس از کنارہ ہائے من دور باش دور باش My prayer is an arrow that strikes its target like lightning.So beware! Beware of approaching me [with hostility]!

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] واللهِ إِنِّي لَا أُرِيدُ إِمَامَةً هذَا خَيَالُكَ مِنْ طَرِيقِ خَطَاءِ بخدا من هیچ پیشوائی را نمی خواهم این خیال خیال تو از راه خطاست God is my Witness—I have no ambition to be an Imam; This thinking of yours is mistaken.إِنَّا نُرِيدُ اللَّهَ رَاحَةَ رُوْحِنَا لا سُؤْدَدًا وَرِيَاسَةٌ و عَلَاءِ ماخدا را می خواهیم که آرام روح ماست و ریاست و بلندی را نمی خواهیم Without doubt, I seek God alone; He is the comfort of my soul; I do not seek leadership, political power, or dominance.إِنَّا تَوَكَّلْنَا عَلَى خَلَّاقِنَا مُعْطى الْجَزِيْلِ وَوَاهِبِ النَّعْمَاءِ ما بر خدائے خود توکل کردیم که بخشده نعمت با وعطا کننده است I put my trust in my Creator, The abundantly Gracious, the Bestower of bounties.مَنْ كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَنِ كَانَ مُكَرَّما لا زَالَ أَهْلَ الْمَجْدِ وَ الْأَلّاءِ ہر که خدارا باشد بزرگی می یابد ہمیشہ در بزرگی و نعمت با می ماند He who devotes himself to God attains honour; He is ever blessed with magnificence and bounties.إِنَّ الْعِدَا يُؤْذُونَنِي بِخَبَاثَةٍ يُؤْذُونَ بِالْبُهْتَانِ قَلْبَ بَرَاءِ دشمنان از راه خباثت مرا ایذا می دهند از روئے بہتان دل بری را می آزارند Enemies torment me with their filthy behaviour; By levelling false charges, they hurt the heart of an innocent one.955

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956 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI هُمْ يُذْعِرُوْنَ بِصَيْحَةٍ وَ نَعُدُّهُمْ في زمرٍ مَوْتَى لَا مِنَ الْأَحْيَاءِ زُمْرِ و ما ایشان را از گروه مردگان می شماریم نه از زندگان ایشان ہے ترسانند They seek to frighten me with their shrieks, but I consider them Among the dead, not among the living.كَيْفَ التَّخَوُّفُ بَعْدَ قُرْبٍ مُّشَجِّعٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَصْوَاتِ وَ الضَّوْضَاءِ بعد قرب دلیر کننده چگونه بترسیم چگونه ازین آواز با و شور آواز با خوف پیدا شود After bonding with the Bestower of Courage, How can one fear such cries and uproar? يَسْعَى الْخَبِيْتُ لِيُطْفِئَنْ أَنْوَارَنَا وَالشَّمْسُ لَا تَخْفَى مِنَ الْإِخْفَاءِ پلیدے کو شش می کند که تا نور ما بمیراند و آفتاب از پوشیده کردن پوشیده نمی شود Those who are vile strive to extinguish my light, But the sun can never be concealed by covering it.إِنَّ الْمُهَيْمِنَ قَدْ أَتُمْ نَوَالَهُ فَضْلًا عَلَى فَصِرْتُ مِنْ نُحَلَاءِ خدا تعالی بر من بخشش خود بکمال رسانیده است ازروئے فضل.پس من از بخشدگان شدم Indeed, God the Protector had perfected His grace Upon me as His bounty, so I became one of the benefactors.تُعْطِي الْعُلُوْمَ لِدَفْعِ مَتْرَبَةِ الْوَرَى طَالَتْ أَيَادِيْنَا عَلَى الْفُقَرَاءِ ما برائے دفع درویشی مردم مال علم می بخشیم بخشش ما بر فقیران دراز است دست I offer a wealth of spiritual knowledge to alleviate the poverty of mankind, And my favours upon the needy are countless indeed!

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 957 إِنْ شِئْتَ لَيْسَتْ أَرْضُنَا بِبَعِيْدَةٍ مِنْ أَرْضِكَ الْمَنْحُوْسَةِ الصَّيْدَاءِ اگر تو چیزی بخواهی زمین ما از زمین منحوس تو دور نیست Should you desire to partake of these, my land is not too distant From your land, which is a cursed and rugged land.صَعْب عَلَيْكَ زَمَانُ سُؤْلِ مُحَاسِبٍ إِنْ مِن يَا خَصْمِن عَلَى الشَّحْنَاءِ بر تو آن ساعت بسیار سخت است که پرسیده خواهی شد اگر تو بر همین کینہ بمردی اے دشمن من The time of [God's] reckoning will be harsh upon you Should you die-O enemy of mine!--full of hatred for me.مَا جِئْتُ مِنْ غَيْرِ الضَّرُوْرَةِ عَابِثًا قَدْ جِئْتُ مِثْلَ الْمُزْنِ فِي الرَّمْضَاءِ من بے ضرورت ہچو بازی کنندگان نیامدم من مثل باران آمدم که بر زمین سوخته بیفتند I did not come without need or without purpose; I appeared as a rain during the scorching heat.عَيْنٌ جَرَتْ لِعِطَاشِ قَوْمٍ أُضْجِرُوْا أَوْ مَاءً طَافِ لِظِمَاءِ برائے تنگ دلان که سخت تشنه بودند چشمه جاری شد یا آب بسیار صافی برائے تشنگان A fountain has gushed forth for those restless with thirst; For those in dire need of water, a spring of fresh water has issued forth.اني بِأَفْضَالِ الْمُهَيْمِنِ صَادِقٌ قَدْ جِئْتُ عِنْدَ ضَرُورَةٍ وَ وَبَاءِ خدا تعالی صادقم بروقت ضرورت و و با آمده ام بفضل I am-by the grace of the Supreme-true [in my claim ], I have come at the time of need, and during the midst of an epidemic.

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AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI ثُمَّ اللَّقَامُ يُكَذِّبُونَ بِخُبْتِهِمْ لا يَقْبَلُوْنَ جَوَائِزِيْ وَ عَطَائِي باز لئیمان از خباثت ایشان تکذیب می کنند و عطا ہائے مرا قبول نمی کنند Even then the mean reject me on account of their evil natures; They do not accept my gifts and my favour.كَلِمُ اللّثَامِ أَسِنَّةٌ مَذْرُوبَةٌ و صُدُورِهِمْ كَالْحَرَّةِ الرَّجْلَاءِ سخن ہائے لیمان نیزہ ہائے تیز هستند وسینہ ہائے اوشان مثل زمین بے نبات خشک افتاده اند The words of the mean are like sharpened spears, And their chests are like the hard, stony terrain.مَنْ حَارَبَ الصِّدِّيقَ حَارَبَ رَبَّهُ وَنَبِيَّه وَطَوَائِفَ الصَّلَحَاءِ هر که با صدیق جنگ کرد با ندا جنگ کرد و با پیغمبر خدا جنگ کرد و با تمام صلحاء جنگ کرد ہر He who fights the truthful fights his Lord God; And His Prophet and multitudes of the righteous.اللَّهِ لَا أَدْرِي وُجُوْهَ كُشَاحَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنَّ الْبُخْلَ فَارَ كَمَاءِ بخدا من وجه د دشمنی ایشان هیچ نمی یابم بجز اینکه بخل اوشان مانند آب جوش کرده است God is my witness-I do not know the source of their enmity, Except that their miserliness has gushed forth like water.مَا كُنْتُ أَحْسَبُ أَنَّهُمْ بِعَدَاوَتِيْ يَذَرُونَ حُكْمَ شَرِيعَةٍ غَرَّاءِ من گمان نمی کردم که اوشان بباعث عداوت من حکم شریعت غرا را خواهند گذاشت I never imagined that—merely to oppose me—they would Put aside even the command of the illustrious Shariah.958

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] حِيْنَ تَلَا عَبُوا بالدِّينِ صَوَّالِيْنَ مِنْ غُلَوَاءِ بازی کردند واز تجاوز حمله کردند گرفتم چون بادین , عَادَيْتُهُمْ ایشان را I opposed them for God's sake when they began to play With the Faith and, exceeding the limits, even began to attack it.رُبِّيْتُ مِنْ دَرِّ النَّبِيِّ وَعَيْنِهِ أُعْطِيْتُ نُورًا مِّنْ سِرَاجِ حِرَاءِ من از شیر نبی علیه اسلام پرورش یافتم و از چشمه او مرا پرو ریدند من از ان آفتاب نور گرفتم که از غار حرا طلوع کرده بود I have been nourished on the blessed milk and spring of the Holy Prophetlsal, And have been enlightened by the Sun that rose from Hira.الشَّمْسُ أُمُّ وَ الْهِلَالُ سَلِيْلُهَا يَنْمُو وَ يَنْشَأُ مِنْ ضِيَاءِ ذُكَاءِ آفتاب مادر است و بلال پسر او آن پسر از روشنی آفتاب نشوونما می یابد The sun is the mother and the crescent moon is its son, Who feeds on the light of the sun.إِنِّي طَلَعْتُ كَمِثْلِ بَدْرٍ فَانْظُرُوا لَا خَيْرَ فِي مَنْ كَانَ كَالْكَهُمَاءِ من مانند بدر طلوع کردم پس بتامل به ببینید در آن شخص بیچ خیر نیست که چون زن کور مادر زاد باشد I have arisen like the full moon; therefore, take a look, For there is no goodness in those who are like the weak-eyed effeminate.يَا رَبِّ أَيَّدْنَا بِفَضْلِكَ وَ انْتَقِمُ مِمَّنْ يَدُعُ الْحَقُّ كَالْغُنَّاءِ اے خدائے ما تائید ما بکن وازان شخص انتقام بگیر که حق را چون خس و خاشاک دفع کردن می خوابد O my Lord! Help me through Your grace and avenge me for The one who casts away the truth as if it were dust.959

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960 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI يَا رَبِّ قَوْمِن غَلَّسُوْا بِجَهَالَةٍ فَارْحَمْ وَأَنْزِلْهُمْ بِدَارِ ضِيَاءِ اے رب من قوم من از جهالت بتاریکی می روند پس رحم کن و او شان را در خانه روشنی فرود آر O my Lord! My people on account of their ignorance have strayed into darkness; Show mercy and lead them to the abode of light.يَا لَائِمِن إِنَّ الْعَوَاقِبَ لِلتَّقى فَارْبَا مَالَ الْأَمْرِ كَالْعُقَلَاءِ اے ملامت کنند من انجام کار برائے پرہیز گاران است پس بیچو دانشمندان مآل کار را منتظر باش Oye who curse me! The righteous eventually emerge victorious, So reflect over the ultimate outcome as the wise do.اللَّهُ أَيَّدَنِي وَ صَافَا صَافَا رَحْمَةٌ وَ أَمَدِّنِي أُمَدَّنِي بِالنِّعَمِ وَ الْآلَاءِ خدا مرا تائید کرد و از روئے رحمت مرا دوست گرفت و مرا با گونا گون نعمت با مدد داد God has, in His mercy, supported me and become my Friend; He has helped me with His favours and bounties.فَخَرَجْتُ مِنْ وَهْدِ الضَّلَالَةِ وَالشَّقَا وَ دَخَلْتُ دَارَ الرُّشْدِ وَ الْإِدْرَاءِ پس من از مغاک گمراهی بیرون آمدم و در خانه رشد و آگاهیدن داخل شدم I have come out of the pit of darkness and misfortune, And I have entered the abode of guidance and advice.وَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ النَّاسَ سَقْطٌ كُلُّهُمْ الا الَّذِي أَعْطَاهُ نِعْمَ لِقَاءِ مگر آن شخص کہ خدا تعالیٰ اور ا نعمت لقابہ بخشد ہمہ ردی و بیکار اند و بخدا که مردم I swear by God, all humans amount to nothing, Except the one whom God has favoured with meeting Him.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] إِنَّ الَّذِي أَرْوَى الْمُهِيْمِنُ قَلْبَهُ تَأْتِيهِ أَزْوَاجُ كَمِثْلِ ظِمَاءِ آن شخص که خدا تعالیٰ دل او را از معارف سیراب کرد نزد او فوج با مثل تشنگان می آیند Surely, towards him whose heart has been filled to the brim by Allah the Supreme, Hosts of people throng like the thirsty.رَبُّ السَّمَاءِ يُعِزُّهُ بِعِنَايَة تَعْنُو لَهُ أَعْنَاقُ أَهْلِ دَهَاءِ خدائے آسمان او را از عنایت خود عزت می دهد و برائے او گردن ہائے عقلمندان خمیده می شوند The Lord of the Heavens grants him honour through His bounty; And the wise are inspired to [humbly] bow down before him.الْأَرْضُ تُجْعَلُ مِثْلَ غِلْمَانٍ لَّهُ تَأْتِي لَهُ الْأَفَلَاكُ كَالْخُدَمَاءِ زمین بیچو غلامان برائے او کرده می شود و آسمانها برائے او بیچو خادمان می آیند The earth is made to serve him like a slave And the heavens present themselves to him like servants.مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يُخْزِى عَزِيزَ جَنَابِهِ الْأَرْضُ لَا تُفْنِى شُمُوْسَ سَمَاءِ آن کیست که عزیز جناب الهی را ذلیل کند زمین آفتاب ہائے آسمان را نابود نتواند کرد Who can disgrace the one who is dear in His presence? The earth cannot destroy the suns of heaven.الْخَلْقُ دُودٌ كُلُّهُمْ إِلَّا الَّذِي زَكَّاهُ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَهْوَاءِ مگر آنکہ خدا تعالیٰ اورا از ہوا و ہوس نجات داد مردم کرمان هستند All of creation is but a worm except the one whom The grace of Allah purifies of selfish desires.961

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962 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI فَانْهَضْ لَهُ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْرِفُ قَدْرَةَ وَاسْبِقُ بِبَذْلِ النَّفْسِ وَالْأَعْدَاءِ پس برائے او برخیز اگر قدر او می دانی واز همه مردم در بذل نفس و شتافتن سبقت کن Arise, therefore, to support him should you realize his lofty stature, And march forward, sacrificing your self and vying with others.إن كُنتَ تَقْصِدُ ذُلَّهُ فَتُحَقِّرُ وَ سَتَخْسَشَنْ كَالْكَلْبِ يَوْمَ جَزَاءِ اگر تو ذلت او می خواهی پس خود ذلیل خواهی شد در روز جزا رانده خواهی شد و بیچو سنگ If you seek his humiliation, you yourself will be humiliated, And on the Day of Judgment you will be driven away like a dog.غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْكَ شَقَاوَةٌ فَتُحَقِّرُ مَنْ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ كُرَمَاءِ بر تو بد بختی غالب آمده است از بین سب تو تحقیہ مجھے میکنی که نزد خدا تعالی از بزرگی یابند گانت You have fallen prey to misfortune, therefore, you deride the one Who is honoured in the sight of Allah! صَعْب عَلَيْكَ سِرَاجُنَا وَضِيَاؤُنَا تَمْشِي كَمَشْي اللصّ فِي اللَّيْلَاءِ بر تو چراغ ما وروشنی ما بسیار گران آمد بھیجو دزدان در شب تاریک می گردی Our lamp and our light are unbearable to you; You walk about as thieves in the dark of night.تَهْذِى وَأَيْمُ اللَّهِ مَا لَكَ حِيْلَةٌ يَوْمَ النِّشُوْرِ وَعِنْدَ وَقْتِ قَضَاءِ بیہودہ گوئی با میکنی و بخدا ترا هیچ حیله نیست , عذری در هیچ روز فیصله نیست You utter nonsense and [I swear] by Allah you will have no excuse On the Day of Resurrection and the time of Retribution.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 963 بَرْقٌ مِّنَ الْمَوْلَى نُرِيْكَ وَمِيْضَةَ فَاصْبِرْ كَصَبْرِ الْعَاقِلِ الرَّنّاءِ این از خدا تعالی روشنی است درخش آن خواهیم نمود پس بھیجو عاقلان دور اندیش صبر کن This is lightning from the Master and I will show you its flash; So be patient like the wise who reflect.وَأَرى تَغَيْظَكُمْ يَفُورُ كَلُجَّةٍ موجٌ كَمَوْجِ الْبَحْرِ أَوْ هَوْجَاءِ و می بینم که غضب شما بیچو دریا در جوش است و موج آن مثل موج دریا یا موج باد سخت است I witness the upheaval of your anger like deep and turbulent waters, Like the wave of the seas or the tempestuous wind.واللهِ يَكْفِى مِنْ كُمَاةٍ نِضَالِنَا جَلَدٌ مِّنَ الْفِتْيَانِ لِلْأَعْدَاءِ بخدا از بهادران دشمنان را یک جوان کافی است I swear by God that from among my brave warriors, Just one brave youth shall suffice for all the enemies.انا على وَقْتِ النَّوَائِبِ نَصْبِرُ ترجى الزَّمَانَ بِشِدَّةٍ وَ رَخَاءِ و زمانه را به نگی و فراخی می گذرانیم مادر وقت حوادث صبر I exercise patience during times of affliction, Likewise do I endure in times of hardship and opulence.فتَنُ الزَّمَانِ وُلِدْنَ عِنْدَ ظُهُورِكُمْ وَالسَّيْلُ لَا يَخْلُو مِنَ الْغُنَّاءِ از ظاهر شدن شما فتنه با ظاهر شده اند وہیچ سیلابے از خس و خاشاک خالی نمی باشد With your coming came the mischief of this age, For floods [of tribulation] deliver naught but waste and debris.

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964 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI عِفْنَا لُقَيَّاكُمْ وَلَا أَسْتَكْرِهُ لَوْ حَلَّ بَيْتِي عَاسِلُ الْبَيْدَاءِ ما از ملاقات شما کراہت مے داریم و ما هیچ کراہت نداریم اگرگرگ دشتی بخانه مادراید I dislike meeting you even though, The visit of a wild wolf to my home does not perturb me.الْيَوْمَ أَنْصَحُكُمْ وَكَيْفَ نَصَاحَتِن قَوْمًا أَضَاعُوا الدِّيْنَ لِلشَّحْنَاءِ امروز شما را نصیحت می کنم و نصیحت من آن قوم را چه فائد بخش که از کینه دین را ضائع کرده اند Today I advise you, but how can a people benefit from my advice Who squander their religion out of malice? قلْنَا تَعَالَوْا لِلنِّضَالِ وَنَاضِلُوا فَتَكَنَّسُوا كَالظَّبْي فِي الْأَفْلَاءِ ما علیم کہ برائے مقابلہ بیائید و در عربی مباحثہ کنید پس پیچو آهوان در بیابان با پوشیده شدند لف I invite them to come forward and compete, But they lay low quite like deer who hide in the wilderness.لَا يُبْصِرُوْنَ وَ لَا يَرَوْنَ حَقِيقَةٌ وَ تَهَا لَكُوْا فِي بُخْلِهِمْ وَ رِيَاءِ نه می بینند و نه حقیقت را دریافت می کنند بخل وور , ریا بمردند They do not use their sight nor do they see the truth of the matter; They perish in their niggardliness and [hypocritical] ostentation.هَلْ فِي جَمَاعَتِهِمْ بَصِيرٌ يَنْظُرُ نَحْوِي كَمِثْلِ آیا در جماعت اوشان بیننده است که سوئے من كَمِثْلِ مُبَصِّرٍ رَنَّاءِ مثل مبصر غور کننده به بیند Is there any insightful one in their assembly Who might scrutinize me like a diligent researcher?

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 965 إلَى إِبْذَائِهِمْ وَجَفَاءِ مَا نَاضَلُونِي ثُمَّ قَالُوا جَاهِلٌ انْظُرْ إِلَى با من مقابله نکردند باز گفتند که جاهل است ايذاء ایشان به بین وجفاء ایشان به بین Without challenging me, they declared me ignorant― Behold their torture and iniquity! دَعْوَى الْكُمَاةِ يَلُوحُ عِنْدَ تَقَابُلِ حد الظُّبَاتِ يُنيرُ فِي الْهَيْجَاءِ دعوی بهادران وقت مقابله ظاهر می گردد تیزی شمشیر با در جنگ روشن می شود Boasts of bravery find vindication only in battle, The cutting edge of a sword shines only in war.1* رَجُلٌ بِبَطْنِ بطَالَةَ بَطَّالَةٌ تَعْلِي عَدَاوَتُهُ كَرَعْدِ طَخَاءِ شہر بٹالہ که از بطالت پر است مردیست که دشمنی او بیچور عد ابر در جوش است The resident of Batala is good for nothing; His enmity for me rolls like thunderbolt from the clouds.لا يَحْضُرُ الْمِضْمَارَ مِنْ خَوْفٍ عَرَا يَهْذِى كَنِسْوَانٍ بِحُجْبِ خَفَاءِ از خوف که می دارد بمیدان نمی آید و پیچو زنان در پرده ژاژ مے خاید On account of his innate fear, he stays away from the fray; He talks nonsense then hides like a woman behind a veil.قد أثر الدُّنْيَا وَجِيْفَةَ دَشْتِهَا وَ الْمَوْتُ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ حَيَاةِ غِطَاءِ دنیا و مردار آنرا اختیار کرده است و مردن از زن زندگی پرده بسیار نیکو است He opted for the world and the carrion of its desert, Indeed, death is better than a life in hiding [out of cowardice].appears to be a scribal error.The correct word is The Persian translation تعلى...in the original book confirms this.[Publisher]

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966 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI يَا صَيْدَ أَسْيَافِي إِلَى مَا تَأْبُرُ لا تُنجِيَنَّكَ سِيرَةُ الْأَطْلَاءِ اے شکار شمشیر ہائے من تابکے جست خواہی کرد ترا سیرت بچگان آہو نجات نخواهد داد Oye, the prey of my [spiritual] sword! How long will you continue leaping? Your characteristic of a fawn will not save you.نَجَّسْتَ أَرْضَ بَطَالَةَ مَنْحُوْسَةٍ أَرْضُ مُحَزِينَةٌ مِنَ الْحِرْبَاءِ تو زمین بٹالہ را خراب کردی از وجود یک حربا تمام زمین از حربا پر است You have polluted Batala, an accursed part of the earth, A land abounding with chameleons.انني أُرِيدُكَ فِي النِّضَالِ كَصَائِدِ لَا يَرْكَنَنْ أَحَدٌ إِلَى إِرْزَاءِ من ترا در روز مناضله مثل شکار جوینده می خواهم پس باید که ترا پناه ندید Like a hunter, I want you in the contest; Therefore, let no one be inclined to give you refuge.صَدْرُ الْقَنَاةِ يَنُوْشُ صَدْرَكَ ضَرْبُهُ وَ يُرِيْكَ مُرَّانِى بِحَارَ دِمَاءِ سر نیزه ترا پاره پاره خواهد کرد و نیزه در گذرنده من ترا دریا بائے خون خواهد نمود The point of my spear will pierce through your chest; My strong and flexible spears will show you rivers of blood.جَاشَتْ إِلَيْكَ النَّفْسُ مِنْ كَلِمَاتِنَا خَوْفًا فَكَيْفَ الْحَالُ عِنْدَ مِرَائِن جان تو از گفتار من بلب رسید پس در وقت پیکار حال تو چه خواهد شد Due to the fear of my words, your soul has well-nigh departed from your body; So what will be your plight when you face me to debate?

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] وَفَصِيْلُهَا تأْثِيرُهَا بِبَهَاءِ أُعْطِيتُ لُسْنَا كَالقُوْعِ مُرَوِّيًا من مثل ناقه بسیار شمشیر زبان داده شده ام و بچه آن ناقه تاثیر سخن من است I have been granted linguistic elegance that serves like the she-camel with abundant milk; And its young calf is the beautiful impact that it makes.إِنْ شِئْتَ كِدْ كُلِّ الْمَكَائِدِ حَاسِدًا الْبَدْرُ لَا يَغْسُوْ بِلَغْيِ ضَرَاءِ اگر بخواہی ہر مکرے کہ داری از روئے حسد بکن و خوب یاد دار که از شور سگ بچگان نقصان ماهتاب نیست You are at full liberty to resort to every deception in your state of envy; The full moon is not darkened by the barking of dogs.كَذَّبْتَ صِدِّيقًا وَ جُرْتَ تَعَمُّدًا وَ لَئِنْ سَطَا فَيُرِيْكَ قَعْرَ عَفَاءِ تو صدیقی را به دروغی منسوب کردی و از حد درگذشتی و اگر آن صدیق بر تو حمله کند ترامغاک خواهد نمود You declared a truthful one to be a liar, and have wronged wilfully; If he strikes back, he would show you the nether regions of the earth.مَا شَمَّ أَنْفِي مَرْغَمًا فِي مَشْهَدٍ وَ أَثَرْتُ نَقْعَ الْمَوْتِ فِي الْأَعْدَاءِ بینی من در هیچ جنگی ذلت ندیده است و در دشمنان از موت غبار انگیخته ام My nose has never even smelled humiliation in any battle; I have raised dust clouds of death among my enemies.واللهِ أَخْطَأْتُمْ لِنَكْبَةِ بَخْتِكُمْ بَارَيْتُمُ ابْنَ كَرِيْهَةٍ فَجَّاءِ بخدا شما از بد بختی طالع خود سخت خطا کرده اید که با آن شخص جنگ شروع کرد و اید که تجربه کار جنگ و بناگاه کشیده است my witness that out of your own ill fortune you have committed God is the grave mistake Of engaging in battle with an expert warrior who can mount a sud- den attack.967

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968 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إِنِّي بِحِقْدِكَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ أَرْفَعُ أَنْمِن عَلَى الشَّحْنَاءِ وَ الْبَغْضَاءِ واز کینه و بغض شما بخت من در نشو و نماست روز مراتب بلند می یابم ہر من بكينه تو Because of your malevolence, I am daily vouchsafed a loftier station, And I prosper despite your malice and spite.يلتا ثُرَيَّاءَ السَّمَاءِ وَسَمْكَهُ لِتَرُدُّ إِيْمَانًا إِلَى الْغَبْرَاءِ تایمان را سوئے زمین فرود آریم ماتا ثریا آسمان رسیده ایم I have reached the Pleiades and its loftiness, So that I may bring faith back to the earth.أنْظُرْ إِلَى الْفِتَنِ الَّتِي نِيرَانُهَا تَجْرِي دُمُوعًا بَلْ عُيُونَ دِمَاءِ آن فتنه با را به بین که آتش آن فتنه اشک با جاری می کنند بلکہ چشمہ ہائے خون می بر آرد Look at all of this tribulation whose fires cause tears— Nay rather, springs of blood-to gush forth.لفلاح مُدَّلِجِيْنَ فِي اللَّيْلَاءِ فَأَقَامَنِي الرَّحْمَنُ عِنْدَ دُخَانِهَا لِفَلَاحِ پس خدا تعالیٰ مرا بر وقت دخان آن فتنه با قائم کرد تا آن را که در شب می روند نجات بخشد Thus has the Gracious God raised me even as this smoke rises, For the deliverance of those journeying through this night.وَقَدِ اقْتَضَتْ زَفَرَاتُ مَرْضَى مَقْدَمِن فَحَضَرْتُ حَمَّالًا كُنُوسَ شِفَاءِ و نعرہ ہائے مریضان آمدن مرا تقاضا کرد پس من باجا مہائے شفا نزد اوشان حاضر شدم When the cries of the sick demanded my advent, I appeared carrying the elixir-filled chalice.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] 969 لَمَّا أَتَيْتُ الْقَوْمَ سَبُّوْا كَالْعِدَا وَتَخَيَّرُوا سُبُلَ الشَّقَا بِابَاءِ ہرگاہ آمدم قوم مرا دشنام ها دادند واز راه انکار طریقت شقاوت را اختیار کردند When I came to the people, they abused me like enemies; In their refusal they chose the path of ill fortune.قَالُوا كَذُوبٌ كَيْذُبَانٌ كَاذِبٌ بَلْ كَافِرُ وَ مُزَوِّرُ و مُرَائِن گفتند که این شخص کاذب و کذاب است بلکه کافر و دروغ آراینده و ریاء کار است They said, “He is a liar, pretender, manifestation of falsehood; Indeed, he is a disbeliever, hypocrite, and dissembler.مَنْ مُخْبِرُ عَنْ ذِلَّتِي وَمُصِيبَتِن مَوْلَايَ خَتَمَ الرُّسُلِ بَحْرَ عَطَاءِ آن کیست که این ذلت من و مصیبت من مولائے مراد ساند که خاتم الانبیاء و دریائے بخشش باست Who will convey the news of my humiliation and distress To my master, the Seal of the Messengers, the Ocean of Beneficence? يا طَيِّبَ الْأَخْلَاقِ وَ الْأَسْمَاءِ أَفَأَنْتَ تُبْعِدُنَا مِنَ الْآلَاءِ اے پاک اخلاق و پاک نام با آیا تو مارا از نعمت ہائے خود رد می کنی Oye [the Holy Prophetsa] bearing holy morals and holy names! Would you keep us away from your bounties? أنْتَ الَّذِي شَغَفَ الْجَنَانَ مَحَبَّةٌ أنتَ الَّذِي كَالرُّوْحِ فِي حَوْبَائِن تو آن هستی که محبت او در قعر دل من فرو رفته است تو آن هستی که در تن من مانند جان است You are the very one whose love penetrates the depth of my heart; You are the very soul of my body.

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970 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI أَنْتَ الَّذِي قَدْ جُذِبَ قَلْبِي نَحْوَهُ أنتَ الَّذِي قَدْ قَامَ لِلْإِصْبَاءِ تو آن هستی که سوئے او دل من کشیده شده است تو آن ہستی کہ برائے دلبری من ایستاد You are the very one to whom my heart is attracted; You are the very one who stood up for my consolation.بِالْإِلْهَامِ وَالْإِلْقَاءِ أَنْتَ الَّذِي بِوَدَادِهِ وَ بِحُبِّهِ أُيَنتُ تو آن هستی که ببرکت محبت او و دوستی او از الهام و القاء البی تائید یافتم You are the very one due to whose love and friendship, I have been granted succour with revelation and discourse.أَنْتَ الَّذِي أَعْطَى الشَّرِيعَةَ وَ الْهُدَى نَا رِقَابَ النَّاسِ مِنْ أَعْبَاءِ تو آن ہستی کہ شریعت و هدایت را بما رسانید و گرد نہائے مردم را از بار گران نجات داد You are the one who brought the Shariah and guidance, And liberated the necks of the people from their burdens.هَيْهَاتَ كَيْفَ نَفِرُ مِنْكَ كَمُفْسِدِ رُوحِي فَدَتْكَ بِلَوْعَةٍ وَ وَفَاءِ این کجا ممکن است که ما همچو مفسدی از تو بگریزیم جان من بسوزش عشق و وفا بر تو قربان است How can we ever run from you like mischief-mongers? It is not possible; My soul is sacrificed for you because of my agony and fidelity for you.أمَنْتُ بِالْقُرْآنِ صُحُفِ إِلهنا وَ بِكُلِّ مَا أَخْبَرْتَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ من يقرآن شریف ایمان آوردم که کتاب خدائے ماست و با آن ہمہ خبر با ایمان آوردم که تو خبر دادی I believe in the Holy Quran, the Book of our Lord, And in all that you informed us of the tidings of the unseen.

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] يَا سَيِّدِي يَا مَوْثِلَ الضُّعَفَاءِ جثنَاكَ مَظْلُومِيْنَ مِنْ جُهَلَاءِ اے سردار من اے جائے باز گشت ضعیفان ما بجناب تو از جور جاهلان رسیدیم O my master! O refuge of the weak! We have come to you after suffering at the hands of the ignorant.إِنَّ الْمَحَبَّةَ لَا تُضَاعُ وَ تُشْتَرى إِنَّا نُحِبُّكَ يَا ذُكَاءَ سَخَاءِ محبت ضائع کرده نمی شود و کریمان آن را می خرند ما با تو اے آفتاب سخاوت محبت می داریم Love is never wasted; it is granted its due price.O gracious Sun! We are in love with you.يَا شَمْسَنَا أَنظُرْ رَحْمَةً وَ تَحَنُّنَا يَسْعَى إِلَيْكَ الْخَلْقُ لِلْإِرْكَاءِ اے آفتاب ماسوئے من برحمت بنگر مردم سوئے تو برائے پناہ گرفتن می دوند O our Sun! Cast the glance of love and mercy; All creation is hastening towards you for refuge.أنتَ الَّذِي هُوَ عَيْنُ كُلِّ سَعَادَةٍ تهوى إِلَيْكَ قُلُوْبُ أَهْلِ صَفَاءِ تو آن هستی که چشمه سوئے تو دلہائے اہل صفا مائل هستند سعادت است ہر You are the one from whom every good springs forth; The hearts of the pure-hearted incline to you.أَنتَ الَّذِي هُوَ مَبْدَءُ الْأَنْوَارِ نَوَّرْتَ وَجْهَ الْمُدْنِ وَ الْبَيْدَاءِ تو آن هستی که مبده نوریاست تو روئے شہر با و بیابان با روشن کردی You are the one who is the source of light; You have illuminated the cities and deserts.971

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972 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI إني أرى فِي وَجْهِكَ الْمُتَهَلِّلِ شَأْنَا يَفُوقُ شُيُوْنَ وَجْهِ ذُكَاءِ ور روشن روتے تو شانے مے بینم که برشان آفتاب فوقیت با دارد I find in your blessed countenance Such glory as surpasses the glory of the sun.شَمْسُ الْهُدى طَلَعَتْ لَنَا مِنْ مكَّة عَيْنُ النَّدَا نَبَعَتْ لَنَا بِحِرَاءِ آفتاب ہدایت از مکه بر ما طلوع کرد چشمه بخشش از غار حرا برائے ما بجوشید The sun of guidance rose from Makkah upon us, And from the cave of Hira' gushed forth a fountain of generosity.ضَاهَتْ أَيَاةُ الشَّمْسِ بَعْضَ ضِيَائِهِ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُ فَهَاجَ مِنْهُ بُكَائِن بعض روشنی ہائے او به روشنی آفتاب مے ماند پس چون دیدم بے اختیار مرا گریه آمد Even the light of the sun only partially resembles that of his, When I beheld him my heartfelt cries reached a crescendo.نَسْعَى كَفِتْيَانٍ بِدِيْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ لَسْنَا كَرَجُل فَاقِدِ الْأَعْضَاءِ بیچو مردان در دین محمد صلی اللہ علیہ و سلم کوشش می تعلیم ما مثل آن شخصے نیستم کہ بے دست و پا باشد Like the brave young men, we strive for the religion of Muḥammad; We are not like the one who is bereft of limbs.أعْلَى الْمُهَيْمِنُ هَمَّنَا فِي دِينِهِ نَبْنِي مَنَازِلَنَا عَلَى الْجَوْزَاءِ خدا تعالی در دین او ہمت ہائے ما را بلند کرده است منز لہائے خود را بر جوزا بنامے نهیم The Ever-Watchful God has raised the standard of our commitment to His religion; We make the lofty Gemini as our stopping place.[Publisher] شُئُون appears to be a scribal error.The correct word is شُيُون..

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] رَأْسَ اللنَّامِ إِنَّا جُعِلْنَا كَالسُّيُوفِ فَنَدْمَعُ رَأْسَ ما نمیچو تمشیر با گردانیده شده ایم اللنَّامِ وَهَامَةَ الأَعْدَاءِ دشمنان را می کوبیم پس سر لتیمان , We are made like swords, so we crush The heads of the ignoble and the skulls of the enemies.وَ مِنَ اللَّقَامِ أَرى رُجَيْلًا فَاسِقًا غُوْلا لَعِيْنَا نُطْفَةَ السُّفَهَاءِ و از لکیمان مرد کے بدکار را می بینم که شیطان ملعون از نطفه سفیهان است Out of the ignoble, I see one lowly transgressor Who is accursed and a seed of the ignorant.شَكْسُ خَبِيْتٌ مُفْسِدٌ وَ مُزَوِّرٌ نَحْسُ يُسَمَّى السَّعْدَ فِي الْجُهَلَاءِ بدگو خلیث مفسد دروغ آراینده است و منحوس است و نام او جاہلان سعد الله نهاده اند He is rude, a mischief-monger, and a liar; He is accursed, but among the ignorant, he is known as Sa'd [i.e.fortunate].مَا فَارَقَ الْكُفْرَ الَّذِي هُوَ ارْتُهُ ضَاهَى أَبَاهُ و بِعَمَاءِ کفرے کہ وراثت او بود ازان علیحده نشده است و در کوری مادر و پدر خود را مشابه است He has not given up disbelief—his heritage indeed; He resembles his parents in blindness.قَدْ كَانَ مِنْ دُوْدِ الْهَنُودِ وَ زَرْعِهِمْ مِنْ عَبْدَةِ الْأَصْنَامِ كَالْآبَاءِ از کرمان هنود ایشان بود و مثل پدر و جد خود از بت پرستان بود این شخص He was a seed of the Hindus-a grain of their crop- Like his forefathers, he too was an idol-worshipper.973

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974 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI فَالْانَ قَدْ غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ شَقَاوَةٌ كَانَتْ مُبِيدةَ أُمِّهِ الْعَمْيَاءِ پس اکنون همان شقاوت بروئے غلبه کرد که مادر کور اورا بلاک کرده بود His wretchedness had overtaken him; It was this hard-heartedness that was responsible for the death of his blind mother.إني أَرَاهُ مُكَذِّبًا وَ مُكَفِّرًا و مُحَقِّرًا بِالسَّبِّ وَ الْإِزْرَاءِ من اورا می بینم که او تکذیب من میکند ومرا کا فرمیگوید و با تحقیر کردن و دشنام دادن بہتانها می بندد I find him to be a denier and issuer of false edicts of disbelief; A despiser using abuses and baseless accusations.يُؤْذِى فَمَا نَشْكُو وَ مَا نَتَأْشِفُ كَلْبٌ فَيَغْلِى قَلْبُهُ لِعُوَاءِ آزار می دهد مگر ما نه شکایت میکنیم و نه افسوس میلینیم زیرا که او سگی است پس دل او برائے عوعوکر دن مے جوشد He pains me, but I do not complain nor am I sorry; He is akin to a dog-eager to bark.كَحَلَ الْعِنَادُ جُفُوْنَهُ بِعَجَاجَةٍ فَالْانَ مَنْ يَحْمِيْهِ مِنْ أَقْدَاءِ دشمنی پلک پائے اور ابغبار کینہ سرمه سا کرده است پس اکنون کیست که چشمہائے اورا از غبار پر باند Enmity has put the kohl of dust in his eyes; So who can save him from getting the straw in the eye? يَا لَاعِنِي إِنَّ الْمُهَيْمِنَ يَنْظُرُ خَفْ قَهْرَ رَبِّ قَادِرٍ مَّوْلَائِن اے ملامت کننده من خدا تعالی می بیند از قهر مولائے من که قادر است خوف کن Oye who curses me! The Ever-Watchful God is observing; Therefore, fear the wrath of my Lord, who is Omnipotent and Protector.my

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[ARABIC ODE BY THE PROMISED MESSIAH] الْحَقُّ لَا يُصْلى بِنَارِ خَدِيعَةٍ أَنَّى مِنَ الْخُفَّاشِ خَسْرُ ذُكَاءِ راستی بآتش مکر سوخته نمی شود از نفرت شب پره هیچ نقصان آفتاب نیست Truth cannot be consumed by the fire of deceit; How can a bat do any harm to the sun? إِنِّي أَرَاكَ تَمِيْسُ بِالْخُيَلَاءِ أَنَسِيْتَ يَوْمَ الطَّعْنَةِ النَّجْلَاءِ من میبینم که به ناز و تکبر خرامان می روی آیا آن روز را فراموش کردی که زخم فراخ خواهد کرد I find that in your pride you walk with haughty steps; Have you forgotten the day when a deep wound will inflict you? لَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ نَفْسِكَ شَقْوَةٌ يُلْقِيكَ حُبُّ النَّفْسِ فِي الْخَوْقَاءِ ہوائے نفس خود را از شقاوت پیروی مکن ترا محبت نفس در چاه خواهد انداخت Do not succumb to the desires of flesh on account of your wickedness, For love of the self will only throw you into the well.فَرَسٌ خَبِيْثُ خَفْ ذُرَى صَهَوَاتِهِ خَفْ أَنْ تَزَلَّكَ عَدْوُ ذِي عُدَوَاءِ نفس تو اسپ پلید است از بلندی پشت او بترس ازین بترس که دویدن ناہموارا و ترا بر زمین اف افگند The self is an evil horse; therefore, do not ride it.Be fearful! Lest its errant steps throw you off.إِنَّ السُّمُوْمَ لَشَرُّ مَا فِي الْعَالَمِ وَ مِنَ السُّمُوْمِ عَدَاوَةُ الصَّلَحَاءِ در دنیا زہر با بدترین چیزی است و از زهر با بدتر عداوت صالحان است Without doubt, poison is the worst of what exists in this world, And hostility to the righteous is a form of poison.975

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976 AL-ISTIFTA-SUPPLEMENT TO HAQIQATUL-WAHI أَذَيْتَنِي خُبْثًا فَلَسْتُ بِصَادِقٍ إِنْ لَّمْ تَمُتْ بِالْخِزْيِ يَا ابْنَ بِغَاءِ اگر تو اے نسل بد کاران بذلت نمیری مرا بخباثت خود ایذا دادی پس من صادق نیم Because of your filthy nature you have caused me pain.I am not truthful if you do not die in disgrace.O progeny of the wicked!¹ ☆ الله يُخْزِي حِزْبَكُمْ وَ يُعِزُّنِى حَتَّى يَجِيءَ النَّاسُ تَحْتَ لِوَائِن تا بحدیکه مردم زیر لوائے من خواهند آمد خدا تعالی گروه شمارا رسوا خواهد کر دو مرا عزت خواهد داد God will humiliate your party and will surely honour me; So much so that all of the people will come under my flag.يَا مَنْ يَّرَى قَلْبِي وَ لُبِّ لِحَائِن يَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا بِكَرَامَةٍ يَا مَنْ يُرى اے آنکہ دل مرا و مغز پوست مرا می بینی اے خدائے ما در ما بکرامت خود فیصلہ کن O our Lord! Decide between us with Your grace.O the One who sees my heart and the deepest recesses of my being! لِلسَّائِلِينَ فَلَا تَرُدُّ دُعَائِن يَا مَنْ أَرى أَبْوَابَهُ مَفْتُوحَةٌ اے آنکه ور را او ہائے برائے سائلان کشادہ می بینم دعائے مرارد مکن O the One whose doors I always find open for those who beseech! Do not reject my supplication.آمین [Amin-May it be so, O Allah.] 1.Thereafter, the end of this enemy was that he died of the plague with total failure and frustration.So pay heed, O ye who have eyes! (Author)

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GLOSSARY Abjad A numerological system that as- signs a specific numerical value to each letter in the Arabic alphabet.(Also known as Hisābul-Jumal.) Ahl-e-Kitāb The People of the Book, namely, Jews and Christians.'Ainul-Yaqin Certainty by sight.The second of three levels of certainty.Amin Let it be so.Arabic equivalent to amen.Aqṭāb Plural of quțb, which means the polar star.Metaphorically applied to a saintly leader who guides people out of darkness.Āryah Samaj A Hindu sect founded by Pandit Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875.'Aşr Late afternoon.One of the five times of the daily obligatory Prayers [i.e.Salāt] in Islam.Auliya' Literally means 'Friends' and is the plural of wali, which is generally used to refer to a saintly per- son.Shorter version of auliya'ullāh.Avatar A term in Hinduism referring to an incarnation of a deity upon earth.Az-Zahir The Manifest.One of the at- tributes of God that expresses His manifestation to those who are wor- thy of Him, having lost themselves in His love.Bahadur Literally, 'brave.An honour conferred by the British Indian Em- pire on important Muslims and Par- sis.Bai'at Oath of allegiance to a religious leader.Baitud-Du'a' Literally means, 'abode of prayer.It is the name of a small chamber in the house of the Promised Messiah (as), in Qadian, where he would pray in seclusion.Baitul-Muqaddas A title of the ancient Temple of Solomon, now the site of al-Aqsa Mosque.Third holiest site in Islam.Lit.the Sacred House.

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978 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Baqā Islam recognizes three stages in man's spiritual journey towards God: The first stage is (fana-passing away), which is the total annihila- tion of one's ego for the sake of God; the second stage is lë (bagā―subsist- ence), which denotes a new spiritual life; and the third stage is (liqā- meeting), which is the state of achiev- ing union with God.Barāhīn Convincing and conclusive arguments, evidence, and proof; the singular is burhan.Short name for Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, the five-part magnum opus of the Promised Mes- siah as.Brahmū Samāj A Hindu revival move- ment founded in India in 1861 by Pan- dit Nobin Chandra Roy.Burūz A spiritual manifestation or re- flection.It is a term that signifies a spiritual recurrence of a holy person.Dajjal A term in Arabic that liter- ally means, 'the great deceiver'.In Is- lamic terminology ‘Dajjal' refers to those satanic forces that would be un- leashed in the Latter Days to oppose the Promised Messiah (as) and al-Imam al-Mahdi.A similar prophecy in the Christian faith about the appearance of the Antichrist refers to the same approach phenomenon, and we have therefore used the terms 'Dajjal' and 'Antichrist' and synonyms.'Id (Eid) Literally, 'Happiness that is often renewed.' Idul-Fitr (Eid al- Fitr) marks the end of the month of Ramadan.Idul-Adha (Eid al- Adha) is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Haḍrat Ibrāhīm as (Abraham) to sacrifice his son for God.Fajr Dawn.One of the five times of the daily obligatory Prayers [i.e.Șalāt] in Islam.Fanā see Baqā.Fanā Fillāh A state of being lost in the love of Allah.Fathah In Arabic script, the vowel mark for 'a' sound.Fiqh Jurisprudence; refers to the study of Islamic law and its interpretation.Furqan Literally, the 'Discrimination.Another name for the Holy Quran, meaning the discrimination between right and wrong.Hadith A saying of the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa.The plural is aḥādīth.Hadithun-nafs Inspirations of the ego.Hadrat A term of respect used to show honour and reverence for a person of established righteousness and piety.The literal meaning is: His/Her Holi- ness, Worship, Eminence, etc.Hakam Arbiter, Judge.A title given to the Imam Mahdi by the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa.Ḥaqqul-yaqin True certainty.The highest level of knowledge which is through experience.

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GLOSSARY 979 Hilal Crescent.A term to describe a nascent moon, usually for the first three days.Hijrah Migration.Refers to the exodus from Makkah to Madinah by the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa in the year 623 CE, which marks the beginning of the lunar calendar of Islam.Holy Prophet A title used exclusively for the Founder of Islam, Hadrat Mu- ḥammadsa.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 Muḥammad sa over a period of twenty-three years.Hudur see Hadrat Ijma Consensus.Refers to the agree- ment by all or the vast majority of Muslim scholars on a matter relating to Islamic belief etc.Ilhām Divine revelation from God, used interchangeably with waḥi in Is- lamic terminology.'Ilmul-Yaqin Knowledge by inference.The weakest of three levels of cer- tainty.In'am Reward.Refers to the recom- pense granted to those who perform true worship of God as taught in Islam.Injil Originally refers to the revelations of Hadrat 'Isaas (Prophet Jesus).Istighfar Seeking Allah's forgiveness.Jama'at Community.Although the word Jama'at may refer to any community, in this book Jama'at gen- erally refers to the Worldwide Ah- madiyya Muslim Jama'at.Ka'bah The first house built for the worship of God, located in Makkah.Muslims face Ka'bah while perform- ing their daily Prayers [i.e.Șalāt] and make circuits of it as a part of the pil- grimage and also as an act of devotion.Kafir A person who is not a Muslim; disbeliever.Kalimah The declaration of the Is- lamic faith: Lā ilaha illallah Muḥammadur-Rasulullah, "There is no one worthy of worship except Allah; Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.' Kalima-e-Tauḥīd Islamic proclama- tion of the Oneness of Allah: Lā il- aha illallah, 'There is no one worthy of worship except.Allah.' Kadhdhāb Great liar.A title of Mu- sailimah, who claimed falsely to be a Prophet in Arabia in the 7th century CE.Khalifah Caliph is derived from the Arabic word khalifah, which herein means 'successor' or 'vicegerent.Khu- lafa' is the plural of Khalifah.In many divine revelations someone commis- sioned by God Almighty is referred to as His Khalifah.In Islamic terminol- ogy, the title 'Khalifa-e-Rashid' [right- eous Khalifah] is applied to each of

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980 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION the first four Khulafa' who contin- ued the mission of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa after he passed away.Ahmadi Muslims refer to each suc- cessor of the Promised Messiah as as Khalifatul-Masiḥ.Khatm-e-Nubuwwat Seal of Prophet- hood.Refers to the highest rank among Prophets, accorded to the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa.Khātamun-Nabiyyin The Seal of the Prophets.A title accorded by God to the Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa in the Holy Quran.A variant is Khātamul-Anbiyā.Khātamul-Khulafa' The Seal of the Successors.A title bestowed by God upon Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian.Khatri A caste from northern India that includes Hindus and Sikhs, and many prominent leaders from the lat- ter.Kufr Disbelief.Describes any belief or act that is so contrary to Islamic teach- ings that it can cause its doer to fall outside the pale of Islam.Often used Lailatul-Qadr Literally, 'Night of Des- tiny.Generally understood to mean a blessed night during the last ten days of the Islamic month of Ramadan.It also denotes another time period, when the spread of darkness demands that a light should descend from heaven.Then God Almighty sends down to earth His angels of light and Rüḥul-Qudus [the Holy Spirit] in a manner that befits the dignity of an- gels.Liqā see Baqā.Madinah The ancient Arabian city to which the Holy Prophetsa emigrated from Makkah.Home to al-Masjid an-Nabawi and the tomb of the Holy Prophets, the second holiest site in Islam.Makkah The ancient Arabian city of the Holy Prophet Muhammad's birth, settled by Prophet Ibrāhīms, and home to the Ka'bah, the holiest site in Islam.Marfu A hadith for which the chain of narrators reaches all the Holy Prophetsa way up to the by Muslims in the context of opining Maulawi A Muslim religious cleric.on the beliefs or actions of their co-re- ligionists.Langar Khānah Community Kitchen.The Promised Messiah (as) established a dining and hospitality centre that pro- vided free meals to anyone in need, as well as those people who travelled to Qadian to visit him.Mi'raj The spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa to Heav- ens, described in the Holy Quran and related in detail in hadith literature.Mubahalah Prayer duel.As described in Surah Al-e-Imran, a contest be- tween claimants to divine support wherein each party prays for God to curse the lying party.

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GLOSSARY 981 Muḥaddath A recipient of divine reve- lation.Plural is muḥaddathin.Muhammadsa Founder of Islam.see Holy Prophetsa Muḥkamāt One of the two categories into which the Holy Quran's verses are divided.Refers to verses that are categorical, clear, and explicit, com- prising the majority of the Book.Mujaddid Reformer.Holy personages within Islam who appeared at the head of every century.Mukallam One with whom God holds converse.Mula'anah Two or more persons in- voking the curse of God upon one an- other.Mulham Recipient of ilham, or divine revelation.Mutashābihāt One of the two cate- gories into which the Holy Quran's verses are divided.Refers to verses that are susceptible to different inter- pretations.Mūnī A Hindu sage or saint.Mutawakkil The one who trusts in God.Muwaḥhidin Plural of muwaḥhid, lit- erally meaning a believer in the Unity of God.All Muslims, by virtue of sub- scribing to the Kalima-e-Tauhid, are muwaḥhidin.However, the term mu- waḥhidin has been adopted by some Muslims who consider the Quran and hadith to be sufficient sources of guid- ance and do not follow any Imam.Nafs-e-ammārah The self that incites to evil.The lowest of three spiritual states; also an-nafsul-ammārah.Nawab An honorific title ratified and bestowed by Mughal emperors to semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia.The fe- male equivalent is 'Begum' or 'Nawab Begum.Parmeshwar A term in Hinduism for God.Pir(s) Literally, 'old' (in Persian).Gen- erally refers to a spiritual leader at whose hands students have taken an oath of allegiance.Title is commonly used for leaders of Sufi orders.Qiblah Direction of the Ka'bah in Makkah, toward which Muslims face to offer formal prayers.Quran see Holy Quran.Mu'tazilah A school of Islamic thought Quraish The leading tribe in Makkah that dates back to the 8th century.Muttasil A hadith for which there is no interruption in the chain of reporters.during the time of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad.He himself was from the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe.

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982 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Rabb Lord, Master, Creator; One who sustains and develops; One who brings to perfection by degrees.Ra'is-e-Azam A great chieftain.Rabbul-'Alamin An attribute of God as mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah.Meaning: 'Lord of all the worlds.Radd-e-Balā A prayer or invocation to ward off evil or harm.Rafa Arabic term meaning to phys- ically raise or to spiritually exalt in rank.When the subject is Allah the Almighty, the term invariably refers to spiritual exaltation.Rahim Merciful.An attribute of God as mentioned in Surah al-Fatihah and throughout the Holy Quran.The ver- bal noun of this attribute is Raḥimi- yyat.Rahman Gracious.An attribute of God as mentioned in Surah al-Fāti- hah and throughout the Holy Quran.The verbal noun of this attribute is Raḥmāniyyat.Rak'at A unit of formal Pl.Rak❜āt.prayer (Salāt).Ramadan The ninth month of the lu- nar calendar, in which fasting is pre- scribed for all adult, able-bodied Muslims, except those traveling, ill, pregnant, or nursing.Rishi A Hindu saint or a spiritual scholar.Rubūbiyyat Allah's attribute of sustain- ing or nurturing.Sattar Concealor; one of the attributes of God.Sair fillāh The sojourn in Allah.Sanyās Relinquishment, resignation, abandonment; abandonment of the world, profession of asceticism.Sha'ban The eighth month in the lunar calendar.Shariah Religious law of Islam.The term is also used in the general sense of any revealed law.Shirk Associating partners with Allah.Sufi A Muslim focusing on mystical and ascetic aspects of religious worship.Surah A chapter of the Holy Quran.Tahajjud Early morning supereroga- tory prayers.Takfir The practice of adjudging Mus- lims as non-Muslims, used chiefly by Muslims.Taqwa Righteousness.Fear of God.Tauhid The Oneness of God—the fun- damental Islamic belief that there is none worthy of worship except.Allah.Tehsil A sub-district administrative area in parts of India.Tehsildar A sub-collector of revenue.

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GLOSSARY 983 Ummahātul-Mu'minin Mothers of the Faithful.Title accorded to the wives of the Holy Prophet Muḥammadsa.Ummati Follower of the Holy Prophet Muḥammad sa Ummat-e-Muḥammadiyyah The community or followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.Vedas The most ancient Hindu scrip- tures, written in Sanskrit.Wahi Divine revelation from God.Wali Literally, 'friend.In the terminol- ogy of Islamic mysticism, it refers to a very pious person or a friend of Allah.The singular form is wali [friend] or waliyyullah [friend of Allah], the plu- ral form is auliya'ullāh which is some- times abbreviated as auliya.Zamzam An underground spring in Makkah that appeared at the time of extreme restlesness and prayers of Hadrat Hajirah [Hagar], the mother of Ḥaḍrat Ismā'il [Ishmael], when he was close to dying because of thirst.

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INDEX

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Index of the Verses of the Holy Quran Chapter 1, al-Fātiḥah verse 56...45, 568 verse 2-3.172 verse 60.54,857 verse 5.67 verse 62.608 verse 6-7.68, 119, 158, 187 verse 65.209 verse 751, 56, 61, 374, 623 verse 82.157 Chapter 2, al-Baqarah verse 93.165 verse 2-3 160 verse 98...136 verse 3.162, 165, 167 verse 14539, 42, 43, 44, 147, 763, verse 3-6.160 844 verse 4 164, 165 Chapter 4, an-Nisa' verse 25.306 verse 15...151 verse 31..34 verse 65.152 verse 60.682 verse 123.850 verse 63........171, 176, 177, 209 verse 137.150 verse 83.173 verse 146.204 verse 99.150 verse 148.841 verse 107..411, 717 verse 151-152..211 verse 113..209 verse 151-153.153 verse 141.845 verse 158.....47, 48, 75, 601 verse 156-157..29 verse 159..47 verse 201.81, 729 verse 160...45, 177, 679, 700, 855 verse 211...190 verse 170..235 verse 223.verse 254...729 verse 171.154 187 Chapter 5, al-Ma'idah verse 257.582 verse 19.81,706 verse 287.187, 224 verse 25.118 Chapter 3, Al-e-‘Imrān verse 34..193 verse 5 193 verse 36.154 verse 10.717 verse 65.45, 855 verse 32..79 verse 70...173 verse 32-33 152 verse 118...41, 75, 147, 579, 819, verse 33..56 838, 845, 847

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988 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Chapter 6, al-An'ām Chapter 19, Maryam verse 22..725, 771 verse 2 285 verse 46.415 Chapter 20, Ṭā Hā verse 104.174 verse 2 285 verse 131.526 verse 64 384 Chapter 7, al-A'rāf Chapter 21, al-Anbiya' verse 15..51 verse 34..35 verse 15-16.51 verse 97.622, 624 verse 26.851 verse 102..683, 706 verse 38.202 Chapter 22, al-Hajj verse 41.50 verse 47.247 verse 177...47 verse 48..253, 569 Chapter 9, at-Taubah Chapter 23, al-Mu'minun verse 24.431 verse 51...116, 119, 298, 804, 849 verse 54.155 Chapter 24, an-Nūr verse 63.157 verse 36....20 verse 98.417 verse 55.149 verse 118...341 verse 56..627 Chapter 10, Yunus Chapter 25, al-Furqan verse 91.239, 705 verse 33...434 Chapter 11, Hud Chapter 26, ash-Shu'ara' verse 108.235 verse 4 119, 136 verse 115.164 verse 222-223..Chapter 13, ar-Ra'd.....168 verse 228.....434, 591 verse 12...840 Chapter 27, an-Naml verse 42.200 verse 15...869 verse 44.689 Chapter 29, al-'Ankabūt Chapter 14, Ibrāhīm verse 2-3.178 verse 16.392 verse 3 754 Chapter 15, al-Hijr verse 70......136, 158, 176 verse 22.186 Chapter 33, al-Aḥzāb verse 43..6, 168, 620 verse 37.151 Chapter 17, Bani Isrā'il Chapter 35, Făţir verse 16.198, 327, 606, 625, 627, verse 25...368 628 verse 29.142 verse 24.259,260 Chapter 36, Ya Sin verse 37.......452, 673, 727, 851 verse 31...309, 563 verse 59.250, 627 Chapter 38, Ṣād verse 73.178 verse 51..50 verse 94.59, 256, 851 Chapter 39, az-Zumar Chapter 18, al-Kahf verse 43.413 verse 17.298 verse 54.80, 171, 210, 213 verse 66.189

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INDEX OF THE VERSES OF THE HOLY QURAN Chapter 40, al-Mu'min Chapter 69, al-Haqqah verse 19.verse 29 verse 61.712 verse 45..260, 262, 556.236, 238, 494, 712 verse 45-47 259.28 Chapter 72, al-Jinn Chapter 43, az-Zukhruf verse 27-28 246, 422, 539 verse 82.779 Chapter 75, al-Qiyamah Chapter 45, al-Jathiyah verse 9-10.245 verse 8 608 Chapter 77, al-Mursalāt verse 8-9 609 verse 26-27.59 Chapter 47, Muḥammad Chapter 79, an-Nazi'āt verse 3 156 verse 7-8..249 Chapter 48, al-Fath Chapter 81, at-Takwir verse 3.....115 verse 5 248 verse 11.81 verse 8.249 Chapter 49, Hujurāt verse 11 249 verse 2 149 Chapter 82, al-Infiṭār verse 15.203 verse 4 249 verse 16.155 Chapter 83, at-Taţfif Chapter 51, Adh-Dhariyāt verse 11 608 verse 57.832 Chapter 89, al-Fajr Chapter 54, al-Qamar verse 28-29.47 verse 46.285 verse 30-31 394 Chapter 58, al-Mujādalah Chapter 93, ad-Duḥā verse 22...24, 704 verse 7 116, 298 Chapter 59, al-Hashr verse 12................84 verse 3 147 Chapter 97, al-Qadr Chapter 62, al-Jumu'ah verse 5-6..84 verse 4..499, 630 Chapter 104, al-Humazah Chapter 66, at-Taḥrīm verse 2 727 verse 13......424 Chapter 108, al-Kauthar Chapter 67, al-Mulk verse 9-10.154 Chapter 68, al-Qalam verse 4...421, 445, 545, 547, 548, 551 Chapter 112, al-Ikhlas verse 2.....285 verse 4 729 989

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Index of Aḥadīth Believers A believer is not bitten from the same hole twice.580 No adulterer, when committing adultery, and no thief, while stealing, is a believer.204 There are some people who have tousled hair and are covered with dust...if they were to take an oath in the name of Allah about something, Allah the Almighty would certainly fulfil their oath.835 Disbelievers His spoetry professed belief [in God], but his heart disbe- lieved.16 Forgiveness Hell A time shall come upon when there will be no one left in it-morning breeze shall rattle its doors.235 What else can I do if I do not forgive this handful of dust! 235 Imam dies He who dies without recogniz- ing the Imam of his age the death of ignorance and is deprived of the straight path.179 Mujaddids At the head of every century, God will commission a person for this ummah who will revive the faith for its sake.241 Prayers God, my Lord! If You let this party perish, no one will worship You on earth.718 Promised Messiah and Mahdi Even if the faith had left for the Pleiades, a man of Persia would bring it back.499, 628 He will abolish the practice of war and jihad.581 He will break the Cross.621 He will stop warfare.581 There are two Signs for our Mahdi, and ever since God created the heavens and earth, these two signs have never appeared at the time of any other Appointed One or Messenger....243 There is no Mahdi except 'Isā.55, 264, 579 Your Imam will be from among you.832 Signs of Latter Days The divines from among my ummah will be like the Prophets of the children of Israel.118 The plague is Satan's whip.725

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH 993 Index of Revelations of the Promised Messiah 'Abdullah Khan Dera Isma’il Khan 336 'Alam Kabāb 122, 126 Allah cleared him of what they spoke of him.And he was hon- ourable in the sight of Allah.733 Allah has accepted this supplication and has postponed the earth- quake to another time.122 Allah has decreed: 'Most surely I will prevail, I and My Messengers'.A jewel like you is not wasted.There will not come to you day of loss.896 the Allah has determined to raise you to a praiseworthy station.896 Allah has placed blessing in you, O Ahmad.99, 859, 905 Allah has purified you of every shortcoming and has approved of you and has taught you the verities that you did not know.He is the Benevolent.He walked in front of you and became the Enemy of your enemies.They will say, 'This is but an imposture.' 117,917 Allah has selected you from among everything.112, 913 Allah has taught you the Quran― that is, disclosed its true mean- ings to you-so that you should warn the people whose ancestors have not been warned, and that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest.99, 905 Allah is better than everything.With Me is goodness greater than a mountain.123, 919 Allah is not such as to leave you until He clearly distinguishes between the foul and the pure.104, 908 Allah is the enemy of the liar and will convey him to Hell.The ves- sel of degraded person has been drowned.Surely the vengeance of your Lord is severe.898 Allah is with the truthful.653, 899 Allah is with those who are right- eous and who do good deeds.101, 906 Allah is with those who follow the guidance and those who are truthful.Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good deeds.Allah intends to raise you to a station where you would be praised.123, 919 Allah will be with those who adopt righteousness and with those who are engaged in doing good deeds.114, 915 Allah will help you from Himself.319 Allah will help you in every field.227 Allah will Himself help you.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from Ourself.101, 907 Allah will Himself shield you from all calamities, even though people

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994 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION do not wish to see you saved from the calamities.296 Allah will make you prevail and will spread your praise among people.Had I not created you, I would not have created the heavens.Ask of Me; I shall grant you.121, 918 Allah will prolong your life.Eighty years four or five more, or four or five less.120, 918 Allah will safeguard you against the mischief of your enemies and will attack him who attacks you." This is because they transgressed and treaded upon the ways of disobe- dience.Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? 113, 914 All praise and encomium belongs to Allah the Almighty Who bestowed four sons upon me in my old age, and thus fulfilled His promise.277 All praise belongs to Allah who has favoured you by providing you with good relations through marriage and a good ancestry.126, 922 All praise belongs to Allah, Who has made you Masih Ibn-e-Mar- yam.100, 112, 425, 906, 913 All praise belongs to Allah, who has removed my grief and has bestowed upon me that which He has not bestowed upon any other of my contemporaries.126, 922 All praise belongs to Allah Who honoured you as the son-in-law and the son.302 All these are Signs of your truthful- ness.282 Almighty is He.He sets aright a ruined business and breaks up a running one.None has access to His secret.317 A man of Persian descent has written the refutation of those who have disbelieved and have obstructed [people] from the path of Allah.Allah appreciates his effort.105, 909 you, And as for that which afflicts it is from God alone.A trial will arise here, then be steadfast as Prophets of high resolve were steadfast.107, 910 And God is not such that He would have destroyed them all while you dwelt amongst them.297 And We will make him a Sign and an example of mercy and this matter had been determined since eternity.This is that very matter which you doubted.Peace be upon you! You have been blessed.You are blessed in the world and in the Hereafter.108, 911 And when his Lord manifested Himself on the mountain, He broke it into pieces and Moses fell down unconscious.654 An earthquake resembling the Judg- ment Day is about to happen, which I shall show you.101, 907 Another Doomsday occurred 746 Aryah religion is decreed to be de- feated by God, and they will run away from their religion, turning their backs on it.765 A severe earthquake came and it will also rain today.Your arrival is a source of joy; your arrival is source of blessings.578, 609 A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.111, 228, 239, 332, 571, 605, 652, 912 Ayal came to me and chose me and rotated his fingers and signified that the promise of Allah had arrived.Then blessed is he who finds it and sees it.124 Bashir-ud-Daulah 122, 126 Be not arrogant towards Allah's creatures and be not tired of receiving visitors.694 Beyond fancy and imagination is the glory of Ahmads, whose serv- ant, you can see, is the Messiah of the age! 348 Blessing has been brought down to three organs-eyes and two others, which have not been specified.386 Blessings of Allah extend to you from the Throne to the earth.I have descended for your sake and shall manifest My Signs for you.116, 916 Blessings will descend upon the sick people through you.108, 911 Both hands of Abū Lahab perished and so did he perish himself.It did not behove him to enter into this affair without fear and humility.106, 910 Bright Signs and our victory.898 Call to mind, when the earth shall be shaken violently and it shall bring forth all of its inner burdens and man will ask, 'What is the matter with the earth, that such a calamity has overtaken it?'...114, 915 Call to mind when the one who considered you a liar and declared you a disbeliever devised a plan against you and said, 'O Ḥāmān, prepare a fire for me, so that I might find out about the God of Mūsā because I consider him to be a liar.106, 910 Concerning the order that was issued relating to Bengal-name- ly, the pain suffered by the people of Bengal due to the partition of Bengal God says that they will be consoled in some other way in the future.126, 376, 922 Deal kindly with people and be compassionate towards them.You are to me like Mūsā [Moses].A time will come upon you like the time of Musa.We have sent a Messenger to you similar to the Messenger that We sent to Pharaoh.123, 919 Deal people with kindness and mercy.Your standing among them is like Mūsā [Moses] and be patient against what they say.Will you grieve yourself to death as to why they do not believe? Follow not that of which you have no knowledge.106, 910 Deliver an address in Arabic today, you have been bestowed the capacity.457 Despair not of the mercy of Allah.101, 319, 907 Disagreement among your oppo- nents and the humiliation and disgrace upon one who is to rivalry.456 prone Diseases will be spread and lives will be lost.336, 796 995

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996 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Diseases will spread in the land and many lives will be lost.God is not such as to change His decree about a people until they carry out a change in their views.He will take this town Qadian under His protection after some tribula- tions.116, 916 Do not supplicate to Me in the matter of the wrongdoers; they will be drowned.Build the ark under Our supervision and Our direction.106, 910 Do not threaten us with fire; for fire is my servant and indeed the servant of my servants.731 from Allah's Do not turn away creatures and be not tired of people.572 Do the people imagine that this earthquake will not strike? It will certainly strike, and at a time when they will be completely unprepared and everyone will be distracted in their own worldly pursuits when the earthquake shall seize them.114, 915 Do they say, 'We are a strongly supported host that will inflict devastating losses'? This entire host will soon be routed and they will turn their backs.105, 909 Do you know who the Aşḥāb-us- Suffah are? You will see their eyes shedding tears; they will call down blessings upon you.They will send blessing upon you and supplicate: 'Our Lord we have heard the voice of a Caller...102, 908 Do you not know that God has power over all things? They have made you a target of mockery and mockingly say, 'Is he the one whom Allah has raised?' 107, 911 Do you think that the People of the Cave and the Inscription were a wonder among our Signs? 849 Every blessing is from Muḥammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; so, highly blessed is he...99, 117, 631, 905, 917 Forty-seven years of age.Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.410 From the heavens, a Prohibitor prohibited him from producing its equal.480 Funeral 489 Gifts will come to you by every distant track.820 Give glad tidings to those who have believed that they have the sta- tion of righteousness before your Lord.Recite the revelation that has been sent to you from your Lord to those who will join your Community.102, 908 Give them good news of the days of Allah and keep reminding them well.867 Glory be to this Lord God, Maker of earth and heaven.384 God Almighty will very soon remove such an evil one from the world.765 God Almighty would set right a ruined undertaking but, after a while, He would again break it up.317 God delayed it up to an appointed time.122

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH God exonerated him of the charge brought against him, and he is honoured in God's estimation.297 God had not determined to heal that person but He changed His determination out of His Grace.460 God has descended to bestow mercy upon you.But if you revert to sin, We shall also revert to inflicting chastisement.We have made Hell a place of confinement for disbelievers.And We have sent you as a mercy for the whole world.107, 911 God has dominion over everything.And God does not disgrace the believers.300 God has taught you the Holy Quran so that you may warn those whose forefathers were not warned and so that God's argu- ment be completed and the way of the sinners becomes manifest.435 God is coming by His army.He is with you to kill enemy.384 God is free from every imperfec- tion.He is the Lord of all bless- ings.He will enhance your pres- tige; the name and remembrance of your forefathers will be cut of and God shall lay the foundation of your family's prestige through you.322 God is He who has sent His Mes- senger and Apostle with guidance and the religion of truth in order so that He should make this faith prevail over all diverse faiths.99, 906 God is not such that He would among whom chastise those dwell.116, 917 God praises you and is coming towards you.105, 909 you God's decrees are bound to be ful- filled; no one can change them.99,906 God's feeling and His seal have accomplished such a lofty design.117, 917 God shall not remove this plague from this people and shall not change His will as long as people do not change the condition of their hearts and God will eventu- ally extend His protection to this village [i.e.Qadian].297 God will set all your affairs aright and will bestow upon you all that you desire.The Lord of hosts will turn His attention towards this.The purport of this Sign is that the Holy Quran is the Book of God and is the words of My mouth.110, 912 Good news for you, O My Aḥmad! You are My purpose and are with Me.Your secret is My secret.I will help you.I shall always remain your Protector.105, 909 Had faith ascended to the Pleiades, a man from among the Persians would have brought it down.631 Had faith been suspended in the Pleiades, a man of Persian origin would have found it even from there.103 Had it not been out of My regard for you I would have destroyed this entire village and would not have spared anyone.297 997

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998 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Half to you and half to your collat- erals.312 Has not the news of the destined earthquake come to you? 114, 915 Have no fear at all; you indeed are victorious.381 Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant? Did He not revert their plan to work against them? 125,922 He [Allah] is not accountable for that which He does, but people are accountable.112, 913 Hearken! indeed the mercy of Allah is near.Hearken, the help of Allah is near.101, 319, 907 Hearken! This tribulation is from God Almighty so that He might love you-the love of God, the Mighty and the Exalted.Two goats will be slaughtered and everyone upon the earth will ultimately perish.Do not be sor- rowful, nor grieve.107, 910 He created this Ādam and then honoured him.He is the Messen- ger of Allah in the mantles of all the Prophet.105, 909 He drew nearer to God and then turned towards mankind and between the two he became like one chord between two bows.104, 909 He indeed is God who taught you the Holy Quran and apprised you of its true meanings so that you may warn of the impending chas- tisement, those whose forefathers were not so informed, and so that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest.604 He is a lifeless calf which is devoid of spiritual life; it is nothing but noise.Therefore, He will be cut to pieces like the calf of Samirī.' 365 He is not accountable for that which He does but the people are accountable for what they do.100, 906 He is the bravest of people.Had faith ascended to the Pleiades he would have reached there and brought it down.Allah will illumine his arguments.I was a hidden treasure and I willed to be recognized.102, 907 Help from Allah, and a clear victory.The punishment will not be averted from people who turn away.896 Help will come to you by every distant track-such tracks which will become deep due to the excessive travel of the people that will come to you.820 Help will come to you by every distant track-such tracks which will become deep due to the excessive travel of the people that will come to you.So many people will come to you that the track on which they travel will become deep.101, 907 Help will come to you by every track.319, 596,763 He was not destined to recover.570 He will be murdered, disappointed with his opponents, and his mur- der will be most dreadful.335 He will revive the Faith and will establish the Shariah.104, 909 He would die before the next Friday.379

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH His body has been brought wrapped in a shroud.899 His honour has been saved from being shattered.584 Holy is He who took you on a jour- ney during the night.105, 909 How many homes there are of the enemy that You have destroyed.288 I am the Acceptor of repentance.He who will come to you, will be as if he comes to Me.Peace be upon you; you are the purified.We praise you and call down blessings upon you.115, 916 I am truthful, truthful; and soon will Allah bear witness for me.895 I am with you.384 I am with you and with the mem- bers of your family, and with all those who love you.My name demonstrated its flash for your sake.The spiritual universe has been opened for you.Therefore, your sight is sharp today.120, 918 I can see the destruction of the power of the Christian Church.897 I can, what I will do.We can, what We will do.384 I convey the news of a liar's death.Allah is with the truthful.893 I convey to you the news of a liar's death.899 I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] from Myself in this age so I created this Ādam.He will revive the Faith and will establish Shariah.127, 922 I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] from Myself so I created this Ādam [Adam].104, 909 I decided to appoint a khalifah [vicegerent] so I appointed Ādam as the Khalifah.328 If you are in doubt as to the mercy which we have poured upon Our servant, then do bring any prece- dent of such recovery.109 If you are in doubt concerning what we have sent down to Our serv- ant, then cite a cure like it.302 I have been commissioned as a vice- gerent by the Gracious God, so come to me.I am the pasture of the Gracious God and I perceive the fragrance of the long lost Yusuf [Joseph] even if you were to call me a dotard.125, 921 I have been pleased with your humble ways.My enemy] has been destroyed.Verily, Allah is with the truthful.653 I have chosen you and I have pre- ferred d you.Therefore, say: 'I have been commanded and I am the first of the believers.' 820 I have chosen you for Myself.All kinds of Holiness belong to Al- lah, who possesses all blessing and is the Highest Being.He will raise your status.103, 908 I have illumined you and chosen you.123, 919 I have named you Mutawakkil.Allah will exalt your name and perfect His bounty upon you in this world and the Hereafter.103,908 I have obtained victory; I have triumphed.125, 921 I intend to show the time of earth- quakes.749 999

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IOOO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION I love you.384 Initially it will be a seed which will send forth its sprout, which will then become stronger and then stand firm on its stems.294 In My Presence, My Messengers are not afraid of any opponent.Allah has decreed, 'I and My messen- gers s shall always prevail.And after their defeat, they shall soon be victorious.' 101, 906 I shall accept all your prayers but not in the matter of your collat- erals.311 I shall annihilate him; I shall de- stroy him; I shall send down My wrath if he doubts and does not believe him and does not repent of his claim to be the apostle of God.472 I shall bestow respect and honour upon you after your enemies try to humiliate you.116 I shall bless you greatly, so much so that kings will seek blessings from your garments.120, 918 I shall bless you so much that kings will seek blessings from your garments.561 I shall come [to you] suddenly with My hosts.I shall respond along with the Messenger and will postpone or cancel My decree at certain times and will fulfil it at other times.123, 920 I shall comfort you and shall not wipe out your name and shall raise a great people from you.We shall show great Signs for you and shall demolish the structures that are being built.112, 914 I shall demonstrate My light and shall raise you with a demonstra- tion of My power.111, 332, 571, 652, 912 I shall demonstrate to you the flash of this earthquake five times.If I so willed, I would end the world that day.115, 916 I shall grant you a grand victory which will be very clear so that your God may forgive all your shortcomings, past and future.115, 916 I shall help you.384 I shall honour you in a wonderful manner.596 I shall humiliate him who designs to humiliate you.85, 416, 428, 429, 430, 432, 433, 444, 452, 453, 454, 686 I shall humiliate the person, who designs to humiliate you.In My Presence, My Messengers are not afraid of any opponent.101, 906 I shall inform Maulawi Muḥammad Husain of Batala at the last mo- ment that he was not in the right.Allah is Gentle and Merciful.We have made the iron soft for you.123, 920 I shall instil your love in the hearts of people and I shall bring you up before My eyes.292 I shall keep all those who dwell in this house under My watchful protection.101, 907 I shall make you a leader of men.You will be their guide and they will be your followers.105, 909 I shall manifest a fresh Sign in which there shall be a great victo- ry.It shall be a Sign for the whole world.641

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH I shall not depart from this land until a determined time.I shall bestow upon you the light of My coming and I shall proceed to- wards you and shall bestow you that which shall forever.124, 921 upon stay with you I shall provide whatever you need for the marriage, and I shall grant you whatever you need from time to time.303 I shall punish him who doubts.472 I shall safeguard all those who are in this house from the earthquake.There is an ark and comfort.I am with you and with the members of your family.I shall desire what you desire.126, 922 your I shall safeguard all those who are in house.I shall show you the marvel of divine decree that will Tell the companions please you.that the time for showing won- wonders has arrived.ders upon 115, 916 I shall safeguard all those who dwell in this house.323 I shall safeguard all who dwell in your house from the plague.108 I shall show two Signs.641 I shall show you blessings from every direction.My mercy has descended upon three of your organs: the eyes and two other organs; that is, they will be pro- tected.The glow of youth will be restored to you.You shall witness your distant progeny.117,917 I shall show you my blessings in every aspect.321 I shall show you that which will please you.897 I shall show you the earthquake of the Judgment Day.Allah will show you the earthquake of the Judgment Day.On that day, it will be asked, 'Whose is the king- dom this Day? Is the kingdom not of Allah, who is Supreme over all?' 115, 916 I shall stand with My Messenger and shall break the fast and also observe it.124, 921 I shall stand with this Messenger.I shall rebuke the one who rebukes him.And I shall bestow upon you that which shall last forever.111, 913 Is not Allah sufficient for His servant? 107, 108, 267, 268, 823, 911 Is this a matter of wonder for people? Tell them, 'Allah is the Possessor of Wonders.He is not questioned about that which He does, but people are questioned.And such days We cause to alter- nate among men.105, 909 I swear by the heavens and I swear by the tragic incident which shall befall after sunset.265 It is incumbent upon you not to be wroth towards Allah's creatures and you must not get tired of receiving them in large numbers.You must enlarge your house so that when people come in multitudes, there may be enough accommodation for them.102, 907 Its roots are firm and its branches spread into heaven.373 I was like the seed sown in the earth.573 Kalimatul-'Azīz 122, 126 ΙΟΟΙ

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IO02 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Kalimatullah Khān 126 Lekh Rām is Samiri's calf.It is life- less and is a mere noise which has no spirituality.He will, therefore, suffer the same punishment as was awarded to Samiri's calf.360 Life of pain.384 Look! I shall send for you from the sky and shall produce for you from the earth.311, 596 Look! I shall send for you: from the sky and shall produce for you from the earth; but those who are opposed to you will be seized.897 Lord, do not leave me alone and You are the Best of inheritors.573 Lord, everything is in Your service.Then Lord, guard me from the mischief of the wicked and help me and have mercy on me.483 Lord! Postpone the time of the major earthquake to some extent.Allah will postpone the earth- quake that will be an example of the Judgment Day until an appointed time.121, 919 Many salutations of peace are upon you from Me.123, 919 Many thrones have descended upon the earth but your throne has been placed above all others.112, 913 Mercy flows from your lips, O Aḥmad.You are in Our sight.102, 908 Mercy has been brought down upon three organs, the eye organs.459 two other and Money will most assuredly come after ten days; nothing will come before it.The help of God is near and just as when the she-camel raises her tail to deliver her deliv- ery is imminent.Then will you go to Amritsar.355 Much milk that is, the milk of insights and verities—has descended from heaven; guard it.123, 919 My enemy has been destroyed.653 My Lord God is with me; He shall presently inform me what the disease is and also about its treat- ment.352 My Lord is the Possessor of Mighty Power and He is Strong and Mighty.His wrath will descend the earth.I am truthful; I am truthful and Allah will bear upon witness for me.124, 921 My mercy will adhere to you; Allah will show mercy.We shall demon- strate such abundance of Signs as will make you weary.770 My name demonstrated its flash for your sake.I shall show fifty or sixty more Signs.120, 918 My Signs have been manifested and give good tidings to those who have believed that there certainly is victory for them.898 My Signs will be manifested.Some Signs will be manifested after others so that the Honour of this Mūsā may be established.But he who has sinned against Me, I shall drag him and show him hell.I have preferred you and chosen you.653

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH a) My son Bashir opened his eyes.b) My son, Bashir, began to see.109, 294 No one who sincerely belongs to this Jama'at shall die of this ailment except the one who lives in hypocrisy 526 No Prophet has been sent except that with his coming Allah has humiliated those who do not believe in him.We shall deliver you and will raise you high.I shall grant you such honour as will make people marvel.112, 914 Not the smallest particle of a deed can be accepted without right- eousness.Allah is with those who are righteous and with those who are engaged in doing good deeds.107, 911 Now, come forward and go forth, as your time is near.110, 419, 422, 912 O Adam! Dwell you and your companions in Paradise.O Maryam [Mary]! Dwell you and your follower and companion in Paradise.O Aḥmad! Dwell you and your companions in Paradise.104, 909 O Aḥmad! God has infused you with blessing.435 O critic! Do you not know that God has power over all things? He puts His Spirit into whom- soever He wills from among His servants; that is, grants the station of Prophethood.117, 917 O enemy bent upon destroying me! May Allah ruin you and safeguard me against your mischief.121, 918 O Eternal and Everlasting God! Come to my aid.125, 921 O Leader! You are indeed the Mes- senger of God, pursuing the right path, sent down by the Mighty, the Ever Merciful.127, 922 O Messiah who has been sent for mankind's sake! Take note of our plague.336 O moon, O sun, you appeared through Me and I was manifested through you.102, 907 O my God! Demonstrate the distinction between the true and the false.You recognize every reformer and truthful one.O my Lord! Everything is in Your service.O my Lord, guard me from the mischief of the wicked and help me and have mercy on me.121, 918 O my Lord, cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.127, 923 O my Lord, do not leave me alone as I am now, for who is a better inheritor than You.305 O my Lord, everything is Your servant.So O my Lord, protect me and help me and have mercy on me.272 O my Lord! I am overcome, so take my revenge from the opponents and crush them into bits, because they have drawn far: away from the fashion of life.125, 921 O My Lord! Teach me that which is good in Your estimation.Allah will safeguard you against your enemies and will attack all those who attack you.They have dis- closed all the weapons that they possessed.123, 920 1003

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1004 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION O My servant, since you repeatedly enter into My mansion, then see for yourself whether the shower of mercy descended upon you or not? 125, 921 O negligent ones! The heavens are about to rain fire! 651 Only a short time is left out of the term appointed by your Lord, and We shall not let anything survive that might be a source of humiliation for you.127, 923 On that day the arguments will be carried to its conclusion and there will be a clear victory.Allah will decide between you on that day.Allah does not guide the one who exceeds the limits and is a great liar.114, 915 On that day the sky will produce: visible pall of smoke.And on that day the earth will turn yellow; that is, there will be signs of se- vere famine.I shall bestow respect and honour upon you after your enemies try to humiliate you.116, 917 a O people! You should worship the God Who created you; that is, deem Him alone as the Doer of all your tasks and trust Him.Do you adopt the worldly life? 410 O uncle! You played away your life and left me deeply sorrowful.284 O Woman, repent, repent, for mis- chief is pursuing you.715 O woman, repent! Repent, for the calamity is on your daughter and daughter's daughter.577 Painful sorrow and painful event.539 Peace be on you.459 Peace is the word from the Merciful Lord.436 Peace on you, O Ibrāhīm [Abra- ham].Peace be upon your affair.You became victorious.379 Peace on you, O Victorious One because God has heard your supplication.898 People will come to you by every route so that the track will be- come deep due to excessive travel.Allah will help you from Himself.It is incumbent upon you not to be arrogant towards them and you must not get tired of receiv- ing them in large numbers.319 People will come to you upon every route so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.763 People will come to you upon every route so that the track will become deep due to excessive travel and great awe for you shall be created.596 People will say, 'Whence have you obtained this status? All of this being described as revelation is man's word and has been manu- factured with the help of other people...99, 906 Permission is granted to you to intercede.279 Proclaim to them that I have been appointed by God and I am the foremost to believe in this matter.435 Prosperity will come to you.Peace be upon this Ibrāhīm [Abraham].We have made him a true friend and have delivered him from grief.111,913

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH 1005 Provision has been made for your happy life.123, 919 Purpose will be fulfilled.896 Recall My bounty, you have seen My Khadijah.283 Salman, that is, my humble self, who lays the foundation of two types of reconciliation, is one of us, a member of the family.104 Say, 'Carry on as you like within your homes, and I shall also on and soon you will see whom God helps.107, 911 carry Say, 'If I have invented a slander, the sin thereof is on me.And I was living among you for a long time before this, then do you not understand?' 108, 911 Say, 'If you love Allah, then come may and follow me so that Allah also love you.107, 911 Say, 'If you love Allah, then follow me'; meaning that, be sincere fol- lowers of the Chosen Prophet so that Allah may also love you.631 Say, 'I have been commissioned from God and I am the first of the believers.' 99,859, 905 Say, 'Light has descended to you from Allah, so do not reject it if you are believers.' Do you demand any tribute from them which prevents them from bearing the burden of faith? Nay! We have given them the truth, but they hate to accept the truth.106,910 Say, 'O ye who disbelieve! I am of the truthful ones.So wait a while for My Signs.' We shall soon show them Our Signs around them and in their own selves.113, 915 Say, 'The [real] guidance is only the guidance from Allah.107, 911 Say, "The truth has come and falsehood has vanished away; and falsehood was bound to vanish.' 99,905 Security for you, O man of security.455 Shādī Khān 126 Shake the branch of date-palm tree...423, 424, 425 Shall I inform you on whom the satans descend? Satans descend upon every lying sinner.101, 907 She-camels will become useless and no one will travel on them.248 She will be brought up among orna- ments.276 Signs of life.408 Since you came to My Mansion, time after time, then did God send down the rain of mercy or not? 352 Slacken not, and be not grieved.335 So many people will come to you that the track on which they trav- el will become deep.Such people will help you whom We shall inspire from the heavens.820 Some Sign will soon appear.411, 898 Spring has come around again and God's Word has again been fulfilled.281 Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! The lightning of the Signs of God would strike them blind.This is what (you) desired to be hastened.O Aḥmad! Mercy flows from your lips.Your discourse has been made eloquent by the Benevolent Lord.123, 920

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1006 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away.This is that which you sought to hasten.This is the good news which was given to Prophets.101, 907 Streams shall flow through the courtyard, but those who are op- posed to you will be seized.596 Supplication has been heard.I shall come to you suddenly with My hosts.Your prayer.has been accepted.895 Surely, I shall save all those from the plague who dwell within the four walls of this house.687 Surely, it is your enemy who is without issue.459, 542, 560 Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.410, 570 Take hold of Tauhid [the Oneness of God], take hold of Tauhid, O sons of Persia.103 Tell them, 'As far as I am con- cerned, I do not want any title for myself.' 182 side Tell them, 'Continue on your: to strive for your success; I shall continue to strive on my side.Then soon will you know whose efforts are deemed worthy of acceptance.114, 915 Tell them, 'I am but a man.It has been revealed to me that your God is One God and that all goodness and virtue is contained in the Quran, and in no other book.No one penetrates to its deeper meanings except those whose hearts are pure.107, 911 Tell them, 'If these phrases have been invented by me and are not the Words of God, then I deserve the harshest punishment.And who is guilty of greater wrong than one who invents a lie and utters falsehood against Allah?' 99,905 Tell them, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you accept it or not?' Tell them again, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you believe or not.I have been living among you for a long time before this, then do you not understand?' 100, 906 That religion (i.e.Āryah Religion) is as good as dead.Do not be afraid of it.Millions and tens of millions of you will be alive and shall witness the disappearance of this Āryah faith.766 That which you have done will not turn out to be in accord with God's pleasure.125, 922 The adversaries will intend to put out your light and disgrace you but I shall stand by you and by those who are with you.482 The apocalyptic earthquake, for which that boy will be a sign, has been postponed for a later time.126 The arrows of death cannot be averted.410, 570 The breeze of mercy is blowing, All your supplications will be: accept- ed today.481 The capacities of youth are restored to you.387 The chastisement is destined for the enemies from all four sides and is encircling them.When they see a Sign, they turn away and say: For sure this is magic.899

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH 1007 The Christians and their brethren who hold people back from Islam, this Man of Persia-mean- ing my humble self-has written their refutation and that God is pleased with him for this, his service.629 The daughter of noble ancestors.277 The days shall come when God shall help you.Glory be to the Lord God, Maker of earth and heaven.384 The decrees of Allah cannot be averted.Your Lord has said, 'A decree will descend from heaven that will please you.101, 907 The disbelievers will thereby fall down in prostration.They will fall upon their chins supplicating, 'Our Lord forgive us our sins; we were in error.' Then they will address you saying, 'We testify to Allah that He has given you preference over us...112, 914 The drawn sword of angels is in front of you; but you have not recognized nor seen nor appre- ciated the needs of time.O my God, do create a distinction be- tween the truthful and the liars.You recognize every reformer and the truthful one.506 The drawn sword of angels is in front of you, , but you I have not recognized or seen or known the time.It is not good to oppose the Brahman Avatar.120, 918 The earth has become strait for me despite its expanse.125, 921 The earthquake that has been prophesied is about to strike.The servants of God shall arise and observe Prayer upon witnessing an example of the Judgment Day.121, 918 The earthquake that will be: ароса- lyptic was imminent.122 The earthquake will occur―and with great severity—and the earth will be turned upside down.On that day the sky will produce a visible pall of smoke.And on that day the earth will turn yel- low; that is, there will be signs of severe famine.116, 917 The earthquake will strike with great severity and the earth will be turned upside down.This is the promise that you hastened for.126, 922 The earth will say, 'O Prophet of Allah, I did not recognise you.' O defaulters! No blame shall lie upon you this day; Allah will forgive your sins and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.122, 919 The end of the ignorant one is Hell; an ignorant one seldom comes to a good end.125, 921 The Gracious God has taught you the Holy Quran.435 The heaven has fallen down com- pletely.610 The heavens and the earth were closed like a bundle and then We opened them up—that is, the earth as well as the heavens brought out their full power.127,923 The holy Muḥammad, the Chosen One, Chief of the Prophets.110, 912 The house filled with our love is an abode of peace.116, 383, 917

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1008 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION The leading ones will be driven to their graves.316 The Messenger of God in the man- tles of all the Prophets.654 The mill shall revolve and divine decree shall descend.343 The moon of the Prophets will come and your affair will be completed.Step aside today, O ye guilty ones! 125, 922 The Most Gracious God has taught you the Quran so that you should warn the people whose ancestors have not been warned, and that the way of the guilty ones might become manifest.859 your The name and remembrance of forefathers will be cut off and, after you, the family tree will begin with you.103, 908 Then God will address those who repent, "There is no reprimand for you this day because you have come to believe; God shall for- give you your earlier offences as He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.330 Then you and will I see wonderful help your opponents will fall down upon their chins supplicat- ing, 'Lord! Forgive us and pardon our sins, we were in error.' 122, 919 The opponents will desire to extin- guish the light of Allah with the breath of their mouths and Allah will perfect His light though the disbelievers might resent it.112, 295, 913 The paper transcended all others.354 The promise of Allah has come, and He has put down His foot and repaired the gap.Then blessed is he who has found and seen.113, 914 There are people who accepted the guidance and there are people who have earned torment.They will say, 'He is not a Messenger of God.' Tell them, 'My truth is being testified by God Himself as well as those who have knowledge of the Book of Allah.' 113, 915 There are some people who have tousled hair.835 The recompense of evil is evil.He has been inflicted with plague.769 There is a Mūsā whom I shall make manifest and upon whom I shall bestow honour in the eyes of people.653 There is a Mūsa whom I shall make manifest and upon whom I shall bestow honour in the eyes of peo- ple but as for him who has sinned against Me, I shall drag him and show him Hell.652, 730 There is another Id [festival] dur- ing which you will achieve a great victory.Leave Me so that I might kill him who hurts you.898 There is something in that which you say, to which the poets.no access.123, 920 The result will be the outbreak of a severe [kind of] plague in the country.Many Signs will be manifested.The houses of many powerful enemies will be ruined and they will depart from this world.769 have These [ruined] cities will cause people to weep.Those will be the

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH days of Judgment.Progress will take place with powerful Signs.A terrifying Sign.770 The shock of earthquake that will demolish a part of the struc- ture.Permanent and temporary residences will all be wiped out.It will be followed by another earthquake.121, 919 The spring has arrived again and with it the days of snow.585 The suit has been decreed; are you a Muslim! 333 The time appointed for your death has approached.The Lord of the Throne calls you.We shall not let any trace of things survive you that might be a source of humilia- tion for you.127, 923 The time has come that you should be helped and be made well known in the world.111, 820, 912 The time is now coming that the people of Muḥammad will be lifted from the pit and their will be planted firmly on a strong tower.419 steps The time is now coming that the people of Muḥammad will be lifted from the pit and their: steps will be planted firmly on a strong tower.The holy Muḥammad, the Chosen One, Chief of the Proph- ets.110, 912 They ask, 'Do you place in it as vice- gerent one who creates disorder upon earth?' He answered: 'I know about him that which do not know.101, 906 you, 'Is the prophecy about the coming of the earth- They ask you quake true?' Tell them, 'Yes, by my Lord, this earthquake shall certainly occur and people who turn away from God will not be able to escape it anywhere.' 114, 915 They desire that your affair should remain incomplete, but Allah does not intend to leave you until He completes all your affairs.I am the Gracious One; I shall cre- ate ease for you in every matter.116, 917 They will also ask, 'From where have you obtained this status? This is a stratagem that you have devised together.They look towards you but they are unable to recognize you.107, 911 They will ask, 'Whence have obtained this status'? Tell them, 'Allah is the Possessor of Won- ders.' 124, 920 you They will be restored.315 They will be told, 'Now that you have believed, no blame lies upon you.Allah has forgiven your sins and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.113, 914 They will desire to extinguish the light of Allah.Hearken! It is the army of Allah which shall prevail ultimately.Have no fear, indeed, you will be on top.Have no fear, for, in My Presence, My Mes- sengers are not afraid of anyone.112,913 They will enquire about your stature that is, what your stature and rank is—say, 'It is God Who has bestowed this rank upon 1009

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IOIO HAQIQATUL-WAḤI—THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION me' and then leave them to their frivolities.339 They will fall in prostration with their chins on the ground, saying 'O our Lord! Forgive us, we were in error.' They will address you thus, 'By God! God has chosen you out of us all, and we were in error.' 329 They will find no refuge, and even if they are standing at the door of their house, they will be unable to leave the house, except through good deeds.A mill will rotate and the decree will descend.114, 916 They will say, 'He is not a Messen- ger of God.' Tell them, 'My truth is being testified by God Himself as well as those who have knowl- edge of the Book of Allah.' 113, 897,915 They will say, "This is an impos- ture!' Say, 'If you love Allah, then follow me, so that Allah may also love you.105, 909 They will say, "This is an imposture.Tell them, 'Had this enterprise been from anyone other than Al- lah you would have found much contradiction in it.' Say, 'I have with me proof from Allah, then will you believe or not?' 125, 922 They will I say, "This is not revelation, rather these are self-coined phras- es.Tell them, 'God is the One who has revealed these phrases and then leave them occupied with their sport.' 99, 905 They will say, 'Why has this revela- tion of God not descended upon some great man from one of the two cities?' 107, 911 They will send blessing upon you and supplicate: 'Our Lord we have heard the voice of a Caller, calling people unto faith and a Summoner to Allah and a reful- gent lamp.102, 908 This discourse has been made elo- quent by the Noble Lord.457 This family will change its complex- ion and the lineage of this family shall begin with you and its previ- ous history will be cut off.103 This is the grace of God that has been promised; it certainly shall come; no one can dare to ward it off.343 This mosque is a source of blessings, and is blessed itself.In it will be performed every blessed deed 294 This status has been granted as a mercy from your Lord, He will perfect His bounty unto you; so give glad tidings and by the grace of your Lord you are not dement- ed.100, 906 Those accepted by God carry with them the incidents and signs of such acceptance.They are known as princes of peace.No one can overcome them.505 Those from among the People of the Book and the idolaters who denied the truth would not desist from their disbelief until this great Sign was shown to them.Had God not done this, the world would have been enveloped in darkness.114,916 Those who are accepted of God exhibit Signs and evidence of such acceptance.They are revered

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH by kings and mighty ones and are called princes of peace.120, 918 Those who enter into a covenant with you, enter into a covenant with Allah.The hand above their hands is Allah's hand.106, 910 Those who, having disbelieved, obstruct people from the way Allah the Almighty, have been re- futed by a man of Persian origin.God is grateful for this effort of his.103 of Thus did We favour this Yusuf [Joseph] with Our Signs so that We may save him from the vices and faults which will be ascribed to him.We shall do this to enable you to warn the negligent through the grandeur of those Signs.329 Today some money will arrive from a relative of Haji Arbāb Muḥam- mad Lashkar Khān.317 Today you are a man of established position, and trustworthy, and My mercy is upon you in [matters of] the world and the Faith and you are among the people who have been granted the succour of Allah.105, 909 Twenty and one have arrived; there is no doubt in this.385 Twenty and one rupees are coming.385 Twenty-five days or until twen- ty-five days.649 Two goats will be slaughtered and everyone upon the earth will finally perish.335 Two Signs will appear.123, 920 Two Signs will be shown.897 Various kinds of diseases will be spread and many lives will be lost in different calamities.124, 921 Verily, Allah is with the truthful.653 Verily, Allah is with those who are righteous and who do good.In this there are Signs for question- ers.461 Very few days of life are left.On that day the whole Jama'at will be disheartened and saddened.Your event will occur after sev- eral events have occurred.Many wonders of divine power will be manifested first and then the event of your death will happen.127, 923 Was wrapped up in a shroud.410, 570 We are Unique in this matter.Then make the station of this Ibrāhīm your place of worship; that is, follow his example.111 We destroyed fourteen beasts; this was because they exceeded the limits in disobedience.125, 921 We do not approve of any other meaning.482 We fought with the sword and, as a consequence, enemy was destroyed and its resources were also destroyed.275 We give you good news of a son, who will be accompanied by the manifestation of the True, as if Allah had descended from heav- en.We give you good news of a boy who will be your grandson.117,917 We give you the glad tidings of yet another 'son' who will be a nafilah IOII

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IO12 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION [grandson]; that is, the son of a son.This nafilah is from Us.278 We have bestowed upon you in abundance.123, 919 you.We have forgiven Allah helped you at the time of Badr—that is, in this fourteenth century-when you were weak.125, 922 We have sent him close to Qadian, and have sent him at the time of true need, and he has descended at the time of need.The prophecy of Allah and His Messenger has been fulfilled, and whatever God had willed was bound to happen.111, 913 Were it not for the sake of honour- ing you, I would have destroyed the whole of this town.I shall safeguard all those who are within the four walls of this house- none of them shall die of the plague or earthquake.116, 916 We shall bear that burden of yours which has well-nigh broken your back.We shall cut the roots off of the people who do not believe in the veritable truth.114, 915 We shall crush the designs of your enemies into bits and shall show Pharaoh and Hāmān and their hosts the hand which they fear.Then grieve not over that which they say, because your Lord is ever on the watch.112, 913 We shall exalt you.I shall honour you in a manner that will make people marvel.895 We shall give you a large follow- ing—firstly an early group who will believe before calamities descend, and secondly the other group who will believe after wit- nessing wrathful signs.331 We shall inherit the earth and will eat into it from its boundaries.Many will be transferred to their graves..Manifest victory will be from Allah that day.124, 921 We shall send down to you many hidden matters from heaven.112, 913 We shall show Signs for you and shall demolish the structures which they build.100, 906 We told the fire of fever to be cold and peaceful.338 We will bestow upon you a manifest victory.The victory of the friend of Allah is the grand victory and We have bestowed upon him such intimate nearness that he becomes Our confidant.102, 907 What a lofty design has been ac- complished by God's feeling and His Seal.117 Whatever you did let loose, it was not you but it was Allah who let it loose.99, 905 When Allah the Almighty helps a believer He makes many in the earth jealous of him.No one can turn away His grace; therefore, Hell is their promised place.Say, 'Allah has sent this Word', and then leave them beguiled by their useless sport.105, 909 When it is said to them, 'Believe as other people have believed, they say, 'Shall we believe as the foolish have believed?' Take note! They indeed are the foolish ones, but they are not aware of their foolishness.105, 910

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INDEX OF REVELATIONS OF THE PROMISED MESSIAH When it is said to them, 'Create not disorder in the land, they retort, 'We are actually the ones who promote peace.' 106, 910 When the age of the imperial Mes- siah began, Muslims who were only Muslim in name, were newly reconverted to Islam.127, 922 When the help and the victory of Allah Almighty will come and the word of your Lord is fulfilled, the disbelievers will be told, 'This is what you hastened for.' 104, 908 When the help of Allah comes and the hosts turn to us, [and the Words of your Lord are fulfilled] it will be asked: 'Was this not true?' 102, 907 When the spring comes round again, there will be another earthquake.When the spring will come round for the third time the days of the satisfaction of the mind will arrive, and by that time Allah the Almighty will have demonstrated many Signs.121, 919 When You determine a matter, it happens immediately with Your command.125, 921 When you fall sick, He heals you.302 Who can dare intercede for anyone without the permission of God? 109, 279 Whomsoever you are angry with, I am angry with; and whomsoever you love, I love them too.He who is at enmity with a friend of Mine is challenged by Me to battle.111, 913 Woman, be penitent, be penitent, for the calamity is about to befall your daughter and the daughter's daughter.233, 493 Word 126 Yes, I am happy.384 You are, certainly, under Our watchful care.817 You are granted permission to intercede.109 You are the revered Messiah whose time shall not be wasted.A jewel like you cannot be wasted.You have a high standing in heaven and among those who have been granted insight.The Gracious God will demonstrate a Sign of Providence for you.112, 914 You are to Me as My Tauḥid [One- ness] and Tafrid [Uniqueness].111, 820,912 You are to Me as My Tauhid [One- you ness] and Tafrid [Uniqueness].Thus, the time has come when shall be granted help of all kinds and you shall be renowned in the world with honour.206 You are to Me like Mūsa.653 You are to Me like My Throne.You are to Me like My son.You are to Me in such an ultimate nearness of which the people cannot have any knowledge.We are your Friend and Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter.111, 912 You are to Me as My Tauhid you [Oneness] and Tafrīd [Unique- ness].The time has come that should be helped and be made well known in the world.820 You have appeared with a clear Sign from your Lord.We shall suffice 1013

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IOI4 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION against those who mock you.101, 907 You have a standing and status in heaven and among those who are able to see.100, 906 you.You have been blessed, O Aḥmad, and you alone deserved the bless- ing that Allah has bestowed upon Your rank is wonderful and your reward is near.The heaven and the earth is with you as it is with Me.You have a high station in My Presence.103, 908 Your discourse has been made eloquent by the Lord, the Benev- olent.286 Your enemy will certainly be with- out issue.834 Your Lord He will send down says: from heaven that which will please you, a mercy from Ourself and that is a matter that has been determined.896 Your pain-filled supplications have reached heaven, then be not surprised if I should give you hopeful news.After eleven, if God so wills.728 Your pain-filled supplications have reached heaven, then be not surprised if I should give you hopeful news that would not be inconsistent with My way and My bounty.After eleven.738 Yours is the hand and supplication; the mercy is from Allah.121, 919 Yours is the victory and you will triumph.895 Your time has come and We shall cause bright Signs to survive you.Your time has arrived and We shall cause clear Signs to survive you.127,923 You shall be bestowed another Sign that shall cause happiness and by which you shall be granted a great victory.640 You shall indeed be victorious.640 You shall see a painful thigh.299 You shall witness a distant progeny.117, 265 You will be helped and opponents will say, 'Now, there is no way of escape left.105, 909 You will see the help of Allah.Allah is with those who are righteous and do their duty to the utmost.895 You will soon recall my admoni- tion; I commit my cause to Allah.351 You will witness a distant progeny.824

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INDEX OF TOPICS 1015 Index of Topics 'Abdul-Hakim Khān apostasy of, 147 arrogance and ignorance of, 129 belief of, about salvation 130 booklet of, Dhikrul-Hakim, confirmed truthfulness of Promised Messiah 229 distortion of verses by, 213 distorted concept of Tauhid held by, 151 dream of, about Maulawi Muḥammad Hasan 229 dream of Promised Messiah about attempted entry of, 411 earlier belief of, 148 erroneous statement of, about belief in Promised Messiah 221 excesses of, 504 false accusations made by, against Promised Messiah 226, 229, 504 misguided view of, about Islam 221 misunderstanding of verse of Holy Quran by, 170 objections raised by, 129 prophecy of end of, 148 reason for recanting Aḥmadiyyat 130 revoked pledge of allegiance 87 slander and abuse by, 147 some misguided notions of, 159 'Abdul-Haq Ghaznavi, Maulawi blessings of Allah on Promised Messiah after mubahala by, 310 life of humiliation and frustration after mubahalah with Promised Messiah 551 mubahalah with, 306-307 prophecy about, 444 'Abdul-Hayy birth of, to Maulawi Noor-ud- Deen, as prophesied 280 boils on body of, as a Sign 280 'Abdul-Karim miraculous recovery hydrophobia 597 'Abdullah Atham calumnies made in of, from Andrūna-e-Bible 711 death of, according to prophecy 220 difference between Lekh Rām and, 361 inclination of, towards truth and fulfilment of prophecy about 492 preconditions set for punishment of, 714 prophecy about, fulfilled in letter and spirit 232, 263, 269 public retraction of, and being granted respite 269, 270 recantation of, 309, 710 refusal to take oath 710 response to criticism that, did not die in stipulated period 270, 308, 691, 707 turning to truth of, 232 two prophecies about, 269 'Abdul-Qadir of Talibpur Pandori unilateral mubahalah of, and its consequences 599-600

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1016 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION 'Abdur-Rahman, Sheikh martyrdom of, 335 Abjad-system of numerical values 253, 294 Abode of Peace revelation that our house of love is, 383 Abtar meaning of, and application to Sa'dullah 542, 544 Abū Bakr, Haḍrat on demise of Holy Prophet 42 Abul-Khair incident of conversion to Islam of, 178 Acceptance of Prayer prime miracle of men of God 27, 403 Acts of God prove truthfulness of Words of God 676 Age condition and tribulations of present, 819 of rejuvenation of Islam 822 Aḥadīth concerning Mahdi contradictions in, 264 Ahl-e-Hadith behaviour of, on Promised Messi- ah's visit to Amritsar 574 Aḥmad Baig death of, according to prophecy 220, 280 fear of relatives on death of, 715 prophecy about, and his son-in- law 233, 237, 492,493, 576, 715 Abwälul-Akhirat 247 Aina-e-Kamālāt-e-Islām 357, 365 Ainul-yaqin (certainty by sight) can be acquired by true obedience to Holy Prophet 139 defined 63 Allah.see also God Almighty comprehends all perfect attributes 173 denial of any attribute of, leads to atheism 211 eternal practice of, 825 extensive meanings of term 212 Knower of unseen 337 prerequisites of belief in, 153, 161, 172 promise of support and grace to Promised Messiah 113, 915 use of word, in Holy Quran 212 Alms of disbelievers not accepted 155 Amatul-Hafiz prophecy of daughter of Prom- ised Messiah who was named, 277 Amman Jan, Hadrat miraculous recovery of, 352 Ancestors of Promised Messiah as bitterness experienced during Sikh rule by, 903 introduction to, 901 lineage traced from Ḥaḍrat Isma'il, Ishaq, and Fatimah 902 Andrūna-i-Bible calumnies against Holy Prophet in, 269 Angels existence of, 400 protection promised and provid- ed by, 383 Anjām-e-Atham invitation to opposing maulawis by name in, 380 prophecy and mubahalah against Sa'dullah in, 552, 559,563 prophecy regarding ‘Abdul-Ḥaq Ghaznavi in, 444

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INDEX OF TOPICS Anjuman-e-Himāyat-e-Islām failure of, in getting author of Ummahatul-Mu'minin punished 351 Apostasy edict of, against Promised Messi- ah 142 is no argument against truthful Movement 148 Apostates names of some, 196 Arabic language eloquence in, granted to Prom- ised Messiah, 797 Arbiter commissioned by Allah 800 descent of, appointed by Allah 837 divine law for commissioning of, 56 Āryas denial of God by, 77 exist- have no arguments to prove ence of Parmeshwar 217 of Qadian are first witness- es of grand prophecies in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya 745 Promised Messiah is the Krishna awaited by, 655 prophecies about, 765-768 Ascension of Jesus belief in physical, the mischief 848 totally false tale 857 greatest Ashab-us-Suffah (people of the Courtyard) definition and status of, 102, 790,908 devotion and love for God of, 790 fulfilment of prophecy of, 286 Maulawi Hakim Noor-ud-Deen is foremost of, 286 status of, 790 Atheists spurious reasoning of, 140 Ātma Rām hasty and unjust sentence by, and fate suffered by, 144 prophecy about, 274 reprimanded by senior officers 145 Atonement damage done by concocted doc- trine of, 36 doors to evil opened by, 787 lone pillar to support Christian- ity 787 Az-Zahir divine attribute of, 66 Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh admonitions to his friends 704 apostasy and the book 'Aşa-e- Mūsā of, 318 background and earlier devotion of, 671 claimed revelations of, 672 clear implausibility of claims of, 677 contradiction in 'revelations' of, 698 death by plague proves all his revelations false, 701 death of, testifies to truthfulness of prophecies about, 730 false prophecies of, 677 intent of, in writing 'Aşa-e-Mūsā 726 not sure himself of authenticity of revelations 700 Promised Messiah's prophecies about, 727 1017

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1018 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Promised Messiah's revelation after death of, 704 retracted at moment of death 679 revelation' of, of being next to God and His beloved 708 status of dallin in terms of catego- ries in al-Fatihah 705 Baḥrul-Jawāhir incidence of Abul Khair's conver- sion to Islam in, 178 Bai'at of the Promised Messiah as pure transformation after, in thousands of devotees 305 Balaam, Son of Beor confrontation with Haḍrat Mūsā 189 mentioned in Holy Quran 47 stumbled after being a recipient of revelation 19 Balam Kundji testimony of a Hindu scholar named, 658 Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Promised Messiah named ‘Īsā in, 183, 629 Promised Messiah named Mary in, 424, 425 Promised Messiah named Moses in, 653 promise of divine support in, 296, 419, 423, 652 prophecies contained in, and their fulfilment 571 prophecies of triumph and fame in, when Promised Messiah was alone 305 Barakātud-Du'à 357 Bashir Aḥmad glad tiding of birth of a son named, 276 miraculous recovery of, from eye disease 107, 293 Battles of Islam reasons for, 192 Bāvā Nānak discarded idol worship and adopted Tauhid 177 saying of, on consequences of evil deeds 225 Belief dangers of imperfect belief in God 21 in God and Holy Prophet is a requirement of faith 155 in God's Prophets is a must 210 role of human effort and reason in, 162 true significance of, in Allah 171 Believers characteristics of, 795 in God must believe in His attributes 210 rewards for, 796 Bishambar Dās fulfilment of revelation about, 380 reduction in imprisonment of, as prophesied 282, 337 Black Stone interpretation of, if seen in a dream 842 Promised Messiah as designated by God as, 842 Brahmū Samāj believe in God but not in Prophets 211 Breaking of Cross real meanings of, 392 tremendous sacrifices needed for, 392 British Government fairness of, and prayers for, 866 peace and comfort granted to Promised Messiah as under, 849

Page 1039

INDEX OF TOPICS 1019 Burhanul-Haq, Munshi queries of, answered 181-191 Bürhey Khan, Dr.Muḥammad prophesied death of, 271 Calamities appearance of terrible, prophesied 327 at time of Jonah 715 can be averted 234, 575 earthquakes as, 198 have encamped in this land 833 in Latter Days 625 preordained nature of, 868 reason for, descending one after another 839 Captain Douglas case of murder in court of, 227 Certainty of Faith as highest stage of belief 31 blessings of perfect, 64 can only be achieved through a Prophet 140 Charagh Din apostasy of, 146, 280 arrogance and audacity of, 536 claims of, 280, 536 contracted plague, 536 death of, and his two sons by plague 146, 479 details of mubahalah with, 472 mubahalah of, in I'jaz-e-Muḥam- madi written by him 537 plight of, 63 prayer duel with Promised Mes- Isiah 86 prophecies about 472 satanic revelations of, 472 statement of mubahalah by, 146 testimony in favour of Promised Messiah 515 text of mubahalah prayer of, 474 Chastisement given only after a Messenger is sent 833 Chile devastating earthquake in, 326 Christianity cause of, helped by Jesus' pre- sumed life 852 contradictions in theology of, 75 contrary to reason and piety 788 doctrines contrary to grandeur of God 74 enormity of mischief of, 52 epidemic of, 841 lacks signs of a living faith 816 turns a human being into 'God' 216 Christian Priests and Mission- aries have carried distortion and cor- ruption to extreme 623 have declared a weak human being as God, 866 slanders of, 675, 866 tactics of, 787 unable to face challenges of Promised Messiah 421 Christians belief in Jesus being alive came to Muslims from, 838 evil plans of, 863 God's jealousy aroused in Heaven against, 185 tactics of, for misguiding Muslims 840 their 'God' is their own invention 1 Christian Scholars arrogance and haughtiness of, 857 deception of, 815 Coercion not used in Islam 192

Page 1040

IO20 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Cognition of God cannot be acquired by reason alone 11 established by Prophets 133 spiritual faculties are needed for, 12 Comet sign of advent of Promised Mes- siah 248 Companions of Holy Prophetsa consensus on death of Jesus 42, 838 grief of, on demise of Holy Prophet 42 Companions of Promised Messiah (as) glad tidings given to the Prom- ised Messiah about, 789 noble qualities of, 810 steadfastness of, 803 Conference of Religions Promised Messiah's paper tran- scended all others in, 355 Converse with God description of nature of, 168 Covenant taken from all Messengers 157 Creation purpose of, 11 Creator difference between 'ought to be' and 'is' a 12, 133 Crucifixion doctrine of, being discarded by enlightened Europeans 393 doctrine of, destined to be de- molished by Promised Messiah 393, 655 doctrine of, has increased sinful- ness 76 tearful supplication of Jesus to be saved from, 75 was not accepted by Jesus will- ingly 74 Curse(s) meaning of, 52, 690 recoiled upon opponents 804 Dafi'ul-Bala'i wa Mi'yāru Ahlil-Istifa prophecy about Charāgh Din in, 63, 472 Daily Bread prayer of Jesus for disciples 353 Dajjal Christian missionaries are great- est, 567 described as Satan in Holy Quran 51 differing concepts about, 55 meaning of hadith about, per- forming circuits of Ka'bah 390 none else than Christians 56, 621 prophecy about being killed by Promised Messiah 393 referred to in Surah al-Fatihah 61 represents a group with bitter enmity to Islam 390 Dalip Singh prophecy about, 304 Dayanand, Pandit vision about short remaining life of, 282 Day of Resurrection destruction of habitations before, 250 Death of Jesus Christian, Jewish and Quranic viewpoints 49 on Cross, not accepted by Jesus 75 Deniers of Promised Messiah as appeal to, 813 two colours of, 818

Page 1041

INDEX OF TOPICS Dervishes defined, 353 dream about loaf of bread for, 353 Descent of Promised Mahdi contradictions in aḥadīth 264 Deuteronomy on belief in Prophet of Latter Days 158 Devotion to God Almighty source of all real honour 955 Dharam Pāl apostasy and enmity of Islam of, 130 Disbelievers designs of, against the Faith 832 two kinds of staunch, 202 Divine Insights contained in the discourses of Promised Messiah as 798 Divine Light manifests itself on forehead of lovers of God 26 Divine Prophecy about afflictions, can be warded off with charity and prayers 578-579 conditional, 219, 495 grandness of, 196 objections against, raised by 'Abdul-Hakim, 231 objections against, raised by 'Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh 286 Divine Revelation characteristics of, 24 fate of those who claim falsely about, 261 light of, loves pure and clean hearts 33 Division of Bengal revelation of Promised Messiah about consolation destined for Bengalis, at 376 role of Lt.Governor Fuller in, 376 unhappiness of Bengalis at, 376 Doomsday spectacle of, prophesied 328 Douie, Mr.case in court of, 227 Dowie, John Alexander 873 background of, 873 called Khinzir by the Holy Prophet sa 885 challenge of mubahalah to, 879 claim of prophethood 274, 875 earlier popularity of, 875 enmity and hatred of, for Islam 874, 881 evil tongue of, 886 great victory against, 633 moral character of, 8 plight of, after mubahalah 889 prayers for Muslims' destruction 885 prophecy of death of, 893 repeated revelations of Promised Messiah as about death of, 895 rich style of earlier life of, 888 testimony of Mr.Webb about, 873 utmost misery before death 892 utter humiliation of, 274 wide publicity of mubahalah challenge to, 880 Dreams, Visions, and Revelations see also Revelation about angel named Tichi 417 about enemy who will die from plague 769 about establishment of Langar Khānah 353 about Lekh Ram's murder 360 about letter of Shiv Narayan 479 about Mir Abbās 'Alī 375 IO21

Page 1042

IO22 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION can lead ordinary people to knowledge by inference 14 compared with rays of sun 33 different motivations of those who describe false, 6 distinguishing features of dreams of elect of God 83 do not by themselves prove any merit of someone 16 establish an argument for believ- ing in Prophets 13 experienced by all kinds of people 17 may signify ability for advance- ment for ordinary person 14 no pre-requisite of true faith or piety for, 8 of 'Abdul-Hakīm 230 of those at highest stage of exalta- tion 70 of those having perfect relation- ship with God 31 of those who have no relationship with God 30 planted as seed by All-Wise Crea- tor in human beings 13 recipients of false, 794 regarding Karam Din's trial 482 some are allegorical in nature, 169 true, experienced even by sinners and disbelievers 7 Durr-e-Manthūr story of Hadrat Yūnus in, 233 Durūd Sharif recitation of, by Promised Messi- ah during an illness 302 Earthquakes as sign of Promised Messiah's truth 199, 207 destruction around world caused by, 795 devastating nature of, at time of Promised Messiah 197 promise of protection from, 796 prophecies of Promised Messiah about, 199, 281, 795 prophecy in Holy Quran about, 249 Edicts against Promised Messiah 142, 316 Egypt Jama'at in, during Promised Messiah's time 829 Elect of God blessings of, for whole world 827 existence of, essential until Day of Judgment 827 English revelations in, 384 Enlightenment can be achieved only with the belief that God does truly exist 12 progress of righteous to, 163 Errors of Judgement inadvertent, forgiven by God 839 Existence of God firm belief in, lacking in religions other than Islam 2 valid arguments for, 397 Faith at risk if not obtained from Mes- of God 195 senger real, acquired after recognizing Messenger 196 real life depends upon, 839 False Claimants do not receive divine help 824 do not succeed 260 severe punishment and decreed destruction of, 259 Faqir Mirzā mubahalah by, 465

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INDEX OF TOPICS Fatḥ-e-Islām Maulawi Isma'il's mubahalah in response to, 413-414 Fath-e-Raḥmānī Maulawi Ghulam Dastgir's mubahalah in, 414 Fear of God See also Righteousness arising out of reflection Allah's greatness 67 upon characteristics of those who have, 71 for those with, Surah al-Fatihah suffices as a guidance 61 God is on the side of those who have, 462 invitation to embrace Islam for, 778 liars have no, 718 needed to avoid fate of misguided 61 needed to reflect upon prophe- cies 496,718 need for Muslims to have, 697 ulema of today have no, 6, 257 Friends of Allah attain status of, only after empty- ing their hearts of everything else 69 enemy of, is God's enemy 69 graces of God upon, 71 pure revelation bestowed only upon, 68 steadfastness during tribulations of, 71 visible characteristics of, 70 Furqan.see Holy Quran Ghulam Dastgir case of, should be eye-opener: for all maulawis 430 end of, after prayer-duel 86 magnificence of Sign of death of, 417 prayed against Promised Messiah and died within few days 414-415 Ghulam Qadir, Mirzā failure of, as prophesied in lawsuit with collaterals 312 prophecy about death of, 284 God Almighty 'Allah' encompasses all other attributes 173 attributes of, 20, 66, 212, 775, 927 attributes of, reflected and plant- ed within human nature 398 beloveds of, called 'sons of', in Jewish scriptures 81 can create another like Hadrat ‘Īsā (Jesus) or better 188 can create out of nothing 326 condolence with Promised Messi- ahas on death of his father 266 denial of one attribute of, leads to denial of all 860 desires goodness for humanity 836 does not need help of reason to establish His Being 777 does not reject any righteous of heart 868 fulfilment of Words of, 796 genuine belief in, leads one to Islam 176 grace and majesty of, established by Prophets 141 graces upon Promised Messiah as 817 grants life to those who die for Him 23 has created means for satisfying hunger and thirst of His crea- tures 861 has fulfilled His promise by rais- ing Promised Messiah as 832 1023

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1024 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION has linked belief in His existence to belief in His Messengers 153 heavens and earth belong to, 154 helps those who perform good deeds 344 humility required to reach, 362 is all encompassing Mercy 179 is hidden and reveals His counte- nance through Messengers 154 Islam is only faith that leads to, 78 knowledge of Beauty and Gran- deur of, consumes sin 76 magnificent fulfilment of promis- es by, 793 manifestation of, is proportionate to spiritual capacities 35 manifestation of love of, 82 metaphorical use of fasting by, in revelation 124 metaphorical use of the word 'son' in revelation 111, 912 no one can inflict harm except, 835 no way of reaching to, in Christi- anity and Hinduism 362 path to, is strewn with trials and tribulations 258 Promised Messiah's love for, 74 prophecy about Sa'dullah based upon Omnipotence and Om- niscience of, 555 proves His own existence by His powers 777 revelation of Countenance of, in response to Prophets' entreaties 136 showers bounties upon those who put in best effort 158 source of all knowledge and grace 925 time of wrath of, against dajjal treatment of, for His true lovers 860 treatment of, for those who devote to Him 827 true significance of pleasure of, 166 true worship of, 66, 68 two kinds of prophecies applica- ble to Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh 735 unique treatment of men of God by, 65 Gog and Magog mischief of, same as of Christiani- ty, 622, 624 Gospel lay emphasis on forgiveness only 186 meant for reforming Jews only 36 on Jesus not willing for crucifix- ion 53, 75 prophecy about Latter Days 252 tempering with, 197 Guidance for the Righteous wide connotation of, 165 Gulab Shāh Jamālpurī prophecy of, 255 Hadith about Antichrist 51 about faith ascending to pleiades 631 about hell not being permanent 235 about lunar and solar eclipse 245 about those who fail to recognize imam of the age 179 about warrior Mahdi are not authentic 581 "I was sick, I was hungry..." 124 Jesus lived 120 years 51 meaning of mutawaffika 847 on 'two signs for our Mahdi' 243 has arrived 392

Page 1045

INDEX OF TOPICS Promised Messiah will abolish jihad with sword 581 regarding dajjal issuing forth from church 568 that she-camels will not be used as transport 248 Hadith-un-Nafs defined 17 Hafiz Hidayat 'Ali statement of, on Bisambar Dās's jail sentence 382 Hafiz Muhammad Din one-sided mubahalah and demise of, 608 Ḥakam descent of Promised Messiah destined as, 57 philosophy behind Promised Messiah's title of, 755 Hakim Muḥammad Shafi' fate of, 291 Hamamatul-Bushra outbreak of plague mentioned in, 287 Hanbal, Imām Aḥmad bin on ijma' 54 Ḥannānah event of, 25 Haqiqatul-Wahi appeals of author for scholars to read, 772 invitation to Maulawi Thana'ullāh to study before proposed mubahalah 575 purpose of writing, 772, 785 Signs of acceptance of prayers narrated in, 797 Haqqul-Yaqin blessings of, 64 defined 62 Hasan Baig death of, with plague a testimony to Promised Messiah's truth 229 Hassan bin Thabit elegy on demise of Holy Prophet 44, 46 Heavenly Graveyard established with revelation from Allah 858 Hell abode of spiritual torment 172 abode of those who disobey Allah and His messengers 151 exalted ones saved from, 683 not everlasting, 235 Hijajul-Kirāmah asserts that a Mujaddid must live for a quarter of the concerned 574 century places 14th century as limit for appearance of Promised Messi- ah 253 Hinduism belief that God's interest was con- fined to Land of Aryas 368 do not believe in God as Creator of everything 77 falls far short of truth 77 Hindus bewildered when they witness truth of a prophecy 337 mentioned in Barāhān-e-Aḥ madiyya as witnesses of the prophecies, 357 Holy Prophetsa as arbiter between Jews and Christians 56 belief in truthfulness of, essential component of Islamic faith 132 blessing of invoking salutations upon, 154 1025

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1026 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION blessings of, upon mankind 137 case of those who deny, 222 chief of the truthful 348 comprises excellences of all Prophets 187 death of, supports death of Jesus 838 defensive nature of wars of, 582 devotion to, 932 did not spread Islam by sword 192 disobedience to, makes one bereft of salvation 149 ever-living status of, 138 exalted by God above all other Prophets 138 fearful response of, to the first revelation 724 forgiveness of sins and love of God depends upon following, 152 great blessings and lofty station of, 112, 117, 137,809 has declared Promised Messiah to be spiritually close to his grave 858 lofty in status and source of salva- tion 780 love of, makes one beloved of God 82 miracles of, 582, 780 no one can reach God except through following, 78 not a single verse in Holy Quran relieves one of obedience to, 213 passionate prayers during Badr despite promised victory 718 perfect and sublime teachings of, 187 perfect guide towards Allah 78 power of spiritual attention of, 119 Promised Messiah acquired all graces by obedience to, 78 Promised Messiah a servant and subordinate of, 348 prophecy of, about Latter Days 802 prophesied about Promised Messiah 202 purpose of Promised Messiah is to bear witness to grand status of, 780 reformed entire corrupted world 780 saw Hadrat 'Isa among past Prophets during ascension 202, 850 spiritual blessings of, 788 the Full Moon of Allah 822 universal scope of, 36 was bestowed all desires in his lifetime 138 Holy Quran acting upon teachings of, essential for salvation 132 belief in continued life of Jesus contrary to, 837 book of perfect guidance 161 death of Hadrat 'Isa in, 59, 74, 818 desecration of, by apostates 853 does not permit bodily ascent to heaven 46 firm belief of Promised Messiah in, 970 four causes of, 161 multiple warnings in, about the bane of Christianity 853 no contradictions in, 212 no mention of physical ascent or descent of Jesus 857 on need to submit to Holy Prophet 149 on treatment of blasphemers 800

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INDEX OF TOPICS Promised Messiah's writings only a reflection of eloquence of, 798 prophesied eclipses of sun and moon as Signs 794 revealed by True God 782 reveals countenance of True Beloved 2 sanctity of meanings of, 848 served as arbitrator between Christians and Jews 48 teaching of, to obey Holy Proph- et 149 ties perfect Tauhid to following the Messenger 175 Holy Scriptures prophecies about Latter Days 802 Hydrophobia miraculous case of recovery from, 599 Hypocrites cannot be called believers in their state of hypocrisy 204 Ibn Sayyad Imām of the Age admonitions to persistent deniers of, 830 now is time for, 842 Imām-ud-Din evil intention of, 341 nuisance of construction of a wall by, 340 Impostors always defeated in mubahalah 825 cannot be recipient of God's favours 794 fate of past, 825 not helped by God 825 some characteristics of, 799 In'ām defined 68 Injil (Gospel) excessive emphasis on clemency 186 in service of Torah 186 Interpretation of Dreams enemy entry into house portends misfortune 412 was a Muslim and performed Hajj 55 Islam condition of, at time of Promised Messiah as 787 Ibnul-Ashraf Holy Qur'an prophecy of remain- ing abtar about, 547 I'jāz-e-Aḥmadī prophetic verses in, 288 Ijma' (consensus) claim of, after Companions", not valid 843 Ijtihad (interpretive judgment) no Prophet immune from mis- takes in, 719 Imām Muḥammad Baqir ḥadīth narrated by, 246 consistent with human nature 218 destined rejuvenation of, 819 door to progress towards God open only in, 225 gist of teachings contained in kalimah 133 is a living faith 219 no coercion in, 582 only faith that is proven on the basis of reason and fairness 218 only faith that leads to God 78 only religion that presents God with all His powers 778 1027

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1028 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION plight of present day followers of, 841 provides its fruit perpetually 816 spread on account of intrinsic beauties 583 treasure house of Signs 859 was not spread by sword 192 Islamic Ummah superiority of, 188 Islamic Wars in defence of Islam 132, 191, 583 Promised Messiah would not wage war against enemies 581 Islampur now known as Qadian 901 Izāla-e-Aubām prophecies in, 196 Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya prophecy of progress of, 294 Jewish Scriptures use term 'sons of God' for those whom God loves 81 Jews accusations against Hadrat 'Īsā (Jesus) 675 belief about spiritual ascension 50 believe in advent of two Messiahs 190 damage of overly literal meaning of prophecies by, 264 giving up of burnt offerings by, 251 imitation of, by opponents of Promised Messiah as 865 mistaken notion about Jesus 49 perpetual hostility of, to Jesus 855 punished for fighting Messenger of God 194 reason for rejection of Prophets by, 752 reason for their denial of Jesus or Holy Prophet 264 religious people among, 251 Jhelum blessings received during travel to, 322 Jihad with sword not destined for this era 190 Ka'bah significance of both Promised Messiah and Dajjal performing circuits of, 390 Kalimah Tauhid believers in, should not despair of Allah's grace 861 Karam Din criminal cases filed by, 144, 227, 272, 322, 461, 481 prophecy of punishment of, 272 words of condemnation of, used by Divisional Judge 145 Kashmir grave of Jesus in, 854 land where refuge was provided to Jesus 854 Kashti-e-Nüḥ 278 Khabt-e-Ahmadiyya 395 Khalifah meaning and significance of, 34 title granted by God to Promised Messiah as 793 Khalifah Sayyad Muḥammad Hasan request for prayer of, and revealed indication of acceptance 481 Khatamul-Anbiya' grandeur of, 36 Khatamun-Nabiyyin No independent Prophet after, 816 views of Faiḍullāh Khān regard- ing, 760

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INDEX OF TOPICS 1029 Khatm-e-Nubuwwat coming of independent prophet incompatible with, 40 Khātamul-Khulafa' in Mosaic and Muḥammadan dispensation 600 Promised Messiah is, 253 Promised Messiah will not be killed because he is, 394 Khutbah Ilhamiyyah 458 Khwajah Ghulam Farid gifted with inner light to distin- guish truthful and an impostor 265 testimony of, 262-263 Khwajah Kamāl-ud-Din role as lawyer in case of wall built by Imām-ud-Din 345 Krishna title given to Promised Messiah Kufr 655 Maulawi Nadhir Husain's edict of, 316 two kinds of, 202, 223 Langar Khanah (Community Kitchen) guests converge from all over to, 353 Latter Days coming of Promised Messiah in, 242 divine plans ordained for, 801 publication of books is sign of, 248 she-camels becoming obsolete is sign of, 248 Leaves of Healing newspaper of Dowie 634 Light God's attribute of, 20 nearness to God explained by illustration of, 20 Litigation acquittal of Promised Messiah in all, 146 Living Signs real feature of living religion 367 Lord of the Throne insightful point of God being, and also being Omnipresent 400 Love of God acquired by following Holy Prophet sa 152 made inherent in human nature 776 true signs of, 79 Lt.Governor Fuller consolation felt by Bengalis at resignation of, 376 fulfilment of prophecy of Prom- ised Messiah by resignation of, 376 Mahdi contradictory beliefs about, 264 Shia concept of, 55 two signs for, 243 see also Signs of Mahdi Mahmood Ahmad, Bashir-ud- Deen 455 prophecy of son named, 276 sign of the birth of, 275 Malachi book of, 61 Malāwāmal a witness to ilham: 'Is not God sufficient for His servant?' 267 Martyn Clark exoneration of Promised Messiah in case filed by, 275 filed murder case against Prom- ised Messiah, 144, 456 help of maulawis to, 296 Masjid Mubarak revealed words regarding, 294

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1030 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Maulawi 'Abdul-Karim revelations about demise of, 410, 570 Maulawi 'Abdullah Ghaznavi good qualities of, 307 Maulawi 'Abdul-Majid sudden death of, as a result of his mubahalah 566,749 Maulawi Asghar 'Ali lost eye on account of Divine chastisement 565 Maulawi Ghulām Dastagīr death of, after prophesied death of major maulawis 316 procured edicts of disbelief from Makkah 428 victim of his own mubahalah 380 was wrong in emulating Sheikh Muḥammad Tahir 428 Maulawi Ismā'il mubahalah of, and sudden death of, 413 Maulawi Karam Din criminal charge of, against Prom- ised Messiah dismissed 483 critique of, on use of words la'im and kazzāb overturned 481 Maulawi Muḥammad 'Abul- Hasan couplets in hope of demise of Promised Messiah 750 end of, 750 Maulawi Muḥammad 'Alī 323, 537 miraculous recovery from fever of, 323 Maulawi Muḥammad Hasan of Bhein death of, in fulfilment of proph- ecy 292 entangled himself into mubaha- lah 432 Maulawi Muḥammad Husain exceeded all limits of decency 563 hostility and wretchedness of, 933 humiliation of, 493 leader of edicts of apostasy 106, 947, no date fixed in prophecy regard- ing, 234 prophecy of his call for a verdict of disbelief 283 prophecy recorded in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya regard- ing, 283 teacher of, 316 Maulawi Muḥammad Sharif a witness to ilḥām: 'Is not God sufficient for His servant?' 268 Maulawi Muḥy-ud-Din of Lakhukay contrary to his prophecy, died himself 428 couplet about lunar and solar eclipses 247 Maulawi Nadhir Husain of Delhi amongst first to issue edict of kufr 316 kindled fire of apostasy 106 prophecy of his verdict of disbe- lief 283 Maulawi Rashid Aḥmad of Gangoh blindness and death by snake-bite after mubahalah 291, 380, 565 Maulawi Rusul Bābā of Amritsar haughty claims and demise of, 379 Maulawis evil designs and failure of, of Punjab 145,296 have no fear of God 6, 257

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INDEX OF TOPICS Maulawi Sayyad Muḥammad Aḥsan revelation about, services to Islam 418 Maulawi Shah Dīn opposing maulawi who died after becoming insane 380 Maulawi Thana'ullāh 570, 575, 578 false critique made by, 570 frustration of, at the death of Sa'dullah 541 Mawāhibur-Raḥmān prophecy about Karam Din published in, 272 prophecy of acquittal published in, 145 prophecy of four sons published in, 273, 277 Mehr Ali, Sheikh prophecies about, 283 Men of God blessings bestowed upon, 26 characteristics of, 70 complete immersion in God 32 distinguishing features of, 64 exceptional faculties granted to, 25 not equal in their capacities 34 pain and anguish of, draws response from God 861 power of the prayer of, 27 some characteristics of, 25 unique treatment of, by God 65 Message essential requirements for com- munication of, 205 Message of Islam conveyed widely through books, speeches and pamphlets 207 Messengers of God see Prophet(s) Messiah of Latter Days believed by Jews, Christians, and Muslims to be superior to first Messiah 190 Messiah, Son of Mary comparison of status of, with Promised Messiah 182 Meteor appearance of, 650 observed north of Dalhousie 669 Minanur-Raḥmān on Arabic as mother of all tongues 801 Mir 'Abbās 'Ali illogical and un-islamic proposal of, 373 initial sincerity and later stum- bling of, 373 lesson for all believers in fate of, 373 spiritual condition during early period of, 373 vision of Promised Messiah about, 375 Miracles essence of, 65 philosophy of, 827 Mi'raj (ascension) Holy Prophets saw Jesus among the dead Prophets during, 50, 202, 567, 579, 850, 854 Mir Muḥammad Isḥāq miraculous recovery pected plague 413 Mirza Ghulam Qadir prayers from sus- s of Promised Messiah dur- ing 'hopeless' illness of, 324 revelation about death of, 489 Misfortune of those who do not partake of heavenly food 836 Miyān 'Abdullah of Sanaur prophecy about a failure of, 283 1031

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1032 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION witness of miracle of red drops 325 Miyāń Nūr revelation about the sudden death of, 540 Miyān Nur Aḥmad prayers request to Promised Mes- siah and its acceptance, 407 Mubahalah clear verdicts of God in response to, 290 defeat of all opponents in, 3 diverse inflictions upon those who made, against Promised Messiah as 804 eternal way of Allah in, 807 fate of several opponents men- tioned by Promised Messiah in Anjam-e-Atham, 565 God hastens to defeat the impos- tor in, 826 invitation to maulawis, 563, 793 of Charagh Din 63 Promised Messiah victorious in all, 574 repeated results of, 854 resulted in divine support and blessings 310 statement of, written by Charagh Dīn 146 success in, as a Sign of truthful- ness 799 with 'Abdul-Haqq Ghaznavi 306, 444 with 'Abdul-Qadir 599 with Bābū Ilāhī Bakhsh 732 with Charagh Din of Jammu 63, 86 with Dowie 274 with Fadl Dad Khān 484 with Faiḍullah Khan 759 with Lekh Rām 358 with Maulawi Abdul-Majid 749 with Maulawi Ghulām Dastgir Qasūri 86, 292, 316 with Maulawi Rashid Aḥmad of Gangoh 380 Mubarakah Begum prophecy of daughter who was named, 276 Mubarak Aḥmad cured as result of prayers 108 illness of, 108, 110 incident of, like raising of the dead 324 prophecy about, 277, 444 visions about, and their fulfilment 487, 488 Muḥammad Fadl Aḥmad letter of, about mubahalah by Faḍal Dad Khan, 484 Muḥammad Hasan Baig 229 Muḥammadi Begum 122, 126 Muḥkamāt abundant in Holy Quran and manifestly clear 211 Mujaddidin claim of being, made by some eminent scholars of hadith 241 need for, 815 prophecy of Holy Prophet about appearance of, 241 Muslim Divines rank like Prophets of Israelites 118 Muslims degraded condition of, 828, 863 in Latter Days destined to follow in footsteps of Jews 264 Mutashābihāt hypocrites hasten towards, and misinterpret 160 meanings of, only granted to those who are firmly grounded in knowledge 211

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INDEX OF TOPICS Ni'matullah Wali prophecy of, 255 Nasim-e-Da'wat warnings to Aryas in, 766-767 Nasir Aḥmad prophecy of grandson named, 278 Nawab 'Ali Muḥammad Khān diary of, containing fulfilled prophecies 315 restoration of sources of income of, 315 Nawab Muhammad 'Ali Khān revelation about demise of wife of, 539 Nawab Muḥammad Ḥayāt Khān Promised Messiah's prayers for acquittal of, 417 Nawab Siddiq Ḥasan Khān arrest and revocation of title of, 584 erroneous belief of, about Mahdi 581-582 prayers of Promised Messiah for, 584 Ni'matullah Walī elegy of, prophesying advent of Promised Messiah 418 Nizām-ud-Din Mistrī acceptance of Promised Messiah's prayer on behalf of, 406 Noor-ud-Deen, Maulawi Hakim 286, 449 citation of hadith by, 835 among Ashab-us-Suffah foremost 286 Nurul-Haqq contains prophecy about coming of plague 422 prophecy of lunar and solar eclipse in, 292 Object of Life to worship God Almighty 833 Ointment of Jesus still found in medical texts 48 Opponents of Promised Messiah (as) could find no ground for critique 788 cruel attitude of, 828 loss, destruction, and humiliation of, 811 no escape for, 862 resemblance with Jews 865 schemes hatched by, 790 were first to issue edicts of disbe- lief against him, 848 Pandit Dayanand death of, 765 mischief of, 765 revelations about, 765 Pandit Lekh Rām demise of, 395 has recorded his false prophecy about Promised Messiah ascrib- ing it to his Parmeshwar 358 Hindus told, false stories about Promised Messiah 366 magnificent fulfilment of prophe- cy about, 144, 237 mentioned in books of Promised Messiah 357 mubahalah with, 395 quoted prophecy of his death in his book 358 three prophecies about death of, 360 two Signs in death of, 403 vision of Promised Messiah about assassination of, 364 Pandit Shiv Narayan Agnihotri revelation of letter of, to Prom- ised Messiah 479 Parents commandment to be benevolent towards, 259 impulse to nurture is from God 260 1033

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1034 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Parmeshwar belief of Aryas that, cannot for- give sins 77 conflict within the Aryah con- cept of, 396 no miracles ever shown by, of Āryas 217 not clear why, addressed as father 397 People of the Cave secret of, remained undisclosed 849 similarity of Promised Messiah as with, 849 Pharaoh proclamation upon witnessing sign of God's wrath 239 Philosophers cannot deliver from doubts 140 generally end up o as atheist 195 Pir Manzur Muḥammad Ludhianavi birth of the daughter of, a Sign of acceptance of prayer 122 Pir Mehr 'Alī complete inability to write in competition with I'jāzul-Masiḥ 480 false accusations in Saif-e- Chughta'i 433 Pir Sahibul-'Alam of Sindh dream of, 255 Plague at time of Mūsā 681 chastisement of, 867 devastation caused by, 796 divine protection for Promised Messiah and his community from, 278, 731, 796, 797 God shall not remove, until ple change their condition 297 miraculous recovery of Maulawi Muḥammad 'Ali from, 323 peo- promised protection without vaccination 278 prophecies of, by the Promised Messiah 197, 280, 287, 336, 796,869 prophecy by Hadrat 'Īsā concern- ing, 254 relation of terms tā'ün and najlā' with, 555 Poets vain talk of, 798 Prayer(s) acceptance of, is sign for right- eous 403 complete attention in, only grant- ed by God's grace 163 divine practice regarding, 29 efforts needed to make, stand upright 164 for a sign 411 heartfelt, by son of Mary 349 of those with imperfect piety 19 signs of acceptance of, 109, 362 Pride a barrier between scholars and righteousness 864 Printing Press invention of, 206 Promised Messiah as aḥadīth about, of not engaging in jihad 581 all Muslims unconditionally believe in the coming of, 856 arbiter for these times 57 as Ādam of the Latter Days 801 background of first revelation 858 beholding of God in vision 325 belief about descent of Hadrat 'Isā 182 blessings on, 802 books of, and denial of their qual- ities by opponents 951

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INDEX OF TOPICS breaking of the Cross by, 801 challenge to clergies, atheists and disbelievers 862 claim of being mujaddid and, stands established 242 commissioned to establish truth- fulness of Holy Prophet 218 critics of, 129 defeat of enemies of, after their mubahalah 291 devotion to praying for Muslims 869 dismissal of postal case against, 304 Divine promises of protection for, 285, 321 Divine signs in support of, 60 earlier belief about life of Jesus 755 early life of, 828 early revelations of, 820 exalted status above Jesus 188 examples of acceptance of prayers for sick of, 109 examples of safeguarding of household members of, 108 exonerated in all cases filed against, 227 family background of, 901 fate of some opponents of, 289 fervent appeal to all Muslims 862 first revelation of, 265, 859 fulfilment of prophecy of flocks of people visiting, 286 functions of, 813 given name of several Prophets in revelations 101 glad tiding of large following of, 331 glad tidings at time of obscurity 823 grand status of prophecies of, 197 hallmarks of, as on record 387 honourable acquittal of, in Mar- tyn Clark's case 144 importance of belief in, 223 intensity of effort of, to seek Allah 925 intensity of love for Allah 929 Ka'bah and Black Stone used as a figure of speech for, 842 life of, before the claim 788 magnificent revelation about Islam's victory 867 meaning of, being interned in Holy Prophet's grave 394 meaning of, having children 393 meaning of killing of dajjal by, 393 meaning of killing of swine by, 393 mentioned in Holy Quran 626 miracle of red drops, 326 miraculous recovery of, from signs of stroke 301 miraculous recovery of, from toothache and revelation about it 302 miraculous recovery of Mubarak Aḥmad as result of prayers of, 108,324 multiplicity of Signs shown by God for, 573 named as rusul (Messenger) in revelation 101 named as Maryam (Mary) in revelations 100 named Salman in revelation 104 names given by God to, 655 names of all Prophets given to, 654 nobility and esteem of forefathers of, 103 no sect has a right to dispute with, the hakam 57 1035

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1036 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION of Persian origin 104 permission of intercession grant- ed to, 109 presented beauties of Islam in numerous gatherings 207 promise and fulfilment of divine support in marriage given to, 303 prophecy about multitudes com- ing to, and its fulfilment 292 prophecy of divine help and large number of visitors 319 prophecy of four sons 277 prophecy of, fulfilled against hun- dreds of enemies 428 prophecy of marriage among Sayyads in Delhi 283 prophecy of plague by, 197 prophesied command of Arabic 286 prophesied victory in all litiga- tions filed against, 286 purity of heart granted to, 73 raised at time of true need 800 raised to demonstrate truth of Islam 219 rejection of, by deniers 817 resignation of, to Allah's will 835 revealed prayer for defence against fearsome opponents 483 revelation about long life and distant progeny 824 revelation of Allah being suffi- cient 267 revelations from Allah leading to change of earlier beliefs of, 755 secluded early life of, 789 sent to restrain the hands of disbelievers 827 significance of bath drops drip- ping from, like pearl drops 389 significance of being addressed as Adam 328 significance of being named Yusuf in revelation 329 significance of being prophet a well as ummati, 191 significance of support of two angels to, 388 as signs associated with, 387 signs in attestation of the truth of, number in thousands, 60 signs of divine support: and pro- tection for, 798 signs of God for, 2 some grandmothers of, from the Sayyeds 104 state of obscurity during early revelations 319 status vis-a-vis Hadrat 'Īsā 182 summary introduction of, 787 this is time for the advent of, 568 title of Moses given to, 730 true nature of the ummati prophethood of, 184 two ailments destined for, and materialized accordingly 387 universal message of, as follower of Holy Prophet 188 utter failure of all plans and schemes against, as prophesied 295 victorious in all cases filed against, 573 victorious in every mubahalah 574 wrote more than seventy spread Islam 207 Prophecies books to about Atham and son-in-law of Ahmad Baig, conditional 231 about Lekh Rām fulfilled in letter and spirit 263 being fulfilled in abundance 238

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INDEX OF TOPICS 1037 contain element of trial 580 fear of a lawyer about the publica- tion of, 834 hidden aspects of, 851 metaphorical elements in, 717 not free from trial 264 of bright sign in twenty-five days and its fulfilment 650 of warning, can be averted with almsgiving and repentance 234 of warning, not necessary to be fulfilled 220 Prophet, Hadrat Ādam (Adam) significance of birth of, on the sixth day 253 Prophet, Hadrat Dāniāl (Daniel) prophecies of, about Latter Days 251 prophesied time of Promised Messiah as last battle between good and evil 189 Prophet, Hadrat Ibrāhīm (Abra- ham) birth of Holy Prophet in house of, 58 noble sacrifices of, 67 truthfulness and loyalty of, 65 Prophet, Hadrat Ilyās (Elijah) interpretation of second coming of, 38 prophecy about descent of, 58 Prophet, Hadrat 'Isā, (Jesus) argument used for the supposed divinity of, 854 as arbiter for Jews 56 being human, experienced trials peculiar to humans 349 belief in fatherless birth of, 855 belief of physical return of, not unanimous 39 crucifixion of, 48 death of, according to Holy Quran 40, 45, 75, 567, 579, 818 death of, explained by the Prom- ised Messiah, 849 disciples of, 118 entered alive and came out alive from 'grave' 349 fatherless birth no proof of divin- ity 857 illogical concept about physical return of, 39 insistence on physical ascension of, removed from righteousness 54 limited purpose of, 35 marham-e-Isa 48 no need for descent of, 853 no resemblance with incidents of Yūnus or Ishaq 52 not God but only a Prophet of God 779 no unequivocal verse for physical life in heaven of, 754 physical ascension and descent repudiated by reason and Holy Quran 47,788 prayer of, for being saved from cross 53 raising of dead by, 185 seen by Holy Prophet during miraj among Prophets who have died 579 similarity with Prophet Jonah 349 spiritual ascension denied by Jews 50 spiritual ascension of, 256 truth about miracles of, cited by Christians 496 victory of Islam depends on death of, 852

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1038 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Prophet, Hadrat Isma'il (Ishmael) God provided water out of no- where for, 65 Prophet, Hadrat Mūsā, (Moses) could not decipher divine secrets known to a nomad 189 died on way to Syria 220 limited purpose of, 35 significance of title of, bestowed upon Promised Messiah 653 widespread famine in Egypt during time of, 199 Prophet, Hadrat Nūḥ (Noah) entire world overtaken by chas- tisement due to rejection of a single people 199 Prophet, Hadrat Yahya (John the Baptist) with Jesus on the second heaven 47 Prophet, Hadrat Yūnus (Jonah) prophecy of destruction averted because of repentance of the people of, 219, 495 stayed alive and emerged alive from the belly of whale 52 Prophethood aḥadīth about, in ummah 497 biggest sign of truthfulness of, 863 certain way of acquiring faith in God 195 Divine chastisements result from denials of, 198, of Promised Messiah (as), only by blessings of Holy Prophetsa 117, 184, 497, 632, 808 remains open by way of zill (re- flection) 37 within the Ummah 808 Prophet(s) act like flint to bring out spark of Tauhid 153 advent of, sharpens intellect and reasoning 133 all signs not necessarily fulfilled literally regarding advent of, 263 belief in, necessary to acquire belief in Tauḥid 135 consensus of, that calamities can be averted by charity, prayers etc.495 demonstrate Omnipotence of God 134 establish Tauhid 134 establish faith in existence of God 218 granted fame by will of God 205 light descends with, 84 need of belief in, for salvation 130 personal judgment of, is not infallible 718 sacrifices made by, 135, 137 sent before any chastisement 833 sent to every human habitation and country 367 Punishment of big mischief-mongers comes at end 200 rejection of Messengers and Prophets is cause of, 198 Purity of Soul pre-condition for perfection of dreams and revelations 22 Qadian degraded prior condition of, 821 early life of Promised Messiah as in, 792 founding of, 902 protection granted to, 298 Qadian kei Arya aur Hamm background of writing, 740 impertinences in, 766 prophecies recorded in, 767

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INDEX OF TOPICS 1039 records Signs witnessed by Āryahs 766 Rafa' (ascension) spiritual connotation of, 50, 256 Ralya Rām complaint of postal violation made by, 304 Rational faculties brain is source of, 12 cannot yield perfect cognition 12 Reason bestowed to enable humans to re- flect upon need of Creator 11 methodology of, is imperfect in itself 140 needs prophethood 134 Rebellious chastisement for, 796 Relationship with God exemplification of, 23 is only attained through God Himself 2 Religion living, must show Signs of God 367 signs of true, 816 Remembrance of God similarity to remembering father 729 Revelation see also Dreams, Confer- Visions, and Revelations about 'Abdullah Ātham 231 about 'Abdul-Qadir 599 about acceptance of prayers 312 about acclaim at great ence of Religions 354 about Aḥmad Baig 492, 576, 697 about arrival of money after ten days 355 about Bengal 376 about Charagh Dīn 146, 280 about chief maulawis driven to their graves 316 about coming of Warner 228, 239 about death of sincere friend 271 about descent of Jesus as written in Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya 183 about disagreement amongst opponents 456 about earthquakes 115, 239, 609 about extraordinary progress of Jama'at 294 about eyesight and its fulfilment 386 about fire becoming source of peace 703 about glad tidings of son 278 about God's dominion 300 about homes of enemies 288 about inheritance accruing on Promised Messiah 312 about Lekh Rām 144, 360, 395 about love of Promised Messiah in hearts of people 292 about marriage alliance with Sayyeds 283, 303 about Martyn Clark 144 about Muḥammad Hasan of Bhein 292 about Nawab Siddiq Hasan Khān 584 about pain in thigh 299 about permission to intercede 279 about plague 287, 336, 422, 731, 769 about punishment of Karam Din 272 about Sa'dullah 540 about safeguarding those in house of Promised Messiah 323, 687 about snowfall in spring 585 about the last days of Sayyad Ahmad Khan 304

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1040 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION about twenty-one rupees and its exact fulfilment same day 385 arrangement of, is varied on account of repetition 87 comparison of, between Divine and satanic, 170 criteria for Divine, 687 Divine guidance during the difficult time of publishing Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya 423 first, of Promised Messiah 265 in English 383, 384 is best understood by recipient 543 Is God not sufficient for His servant? 267 pre-requisite of, 167 recipients of, 83, 619 three conditions of true, 673 two Signs of true, 619 Righteous characteristics of, 160, 161 do not retreat when visited by tribulations 71 God's protection for, 70 grand status of those who truly becomes God's 65 rewards by Allah promised for, 163 Righteousness See also Fear of God Allah will be with those who adopt 114 Christianity and Aryah faith devoid of, 76-77 deeds cannot be accepted with- out, 107 demand of, to not oppose the Promised Messiah 60, 189, 236 glad tidings to those on the sta- tion of 102 insistence on physical ascension of Jesus removed from, 54 of Sahibzadah 'Abdul-Latif 257 spending of wealth needed to attain, 165 superficial piety and virtue of some people 19 Ring made as a Sign during times of obscurity 823 Rūmī on self-annihilation 73 Sa'di couplets on obedience to Holy Prophet sa 156 Sa'dullāh background of, 973 death of, 540 extreme abusive language used by, 540, 562 pronouncement of mubahalah by, in Shahab-e-Thaqib 561 prophecy about death of, 976 prophecy about progeny of, 834 Ṣāḥibzadah 'Abdul-Latif 257 martyrdom of, 335 prophecy about execution of, 282 righteousness of 257 sacrificed everything for Faith 257 steadfastness of, 208, 255 truthfulness of, 257 Sahibzadah Aḥmad Nūr buried corpse of Sahibzadah 'Abdul-Latif 255 Saif-e-Chishtiyā'i false accusations of Pir Mehr Ali in, 433 Sainthood requires help of God Himself 67 ultimate rank of, 67

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INDEX OF TOPICS I041 Salvation barren Tauhid cannot ensure, 209 cannot be achieved by those who deny Messenger 156 concept of, 179 not attainable except by following the Noble Prophet 161 path to, attained only through Prophets of God 174 rooted in spiritual insight 178 Tauhid is basis of, 148 two requirements of, 139 San Francisco relation of earthquake in, with prophecies 198 Sardar Baig, Mirzā tall talk of, and its consequences 291 Satan assaults of, cannot affect elect of God 31 beguiling method of, 673 characteristics of 168 dajjal as name of, 394 divine mystery in creation of, 142 does not depart ones heart unless one sees living Signs of Living God 141 suggestions and revelations from, 167 Satanic Dreams or Revelations harm of, 267 limitations and evils of, 169 unreliable and paltry nature of, 169 Sattār operation of divine attribute of, 19 Sayyad 'Abdul-Qadir Jilānī on non-fulfilment of promises 717 Sayyad Aḥmad Khān message of Promised Messiah to, on power of prayer 362 prophecy of Promised Messiah about, grief and sorrow before death 304 Sayyad Muhammad Ismā'il panic striking letter of, during his childhood refuted by news from unseen 487 Sayyad Naşir Shāh acceptance of Promised Messiah's prayer for, 403, 747 devotion to Promised Messiah 293 letter to Promised Messiah indi- cating effects of prayer 404 Seal of Prophethood.true meanings of, 119, 808 Sehaj Rām vision of Promised Messiah indicating death of, and its fulfilment 375 Servants of God acceptance of prayer is prime Sign of, 403 Seth 'Abdur-Raḥmān recovery of, from deadly disease 409 restoration and subsequent col- lapse of business of, as prophe- sied 317 revelation of 'Signs of life' and its fulfilment about, 408 Severe Earthquake prophecy of, and its fulfilment 609 Shahab-e-Thaqib bar Masiḥ-e- Kādhib foul language and false prophe- sied by Sa'dullah in 556

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1042 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION Shah Nawaz Khān Promised Messiah's prayers for, 407 Sharampat, Lalah witness to prophecy of Promised Messiah's brother's death 284 Shariah refrains from injustice towards mankind 777 revealed to rectify errors in which people fall 776 true and perfect, shows signs of God 776 Sharif Aḥmad birth of, 276 illness of, 108 one of four sons 277 Sheikh 'Abdur-Raḥmān martyrdom of, mentioned in book of Promised Messiah 435 prophecy about, 335 Sheikh Hamid 'Alī witness to revelation of painful thigh 299 Sheikh Muhammad Tahir 429 Shias concept of Mahdi 55 Shooting Stars Sign of falling of, 794 Shubh Chintak accusations and abuses of, 739 a paper started by Āryāhs in Qa- dian to hurt Promised Messiah 739 prophecy about editors of, 741 Şiddiq characteristics of rank of, 68 Signs cannot appear in succession for an impostor 815 diverse forms of, 66 shown by Allah in response to mischief of opponents 834 Signs of God not manifested for everyone 82 severe punishment for deniers of, 193 shown for those who love God, 28 Signs of Mahdi authenticity of hadith about, 246 Holy Quran indicating a com- missioned one, at appearance of, 245 no other claimant at time of, except Promised Messiah 243 occurrence of, exactly as prophe- sied 243 over 300,000, as a testimony for Promised Messiah 202 precursors to divine chastisement 292, 422 prophecy about solar and lunar, 202, 243, 794 prophesied in Holy Quran 245 refutation of objections regarding hadith about solar and lunar eclipse, 244 supernormal nature of, 245 types of, 85 Sikhs cruel period of, 902 Sinfulness the cause of calamities 841 Sirrul-Khilafah 287 Sixth Millennium pre-destined time of Promised Messiah 253, 814 Son of Mary was human 348 Son(s) of God metaphorical use of term, for Prophets 80 term denotes annihilation of the self, 80 use of term in scriptures 79-81

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INDEX OF TOPICS 1043 Spending in Way of Allah wider connotation of, 165 Spiritual Capabilities cannot become altogether extinct in any age 16 Spiritual Capacity not equal for all 34 Spiritual Excellence consists of achieving such purity as invites image of God 33 Spiritual Faculties compensate for deficiencies of reason 11 establish that Creator does in- deed exist 12 heart is source of, 12 reach where rational faculties cannot 12 Spiritual Rebirth acquired through God's eternal Signs 674 Steadfastness characteristics of perfect, 162 of Promised Messiah's compan- ions 803 Submission characteristic of perfect, 167 Successors of Holy Prophet will be from within his ummah 754 Succour from Allah comprehends east and west 870 Sunnatullah does not permit anyone to ascend to heaven with physical body 852 for righteous 824 Supplications heartfelt, of Prophets 137 Surah al-Asr numerical value of, 569 Surah al-Fatihah mention of mischief of dajjal in, 391 on continuation of blessings 860 teaches not to become like Jews 61 teaches seeking refuge with God 623 Surah an-Nūr mention of all future Successors to be raised from this ummah in, 754, 831 Surah at-Tahrim prophecy in, about a son of Mary within ummah 424 Surmah Chashm-e-Aryah 395 Swami Shugan Chandar organized Great Conference of Religions 354 Tadhkiratul-Auliya' on rewards of good deeds 214 Tauhid attained by following Word of God 167 belief in, not possible except through Holy Prophet sa 139- 140, 148, 173, 174, 209, 215 belief in, requires belief in Prophets 134 claims of diverse faiths about, 1 demands negation of self 216 established by Prophets alone 133, 218 every religion except Islam strayed away from, 119 misguided notion of 'Abdul Hakim about, 131 only Islam truly believes in, 2 of descent of Messengers purpose 216 restored to world by Holy Prophet 138

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1044 HAQIQATUL-WAḤI-THE PHILOSOPHY OF DIVINE REVELATION understanding of, impossible through reason alone 174 without belief in Allah's Proph- ets and Books, does not merit salvation 132, 150 Tawaffi distortion of meaning of, 845 erroneous interpretation of, 41 meanings of, 838 Thalj connotations of, 586 Titus killed thousands of Jews 200 Torah incomplete and unclear teaching of, 186 Traditions not always reliable 754 trials caused by, 754 Travel greatly facilitated in Promised Messiah's time 206 Trinity flawed logic of, 75 God Almighty's displeasure about, 189 Truthful Allah's blessings upon, 826 characteristics of, 826 God's treatment of, 826 Tuhfah-e-Golarhviyyah 255 Twin Promised Messiah would be born a, 254 Types of knowledge described 14 'Umar Faruq, Ḥadrat fulfilment of prophecy of Holy Prophet at time of, 113 Ummah of Islam completes circle of human excel- lences 188 khulafa' (successors) to appear from within, 831 Prophethood within, 808 Ummati door of revelation now only opened to, 37 Vedic wisdom in contradiction with laws of nature 400 Veils type of, which block true cogni- tion 13 Verdict purpose of seeking, 813 Verdict of God in death of Lekh Rām 402 Visions see Dreams, Visions, and Reve- lations Wahyul-ibtila' defined 15 Wars of Islam defensive nature of, 132 waged to defend against aggressors 192 Webb, Alexander Russell testimony of, about Dowie 642 Word of God.see Holy Quran Worship can only be performed with God's help 67 essential for salvation 160 real concept of, 67 Zamzam well of, 65

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