The Truth Revealed

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The Truth Revealed

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The Truth Revealed (Sachch a ’ i k a I z h a r) Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian The Promised Messiah and Mahdi as Islam International Publications LTD.

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ISLAM INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LTD The Truth Revealed (Sachch a ’ i k a I z h a r) Written by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian the Promised Messiah and Mahdi as First published in Urdu in India, 1893 First English translation published in the UK, 2010 (ISBN: 978-1-84880-054-0) Present new translation published in the UK, 2024 © Islam International Publications Ltd.All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechan- ical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the Publisher, Islam International Publications Ltd.Published by Islam International Publications Ltd.Unit 3, Bourne Mill Business Park, Guildford Road, Farnham, Surrey, UK.GU9 9PS For further information please visit www.alislam.org Cover design: Khafia Shanzay Choudhary ISBN: 978-1-84880-787-7 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Contents About the Author.......................................................ix Foreword.....................................................................xi Support in Theological Matters Received by the Christian Priests...............................................1 A Public Notice.............................................................5 The Removal of a Misgiving Harboured by Dr Martyn Clarke......................................................................7 Testimony of an Arab Scholar......................................9 A Loving Letter Written to this Humble One...........11 Response from this Humble One to this Heartfelt Correspondence...................................................15 An Arab Scholar’s Letter from Makkah.....................20

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vi Letter Written by an Arab Scholar.............................23 The Promise of Mr Abdullah Atham to Accept Islam if Defeated.............................................................25 A Mub a halah Invitation in Response to the Announcement Published by Abdul-Haqq Ghaznawi..............................................................27 Conclusive Argument.................................................30 Publisher’s Note.........................................................33 Glossary.....................................................................37 Index..........................................................................39

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

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About the Author Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as was born in 1835 in Qadian, India.From his early life, he dedicated himself to prayer and the study of the Holy Quran and other scriptures.He was deeply pained to observe the plight of Islam, which was being attacked from all directions.In order to defend Islam and present its teach- ings 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 commanded him to announce that He had appointed him to be that very 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 s as

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x 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 (succes- sorship) was established to succeed him in fulfilment of the proph- ecies made in the Holy Quran, presented by the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as , and in the Promised Messiah’s book al-Wa s iyyat.Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad aba is the Fifth Successor to the Promised Messiah as and the present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

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Foreword Sachch a ’ i k a I z h a r [ ] is a booklet that was published in May 1893 by the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, on whom be peace.It is a brief compilation of letters, articles, and public announcements that preceded the well-known debate, Jang-e-Muqaddas [ The Holy War ], between the Promised Messiah as and the Christian missionary Abdullah Atham.The booklet includes a letter dated 9 May 1893 from Abdullah Atham in which he had declared that he would become a Muslim if it is proven that the Holy Quran is of Divine origin.This debate challenge was initiated by the Christians and its name, Jang-e- Muqaddas , was selected by them as well.However, when the Muslims of Jandiala had requested the Promised Messiah as to represent them as the champion of Islam, the Christians began to object on the grounds that he had been declared a k a fir [disbe- liever] by various Muslim ulema.Sachch a ’ i k a I z h a r includes the Promised Messiah’s rebuttal of such allegations and includes two

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xii letters from distinguished, authentic Arab scholars testifying to his truth.At the end of the booklet, the Promised Messiah as announces his acceptance of a mub a halah [prayer duel] challenge issued by Abdul-Haqq Ghaznavi.The Promised Messiah as also lists the names of twenty other ulema whom he invites to come for- ward against him and either accept the mub a halah challenge or acknowledge defeat through their silence and failure to respond.This mub a halah took place at the Eid-Gah in Amritsar after the Jang-e-Muqaddas debate, which was conducted at the residence of Dr Henry Martyn Clarke.al- Ha j Munir-ud-Din Shams Additional Wak i lut-Ta s n i f, London March 2024

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Facsimile of the original title page for Sachch a ’ i k a I z h a r, printed in 1893.

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Translation of the original title page for Sachch a ’ i k a I z h a r, printed in 1893.A Treatise by the Name of Printed by Riy ad -e-Hind Press, Amritsar In which there is an affidavit by Mr Abdullah Atham, the Christian, Chief of Amritsar, that he would embrace Islam if he is defeated [in the debate].Furthermore, it con- tains the testimony of some dis- tinguished and authentic scholars of Arabia and Syria attesting to the truth of my humble self.Number of Copies: 700 Price: 6 Pies

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ِ ا ہّٰللِّٰ الرَّحۡمٰن ِ الرَّحِیۡمِ بِسۡم 1 ِ نَحۡمَدُہ ٗ و َ نُصَلِّی عَلٰی رَسُوۡلِہ ِ الۡکَرِیۡم An Account of the Blatant Support in Theological Matters Received by the Christian Priests from the Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah of Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala The American Mission Press, Ludhiana, published an announce- ment by Dr Henry Martyn Clarke MD, the medical missionary of Amritsar, in opposition to this humble one on 12 May 1893, in which gratitude has been expressed, in a manner of speaking, for Sheikh Muhammad Husain, the well-known maulaw i resi- dent of Batala.And it was, in fact, an occasion for gratitude for the Christians insofar as Dr Clarke had already agreed to debate against this humble one to critically examine and investigate 1.In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.[Publisher]

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2 Islam and the Christian religion and to distinguish truth from falsehood, but the Doctor was overcome by somewhat of a state of fear after pondering over the matter subsequently.It is true that the body trembles at the point it is faced with [the enormity of ] transforming a mere mortal into God.God alone is God, and man is man.نسبت خاک را باقادر ِ پاک چه [What comparison does dust have with the Holy and Omnipotent Lord]? In short, when the reverend Christian gentlemen were overcome by the fear that the entire facade of the Christian ruse may become exposed when confronted by the straight path of Islam, they thought it would be good if this debate could be kept in abeyance somehow, and it would be better if this cup could somehow be averted.During this period of grief and anxiety, they were thoroughly helped by the respected Sheikh [Muhammad Husain of Batala].The idea comes across that the Sheikh most likely approached the reverend priests himself in a covert man- ner with the intent to help them, insofar as the contents of the letter that Dr Clarke wrote to me and the various topics that are recorded in Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah that he mentioned therein are writ- ten in a style of expression which bears a striking resemblance to the writing style of the respected Sheikh.Should the respected Sheikh be questioned under oath, then he very likely will not even deny it.Furthermore, when we closely examine the supplement to N u r-i-Afsh an , which was published on 12 May 1893 and is in my hand right now, it is giving this very testimony.Hence, its text is as follows: You (O residents of Jandiala) are presenting the kind of sage (meaning this humble one) for the debate who,

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 3 firstly, is difficult to even consider as a Muhammadan person.What delusions are you getting involved in? Have you not seen those fatwas [religious edicts] issued by the ulema of Islam of Punjab and India against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian? They write the following in the afore- mentioned fatwas: ‘Whatever we have said in reply to the question of the petitioner and the fatwa we have given in regard to the Qadiani is correct and its validity is attested to by the Quran, the Sunnah, and the statements of the ulema of the Ummah.All Muslims should take precau- tions against such a deceiving liar and shun him from those religious dealings that should take place mutually among Ahle-Islam [Muslims].Do not keep his company, nor be the first to greet him with peace, nor invite him or accept his invitation to traditional Islamic ceremonies, nor pray behind him, nor perform the Funeral Prayer for him.He is a thief of the Faith, causing the spread of [spiritual] disease.He is a dajj a l [deceiver], a kadhdh a b [great liar], accursed, a heretic, outside the pale of Islam, a k a fir [disbeliever]—nay rather, the unholy akfar [greatest disbeliever]—the one who is misguided by the rebellious Ibl i s and who misguides others.Outside the Sunnah and Jam a ‘ah , a great troublesome dajj a l —nay, the greatest dajj a l —and one who profits worldly gains through the means of religion.’ Should you desire to see the full details, this can be done by obtaining the book Ish a ‘atus-Sunnatun-Nabawiyyah from Maulaw i Ab u Sa‘ i d Muhammad H usain at a cost of 1 rupee and 8 annas from Lahore.

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4 You remain in a bizarre state of negligence given that you have not even seen this book yet.Bravo! Upon you and upon the audacity of the Ahle-Islam of Jandiala for appointing as your guide the one whose funeral is not even permissible.Bravo, gentlemen! Well done—what vain hope you entertain! Now, it should be observed carefully how much the Christian priest has benefited from the gentleman from Batala and his Ish a ‘atus- Sunnah and how much of an opportunity those who accuse us of disbelief have given to the opponents [of Islam].However, it is an occasion for joy that after seeing this mischief-laden letter that was written with [supporting] reference to Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah, the staunchly faithful people of Jandiala did not fall prey to doubt in the least.Miy an Muhammad Bakhsh gave an irrefutable reply from Jandiala to the reverend Christian gentlemen, writing that no religion is devoid of differences and Christianity too is not excluded from this, and we consider such maulaw i s themselves to be mischievous who portray a Muslim champion of Islam as a disbeliever.✢

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A Public Notice The Sheikh from Batala, Editor of Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah, had made a firm promise twice that he would most certainly send a response—on such and such a date and that there would be no going back on this pledge—to the letter that had been written by way of itm a m-e- h ujjat [a conclusive argument] from this side with regard to [authoring] a competing Arabic commentary and Qa si dah.Sixteen more days have now elapsed beyond both of those dates, and only God knows how many more will go by.Sheikh Sahib’s making of promises repeatedly and then breaking them is manifesting clear proof that he is now becoming afflicted with some calamity.Just three days ago, I received a vague message from Amritsar that some maulaw i s say that had this debate involved discussion regarding the death and life of [ Jesus] the Messiah, then at that time, they would have unquestionably joined in with Dr Clarke.Therefore, I inform the good Sheikh and his other friends pub- licly—rather, I adjure them on oath—to vent this anger as well.

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6 I will definitely debate Dr Clarke regarding the life and death of [ Jesus] the Messiah—help him by all means! َّ ا ہّٰللَّٰ یُخۡزِی الۡکَاذِبِیۡنَ.وَاٰخِر ُ دَعۡوَانَا وَاعۡلَمُوۡا اَن الۡعَالَمِیۡنَ.ِّ رَب ِِّٰ ہّٰلل ُ اَن ِ الۡحَمۡد [And know that Allah will surely dis- grace the liars.And the conclusion of our prayer is that all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.]

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 7 The Removal of a Misgiving Harboured by Dr Martyn Clarke In his announcement of 12 May 1893, which was published as a supplement to N u r-i-Afsh an Ludhiana, Dr Sahib was either deceived by the book Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah of the Sheikh from Batala or intended to deceive the people by alleging that reliable ulema of Islam—so to speak—have declared this humble one to be a k a fir [disbeliever].It is, therefore, documented here to announce to all and sundry that all reliable ulema of Islam upon whom God Almighty has conferred the mastery of doctrine and its practice, and to whom He has gifted the light of profound insights of faith, are with me and at this moment there are nearly forty of them.Most of the people who side with the other party are maulaw i [i.e.learned] only in name and are utterly deprived of excellences in intellect and conduct.Should this statement of my humble self appear to be an exaggeration beyond belief in the view of Dr Sahib, he can see for himself by attending a debate between those ulema who oppose me and the learned ulema who are in the group of this humble one.In fact, such a debate is about to take place on 15 June 1893 in which the opposing party will be Maulaw i Ghulam Dastagir and all the ulema representing his religious point of view from Lahore, and from this side, one or two learned scholars will be nominated.Then the Reverend Gentleman [Dr Clarke] can see

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8 with his own eyes the side on which the godly ulema and relia- ble scholarship are and the side on which the maulaw i s in name alone and the tongue-tied are.As the famous [Persian] adage goes, �ی�دہ ےک وبد امدنن د�ی�دہ ن � ش � [‘Hearing, when was it ever like seeing’]? A unilateral statement coming from the pen of a narrow-minded enemy never holds any weight or respect in the view of an intelli- gent person; rather, each and every truth becomes apparent at the time it is tested.Apart from this, Dr [Clarke] Sahib is also well aware that the seat of Islam’s reliable ulema is at the H aramain Shar i fain [Two Sanctuaries]— ً زادھما ا ہّٰللّٰ مَجۡدًا وشرفًا وبرکۃ [may Allah increase both holy sites in glory, honour, and grace]—and these very cities of Arabia, namely Makkah and Madinah, are considered the abode of the Faith.So, the beloved and reliable scholars of these blessed places are also joining with this humble one.Thus, as an illustra- tion, I am listing below the writings of three noble personalities.

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 9 Testimony of an Arab Scholar— who is a professor in the literary sciences etc., in a great city, about the book of this humble one, A ’ i na-e-Kam a l a t-e-Isl a m, & the high degree of eloquence in At-Tabligh My respected brother Maulaw i Ha fi z Muhammad Ya‘q u b writes from Dehradun that: I believe that you are the Imam of the Age and one sup- ported by Allah.Allah the Exalted has undoubtedly made the ulema your prey or your servants.Your opponent will never succeed.May Allah the Exalted enable me to live and die as one of your servants.O God! Do Thou exactly so.An Arab scholar who is Syrian is sitting with me at this moment.He is a Sayyed and a great literary figure who has memorised thousands of ancient Arabic verses.We spoke about you.He is an erudite scholar, and I am just an ordinary man, but with regard to the meaning of tawaff i , he could not come up with anything.I showed him an excerpt from your Arabic work A ’ i na-e-Kam a l a t-e-Isl a m.He said, ‘By Allah! Such Arabic cannot be composed even by an Arab.How could an Indian possess such ability?’ I showed him your Qa si dah in the praise of the Holy Prophet, reading which drew tears from his eyes, and he said, ‘By Allah, I have never liked the poetry of

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10 contemporary Arabs, let alone from the Indians; how- ever, I will memorize these couplets.’ He further said, ‘By Allah, anyone who claims superior [Arabic] literary elo- quence in comparison to this—even if he be an Arab—he is the accursed Musailma al-Kadhdh a b.’ Thus ended our discussion.I am convinced that this is the miracle of the words from the Lord and of the support of the Holy One.It is not the work of man.I have made Your Holiness the mas- ter over my life, property, and children.

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 11 A Loving Letter Written to this Humble One by an Arab Scholar ِ ِ ا هّٰللّٰ الر َّمۡحٰۡن ِ الرَّحِیۡم بِسۡم ای من أنشد نسیم االشتیاق عن وسیم وصفه، واستنشق عباهر أحیط حضرتك العالیة األزاهر من مشیم عطره وعبری عرفه.أبسرار األسرار وأعیذ سعادتك السامیة من نوائب األقدار، ال زالت سفن جناتك جتري فی حبار العلوم، وألویة سیادتك معقودة حلل إشكاالت املنطوق واملفهوم، وال برحت اجلباه لعلو حضرتك ساجدة واألفواه ابلثناء على حماسن ذاتك شاهدة.ال أحصي ثنائي علیك وال دعائي وشوقي إلیك.كاته، حتیة عن وِد ٍّ أكید ٍ وقلب مل ة ا هّٰللّٰ وبر مۡح السالم علیكم ور یكدره تنكید.أما بعد فإن راقم األحرف قد هبت به نسیم االمال وزعزعته لواعج االنتقال حتی قذفته سهام األقدار يف بلدة هذه الدایر، فجمعته طرق االتفاق بتقدیر امللك

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12 اخلالق ابألخ الرفیق واملولی الشفیق احلافظ املولوي حممد یعقوب وقاه هللا من ورطات العیوب ووهدات الذنوب يف بلدة دهره دون الزال رحبها ابملواهب اإلهلیة مشحون، فأخذان جنين مثار األخبار وندیر أقداح التذکار عما مضی وتقدم من األزمان واآلاثر حتی أفضی بنا احلدیث إلی هذا الزمان فذکرت حضرتکم العلیة فسألته عن بیاهنا بوجه التفصیل ً له حتی ثنی ال واإلیضاح فأخربين ابجلناب ومناقبه مبا کان أه عنان فکري، واستمال عطف خاطري إلی مشاهدة الذات ملا مسعت من بدیع الصفات.إذا الکالم صفة لقائله، وال خیفی ما يف املشاهدة من عمیم الفائدة، ولذلك طلبها الکلیم علیه السالم ومل مینعين من تلك إال مشقة الطریق وتوقد الرمضاء واصفرار الید وخرق اجلیب وعدم الراحلة.(شعر) ّ أطری لطِرت شوقًا ين ولو أ انحي ذاك عن أكن ك ومل ی إل وصریت قصت أجنحي ولکن مقصوص اجلناح ری ط ی ف ی ك و وعلی کل حال، فإن عدم ذلك ابألقدام فممکن أن یکون

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 13 ّ ابألقالم السیما وقد قیل القلم أحد اللساننی واملراسلة نصف ان املواصلة، ولکن لیس اخلرب کالعیان إذ هو عنی الیقنی إال أ إذا فقدان املاء صران إلی بدیله.والسالم.[Translation] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.The morning breeze whispers eulogies of your excel- lences! Jasmine derives its fragrance from your aromatic scent! Your glory remains concealed from the eyes of the people! You have been saved from the evils of fate! May the ships of your salvation always sail across the waters of knowledge and learning! May you confront the subtleties of understanding! May foreheads bow before your high status and mouths bear witness to your virtues! I can- not summon the words to praise you, to pray for you, to express my longing to meet you! May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.This greeting is a declaration of true love from one whose heart is pure.The writer of this letter was once swept up by the breeze of hope and the passion for travel.Then destiny brought me here and the will of God decreed that I meet in the town of Dehradun, which is still charged with the Divine spirit, with my kindly brother Ha fi z Maulaw i Muhammad

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14 Ya‘q u b, may the Lord protect him from all that is impure and from the slips of vices.We spoke of recent events and indulged in tales and stories of the past and of the current time, and then your honourable name was mentioned.I inquired about you at length and he told me of your unparalleled virtues and characteristics.After hearing of the beauty of your character, I was drawn towards you and desired to see you for myself; after all, the virtues of the speaker are reflected by his words.To meet someone face to face has its own benefits, hence Moses’ prayer [to see God for himself ].But my path to you is thwarted by the rigours of travel, the extremity of the summer heat, my pennilessness and a lack of conveyance.Could I take to the air, I would soar to you in all haste! Alas, my wings have been cut, And a bird without wings cannot fly.Nonetheless, if I am unable to come to you in person, I can at least write.As the proverb goes, ‘A pen is one of the two tongues and a letter is half a meeting.’ Although hearing is not like seeing, which is the true certainty, but when water is not available, one must take advantage of the available alternative.And peace [be upon you]!

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 15 Response from this Humble One to the Affectionate Correspondence of the Arab Scholar هّٰللّٰ الرمۡحٰۡن الرحیم بسم ا حنمده ونصلّي علٰی رسوله الکرمی کاته.أما بعد فاعلم ای حميب ة هللا وبر مۡح السالم علیکم ور ه ی وخملصي، قد وصلين کتابکم العزیز، وإذا فتحته ونظرت إل وقرأته وفهمت ما فیه، فإذا هو من حب حفي وتقي وفهیم وذکي، انقد بصری ذي رأي صائب وعقل عزیز إلی فقری، ُ ا هّٰللّٰ علی أنه کبریٍ.فحمدت عرضة تکفریٍ، مهجور صغری ٍ و وهب يل کمثلك حمبًا مسلیًا من العرب العرابء وبشرين به ً ألرسله إلی اب کنت قد منقت کتا نسیم حمبة تلك الشرفاء و دایر العرب والشام لعلي اُنصَر من تلك الکرام، فوجدت مکتوبك فی أسعد األایم وحسبته ابکورة جىن العرب، وتفاءلت ُ به إلصالح الشرق والغرب.واتقت نفسي أن

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16 هللا ثراك ألفوز مبراك.ای أخي إن علماء هذه الدایر 1 ٭ أوطين کذبوين ورموين ابلبهتاانت، ومتایلوا علي ابللعن قد أکفروين و والطعن واهلذایانت، فربأت من تلك العلماء وعلمهم.وحلقت وإين أری خواطرهم تشابه خواطر مبن یشك يف سلمهم، الیهود فی ظن السوء والتجاسر أمام الرب املعبود.أصروا کفروا مؤمنًا موحدًا يف علی إکفاري وجاهدوا إلضراري.و التحریر والتقریر.وما ندموا علی ابدرة التکفری وظنّوا أن الوقت لیس وقت ظهور جمدد جیدّد الدّین، ویرجم الشیاطنی.أما رأوا أن الغاسق قد وقب ومهجّة اخلری قد انتقب.والعدو صال علی حصن اإلسالم ونقب.وأخذ الظالم موضع النور وعقب.وظهر قوم علی األرض یعبد الصّلیب ویتخذ إهلًا العبد الضعیف الغریب، ویضل البعید والقریب.ما يف یدیهم إال املکر والزور أو املال املوفور.فتهوی إلیهم العُمي والعُور.کهم الزمر واجلمهور.وعسی أن یدرك هذا ودخل فی شر العطب أکثر املسلمنی، ویفنون من أیدي املغتالنی.فنظر هللا إلی األمة املرحومة ووجدهم املستضعفنی، فأرسل عبدًا 1.٭ [ Hadrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din] Shams ra : أوطأني.

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 17 من عباده لیجدّد الدّین ویقیم الرباهنی.ای أخي إن هذه األایم لیل دامس وطریق طامس، فرأى هللا تعالی مفاسد هذا الزمان وتطایر فنت الدوران وظالم الکفر والطغیان وقیام اخللق علی شفا النریان.فأعطی بفضله مصباحًا یؤمنهم العثار وینری السّنن واالٓاثر.وإين قصصت علیکم بعض هذه اآلالم ککم رقة علی غربة اإلسالم.فإين أراك ف ىًتً صاحلًا ومن ُدر لت هّٰللّٰ املخلصنی احملبّنی وقد أسررتين بکلمات حمبتك وسلّیت أبقوال مودتك غریب ًا مهجور القوم ومورد الطعن واللوم فجزاك ا نی.آمنی مۡح ك وهو أرحم الرا مۡح ور عفا عنه غالم أمحد غالم أمحد الراقم العبد الضعیف مهجور القوم [Translation] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.We praise Him and invoke His blessings upon His Noble Messenger.May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.My dear, who loves me and is sincere to me, I received your affectionate letter.As I read it, I perceived it to be

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18 written by one who is sincere, righteous, learned, intelli- gent, perceptive and insightful thinker to this humble one who has been preyed on as a disbeliever and rejected by all.Therefore, I thanked Allah who gave me from among the Arabs a person who was a source of solace for me.Through him He gave me the glad tidings that I will be loved by these virtuous [people].I have written a book to send it to the lands of Arabia and Syria so that they may come to my aid.The day of receiving your letter was one of the happiest days, I assumed you to be the first of the blossoming fruit of the Arabs and an omen of the coming reformation of the East and the West.In my heart I longed for God to take me to your land to feast my eyes on you.My brother! The ulema of my country call me a dis- believer, reject me, and impute all manner of foul things.They heaped abuse and curses upon me.I have expressed my revulsion for them and their self-professed knowledge.I am among those who doubt their pacifism.I perceive their hearts to be like those Jews who succumbed to ill thoughts and showed impertinence before the Lord who is worthy of worship.They persist in calling me a disbeliever and have made every effort to harm and offend me.Their discourses and addresses denounce one who is a believer in the Oneness of God as a heretic and they are not ashamed of their impetuousness.They did not understand that the time has come for the revival of the Faith and the advent of the Reformer who is to defeat Satan.Do they not see that darkness has become widespread; goodness has been

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 19 obscured; the enemies of Islam are besieging the religion; and light has given way to darkness? A people have arisen who worship the cross and take as their Lord a mere mortal.All are led astray by them and they possess nothing but lies, deception, and mate- rial wealth.The blind are drawn towards them and people upon people are ensnared by their deception.It is possible that many Muslims may be destroyed at the hands of these deceivers.Allah found this people [the Muslims] succumbed to weakness, so He sent one from among His servants to revive the Faith and provide arguments.My brother! A long night has settled [over Islam] and the right path lies untravelled.When Allah looked on the evils of this time, the succession of the afflictions, , the intensity of disbelief and transgression and that people stand on the brink of a pit of fire, He gave to them by His Grace a light to save them from stumbling and to show them His Signs and lead them to the right path.I have related to you a part of my woes so that you too may grieve over the plight of Islam, for I perceive that you are a righteous young gentleman—sincere and devoted.The love imbued in your words has gladdened the heart of one who has been rejected and reviled by his people, and the target of curses and condemnation.A m i n.Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, The weak servant of Allah, the forsaken, may Allah forgive him

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20 A Letter From An Arab Scholar of Makkah ٰن الرحیم مۡح بسم ا هّٰللّٰ الر هّٰللّٰ رب العاملنی والصّالة والسالم علی أشرف اخللق احلمد أمجعنی.إىل حضرة اجلناب احملرتم املکرم العزیز األکرم موالان د حفظه هللا تعاىل، مۡح ومرشدان وهادینا ومسیح زماننا غالم أ ة هللا مۡح آمنی مث آمنی ایرب العاملنی.أما بعد السالم علیکم ور دان مۡح کاته، قد وصلنا کتابکم العزیز وقرأان وفهمنا ما فیه و وبر هللا الذي أنتم خبری وعافیة وای سیدي أطلب من هللا مث من جنابکم العفو والسماح فیما قد أخطأت.وای سیدي أان ولدك وخادمك وحمسوب علی هللا مث إىل جنابکم وإن شاء هللا تعالی أان تبت وعزمت علی أن ال أعود أبدًا وال أتکلم مبثل الکالم الذي ذکر قط.مجّل هللا حالکم وشکر هللا فضلکم والسالم.الراقم أحقر العباد محمد بن أحمد مكي

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 21 قد عجبين الکالم الذي ذکرمت فی الکتاب.احلمد هلل الذي وعدين مبالقاة جنابکم، ال شك والریب أنك أنت من عند هللا آمنا وصدقنا وآخر دعواان أن احلمد هلل رب العاملنی.الراقم حممد بن أمحد مکي [Translation] 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 noblest of all creation [the Holy Prophet].Dearly honoured and esteemed master, our guide and the Messiah of our age, Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.May God protect you.A m i n.A m i n —O Lord of all the worlds! May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.I received your loving letter and read it carefully, all the while thanking God that you were well.I seek for- giveness of Allah and of you for the error of my ways.I am your son and servant and answerable to the Lord and to you.I promise, God willing, I will not be guilty of the same error again, and I will never say anything like the one

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22 mentioned.May Allah better your situation and shower you with His rewards and blessings.The writer, humblest of the humble, Muhammad bin Ahmad of Makkah I was greatly moved by what you have written in your book.All praise belongs to Allah who has promised me a meeting with you.There is no doubt that you have been sent by God.I have believed in you and considered you to be true and our last supplication is: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.The writer, Muhammad bin Ahmad of Makkah

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 23 The Summary of a Letter Written by an Arab Scholar— Sayyed ‘Al i , Son of Shar i f Mu st af a Sayyed Sahib from Arabia wrote me a lengthy correspondence abounding in verses of Qa si dah [an Ode] and passages of prose written by way of praise and acclaim.The following is an excerpt from his lengthy letter: کب کو إلی جناب األجل ّ الناقد البصری طود العقل الغزیر و کن الشرق املنری ذي احلزم وإهلام هللا الکبری، صاحب اإلهلام ر د.مۡح الدولة األبدیة، سلطان الرعیة اإلسالمیة مریزا غالم أ کب فی اآلفاق للجاهل والعاقل.حبر فضائله تلوح کالکو الندی الذي ال یری له الساحل، ومنبع العلوم والعطاای اليت هي صافیة املناهل.

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24 [Translation] Dear Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, To the honourable, respected, wise, enlightened, learned Star of the East, the one who is free from error, the recipient of Allah’s revelation, the pillar in the eter- nal sultanate of Islam and the King of the Muslims— Mirza Ghulam Ahmad—whose excellences are like the stars that illuminate the night sky, visible to the ignorant and learned alike; who is an endless ocean of generosity and munificence and a clear fountain of knowledge and learning.I hope to publish the Qa si dah and the full letter written by this Arab scholar on another occasion.This much should suffice by way of testimony for now.

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 25 The Promise of Mr Abdullah Atham Representative of Dr Martyn Clarke and other Christians to Accept Islam in the Event they are Defeated Below, we produce the promise of the former Extra Assistant, Mr Abdullah Atham—who is now a pensioner and a chief of Amritsar—which he made in his capacity as the representative of Dr Martyn Clarke and the Christians of Jandiala, of becoming a Muslim on the condition of being defeated.Mr Atham has clearly acknowledged in his statement that if he is defeated through logical discussion or by seeing a Sign, he would embrace the reli- gion of Islam.And that statement is this: A Copy of the Letter Written by Mr Abdullah Atham on 9 May 1893 from Amritsar To Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Chief of Qadian, I submit, in response to your [treatise] H ujjatul-Isl a m [ A Conclusive Argument in

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26 Favour of Islam] regarding this servant, that if you or any other gentleman, in any way whatsoever—meaning, through an overpow- ering miracle or by a decisive logical argu- ment—prove the teachings of the Quran to be possible and in accord with the holy Divine attributes, then I declare that I will become a Muslim.Sir, keep this letter of mine in your hand, and excuse me from other acknowledge- ments through the issuance of an announce- ment in the newspapers.Signed, Mr Abdullah Atham

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 27 A Mub a halah Invitation in Response to the Announcement Published by Abdul-Haqq Ghaznawi Issued on 26 Shawwal 1310 Hijra I saw an announcement of a mub a halah [prayer duel] issued by Abdul-Haqq Ghaznawi, dated 26 Shawwal 1310 Hijra.This announcement is being issued, therefore, that I accept the mub a- halah from this person and similarly from every disbeliever who is referred to as a scholar or maulaw i.It is my hope that, by the will of Allah the All-Powerful, I will arrive in Amritsar by the 3rd or 4th of Dhul-Qa‘dah 1310 Hijra.The date of the mub a halah has been fixed as 10 Dhul-Qa‘dah or the 11th, due to some important reason, in case of rain and such.Beyond this, no further delay will be permitted in any event.The place where the mub a halah will take place has been agreed to be the ‘ I d-G a h, close to the mosque of the Late Khan Bahadur Muhammad Shah.And since during the first part of the day almost until noon, this humble one will be having a debate with the Christians about the truth of Islam, and this debate will continue for twelve days, I am free from 2 o’clock until the evening for those who have rejected me and, deeming me a k a fir [disbeliever], wish to challenge me in a mub a halah.During this time, on 10 Dhul-Qa‘dah or, in case of some excuse,

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28 11 Dhul-Qa‘dah 1310 Hijra, they may enter into a mub a halah with me.The 10th Dhul-Qa‘dah has been settled upon for the reason that the other ulema who consider this humble one, who professes the Kalimah and prays facing the Qiblah, to be a k a fir, may also have a chance to participate in the mub a halah.Among them are: Muhy-ud-Din of Lakhu; Maulaw i Abdul-Jabb a r; Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala; Munshi Sa‘dull a h, a teacher at High School Ludhiana; ‘Abdul-‘Az i z, preacher of Ludhiana; Munsh i Muhammad ‘Umar, former civil servant, Ludhiana; Maulaw i Muhammad H asan, a chief of Ludhiana; Miy an Naz i r Husain of Delhi; Pir Haider Shah; Ha fi z Abdul-Mannan of Wazirabad; Miy an ‘Abdull a h Tonki; Maulaw i Ghul a m Dastag i r of Kasur; Maulaw i Sh a h D i n; Maulaw i Musht a q Ahmad, a teacher at High School Ludhiana; Maulaw i Rash i d Ahmad Ganguhi; Maulaw i Muhammad ‘Al i , preacher of Bopra n , district Gujranwala; Maulaw i Muhammad Is ha q and Suleiman, residents of the State of Patiala; Z ah u r-ul- H asan, Sajj a dah Nash i n [Head of a Sufi Order] of Batala; and Maulaw i Mu h ammad, employee of Kar i m Bakhsh Printing Press, Lahore, etc.If, however, despite having received my announcements through registered post, these people are not present at the place of the mub a halah, this will itself be firm proof on this matter that they, in reality, consider themselves to be liars, unjust, and false in their doctrine of rejecting me.In particular, it is incum- bent upon Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala [the Editor] of Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah to be the first one to arrive at the grounds of the mub a halah in Amritsar on the specified date since he himself has requested the mub a halah.Keep in mind that we do not want to indulge in a mub a halah time and time again, as a mub a halah

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h a d rat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as 29 is not a light, frivolous matter.The matter should now be settled between all those who declare me to be a k a fir.Thus, whosoever now refrains after our announcement has been published and does not present himself at the specified date, shall have no right in the future to request the mub a halah again.Thereafter, it will be deemed shameful for him to go on calling me a k a fir behind my back.These announcements are sent as a conclusive argument via registered post so that after this those who declare me to be a k a fir are not left with an excuse.If, after this, they neither take part in the mub a halah nor desist from calling me a disbeliever, then from our side, the argument is complete.Finally, keep in mind that before the mub a halah takes place, it will be my right to pres- ent the reasons for my belief in Islam before those who declare me to be a k a fir in a public gathering.َم ُ عَلٰی مَن ِ اتَّبَع َ الْھُدٰی ال وَالسَّ [And peace be upon him who follows the guidance].Humbly, Announced by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 30 Shaww a l 1310 Hijra

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30 Conclusive Argument If Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala does not present himself for the mub a halah on 10 Dhul-Qa‘dah 1310 Hijra, then it will be understood that the prophecy concerning him—that is, that he will repent from calling me a disbeliever—has been fulfilled.In the end, I pray to God: O my All-Powerful Lord! Curse the one who is unjust, a transgressor, and a consummate mischief-maker, and send down the punishment of humiliation upon him who does not come now to face me in mub a halah after the invita- tion of the mub a halah has been given and the city, place, and time have been settled upon, nor does he refrain from repeatedly calling me a disbeliever, nor refrains from oppression and cruelty.A m i n, and again, A m i n.1 ٭.فإن ن ی ن املکذّب� ی ام املکفّر� ن و سنة ال هّٰلّٰ ونبیه إلإ � ھ ٍ � ی أ�یها املکفّرون تعالوا ایل أمر.فإن ن ی ن املکذّب� ی ام املکفّر� ن و سنة ال هّٰلّٰ ونبیه إلإ � ھ ٍ � ی أ�یها املکفّرون تعالوا ایل أمر هم ن هم أ� ن و� ن ت هد � ش س هم و ن ل� ن ت ن استبان � ی ن الذ� ی فاعملوا أن لعنة ال هّٰلّٰ عیل املکفّر� ت تولی� هم ن هم أ� ن و� ن ت هد � ش س هم و ن ل� ن ت ن استبان � ی ن الذ� ی فاعملوا أن لعنة ال هّٰلّٰ عیل املکفّر� ت تولی� ن ی اکنوا اکذب� ن ی اکنوا اکذب� [O Ye who call me a disbeliever, come unto that which Allah and His Messenger s as have prescribed for the silencing of disbelievers.But if you turn away, know that the curse of Allah befalls the disbelievers whose fear and retreat is testimony to their falsehood].Announced by, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian 1.٭ All those ulema who declare me a disbeliever are invited to Amritsar on 10 Dhul-Qa‘dah 1310 Hijra to enter into a mub a halah challenge with me.[Author]

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

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

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Publisher’s Note 35 ص s – strongly articulated s.ض d – similar to the English th in this.ط t – strongly articulated palatal t.ظ z – strongly articulated z.ع ‘ – a strong guttural, the pronunciation of which must be learnt by the ear.غ gh – a sound similar to the French r in grasseye, and to the German r.It requires the muscles of the throat to be in the ‘gargling’ position to pronounce it.ق q – a deep guttural k sound.ء ’ – a sort of catch in the voice.Short vowels are represented by: a for __ َ ___ (like u in bud ).i for __ ِ ___ (like i in bid ).u for __ ُ ___ (like oo in wood ).Long vowels by: a for __ ٰ ___ or آ (like a in father ).i for ی __ ِ ___ or __ ٖ ___ (like ee in deep ).u for و __ ٗ __ (like oo in root ).Other vowels by: ai for ی __ َ ___ (like i in site ).au for و __ َ ___ (resembling ou in sound ).

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36 The consonants not included in the above list have the same pho- netic value as in the principal languages of Europe.While the Arabic ن is represented by n , we have indicated the Urdu ں as ń.As noted above, the single quotation mark ‘ is used for trans- literating ع which is distinct from the apostrophe ’ used for ء.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 transliteration for names of persons, places, and other terms, are not followed throughout the book as many of the names contain non-Arabic characters and carry a local translitera- tion and pronunciation style.Acknowledgements We would like to express our appreciation to the late Chaudhary Muhammad Ali and his team for the first edition of this English translation that was published in 2010.We also express our gratitude to the members of the English Translation Section of Additional Wak a lat-e-Ta s n i f who pro- duced this second edition.This new translation was prepared by Haris Ahmad Raja and Waseem Ahmed Sayed, and finalized by Naser-ud-Din Shams.Valuable assistance was also provided by Reem Shraiky, Asifah Wahab Mirza, Abdul Noor Abid, Naveed Ahmed Malik, and Mirza Abdul-Wahab.May Allah bless them all for their efforts.A m i n.

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Glossary A m i n A term which literally means, ‘may it be so’ and is used at the end of a supplication to pray that God may accept it.It is similar in mean- ing to ‘amen’.Dajj a l A term in Arabic that liter- ally means, ‘the great deceiver’.In Islamic terminology ‘Dajj a l’ refers to those satanic forces that would be unleashed in the Latter Days to oppose the Promised Messiah as and al-Imam al-Mahdi.A similar prophecy in the Christian faith about the appearance of the Anti- christ refers to the same phenom- enon, and we have therefore used the terms ‘Dajj a l’ and ‘Antichrist’ and synonyms.Hadrat A term of respect used to show honour and reverence for a person of established righteous- ness and piety.The literal mean- ing is: His/Her Holiness, Worship, Eminence, etc.It is also used for God in the superlative sense.Holy Prophet s as A title used exclu- sively for the Founder of Islam, Hadrat Mu h ammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.Holy Quran The final and per- fect Scripture revealed by Allah for the guidance of mankind for all times to come.It was revealed word by word to the Holy Prophet Muhammad s as over a period of twenty-three years.Ibl i s An attributive name meaning ‘he turned away’.The Holy Quran reports that Ibl i s, inflamed by his own arrogance, refused to submit to Hadrat A dam as.‘ I d Literally, ‘Happiness that is often renewed.’ ‘ I dul-Fi t r marks the end of the month of Ramadan.‘ I dul- A dha is celebrated to commemo- rate the willingness of Hadrat Ibr a- h i m as to sacrifice his son for God.

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38 Jam a ‘at Community.Although the word Jam a ‘at may refer to any com- munity, in this book Jam a ‘at gen- erally refers to the Worldwide Ah- madiyya Muslim Jam a ‘at.Kadhdh a b Great liar.A title of Mu- sailimah, who claimed falsely to be a Prophet in Arabia in the 7th cen- tury CE.K a fir A person who is not a Muslim; disbeliever.Kalimah The declaration of the Is- lamic faith: L a il a ha illall a h Mu- h ammadur-Ras u lull a h, ‘There is no one worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messen- ger of Allah.’ Makkah The ancient Arabian city of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s birth, settled by Prophet Ibr a- h i m as (Abraham), and home to the Ka‘bah, the holiest site in Islam.Maulaw i A Muslim religious cleric.Qa si dah An ode.Qiblah Direction of the Ka‘bah in Makkah, toward which Muslims face to offer formal prayers.S u rah A chapter of the Holy Quran.

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Index Abdul-Haqq Ghaznawi background on initial mub a halah invitation by, 27 Abdullah Atham as representative for Dr Martyn Clarke and other Christians 25 letter to Promised Messiah 25 promise of, to convert to Islam if defeated in debates 25 representative of Christianity 25 A ’ i na-e-Kam a l a t-e-Isl a m influence on Arab and non- Arab scholars of, 9 recognition of, for high degree of eloquence 9 Allah See also God blessings invoked for H aramain Shar i fain 8 disgrace for liars assured by, 6 granting victory to Muslims through divine servant 19 invocation for reward and mercy 19 miracles attributed to, 10 oath attesting to exceptional Arabic of Indian author 9 prayer to, for living and dying in service of the Imam 9 Promised Messiah’s longing for, to facilitate journey 18 promise of, of future affection from virtuous 18 promise of, to Muhammad bin Ahmad for meeting with Promised Messiah 22 responding to darkness and evil of age by sending Promised Messiah 19 saving people from deception 19 support for Imam of the Age 9 the Most Merciful 19

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40 American Mission Press, Ludhiana announcement published in gratitude to Sheikh Muhammad Husain 1 opposition to Promised Messiah 1 Arabic acknowledgment of superior quality of A ’ i na-e-Kam a l a t- e-Isl a m, even by Arab scholars 9 competing commentary and Qa si dah in, 5 Arab Scholar(s) desire of, to meet Promised Messiah 11, 14 expressions of admiration and recognition 23 expressions of devotion and repentance 20–22 impact of letter on Promised Messiah 15–20 letter from Makkah 20–22 letter to Promised Messiah by, 11, 13 mentioned as omen of reformation in East and West 15–20 prayers for protection and well-being of Promised Messiah by, 20–22 spiritual longing expressed by, towards Promised Messiah 11–13 testimonies and letters in favour of Promised Messiah by, 9, 11, 13, 20, 23 Books and Written Works Promised Messiah’s works for the people of Arabia and Syria 15–20 Christian(s) Abdullah Atham as representative for Dr Martyn Clarke and, 25 involvement of Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala in aiding Christianity 2 priest benefiting from Muhammad Husain of Batala and Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah 4 support received by priests in theological matters 1 views of, regarding Divinity 2 Clarke, Dr Henry Martyn acknowledgment of, H aramain Shar i fain as seat of Islamic scholarship 8 agreement and subsequent desire of, to withdraw from debate 2 correspondence with Promised Messiah 2 initial agreement to debate Islam and Christianity 1 subsequent state of fear 1 Debates and Dialogues participants and significance of, 7 promise of Abdullah Atham to convert to Islam if defeated in, 25 scheduled for 15 June 1893, 7

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Index 41 Divine Guidance and Refor- mation Promised Messiah’s hopes for reformation of East and West 15–20 role of virtuous individuals in divine plans 15–20 Divinity Islamic and Christian views about, 2 Fatwa issued against Promised Messiah 3 God See also Allah comparison of man to, illustrating man’s insignificance 2 Moses’ prayer to see, 14 unique divinity of, contrasted with human mortality 2 H aramain Shar i fain recognized as seat of Islamic ulema 8 support for Promised Messiah from scholars of, 8 Ish a ‘atus-Sunnah utilized in Christian arguments against Islam 4 Islam criticism and rejection faced by, from ulema 15 impact on, from disbelievers and deceivers 15 Promised Messiah’s perspective on state of, 15–20 revival and reformation of, 15–20 views regarding Divinity 2 Letters and Correspondence Muhammad bin Ahmad’s testimony and allegiance to the Promised Messiah 21 role in connecting spiritually and emotionally 15 Sayyed Ali’s poetic and prosaic praise for Promised Messiah 23 Maulaw i Ghulam Dastagir representing opposing party and point of view 7 Maulaw i Ha fi z Muhammad Ya‘q u b discussion with Syrian Sayyed on eloquence of A ’ i na-e- Kam a l a t-e-Isl a m 9 testimony supporting Promised Messiah by, 9 Maulaw i s causing internal division 4 Miracle attribution to divine intervention rather than human effort 10 Mub a halah background on initial, by Abdul-Haqq Ghaznawi 27 invitation by Promised Messiah to Abdul-Haqq Ghaznawi 26 list of notable ulema and scholars invited to, 28 scriptural basis for, 30

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42 Muhammad bin Ahmad of Makkah acknowledgment of past error and pledge for betterment 20, 21 letter to Promised Messiah by, 20–22 Noble Personalities writings cited as examples 8 N u r-i-Afsh an critique and allegations published in, against Promised Messiah 2 fatwas against Promised Messiah 2 Promised Messiah attributes and virtues described by Arab scholars 11–13 concern about Muslims being led astray 15–20 criticism and labels from ulema 3 emotional and spiritual connections formed through letters 15 fatwas issued against, 3 hopes and prayers for reformation of Islam by, 15–20 invited notable ulema and scholars to mub a halah 28 invocation for Allah’s mercy and blessings 15 Muhammad bin Ahmad’s testimony and allegiance to, 21 perspective on state of Islam 15–20 prayer to God regarding the unjust and the transgressors 30 response of, to Arab Scholar’s heartfelt correspondence 15–20 Religion Christian priests received support in theological matters 1 on Islamic and Christian views distinguishing truth from falsehood 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 27 Dr Henry Martyn Clarke vs ‘the Promised Messiah’ 1 focus on Islam and Christianity 1 strategies and roles in debates 2 Sheikh Muhammad Husain of Batala involvement in aiding Christian strategy 2 suspected covert involvement with Christian priests 2 Testimony from Arab scholar on eloquence and impact of A ’ i na-e-Kam a l a t-e-Isl a m 9 from Maulaw i Ha fi z Muhammad Ya‘q u b 9 of Muhammad bin Ahmad 20, 20–22

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Index 43 Travel and Distance emotional and logistical barriers to meeting Promised Messiah 11–13 letter as ‘half a meeting’ 11–13 Truth tested in debates 8 Ulema criticism and labels towards Promised Messiah from, 3

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