Last Updated on 17th June 2023

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Ata-ul-Haye Nasir, Al Hakam

This is the second part of the article, on “Sadaqat-e-Islam aur Zara’i Taraqqi-e-Islam” (The truthfulness of Islam and the means for its progress), a lecture delivered by Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Mirza Bashir-ud-Deen Mahmood Ahmad^ra on 22 February 1920 at the Vande Mataram Hall in Amritsar.

A beloved of God in our era

“Hence, there have been many holy personages who were the beloveds of God Almighty, and a beloved of God Almighty has come in this era as well. Due to the evils of this age, and people’s distance from God Almighty and abandoning Him, God Almighty appointed a person [Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad^as, the Promised Messiah] who served Islam and proved its truthfulness. This was an era when the teachings of the Holy Prophet^sa were regarded as the ‘worst of the worst’ [God forbid]. It was claimed that they would vanish from the world within a hundred years. At that time, the honour of God Almighty ignited with fervour, and He declared, ‘Who would dare to erase the teachings of Muhammad^sa?’ Thus, this was an age when the situation of [the followers of] Islam was pitiable and Islamic teachings were being attacked. Moreover, due to the advancement of science and other disciplines new kinds of objections were being raised, and people would say that ‘there are such teachings in the Holy Quran that are against reason’. Hence, with the emergence of every new science, people would attack Islam. When Darwin’s theory [of evolution] emerged, Islam was attacked through it. Islam was subjected to criticism from the perspective of geology. In light of astronomy, ‘defects’ were being pointed out in [the teachings of] Islam. In short, as a result of the research on every discipline, it was said that ‘Islam is filled with flaws and mistakes and cannot stand in front of any discipline.’ For this reason, they claimed that ‘the Muslims would leave Islam themselves as soon as they are acquainted with the [new] disciplines.’ Moreover, this thought spread so much that many of the so-called Muslims said that there is a need for reform in Islam and that its teachings should be made compatible with the current era.

“In that particular circumstance, the divine honour of God surged with enthusiasm, as He conveyed to Muhammad^sa, ‘You are so deeply cherished by Me that even your followers would become dear to Me,’ and His love blossomed like a flowing fountain. To prove the majesty of Islam and the greatness of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa, He appointed a person who held no status in terms of worldly majesty, strength, wealth, money, fame or honour and said that through this very person, He shall establish Islam in this era and propagate it in the world. Thus, in such a calamitous and delicate time, God Almighty opened up a door to prove the truthfulness of Islam, and chose that person from Qadian, and said to him ‘Since you have brought yourself under the complete servitude of Muhammad^sa, now I am appointing you to serve Islam and to [prove] the majesty of Muhammad^sa.’

“Now, the question arises as to how one could know that this person had love for God Almighty and God Almighty also loved him, and how does his appointment prove the truthfulness of Islam? […] The one who is the beloved of God Almighty is granted His help as well. One ought to look from this perspective as to whether or not he had the help and succour of God Almighty. To assess this, one should see that when he stood up to serve Islam, as I have indicated earlier, his circumstances were very ordinary; he had no [worldly] might or strength, and neither was he famous in the world. He did not have any wealth, following, or power. However, in that era, he proclaimed that God has given him the following glad tiding:

میں تیری تبلیغ کو زمین کے کناروں تک پہنچاؤں گا۔

“[‘I shall carry your message to the ends of the earth.’ (Tadhkirah [English], p. 407)]

“He also announced that God Almighty has told him the following:

فَحَانَ اَنْ تُعَانَ وَتُعْرَفَ بَیْنَ النَّاسِ

“Meaning, ‘The time has come that you should be helped and be recognised among people.’ [Tadhkirah [English], p. 289]

“Then he announced after having received the glad tiding from God Almighty that:

دنیا میں ایک نذیر آیا پر دنیا نے اُس کو قبول نہ کیا لیکن خدا اسے قبول کرے گا اور بڑے زور آور حملوں سے اُس کی سچائی ظاہر کردے گا۔

“Meaning, ‘A Warner came unto the world, but the world accepted him not; yet God shall accept him and demonstrate his truthfulness with mighty assaults.’ (Tadhkirah [English], p. 128)

“In short, at the time when he was alone, he had no following either; people would not come to his town from outside; his town was not a famous one; rather, it was an ordinary and small town. At that time, God told him that ‘I will spread your name in the world.’ […] Now, one ought to see whether or not he gained that honour and fame in the world and whether or not he attained the help and support that were promised to him by God Almighty. […] After his claim, he gained such fame in the world that there is no country or place whose people are unaware of him; his name spread to every country and nation, and in this way, that prophecy was fulfilled which he had announced after having received the glad tidings from God Almighty at a time when he was completely unknown. One could say that ‘Mirza Sahib had made a claim of a new kind, and the name of such people often spreads who make such new claims.’ However, we say that he did not claim anything new. In the same era, many other people had also made new kinds of claims; where did their names spread? Moreover, there is not a single person among those who claimed that their name would spread to the whole world, and that happened as well. This distinctive feature is only held by the Promised Messiah^as, that everything transpired in accordance with what he had foretold. It proves that he had inculcated within him the love of God Almighty; otherwise, there were such people in the same Punjab who made certain claims, but neither their names spread nor did they make such announcements in advance, as did the Promised Messiah^as.

Propagation of Islam through the Promised Messiah^as

“Now, we ask as to whether or not everything happened in accordance with what had been foretold by the Promised Messiah^as. Yes, it happened for sure. The [people of] same nations that proclaimed that Islam would be effaced within a century, accepted Islam through him. From among the European people – who, due to the decline of Muslims in various sciences and civilisation, would say that ‘Islam is a religion of ignorance,’ and would see Islam with immense hate – many of them have accepted Islam and did so at a time when the world had claimed that Islam would be effaced. They came under the fold of Islam at a time when presenting Islam to people was a far cry; even the so-called Muslims were shy of [expressing their belief in] it. In this way, did not the prophecy of the Promised Messiah^as prove to be true, which he had made in accordance with God Almighty’s glad tidings that Islam would spread through him? […] The servants of the Promised Messiah^as stood in front of the same religions which were declaring Islam to be ‘a religion of ignorance and madness’ and defeated them [through preaching] and raised the slogans of لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ [There is none worthy of worship except Allah]. Now look at [the people of] Europe, the same people who wanted to make us followers of the Trinity; the call of لَآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ is echoing at the homes of many of them. Moreover, this call has now turned to America too. Therefore, we have already sent our missionary to America, so that he may call the attention of Americans towards Islam who seem to be ready to accept it. Then, the same Germany which was heavily inclined towards materialism, is now paying attention to spirituality.  […]

Opposition of the Promised Messiah^as

“One may say, ‘What is the big deal if some people joined Islam?’ However, the Promised Messiah^as did not merely say that Islam would spread in the world; along with that, he also said that Islam would spread despite the fact that the world would oppose him. Hence, the world opposed him, and the ones who claimed to be believers in the majesty and greatness of Muhammad^sa, also created obstacles. […] Numerous forms of oppression were inflicted upon him; stones were hurled at him [such as in Amritsar on 9 November 1905], and he endured various hardships. However, despite all this, he would say:

اے دل تو نیز خاطرِ ایناں نگاہ دار

كآخر كنند دعویٔ حُبِّ پیمبرم

“[‘O heart, you are required to show sympathy towards them, after all, they claim to have love for my Prophet [the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa.’] (Izala-e-Auham, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 3, p. 182)]

“It meant that, ‘Regardless of how badly they treat me despite the fact that I have stood up to propagate the teaching which they themselves claim to love, I remember to show sympathy to them because, after all, they claim to love that Prophet^[sa] of whom I am a servant.’ […]

“In short, his own people opposed him and put hurdles in his way. His followers were thrown away from their homes, and hardships and troubles of every kind were faced by them, but still, these poor and weak people gradually progressed and offered their wealth for Islam’s propagation by sacrificing the needs of their own and their families. Despite all the opposition, they progressed. People wished for Islam to not spread, but God Almighty desired to make it shine, hence, it happened so. Thus, Islam spread in the world and enlightened it, and continues to do so, which is glorious proof of that person being the truthful and chosen one of God Almighty.

Success of the Promised Messiah^as

“An American author writes that the people who make efforts in the world are of  two kinds; those who make people follow them and those who represent others. For instance, if there is a country that lacks education and hence a person stands and declares the spread of education to be his objective, though in the beginning he would face opposition and some people would stand against him, he will succeed at last, because the prevailing circumstances and situation will force them to attain education. However, one’s success becomes very difficult if one proclaims such things that the circumstances do not compel people to accept, but rather, incite them against them. The Promised Messiah^as was also one of those people, because when he proclaimed his objective, everyone became his opponent, and the circumstances of the era were completely against him. Though people believed that God Almighty had been speaking to His servants, they did not believe that there could be a person in this era with whom God Almighty spoke. In fact, the Promised Messiah^as desired to instil this belief [in people], because he had come to reform the world, instead of leading people to the same path that was being followed by the material people. For this reason, his success is a glorious fact and a huge proof of his truthfulness, and it testifies that Islam is the true religion of God Almighty.

Promised Messiah’s^as prophecy regarding the Tsar of Russia

“Then, he foretold that there would be a horrific war in the world, and during this, Tsar [Nicholas II] would have to endure a pitiable state. Thus, he stated:

زار بھی ہوگا تو ہوگا اس گھڑی با حالِ زار

“Meaning, ‘The Tsar himself will, at that hour, be in a pitiable state.’ [Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part V, p. 218]

“Thus, this was exactly what happened. In this prophecy, he had laid out the whole situation of that war, to an extent that in some of his pamphlets, he presented a sketch of those [battle] fields where immensely horrific battles took place. That prophecy included the following couplet as well:

رات جو رکھتے تھے پوشاکیں برنگِ یاسمن

صبح کر دے گی انہیں مثلِ درختانِ چنار

“Meaning, ‘Those whose night garments were white as jasmine, Will wake up in the morning as if clad in red, like the poplar tree.’ [Ibid.]

“Therefore, the great war of France, in which Germany had to face a defeat, was fought in an area where the poplar trees are found abundantly. On one hand, the streams of blood were flowing, and on the other, the red leaves of poplar trees resembled the frozen blood, which made this situation even more terrifying.

“In short, he foretold that a great war would take place, and the Tsar’s situation would be horrifying. Thus, we witnessed after his [the Promised Messiah^as] demise that a war took place, during which the Tsar had to endure the most horrifying and admonitory circumstances. Other European kings also had power within their countries; however, the Tsar was the most authoritative king. Hence, the words that he would use as his signatures, meant vicegerent of God. So, the Promised Messiah^as was told [by God] that a great war would happen, during which a huge calamity would befall the Tsar of Russia, and that calamity would not be the one that would kill him suddenly, but rather, his condition would be extremely sorrowful, and he would die after enduring immensely painful circumstances. Now, let us see whether or not it actually happened.

“While the Tsar of Russia was ruling with full majesty and power, he came to know about a rebellion from [St Petersburg, on 22 January 1905, in the form of a demonstration by the workers and members of war-affected social classes.] He proceeded to that area and instructed the commander of the army to severely punish the rebels, and that he was on the way as well. However, while he had crossed only a few stations [of the Imperial Train], he received a telegram that the situation was very perilous. Thereafter, he instructed the commander to hand over the command to another officer. After crossing some more stations, he was informed that the situation had gotten even worse, and in response, he instructed [the commander] to show some leniency. After this, at the same station, some people approached him and asked him to surrender his authority.

“You all would have read about his situation, which transpired later. What more pitiable situation could he face than this, that his daughters were mistreated in front of his eyes, and then by killing him, they brought his pitiable situation to an extreme. These incidents are testifying like the daylight that the person who had foretold this all, had come from God, and had a great connection with God Almighty. Moreover, it is proven from this that Islam is the religion in which such a person has come whose heart is filled with the love of God Almighty and God Almighty manifests the proof of His love for him.” (Sadaqat-e-Islam Aur Zara’i Taraqqi-e-Islam, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 5, pp. 53-73)

Another prophecy for the truthfulness of Islam

After this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra narrated the details of the Promised Messiah’s^as prophecy about Ahmad Baig and Muhammadi Begum, and said:

“Thus, this prophecy is a glorious proof for Islam’s truthfulness, since it manifests that the God of Islam is not like a ‘machine’ – which is unable to distinguish [between right and wrong] – but rather, He is the Being Who does whatever He desires. Our opponents consider that this prophecy was not fulfilled; however, they are in a delusion. In reality, this prophecy has been fulfilled gloriously.

Survival of the victim of a rabid dog

“Now, let us ponder over some other matters which prove that whatever the Promised Messiah^as has presented, proves the majesty and truthfulness of Islam, because God Almighty informed the Promised Messiah^as about such matters which He does not tell anyone, except His beloved ones.

“Once a boy was bitten by a rabid dog and was sent to Kasauli for treatment, however, when he returned, he began to show signs of madness after some time. It is written in all books of medicine, and doctors are also in agreement, that there is no cure for the one who shows signs of madness as a result of being bitten by a [rabid] dog. When the news about the boy’s illness was conveyed to Kasauli, they responded:

“‘Sorry, nothing can be done for Abdul Karim.’

“Since this boy had come to attain religious education from a very far distance, the Promised Messiah^as was motivated by the thought that it is the beginning [of the Jamaat] and opposition is happening from all sides. If this boy dies, it will cause a huge pain to the parents of this boy who was sent to a far distance to attain religious education, and the opponents will also make hue and cry. Thus, when he was said to be incurable, [Huzoor^as] prayed for him and he survived [The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, pp. 597-598]. Hence, that boy is still alive. To this day, there is no other example in the past thousand years of a person with such an ailment who has survived. He survived only through the prayers of the Promised Messiah^as. This is a huge proof of the Power of God Almighty which has manifested through the Promised Messiah^as.

The cure of a sick who was said to be incurable

“Similarly, thousands of other signs manifested, from which I will narrate another one as an example. A son of [Sardar] Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib^[ra] – who is the maternal uncle of the current Nawab of Malerkotla, and I have been informed that he is here today – was ill due to typhoid fever. He was being treated by a traditional physician – Hazrat Maulvi Noor-ud-Deen Sahib^ra, who had been the special physician of the Maharaja of Jammu – and two other doctors. However, a situation arrived when the physicians became completely perplexed and frightened and said that ‘Now this child cannot survive.’ When the Promised Messiah^as was informed about this, he said that he would pray for his health. He prayed, and God Almighty revealed to him that now he cannot survive. At this, the Promised Messiah^as submitted [to God Almighty]: ‘O God, I intercede on his behalf.’ In response to this, [God Almighty] revealed:

مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِیۡ یَشۡفَعُ عِنۡدَہٗۤ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِہٖ

“[‘Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission?’ (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch. 2: V. 256)]

“Regarding this episode, the Promised Messiah^as states, ‘My condition became such that I lost consciousness and fell down.’ At that moment, he received the following revelation:

انك انت المجاز

“Meaning, ‘Permission is granted to you to intercede.’

“Upon this, the Promised Messiah^as prayed, and he was told that the boy will be saved. Therefore, after half an hour, he [the child] got better and survived. He is in England now to attain education. [The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, p. 279]

Response to a question

[Upon this, a member of the audience humbly presented a written question to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra. The question respectfully acknowledged that while the subject of the lecture revolved around the signs affirming the truthfulness of Islam, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra had begun to elucidate the signs and virtues of the Promised Messiah^as. In response, Huzoor^ra graciously addressed the query as follows:]

“The first part of my lecture was about the arguments for the truthfulness of Islam, which I have already explained, and the second part is about the observation of the truthfulness of Islam, for which I am presenting the signs of the Promised Messiah^as. One ought to remember that we do not believe in the Promised Messiah^as for his person’s sake, but rather, we believe in him since, through his personage, the truthfulness of Islam has been proven. Hence, the signs of his truthfulness are, in fact, the signs of the Holy Prophet’s^sa truthfulness, because Hazrat Mirza Sahib^as presented himself as a servant of the Holy Prophet^sa.

Islam’s truthfulness through a challenge to Bishop Lefroy

“Then, the Promised Messiah^as issued a challenge to Bishop Lefroy [an Anglican missionary who became the Bishop of Lahore in 1899 and served there until 1913 when he was appointed as Lord Bishop of Calcutta] in order to prove the truthfulness of Islam through a prayer [duel]. He asked him to represent Christianity and he would represent Islam, and to pray to God that He may manifest a sign in favour of the truthful religion.

“[Hazrat Ahmad^as engaged in challenges against numerous Christian missionaries and extended invitations for prayer duels to them. On one such occasion, he presented an alternative approach to ascertain the truth, which was that] both parties be given a few ailing people, and they were to pray for their cure. That religion was to be considered truthful, whose representative would cure the most number of ailed persons.

“Upon this, many prominent English newspapers published articles and stated, ‘Why do our priests, who are getting huge amounts of wages, not come to contest? This is the time to prove the truthfulness of Christianity.’ However, no one came to the contest. This was a very simple and befitting way to decide, however, no one accepted it, and it testifies to the point that the people of other religions feel that it is only Islam that can present the proof for its truthfulness, our religions are unable to do so.

The academic achievements of the Promised Messiah^as

“From an academic and theological point of view, the Promised Messiah^as wrote such great essays that even the opponents had to acknowledge their magnificence. Hence, a great Jalsa was held in Lahore [in December 1896], which was called ‘Mahotso’. In this regard, a condition was fixed for the representatives of all religions to present the hallmarks of their respective religions, and refrain from attacking any other religion. The Promised Messiah^as wrote an essay for this [occasion] on Islam, and prophesied in advance through an ishtihar [pamphlet] that God had given glad tidings that his essay would be the best among all in that Jalsa [Majmu‘ah-e-Ishtiharat [2019], Vol. 2, pp. 171-172]. Therefore, when his essay was read out at the Jalsa and the fixed time finished, all attendees, belonging to all religions, requested to extend the time, and a certain speaker gave his time to be used for [Huzoor’s^as] essay. However, when the essay did not complete during the extended time either, the people asked [the speaker who was reading Huzoor’s^as essay] to continue reading, but when it did not complete even during the second extended time, the attendees proposed to extend the Jalsa for another day. Thus, another day was given, allowing the essay to be read out completely. The people acknowledged that ‘whether or not  we agree with the points narrated, but undoubtedly, this essay has been the best among all essays.’ The Civil and Military Gazette wrote an article in this regard as well.

Testimony of an opponent newspaper about the Promised Messiah^as

“In short, the Promised Messiah^as rendered such practical service to [prove] the truthfulness of Islam, which was not done by anyone else in this era, that even his enemies had to acknowledge it. For instance, on his demise, a well-known newspaper of this city, Vakil, which does not belong to our Community, published a very good article, in which it was accepted that [Hazrat] Mirza Sahib^[as] has rendered great services for Islam and highlighted the superiority of Islam in front of other religions. This is a testimony about the Promised Messiah^as from his opponent. Though there were several other newspapers that acknowledged his services, the Vakil article was the best one. It had stated that [Hazrat] Mirza Sahib’s^[as] ‘pen was a marvel and his voice magic,’ and ‘his two fists generated the thunderous lightning.’ [Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 2, pp. 560-561]

“So, this was the academic miracle that was presented by the Promised Messiah^as in favour of the truthfulness of Islam. Then look, while there are people who allege that ‘Mirza Sahib^[as] did not propagate Islam’, on the other hand even the opponents are acknowledging that the teachings of Islam that have been presented by [Hazrat] Mirza Sahib^[as] are of a great level. […]

“Thus, these incidents and arguments prove that Islam is a true religion and is superior to all other [religions] with respect to the arguments of its truthfulness. Moreover, it is proven from the observation that in this era, Islam is the only religion that could lead one to God Almighty.

Address to the audience

“Now, I request to all, whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim, that they are required to ponder over the truthfulness of Islam with love. There is no harm in advising others with love and affection. Only fighting amongst ourselves and speaking ill of each other is wrong. You ought to ponder over our religion with calmness, since we also ponder over your religions in the same manner. Is not the religion [Islam] that I have presented to you, able to establish the foundations of world peace? If Islam has this ability, which is the truth, then I wish to appeal to you all to accept it so that the distance which is present between us can be alleviated.

“Then, I ask those who are the followers of the Holy Prophet^sa, but have not joined our Jamaat, ‘Is not this the time for us all to make full efforts to propagate Islam in the world? That person, who sacrificed everything for the sake of Islam’s propagation, lived in front of your eyes. Did you not ponder yet as to what his purpose was? Did he come to efface Islam, or did he strive day and night to serve Islam?’ […] We have witnessed that despite his ailments, at every moment of his life, he strived to propagate Islam in the world, and occupied himself at all times in this very endeavour. Can anyone who holds a love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa and Islam refrain from inclining towards him, be separated from him, or abandon him? Not at all. Did he point out any flaws in the Holy Quran? Did he alter Islamic teachings? Did he abandon Islam? If not, and his only mission was to propagate Islam in the world, then what is the reason for those who profess the same objective, to not come under his flag? They are required to ponder over it with calmness, and leave aside the discrimination and stubbornness, which are not attributes of just people. If they do so, they will certainly find that God sent him to establish a Jamaat that would propagate Islam in the world. Thus, Muslims need to pay attention to it and see what the situation of [the followers of] Islam is today.

“So, O my friends, O brothers, O my beloved ones, you ought to recognise the time. Do you not feel any mercy upon witnessing these circumstances? Do you not feel the need to leap forward to propagate Islam? You should reflect upon and bear in mind that God’s honour for Islam is fervently present at this moment in time. The opponents of Islam alleged that ‘Islam has spread through the power of the sword, otherwise, it had no distinctive feature to help its spread’, God Almighty declared that this [allegation] is incorrect, Islam had spread through the power of arguments. If even the servant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa could propagate Islam through arguments, why could his master not propagate it in this way? The Holy Prophet^sa did not take up the sword initially, but rather, the opponents took this initiative first. The Holy Prophet^sa took up the sword in self-defence. However, due to their unawareness of [the true facts of] those incidents, the people alleged that ‘Islam has spread through the power of the sword.’ In its response, the honour of God came into action and He appointed a servant of the Holy Prophet^sa, so that he may propagate Islam through arguments.

“Thus, you should align your intentions with the will of God Almighty so that He may shower His blessings on you. Now, the only way for the Muslims to progress is for them to abandon their discrimination and stubbornness, and become true Muslims. God Almighty has put forward His ‘hand’ to help the Muslims and sent down a ‘rope’ from Him. Now, it is your duty to hold fast to it. You are called to be the ummah of Muhammad^sa. If God had not provided His help upon your decline, and not provided any means for your progress, the people would have deduced that ‘Islam is not a beloved religion of God.’ However, since Islam is the beloved religion of God, in a situation when the Muslims had become weak and helpless in all aspects, it was essential that He help them, and He did so. He sent the Promised Messiah^as as the means for the progress of the Muslims. It is your duty now to accept him and hold fast by the ‘rope’ that He has sent down. This is the only means for your progress and the only pathway for you to attain the [true] objective.

“Just recently, an Englishman, whose name was Faith, saw in a dream that there was a rock from which a person emerged who held a rope in his hands, and instructed him [Mr Faith] to grasp it. After this [dream], he met our missionaries in England, who showed him a picture of the Promised Messiah^as, upon which he narrated his dream and said that it was this very person who held a rope in his hand and advised him to grasp it.

“So, O brethren, O my beloveds, you also ought to join this service which is being carried out by the mission of the Promised Messiah^as, so you may be established on the living religion. If you will preach the arguments which have been presented by the Promised Messiah^as in favour of Islam’s truthfulness, then no religion can ever stand in front of you. Thus, you are required to value this blessing of God Almighty, accept him, and go around the world holding the arguments taught by him, so that the call of لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَّسُوْلُ اللّٰہ [There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger] may echo in all corners of the world.

“Now, I will conclude my lecture on the prayer that may Allah the Almighty enable the members of the Ahmadiyya [Muslim] Community, the people who have not yet joined it, the followers of other religions, and even those who do not believe in God, to accept the truthful religion, adopt the right path and follow it as well, and He may shower upon us the same grace which had been showered in the times of previous prophets. May God accept our prayers, Amin.” (Sadaqat-e-Islam Aur Zara’i Taraqqi-e-Islam, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 5, pp. 75-82)
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Response to an appeal of British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George: Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s lectures in Lahore and Amritsar, 1920 (alhakam.org)

Ata-ul-Haye Nasir, Al Hakam

British Prime Minister’s appeal

In his New Year’s Message for the year 1920, along with the other Premiers of the Empire, the then British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, appealed to the people of the British Commonwealth to pay heed to the teachings of Christianity and suggested that this was the only means for the foundation of world peace.

The People of London wrote:

“New Year’s Message From Premiers.

“‘Brotherhood of Humanity.’

“The following New Year’s message, which has been signed by Mr Lloyd George, Sir Rbt. Borden, Mr WM Hughes, Gen. Louis Botha (who has since died), Mr WJ Massey, and Mr RA Squires, as Prime Ministers of the British Empire, was published yesterday throughout the world. It has been entrusted to the National Laymen’s Missionary Movement of Great Britain and Ireland:

“‘Material Force Useless.

“‘To our fellow citizens of the British Empire—The war, in shaking the very foundations of ordered civilization, has driven all thoughtful men to examine the bases of national and international life. It has become clear today, both through the arbitrament of war and through the tests of rebuilding a life of peace, that neither education, science, diplomacy, nor commercial prosperity, when allied with a belief in material force as the ultimate power, are real foundations for the ordered development of the world’s life. These things are in themselves simply the tools of the spirit that handles them. Even the hope that lies before the world of a life of peace protected and developed by a League of Nations is itself dependent on something deeper and more fundamental still. The cooperation that the League of Nations explicitly exists to foster will become operative in so far as the consenting peoples have the spirit of goodwill. And the spirit of goodwill among men rests on spiritual forces; the hope of a “brotherhood of humanity” reposes on the deeper spiritual fact of the “Fatherhood of God”.

“‘The Ultimate Foundation

“‘In recognition of the fact of that Fatherhood and of the Divine purpose for the world, which are central to the message of Christianity, we shall discover the ultimate foundation for the reconstruction of an ordered and harmonious life for all men. That recognition cannot be imposed by Government. It can only come as an act of free consent on the part of individual men everywhere. Responsible as we are in our separate spheres for a share in the guidance of the British Empire as in places it faces the problems of the future, we believe that in the acceptance of those spiritual principles lies the sure basis of world peace. We would therefore commend to our fellow-citizens the necessity that men of goodwill who are everywhere reviewing their personal responsibilities in relation to the reconstruction of civilisation should consider also the eternal validity and truth of those spiritual forces which are in fact the one hope for a permanent foundation for world peace.’” (The People, 4 January 1920, p. 16)

The Marlborough Express of New Zealand and The Evening Telegraph of Dundee also published this message in their 5 January 1920 issues.

The Aberdeen Daily Journal wrote that Bishop Deane of St. James’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen stated that “never in all history had there been an appeal put forward by the hands of Governments so entirely religious as that one was – and every word of it was true.” (The Aberdeen Daily Journal, 5 January 1920, p. 8)

Bishop Deane further said that “In the newspaper, the appeal had been headed ‘Back to God,’ but he would have liked to have seen it ‘Back to Christ.’” (Ibid.)

The Civil and Military Gazette reported about this message in its 4 January 1920 issue, and on 7 January, republished it with some corrections as conveyed by Reuters:

“A telegraphic correction received from Reuters states that the New Year’s message from the Premiers of the British Commonwealth, dated December 29, should read as follows:

“‘A New Year’s message from the Premiers of the British Commonwealth of Nations is issued over the signatures of Mr Lloyd George, Sir Robert Borden, Mr Hughes, General Smuts, Mr Massey and Mr Squires of Newfoundland. The message, which is addressed to ‘Fellow citizens of the British Empire,’ emphasises that in recognition of the Fatherhood of God and the Divine purpose for the world, which is centred in the message of Christianity, will be discovered the ultimate foundation for the reconstruction of an ordered, harmonious life for all men. As that recognition can only come as an act of free consent on the part of individual men everywhere, the message appeals to men of good will to consider the eternal validity and truth of those spiritual forces, which are the one hope for the permanent foundation of world peace.” (The Civil and Military Gazette, 7 January 1920, p. 3)

The Australian Christian Commonwealth, the organ of the Methodist Church in South Australia, stated:

“It was an excellent bit of reading that came to us from England by Tuesday morning’s papers, which we reprint, and we thank God for it and take courage:

“‘The Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr Davidson), the Archbishop of York (Dr. [Cosmo Gordon] Lang), and the Free Church leaders (Revs. F.B. Meyer, Dr John Scott Lidgett, John Howard Shakespeare, and Dr A. Guttery) as leaders of churches, have issued a new year’s message, based on the appeal of Mr Lloyd George and the Prime Ministers of the self-governing dominions, that the efforts for bettering the world should not be based merely on material things. The message says the Prime Minister’s appeal is the utterance of a statesman who has had experience in the arbitrament of war and adds: ‘We should seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness. We should test all our actions, social, industrial, and international, by the standard of His teaching. We put before professing Christians this three-fold call, firstly to rededicate ourselves to Christ’s active service; secondly, in combating the impulse for mere selfish gain to test our actions by Christlike standards; thirdly, to unite in prayer, in counsel, and in action, so that our common Christian citizenship may become the foremost power in the national life.’’” (The Australian Christian Commonwealth, 16 January 1920, p. 9)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^ra response

In response to the messages from the British Prime Minister and the Christian clergy, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered two lectures, the first in Lahore and the second in Amritsar.

Lecture in Lahore

On 15 February 1920, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad^ra delivered a lecture at the Bradlaugh Hall in Lahore, titled “Kiaa dunya ke amn-o-amaan ki buniyad Isa’iyyat par rakhi ja sakti hay?” – Could the foundation of world peace be laid on Christianity?

The session was presided over by Khan Zulfiqar Ali Khan, and the attendees included various non-Ahmadi Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs as well.

At the beginning of his lecture, Huzoor^ra mentioned the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa and said that the spirit and passion which he had instilled in his Companions^ra could be known through an incident when he asked them to conduct a census of the Muslims, and the number came to be 700. Upon this, a Companion^ra said to the Holy Prophet^sa that since they were so many in number, they had no reason to fear being effaced from the face of the earth.

Huzoor^ra said that it was indeed their faith that spoke, not their number. This passion was a reflection of the power of faith, sincerity, and certainty that was present in their hearts, and through these very traits, they gained great success in the world wherever they went. Nothing could hinder them since they possessed such great strength of faith and certainty.

Huzoor^ra continued by saying that today the number of Muslims who profess to follow the Holy Prophet^sa is said to be 400 million, and is spread in all corners of the world. However, unfortunately, in contrast to the unshakable firmness of those 700 Companions^ra, these 400 million Muslims are living in a sea of constant apprehension. There is no doubt that everything around them seems to have joined together to destroy them. By now, only religious people were opposing them, however, recently, a voice has been raised by a person who is not religious, but a stalwart of the political world. He has claimed that Christianity will be discovered as the ultimate foundation for the reconstruction of an ordered and harmonious life for all people. In addition to this, he appealed to the people to accept Christianity.

Huzoor^ra continued by saying that since these words have been uttered by a non-religious person who does not know what the arguments are for the truthfulness of a religion, they do not hold any significance. However, if one looks at it as a call from the one who is responsible for peace, for being the Prime Minister of Britain, then its importance increases manifold and produces certain dangers as well.

Huzoor^ra said that during his visit to Lahore, he deemed it essential to respond to this call on behalf of Islam. This announcement was not addressed to Muslims in particular; in fact, it was addressed to all citizens of the British Empire. However, it is the Muslims who are most vitally affected by the message, because these are the people who are closest to Europe and in immediate contact with Christianity. Hence, due to the fact that through this call, Muslims have been indirectly called out, I am here to respond on behalf of Islam.

Huzoor^ra said that there are many who have become anxious after this announcement, considering it a disrespect to their religion, and asking as to what right a political leader holds to call people to his religion. However, they are wrong about this. In fact, I am pleased, since we have witnessed in the recent past that Europe is inclining towards materialism, and many high-profile personalities do not pay attention to religion. Now, when a political stalwart gives us a religious message, he will have to listen to our response as well. God has blessed us with this opportunity. Hence, when Islam has been addressed indirectly, a response from Islam will also have to be listened to, and we will respond to it from the depths of our hearts. He will have to listen to our response with calmness, just as we have received his message with calmness, and if he does not do so, then his countrymen will laugh at him. Thus, this is an opportunity for us to present the teachings of Islam, from which we must benefit. There is no reason to show anger or feel disrespected.

After this, Huzoor^ra narrated the translation of the Prime Minister’s message which stated that the peace of the world has been tarnished and there is a need to establish it once again, that will be based on the teachings of Christianity. He suggested that peace can never be established without this.

Huzoor^ra said that he wished to speak on this matter from two aspects. Firstly, whether Christianity can establish peace, and secondly, if it is unable to do so, then which religion would do it? Before proceeding further, Huzoor^ra said, I deem it essential to make it clear that the flaws in the followers of a certain religion cannot be used as an argument for proving the flaws of that religion itself. One ought to see  what its teachings are. It can only be declared flawed if implementing its teachings causes a decline in one’s life; however, if one sees a decline due to abandoning its teachings, then the religion can never be blamed.

Huzoor^ra continued by saying that Mr Lloyd George has stated in his message that peace can be established if the world believes in God as the father. People may wonder how peace can be established through this principle, but the point is that when different people have a relationship with one common thing, a harmonious connection is fostered among those people as well. Thus, when all of the people believe in God as the spiritual ‘father’, it will be as if they deem each other as ‘brothers’, and in this scenario, there will be no dispute among those people. However, a point that arises here is that this principle can only be accepted if two points are solved. Firstly, is it only Christianity that presents the belief that God is the spiritual ‘father’, or do other religions also present it? Secondly, if any other religion does not profess this very belief but presents another belief that is better than that, why should one leave it and accept Christianity?

After this, Huzoor^ra shed light on the fact that this belief is found in nearly all religions of the world, in some form or another, even in primitive nations. Moreover, Christianity itself has derived it from another nation. Huzoor^ra then presented a comparison between the teachings of Islam and Christianity in light of the teachings presented in the Holy Quran and the Gospels. Huzoor^ra proved the superiority of the Islamic teachings and stated that world peace could be established through the Islamic teachings alone, and that it could not happen through the teachings of Christianity.

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud’s^ra speech lasted for two and a half hours, and the event concluded with a silent prayer led by Huzoor^ra. (Al Fazl, 26 February 1920, pp. 3-4)

Lecture in Amritsar

On 14 April 1920, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud^ra delivered another lecture on this issue, at the Vande Mataram Hall in Amritsar, titled “Kiaa dunya ke amn-o-amaan ki buniyad Isa’iyyat par rakhi ja sakti hay ya Islam par?” – Could the foundation of world peace be laid on Christianity or Islam?” The session was presided over by Hazrat Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrulla Khan^ra and the attendees included a huge number of Hindus and Muslims.

The Civil and Military Gazette reported:

“Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, of Qadian, delivered a lecture on April 14 in the Bande Mataram Hall on the subject: ‘Can the foundation of a world peace be based on Christianity or Islam.’ He tried in his lecture to show that Islam was the only religion on which world peace could be founded. Maulvi Ata Ullah, a Moslem preacher, made a counter-demonstration in the form of a religious sermon outside […]. This is due to a long-standing antagonism between the old-school Moslems and the followers of the Mirza.” (The Civil and Military Gazette, 18 April 1920, p. 5)

In the beginning, Huzoor^ra mentioned the New Year’s Message by the British Prime Minister, Mr David Lloyd George.

After this, Huzoor^ra said:

“I do not wish to comment on the intention and aim behind this announcement from Mr Lloyd George, nor do I say whether or not it was made as a result of thorough contemplation and pondering. Moreover, I do not wish to say whether or not he kept in mind the fundamentals of Christianity while making this announcement. However, I say that the objective for which it has been announced, cannot be fulfilled in this way. Moreover, despite having certain characteristics, Christianity is neither able to lay the foundation of world peace, nor does it hold the strength to establish peace in the world. Today, I am here to narrate to you my views about this announcement, and to prove that Islam is the only religion upon which the foundation of world peace can be laid. If the world attempted to establish a ‘castle’ of peace on any different lines, it would be as if it were made on a sandbar, which could collapse at any time. Hence, if the world desires lasting peace, they are required to lay the foundation of the ‘castle’ of peace on Islam.” (Al Fazl, 19 April 1920, p. 2)

Further, Huzoor^ra said that Mr Lloyd George did not particularly address the Muslims, however, they are included amongst those who have been addressed by him:

“For this reason, I deem it essential to respond to it on behalf of Islam, and I wish to state the Islamic point of view in this regard.” (Ibid.)

After this, Huzoor^ra expressed that he was pleased to see the politicians inclining towards religion:

“I wish to speak about this announcement from two aspects. Firstly, to speak about those attributes of Christianity that, according to Mr Lloyd George, are a means to establish peace. Secondly, the methods that help foster peace have been taught by Islam. The first point Mr Lloyd George has mentioned is that believing in God as the father is a belief that can establish peace, and second, that peace can be established if the world accepts those principles of virtue that have been taught by Christianity. I will address both points separately. If the point that peace can be established by believing in God as the father is correct, one needs to ponder as to whether this belief is found in Christianity alone or in other religions as well. One finds that it is found in other religions as well [i.e. the belief in God as the spiritual father.]” (Ibid.)

As proof of this, Huzoor^ra mentioned that this belief is found in various nations, from the least civilised to the most civilised ones. If such is the case, then what is the need for the followers of those religions to accept Christianity? (Ibid.)

When Huzoor^ra mentioned a hadith of the Holy Prophet^sa in which he said that God Almighty is far more merciful to His servants than a mother, the then imam of the local Khairuddin Mosque, Syed Ataullah Shah Bukhari – later to be known as the founding member of the Majlis-e-Ahrar – stood up and made hue, and demanded from Huzoor^ra to state the exact reference of this hadith including the name of the book, page number, line number, and place of publication etc. He used vile language as well and attempted to instigate the members of the Jamaat there; however, Huzoor^ra instructed the Ahmadis to stay calm, which they obeyed. When Ataullah Sahib continued this chaos, the police sent him outside along with his fellows. (Ibid.)

Once the situation was settled, Huzoor^ra continued the lecture and narrated in detail the fact that Islam has given a teaching that is able to foster lasting peace and harmony in the world. Huzoor^ra presented a comparison between the teachings of Islam and Christianity, in light of the Holy Quran and the Gospels, proved the superiority of Islam over all other religions, and made it clear that world peace can only be established through the teachings of Islam. (Ibid.)

As far as the act of Attaullah Sahib is concerned, he only wanted to interrupt the lecture by initiating a discussion on the authenticity of the hadith. Thus, for this reason alone, he created such a scene there.

In its 19 April 1920 issue, while narrating the incident that occurred during the lecture, Al Fazl published the full Arabic text of the above-mentioned hadith along with its translation and full reference. The hadith states:

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رضی اللّٰہُ عنہ قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰہُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَبْيٌ، فَإِذَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ السَّبْيِ قَدْ تَحْلُبُ ثَدْيَهَا تَسْقِى، إِذَا وَجَدَتْ صَبِيًّا فِى السَّبْىِ أَخَذَتْهُ فَأَلْصَقَتْهُ بِبَطْنِهَا وَأَرْضَعَتْهُ، فَقَالَ لَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلّى اللّٰہُ عليه وسلّم: ‏أَتَرَوْنَ هَذِهِ طَارِحَةً وَلَدَهَا فِى النَّارِ‏۔ قُلْنَا: لَاوَهْىَ تَقْدِرُ عَلَى أَنْ لَا تَطْرَحَهُ‏۔ فَقَالَ: ‏اللہُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ بِوَلَدِهَا

Hazrat Umar^ra bin al-Khattab narrated, “Some Sabis were brought before the Prophet^sa and behold, a woman amongst them was milking her breasts to feed, and whenever she found a child amongst the captives, she took it over her chest and nursed it. The Prophet^sa said to us, ‘Do you think that this lady can throw her son in fire?’ We replied, ‘No, if she has the power not to throw it [she would not].’ The Prophet^sa then said, ‘Allah is more Merciful to His servants than this lady to her son.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-adab, Hadith 5999; Sahih Muslim, Kitab at-tawbah, Hadith 2754; and Mishkat al-Masabih, Kitab ad-da‘waat, Hadith 2370)