The Holy Prophet (continued...)

The Holy Prophet was raised at a time when the whole world was involved in paganism and misguidance and creature worship and all peoples had abandoned true doctrines and forgetting the straight path, every group was following its own innovations. Idol worship was rife in Arabia, Persia was committed to fire worship, in India in addition to idol worship, creature worship of diverse types was widespread. Many books had been written, whereby scores of human beings had been deified, and the foundation of Avatar worship had been laid. According to the Rev. Mr. Bourt and several English writers, no religion had been so corrupted as the Christian religion and it had fallen into serious disrepute on account of the misconduct and wrong doctrines of its ministers of religion. In Christian doctrine not one of two persons, but several objects had been deified. The advent of the Holy Prophet at this time of general misguidance, when the circumstances demanded an exalted Reformer and there was great need of Divine guidance, and his illumining a whole world with the Unity of God and righteous conduct and his putting an end to paganism and creature worship, which is the mother of all ills, are clear proof that he was a true Messenger of God and was superior to all Messengers. His truth is established by the fact that in that age of general misguidance, the law of nature and the way of God demanded a true Guide. It is the eternal law of the Lord of the worlds that when some type of suffering reaches its climax in the world, Divine mercy addresses itself to its removal. When through a prolonged drought people are faced with extinction through famine, God, the Compassionate, sends down rain. When hundreds and thousands of people begin to die of an epidemic, the air is cleansed by some means or some remedy becomes available. When a people is caught in the wiles of a tyrant, a just and compassionate ruler appears. In the same way, when people forget the way of God and abandon His Unity and worship, God Almighty having bestowed perfect insight upon a servant and having honoured him with His word sends him for the guidance of mankind so that he should reform the corruption that had set in. The truth of the matter is that Providence, Who sustains the world and supports its existence, does not hold back or suspend any of His attributes of beneficence. Every one of His attributes manifests itself on its proper occasion. As it is established by sane reason, that to overcome every calamity, the relevant attribute of God Almighty manifests itself and it has been established by history, and by the confession of opponents, and by the clear affirmation of the Holy Quran, that at the time of the advent of the Holy Prophet, this calamity was at its height, that all the peoples of the world had abandoned the straight path of the Unity of God and all sincerity, and of Divine worship, and it is known to every one that it was the Holy Prophet alone and no one else, who reformed that corruption and rescuing a world from the darkness of paganism and creature worship, established it on the Unity of God, then it follows inevitably that he was a true Guide from God Almighty. The Quran has set forth this argument in the following verses: Allah bears witness: We did send Messengers to the people before thee; but Satan made their doings appear attractive to them; so he is their partner this day, and they shall have a grievous punishment. We have now sent down the Book to thee that it may expound to them that concerning which they differ and as a guidance and mercy for those who believe therein. It is Allah Who has sent down water from heaven and has quickened therewith the earth after its death. Surely, in that is a sign for the people who would listen (16:64-66). We call attention to the fact that the three elements that we had mentioned which lead to the conclusion that the Holy Prophet was a true guide, are mentioned in an excellent manner in these verses. First the hearts of the misguided ones, who had been caught in error over the centuries are likened to a dry and dead land, and the Divine word is described as the rain which comes from heaven, and an indication is given of the eternal law that in case of drought Divine mercy always rescues mankind from destruction. It is indicated that this law of nature is not confined to material water, but that spiritual water also certainly descends at a time of hardship, that is to say, when misguidance becomes general. In such circumstances Divine mercy comes into play for certain to overcome the calamity that affects the hearts. Then these verses point to the second element that the whole earth had been corrupted before the advent of the Holy Prophet and finally a reference is made to the fact that those spiritually dead had been revived through this Holy Word of God. The conclusion is that this is a sign of the truth of this Book and seekers after truth are invited to conclude that the Holy Quran is the Book of God.

As this argument establishes the truth of the Holy Prophet, it also establishes his superiority over the other Prophets, inasmuch as, the Holy Prophet had to contend against the whole world and the task that was committed to him was in truth the work of a thousand or two thousand Prophets (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, pp. 120-125, footnote 10).

The time of the advent of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, needed a grand Divine Reformer and heavenly guide, and the teaching that he set forth was true and was greatly needed and comprised everything that fulfilled the needs of the time. That teaching was so effective that it pulled hundreds of thousands of hearts to the truth and impressed on hundreds of thousands of minds the creed that there was no one worthy of worship save Allah. He fulfilled the ultimate purpose of Prophethood, that is to say, teaching the principles of salvation so perfectly that no other Prophet was able to fulfil it to such perfection in any age. These facts compel one to bear eager witness that the Holy Prophet was a true guide from God. There is no remedy for a person who denies out of bigotry and obstinacy, even if he repudiates God, but all these signs of righteousness and truth which are combined so perfectly in the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, would be hard to establish in the case of any other Prophet, not even in the case of one of them (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, pp. 120-121).

Our Holy Prophet, peace be on him, was a great Reformer for the proclamation of truth, and restored to the world the truth that had been lost. No Prophet shares with him the pride that he found the whole world in darkness and by his appearance that darkness was converted into light. He did not die till the people among whom he had appeared had cast aside the garment of paganism and had put on the robe of the Unity of God. Not only this, but they achieved high grades of faith and performed such works of righteousness and fidelity and certainty which are not matched in any part of the world. Such success was not achieved by any Prophet other than the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. It is a strong argument in support of the truth of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, that he was raised in an age when the world had fallen into deep darkness and called for a grand Reformer. He departed the world at a time when hundreds of thousands of people had abandoned paganism and idol worship and had adopted the Unity of God and the straight path. Such perfect reform was particular to him that he taught a people who were at the level of animals the ways of humanity; in other words, he converted wild beasts into men, and then turned them into educated men, and then made them men of God, and breathed spirituality into them and created a relationship between them and the True God. They were slaughtered like sheep in the cause of God and were trodden under foot like ants, but they did not abandon their faith, and marched forward in the face of every calamity. Doubtless, the Holy Prophet was a second Adam and indeed was the true Adam for the establishment of spirituality through whom all human excellences arrived at their perfection, and all good faculties were devoted to their proper task and no branch of human nature was left barren. Prophethood ended with him not only because he was the last Prophet in point of time, but also because all the excellences of Prophethood reached their climax in him. As he was a perfect manifestation of Divine attributes, his law had the qualities both of majesty and beauty. That is why he was named both Muhammad and Ahmad; and there was no miserliness in his Prophethood, it was for the benefit of the whole world from the beginning [Lecture Sialkoat entitled "Islam", (Sialkoat, Mufid Aam Press, 1904); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 20, pp. 5-6].

That Prophet is superior to all other Prophets who is the great Instructor of the world, that is to say, he at whose hands the great corruption of the world was reformed and who reestablished on the earth the Unity of God which had been lost and had disappeared. He overcame all false religions by proof and argument and removed the doubts of every misguided one. He provided the true means of salvation by teaching the right principles for which it was not necessary to crucify an innocent person, or to remove God from His true and eternal station and to put Him in the womb of a woman. Thus his beneficence and his grace exceed those of everyone else and his rank is higher than all. History points out, and the heavenly Book is a witness, and those who have eyes are able to observe that the Prophet who is thus established as superior to all other Prophets is Muhammad, the chosen one, peace be on him (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, p. 107, footnote 6).

It is worthy of note how steadfastly the Holy Prophet adhered to his claim of Prophethood right till the end, despite thousands of dangers and hundreds of thousands of opponents and obstructors and threateners. For years he endured misfortunes and hardships which increased daily, and rendered success apparently hopeless, and by enduring which patiently he had not in mind the achievement of any worldly purpose. On the contrary, by putting forward his claim of Prophethood, he lost what he had and purchased a hundred thousand contentions and invited a thousand calamities to overtake him. He was expelled from his home, was pursued by slayers, lost his home and all it contained and was poisoned several times. Those who were his well-wishers began to wish him ill and those who were his friends turned into enemies. For a long period he had to bear hardships, to be steadfast under which was not possible for a cunning impostor. When after a long time Islam became supreme, the Holy Prophet collected no wealth for himself, nor did he raise any structure, nor did he seek any means of comfort or luxury, nor did he derive any personal benefit from anything. Whatever came to hand was spent in taking care of the poor, of orphans, of widows and of those burdened with debt. He never ate his fill. He was so straightforward that by his plain speaking and his preaching of the Unity of God, he made enemies of all the peoples of the world who were sunk in paganism. He converted his own people into enemies first of all, by forbidding them idol worship. He upset The Jews for he stopped them from indulging in diverse types of creature worship and exaltation of their divines and from misconduct. He stopped them from denying and insulting Jesus which caused them great heart-burning, and they became his bitter enemies, and began to cast about for means of destroying him. In the same way, he annoyed the Christians for he denied the godhead of Jesus and his being the son of God, and denied his being the crucified saviour. The fire worshippers and the star worshippers were also annoyed with him for they were also forbidden to worship their deities. The Unity of God was proclaimed as the sole means of attaining salvation. Were these the ways of winning the world? Prophet (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, p. 116-117). The Holy Prophet was straightforward and was ready to lay down his life for God, and turned wholly away from any hope or fear of people, and put his trust wholly in God, and being devoted to the will and pleasure of God, he cared not what calamities he would have to endure through preaching the Unity of God and what hardships might be inflicted upon him by the pagans. He endured every hardship and carried out the commandments of his Lord, and fulfilled all the conditions called for by his preaching and admonition, and attached no importance to any threat that was held out to him. I say truly that of all the Prophets there was none who put his full trust in God on all occasions of danger and went on preaching against paganism and creature worship despite all his enemies and was so steadfast and persevering as the Holy Prophet (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, p. 116-117).

The calamities and hardships that the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, had to endure during the thirteen years of his Meccan life, cannot be imagined. Our heart trembles when we think of them. They demonstrate his high resolve, his generous heartedness, his perseverance, and his steadfastness. What a mountain of steadfastness he was that no difficulty could shake him in the least. He did not slacken for a moment in the discharge of his duty, nor was he sorrowful. No difficulty could weaken his resolve. Some people out of misunderstanding enquire why did he have to encounter all these misfortunes and difficulties when he was the loved one of God and His chosen one. I would say to them that water is not discovered till one digs in the earth and splits it through several feet. It is only then that agreeable water is found which is the basis of life. In the same way, delight in the cause of God Almighty can be procured only by steadfastness and firmness under difficulties and misfortunes. Those who have no experience of them cannot imagine and feel that delight. They are not aware that when the Holy Prophet had to endure trouble a spring of delight and comfort welled up in his heart, and his faith and his trust in God and in the love of God and in Divine help were strengthened (Malfoozat, Vol. II, p. 307-305)

Is it not a matter for wonder that a poor, powerless, helpless, unlearned orphan who was alone at a time when every people possessed a plenitude of financial, military and intellectual means, brought such a bright teaching that he silenced everyone with his conclusive arguments and clear proofs? He pointed out the mistakes of those who were claimed as great philosophers. He exhibited such power that he pulled down rulers from their thrones and put poor people on them in their place. If this was not Divine support, then what was it? Can anyone overcome the whole world in reason and knowledge and strength and force without Divine support? Who was with the Holy Prophet when he first announced to the people that he was a Prophet? Did he possess the treasury of any king relying on which he took on the whole world as his opponents, or had he at his disposal a force relying on which he had become secure against the attacks of kings? Our opponents know that the Holy Prophet was at that time alone and helpless and without any means. It was only God Who had created him for a great purpose Who was with Him and was his sure support (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, pp. 127-128).

On five occasions the life of the Holy Prophet was in serious danger and had he not been a true Prophet of God, he would certainly have been destroyed. One was the occasion when the disbelieving Quraish had surrounded his house and had sworn that they would kill him that night. The second occasion was when pursuers had arrived with a large body of men at the entrance to the cave in which he had taken shelter along with Hazrat Abu Bakr. The third occasion was when he had been left alone in the battle of Uhud and the Quraish had surrounded him and attacked him in a body but were foiled of their purpose. The fourth occasion was when a Jewish woman gave him meat to eat which had been saturated with a fatal poison. The fifth occasion was when Khusro Pervaiz, Emperor of Persia, had made up his mind to destroy him and had sent his emissaries to arrest him. His delivery on all these dangerous occasions and his ultimate triumph over all his enemies is conclusive proof that he was righteous and God was with him [Chashma Marifat, (Qadian, Anwar Ahmadiyyah Press, 1908); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 23., p. 252-253, footnote].

Prophets and saints are raised so that people should follow them in all their moral qualities and that all seekers after truth should tread the path along which God has made them steadfast. It is obvious that high moral qualities are proved by their exercise on the proper occasion and it is only then that they are most effective. For instance, forgiveness is praiseworthy when the wronged one has the power to take revenge, and piety is trustworthy when it is exercised at a time when means of self-indulgence are at hand. God's design with regard to Prophets and saints is that every type of high moral quality should be manifested by them and should be clearly established. To fulfil this design God Almighty divides their lives into two parts. One part is passed in hardships and under calamities, in which they are tormented and persecuted so that those of their high moral qualities might be manifested which can only be manifested during great hardship. If they are not subjected to great hardship, it cannot be affirmed that they were faithful to their Lord in the face of all calamities and pressed further forward in the face of hardships. They are grateful to God Almighty that He chose them for His favours and considered them worthy that they should be persecuted in His cause. God Almighty afflicts them with misfortunes so that their endurance and steadfastness and fidelity might be manifested and they might illustrate the proverb that steadfastness is higher than a miracle. Perfect steadfastness is not manifested in the absence of great hardships, and is appreciated when a person is greatly shaken. These calamities are spiritual bounties in the case of Prophets and saints, through which their high qualities, in which they are matchless and peerless, are manifested and their ranks are promoted in the hereafter. If they were not subjected to severe trials they would not be awarded these bounties, nor would their sterling qualities be demonstrated to the common people. Their high resolve and fidelity and bravery would not be universally acknowledged. They became matchless and peerless and unique, and unreachable, and so perfect and brave as if each of them were a thousand lions in one body and a thousand leopards in one frame. Thus their power and strength held high in everyone's estimation and they arrived at high ranks of nearness to God.

The second part of the lives of Prophets and saints is perfected in victory and prestige and riches, so that such of their high qualities might be demonstrated for which it is necessary to be victorious, to possess prestige and riches and authority and power. To forgive one's tormentors, and to forbear from one's persecutors, and to love one's enemies, and to wish well to one's ill-wishers, not to love riches, nor to be proud of them, and not to be miserly and to open wide the gates of beneficence and generosity, and not to make riches the means of self-indulgence, and not to make power an instrument of tyranny and transgression are all qualities for the demonstration of which it is necessary to possess riches and power. These qualities are demonstrated when a person possesses both wealth and authority. As without passing through a time of trial and misfortune, and also a time of prosperity and authority, these two types of high qualities cannot be manifested, the Perfect Wisdom of the Divine demanded that Prophets and saints should be provided with both these types of opportunities which comprise thousands of bounties. But the sequence of both these conditions is not the same for everyone. Divine Wisdom ordains in the case of some that the period of peace and comfort should precede the time of troubles, and in the case of others, troubles precede Divine help. In some these conditions are not apparent and in others they are manifested to a perfect degree. In this respect the foremost was the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, for both these conditions were imposed upon him in their perfection in such order that his high qualities were illumined like the sun and thus was fulfilled the verse: Thou dost possess high moral qualities (68:5). The Holy Prophet, peace be on him, having been proved to be perfect in both types of high qualities, thus proved the high qualities of all the Prophets, inasmuch as he confirmed their Prophethood and their Books and manifested their being the favourites of God. This repels the objection that the moral qualities of Jesus, peace be on him, in respect of both these types were not established to a perfect degree, and indeed they were not established even with regard to one type. It is true that Jesus showed steadfastness under distress, but the perfection of this quality would only have been demonstrated had Jesus obtained authority and superiority over his persecutors, had forgiven them from the bottom of his heart as the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, having obtained complete victory over the Meccans and others and having them at his mercy forgave them, with the exception of a few who had been condemned by God to undergo punishment for their specific crimes. Having achieved victory, he announced to them: No blame shall lie on you this day. On account of this forgiveness which had appeared impossible in the estimation of his opponents, who considering their own misdeeds deemed themselves already condemned to death, thousands of people accepted Islam within an hour. The steadfastness of the Holy Prophet which he had demonstrated for a long period under their severe persecution became illumined in their eyes like the sun. It is part of man's nature that the greatness of a person's steadfastness is illustrated perfectly when he forgives his persecutors after obtaining power over them. That is why the high qualities of Jesus in the matter of steadfastness and meekness and endurance were not fully demonstrated and it did not become clear whether his steadfastness was by his choice or was under compulsion. Jesus did not acquire power and authority over his persecutors so that it cannot be determined whether he forgave his enemies, or would have avenged himself upon them.

As a contrast, the high qualities of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, were demonstrated on hundreds of occasions and their reality shone forth like the sun. The qualities of generosity, beneficence, sacrifice, bravery, piety, contentment and withdrawal from the world were demonstrated more clearly and brilliantly in the case of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, than in the case of any other Prophet. God Almighty bestowed great treasuries upon the Holy Prophet and he spent them all in the cause of God and did not spend a penny on self-indulgence. He raised no structures and built no mansions, but spent the whole of his life in a mud hut, which was no different from the dwelling of the poorest person. He behaved benevolently towards those who had persecuted him and helped them in their distress out of his own resources. He lived in a small hut and slept on the ground and ate of barley bread or went without. He was bestowed largely of the wealth of the world, but he did not soil his holy hands with it and always preferred poverty to wealth and meekness to power. From the day of his advent to the day when he returned to his Companion on High, he attached no importance to anything except to his Lord. He gave proof of his bravery, fidelity and steadfastness in battle against thousands of enemies, solely for the sake of God, when death appeared a certainty. In short, God Almighty manifested such high qualities as benevolence, piety, contentment, bravery and all that pertained to the love of the Divine in the Holy Prophet, the like of which had not appeared in the world before him, nor will appear after him. In the case of Jesus these high qualities were not clearly established for they can only be proved in a period of power and riches and these were not granted to Jesus. Thus in his case, both types of qualities remained hidden as conditions for their demonstration were not present, but this objection which can be raised against the deficiency in the case of Jesus has been repelled by the perfect example of the Holy Prophet, inasmuch as his beneficent example perfects and completes the case of every Prophet, and through him whatever had remained hidden or doubtful in the case of Jesus and other Prophets shone forth brightly. Revelation and Prophethood came to an end in that holy person in the sense that all excellences reached their climax in him. This is the grace of Allah. He bestows it upon whom He wills (Braheen Ahmadiyyah, pp. 250-263, footnote 11).

God Almighty divided the life of our Holy Prophet, peace be on him, into two parts, one of pain and troubles and suffering and the other of victory, so that during the period of suffering those qualities might be manifested which belong to the period of suffering, and in the period of victory and power, those qualities might be demonstrated that cannot be established without power. Thus both types of qualities were clearly established in his case by his passing through both these periods. By reading the history of his period of distress, which extended over thirteen years in Mecca, it becomes clear that he demonstrated those qualities which the perfectly righteous demonstrate in the period of distress, that is to say, trusting in God and abstaining from complaining and not slackening in his work and not standing in awe of anyone, in such manner that the disbelievers believed on witnessing such steadfastness and bore witness that unless a person had full trust in God, he could not endure suffering with such steadfastness.

When the stage of victory, power and prosperity arrived the high qualities of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, his forgiveness, generosity, bravery were demonstrated so perfectly that a large number of disbelievers observing those qualities believed in him. He forgave his persecutors and gave security to those who had expelled him from Mecca and enriched their needy ones. Having obtained authority over his principal enemies, he forgave them. Many people, observing his high qualities, testified that unless a person came from God and was truly righteous, he could not possess those qualities. That is the reason why the old rancour of his enemies was immediately removed. His highest qualities were testified to by the Holy Quran in the verse: Proclaim, O Prophet: My prayers and my sacrifices and my life and my death are for the sake of Allah, Lord of the worlds (6:163). This means that his whole life was devoted to manifesting the glory of God and providing comfort for His creatures so that through his death they might come to life [Islami Usul ki Philosophy, Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 10, pp. 133-134].

Greater than all honours is the honour of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, which has affected the whole Islamic world. His honour revived the world. In Arabia, adultery, drinking and fighting were rife. Human rights were completely disregarded. There was no sympathy for mankind. Even the rights of God were repudiated altogether. Stones and plants and stars were invested with Divine attributes. Diverse types of shirk were widespread. Not only man but even human genitals were worshipped. If a person possessing a sane nature were to observe those conditions even for a short while he would behold a terrible scene of darkness, wrongdoing and tyranny. Paralysis strikes on one side, but this was a paralysis which had struck both sides. The world had been completely corrupted. There was security neither on water nor on land. The Holy Prophet, peace be on him, appeared in this age of darkness and destruction, and reformed perfectly both sides of the balance and re-established the rights of God and the rights of man on their true centre. The moral power of the Holy Prophet can be estimated by considering the condition of the age. The persecution to which he and his followers were subjected and the treatment that he accorded to his enemies, when he obtained power over them, demonstrate the height of his rank.

There was no torment that Abu Jahl and his companions did not inflict upon the Holy Prophet and his devoted companions. Poor Muslim women were tied to the feet of camels which were then driven in opposite directions and their bodies were thus torn asunder; their only offence being that they believed in the Unity of God. He endured everything with steadfastness and when Mecca fell, he forgave his enemies, reassuring them with: No blame shall lie on you this day. This was the perfection of high moral qualities which is not found in any other Prophet. Send down Thy blessings O Allah on Muhammad and his people (Malfoozat, Vol. II, pp. 79-80).

The community of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, had developed such unity and spiritual oneness that through the spirit of Islamic brotherhood, they had all become like the limbs of one body. The rays of the light of Prophethood had so coloured their daily lives and their overt and covert conduct, that they had become the reflections of the Holy Prophet. This great miracle of inner change through which great idol worshippers became sincere worshippers of God, and those who were sunk in the world every moment, established such strong relationship with God, that they shed their blood like water in His cause. This was the result of their spending their lives in full sincerity in the company of the true and perfect Prophet [Fateh Islam, (Qadian, Riyaz Hind Press, 1308 A.H); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol.3, pp. 35-38].

The life of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, was a life of grand success. In his high moral qualities, his spiritual power, his high resolve, the excellence and perfection of his teaching, his perfect example and the acceptance of his prayers, in short, in every aspect of his life, he exhibited such bright signs that even a person of low intelligence, provided he is not inspired by unreasonable rancour and enmity, is forced to confess that he was a perfect example of manifestation of Divine qualities and was a perfect man (Al-Hakam, 10 April 1902, p. 5).

Have you any notion what was the strange event that occurred in the desert country of Arabia when hundreds of thousands of the dead were revived within a brief period and those who had been misguided through generations put on divine colour, and those who were blind obtained sight, and those who had been dumb began to speak of the understanding of the Divine, and the world underwent a revolution which had never been seen or heard of before? It was the supplications during dark nights of one who had lost himself in God which raised a clamour in the world, and manifested such wonders as appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. Send down Thy blessings and peace, O Allah, on him and his people according to the number of his grievings and sorrows for his followers and pour down upon him the lights of Thy mercy for ever [Barakatuddua, (Qadian, Riyadh Hind Press 1310 A.H.); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 6, p. 10-11].

Whatever happened in the beginning of Islam was the result of the supplications of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, which he had submitted to God Almighty with his tears in the streets of Mecca. All the grand victories which changed the entire aspect of the world were the result of his prayers. The weakness of his companions may be judged from the fact that in the battle of Badr, between them they possessed only three wooden swords (Al-Hakam, 17 September 1906, p. 4).

The reform that was carried out by our lord and master, the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, was very sweeping and general, and was acknowledged on all hands. This degree of reform had not been achieved by any previous Prophet. If anyone studies the history of Arabia, he would know how bigoted were the idol worshippers and Jews and Christians of that time, and how much their reform had been despaired of for centuries. Then the teachings of the Holy Quran, which were wholly opposed to them, proved so effective that they swept aside every false doctrine and every vice. Drinking was abolished, gambling was discarded, infanticide was put down and everything that was opposed to compassion and justice and purity was suppressed. It is true also that offenders were suitably punished for their offences. No one can, however, deny the greatness of the reform that was carried out (Noorul Quran, No. I, p. 37).

In our estimation, there is no greater testimony than the testimony of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him. My heart trembles when I hear that any person who is confronted with a decision of the Holy Prophet, does not accept it and turns away from it [Itmamul Hujjah, (Lahore, Gulzar Muhammadi Press, 1311 A.H); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 8, p. 16].

The Muslims are a people who are ready to lay down their lives to uphold the honour of their Holy Prophet. They would prefer to die rather than endure the disgrace that they should make peace and become friends with such people who are occupied day and night with abusing the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and mention his name with contempt in their books and journals and announcements and use vile language with reference to him. Such persons are not the well wishers even of their own people, for they create numberless difficulties for them. I tell you truly that it is possible for us to make peace with the serpents of the jungle and the wild beasts of the forests, but we cannot make peace with those who do not refrain from speaking ill of God's Prophets and who consider that abuse and vituperation mean victory. True victory is that which comes from heaven [article attached to Chashma Marifat, (Qadian, Anwar Ahmadiyyah Press, 1908); Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol. 23., p. 14].

The insults that have been offered to Islam and the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and the attacks that have been made against Divine Law, and the apostacies and heresies that have become widespread cannot be matched in any other age. Is it not true that in a short while in India alone a hundred thousand people have become Christians, and more than six million books have been published in opposition to Islam, and people belonging to high families have lost their religion, and those who used to describe themselves as the descendants of the Holy Prophet have put on the garment of Christianity and have become his enemies, and numberless books full of vile abuse of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, have been published? My heart cries out with tears that if these people had murdered my children before my eyes, and had cut to pieces my sincere friends, and had killed me with great humiliation, and had possessed themselves of all my property, I would not have been so pained and my heart would not have been so hurt as it has been pained and hurt by the insults offered to the Holy Prophet [Ayenae Kamalat-e-Islam, (Qadian, Riyadh Hind Press 1893); Now printed in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984), Vol.5, pp. 51-52].