The Treatise Noah’s Ark

or

‘The Revival of Faith’

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The Plague Vaccine

^[3]Part 10, Ruku 13 — 

Translation: Surely, nothing shall befall us save that which God has decreed for us. He is our Lord and our Master. And only in Him should the believers put their trust.

Gratitude is due to the eminent British government who, showing kindness to its subjects, has once again advised inoculation against the plague, and has undertaken the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of rupees for the welfare of the servants of God. In truth, it is the duty of wise subjects to welcome this undertaking with gratefulness. Anyone who views the inoculation with mistrust is immensely foolish and is his own enemy, for it has been observed time and again that this cautious government is averse to administering any harmful treatment, and prescribes only remedies that have been thoroughly tested and proven to be effective. It is against the norms of honesty and civility to attribute ulterior motives to a government which has, and continues to spend, hundreds and thousands of rupees and resources out of genuine sympathy for its subjects.

Unfortunate are the subjects who reach such a degree of mistrust. There can be no doubt that until now inoculation is by far the best physical remedy that the government has found, and there is no denying that this remedy has proven to be effective. It is the duty of all subjects to make use of the means that are available to them so that they may relieve the government of the pain it feels for them. This notwithstanding, we must say to this kind government with all due respect that had there not been a heavenly prohibition for us, we would have been the first among its subjects to be inoculated. The heavenly prohibition is that God in this age desires to show a heavenly sign of His mercy to mankind. Addressing me, He said: ‘You and those who dwell within the four walls of your house; those who unconditionally follow you and are obedient to you, and who on account of true righteousness have become devoted to you, shall all be safeguarded against the plague. This will be a sign of God in the Latter Days so that He might demonstrate a distinction between people. But those who do not follow you completely are not of you. Be not anxious on their account.’

This is a divine directive, on account of which I, myself and all those who dwell within the four walls of my house have no need to be inoculated. For as I have mentioned, God — who is the Lord of heaven and earth, and beyond whose knowledge and power there is nothing — revealed to me long ago that He would save everyone who lives inside the four walls of this house from death by the plague, provided he gives up all antagonism and enters into the allegiance of Bay’at⁴ in all sincerity, submission and humility. He must not be arrogant, wilful, proud, heedless or vain towards God’s commands and His Appointed One, and his conduct ought to be in conformity with my teachings. He has also told me that Qadian will be saved from such ravages of the plague that cause people to die like dogs and become mad with grief and confusion, and that generally the members of this community, however large in number, will be safe against the plague as compared to my opponents. However, such of my followers may fall prey to the plague who do not fully abide by their pledge, or concerning whom there is some hidden reason in the knowledge of God. But in the end people will marvel and acknowledge that, by relative comparison, the support of God is with these people, and that He has saved them through His special mercy in a way that has no precedence.

Certain uninformed people will be startled to hear this, others will laugh, while others will denounce me as mad, and still others will wonder if such a God really exists who can send down His mercy without resorting to physical means. The answer is, yes, such a powerful God does indeed exist, and if He was not so, those who are close to Him would have died a living death. He is wonderfully Omnipotent and marvellous are His holy powers. While, on the one hand, He allows ignorant opponents to attack His friends like dogs, on the other hand He commands the angels to serve them. In the same way, when His wrath comes upon the world and His anger surges against the wrongdoers, God watches over and protects His chosen ones. Were it not so, the entire mission of the people of God would end in disarray and no one would be able to recognise them. His powers are infinite, but they are revealed to people in proportion to their belief. Those who are blessed with certainty and love, and sever all ties for Him, and have broken free from selfish habits, it is for their sake that miracles are shown. God does what He wills, but He chooses to demonstrate His miraculous powers only to those who break from their ill habits for His sake. In this day and age there are very few people who know Him and believe in His extraordinary powers. On the contrary, there are many who have no belief whatsoever in this All-Powerful God, whose voice is heard by everything and for whom nothing is impossible.

At this instance, let it be remembered that to seek treatment for the plague or other diseases is not a sin. In fact, it is recorded in a Hadith that there is no disease for which God has not created a remedy. However, I consider it a sin to throw doubt on this sign by recourse to inoculation, for it is a sign which God, for our sake, wishes to demonstrate clearly in the world. I dare not demean His true sign and His true promise by resorting to inoculation. If I did, I would be accountable for the sin of not believing in the promise that God has given to me. If I were to benefit from inoculation, then I should be grateful to the doctor who invented the vaccine, and not to God who promised me that He would protect everyone dwelling in this house.

I proclaim by way of insight that the promises of the Omnipotent God are indeed true. And I see the coming days as if they have already come. I am also convinced that the principal aim of this eminent government is to protect the people from the plague by any means. In order to be safeguarded from the plague, if the government were to discover a remedy more effective than the vaccine, it would happily adopt it. Clearly, therefore, the path that God has commanded me to follow does not conflict with the objectives of this eminent government.

Twenty years ago, a prophecy regarding this great affliction of the plague was recorded in my book Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah and it was also promised therein that my community would be greatly blessed. See Barahin-e-Ahmadiyyah pages 518 and 519.

In addition to this, God Almighty has emphatically declared that He will deliver from the affliction of the plague those sincere inhabitants of my home who are not arrogant before Him and His Appointed One. In relative comparison to others, God will grant this community a special favour. It is possible that there may be the odd case in my community due to a weakness of faith or a lack of action or death at its appointed time or on account of other causes which are known to God. However, rare instances as these cannot constitute the general rule. Whenever a comparison is made, the majority is given precedence. The government has itself found after investigation that those who make use of the plague vaccine have a lower fatality rate than those who do not. Therefore, just as the occasional death does not diminish the value of the vaccination, similarly, if there are occasional instances of the plague in Qadian or a few members of this community die from the disease, the grandeur of this sign will not diminish. This prophecy has been recorded in accordance with the undefiled Word of God. It does not befit an intelligent person to mock heavenly decree impetuously, for it is the Word of God and not the utterances of a soothsayer; it comes forth from a vista of light, not from the darkness of conjecture.

These are the words of He who has raised the plague and who has the power to eradicate it. Our government will invariably give credence to this prophecy once it witnesses the wonder that the people of our community will remain safe and sound from the plague in much greater numbers than the vaccinated. I say with true conviction that if this prophecy is not fulfilled exactly as it has been publicised for over the last twenty to twenty-two years, then I am not from God. As a sign that I am from Allah, the sincere people who live in the four walls of my home shall be protected from death by this disease. And, in comparison to others, my entire community will be saved from the onslaught of the plague. The security enjoyed by my community will not be shared by other people. Qadian will be saved from such an outbreak of the plague, which causes utter destruction except in the rarest of circumstances. Alas! If only the people possessed pure hearts and feared God, they would be saved completely. For calamities are not sent upon anyone in the world because of theological differences. Such matters will be decided in the hereafter. In reality, the world is afflicted by chastisement because of the spread of evil, pride and rampant sin. Let it also be borne in mind that both the Holy Quran and even certain books of the Torah⁵ foretell that plague will break out in the time of the Promised Messiah. In fact, the Messiah, peace be upon him, also spoke of this in the Gospel. It is impossible for the prophecies of the Messengers to be revoked.

It should also be kept in mind that on account of this divine promise, it is necessary for me to eschew any human contingencies, lest our enemies attribute this divine sign to other agencies. However, in addition to this, should God Almighty Himself disclose any other means or remedy to me through His word, then such means or remedy would not contravene this sign, for they emanate from God who has manifested this sign. No one should labour under the illusion that if a rare death occurs on account of the plague within my community, this would vitiate the greatness and stature of this sign. In old times, Moses and Joshua, and ultimately our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were commanded to slay with the sword those who first raised the sword against them and who shed the blood of hundreds. Furthermore, this was a sign from the Prophets, after which a grand victory was achieved. Yet, despite this, in the field of battle the truthful too were slain by the swords of the wrongdoers, but very few. Such a loss was not significant enough to spoil the grandeur of this sign. Accordingly, if on the rare occasion, some members from among my community were to contract the plague, owing to the reasons already specified, their affliction shall in no way diminish this divine sign. Is it not a magnificent sign that I repeatedly declare that God Almighty will manifest this prophecy as to leave no one who seeks the truth in any doubt concerning it; and that every such person will surely recognise that God has miraculously protected this community?

Indeed, as a result of this divine sign, the plague will cause this community to grow manifold and enjoy a level of success so unprecedented that it will be heralded with great astonishment. If God does not manifest some distinction between this community and others according to the prophecy, then the opponents, who have hitherto suffered one defeat after another, as I have written in my book Nuzul-ul-Masih, will be justified in proclaiming me a liar. Thus far, they have only managed to heap a curse upon themselves by rejecting me. For example, they raised an ongoing hue and cry that Atham⁶ had not died within the fifteen month period, even though the prophecy was clearly worded that if he returned to the truth then he will not perish within the fifteen months. And it so happened that during the very course of our debate, he recanted from referring to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as the antichrist before seventy respectable men. Not only this, but in the subsequent fifteen months, his silence and fear testified to his contrition. The grounds to this prophecy was that he had referred to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as the antichrist and so his repentance benefited him only to the extent that he did not die within fifteen months, but he did ultimately perish. This was because the prophecy stated that whosoever out of the two of us was false in his beliefs would be the first to die. Therefore, he passed away before me. Similarly, other matters of the unseen that God has revealed to me which have come to pass at their appropriate time, number no less than ten thousand. By way of example, I have recorded only a hundred and fifty such signs in my book Nuzul-ul-Masih, which is to be published and I have complemented this with supporting evidence and witnesses. All of my prophecies have been fulfilled, or in the case of those prophecies which consist of two parts, at least one part has come true so far. Even if a person were to strive all his life in the hope of finding a prophecy that was uttered from my mouth, about which one could assert that it has remained unfulfilled, he will not be able to find a single one. However, out of shamelessness or ignorance, one is free to say whatever he likes. I emphatically declare that thousands of my prophecies, which are clear in nature, have been categorically fulfilled and hundreds of thousands of people are witness to this. With the exception of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, no similar example can be found from the Prophets of the past. If only my enemies had judged me by this criterion, their eyes would have been opened long ago. If they were able to present the like of these prophecies, I would be more than willing to give them a handsome reward.

I can only attribute mischievous and ignorant attempts to disprove my prophecies to wretchedness and ill-thinking. They would surely have to retract their assertions if asked to discuss the matter in a gathering that was held to ascertain the truth; or else they would have to be called shameless. The fulfilment of thousands of prophecies to the letter along with thousands of witnesses to attest to their truth, who are still alive, is not an insignificant matter. This is akin to showing God, the Lord of Honour and Glory. Has anyone ever witnessed a time, except for the era of the Prophet [Muhammad^(sa)], when thousands of prophecies were made and the brilliant fulfilment of each and every one of them was testified to by thousands of witnesses? I am quite certain that the manner in which God Almighty now draws near and manifests Himself and reveals hundreds of matters of the unseen to His servant, is almost unprecedented in past ages. In this age, people will soon witness a manifestation of the countenance of God Almighty, as if He has descended from heaven. He kept Himself hidden for a very long time. He was rejected and remained silent, but now He shall conceal Himself no longer and the world will witness manifestations of His power the likes of which their forefathers never saw. This will come to pass because the earth has been corrupted and people have lost faith in the Creator of the heavens and the earth. They pay lip service to Him but their hearts are estranged from Him. That is why God has declared that now He will create a new heaven and a new earth. This means that the earth has perished, that is, the hearts of the people of earth have so hardened as if they are dead. The face of God has become hidden from them and heavenly signs of the past were all reduced to myth and legend. Thus, God has decreed to create a new heaven and a new earth.

What is this new heaven? And what is this new earth? A new earth means those pure hearts that God is preparing with His own hand, which will be manifested by Him and through whom God will be manifested. A new heaven means those signs which are being shown by His command at the hand of His servant. It is a pity, however, that the world has opposed this new manifestation of God. They have nothing in hand but tales; their God is spawned by their own fancies. Their hearts are crooked, their resolve is weary and their eyes are veiled. Other nations have lost the true God themselves, let alone those who have deified the offspring of men.

Look at the state of the Muslims; how far detached from God they are. They are bitter opponents of the truth, and are like sworn enemies of the path of righteousness. For example, there is the Nadwat-ul-Ulama, who claim to represent Islam, or the Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam Lahore, who take the wealth of Muslims in the name of Islam. Are these people well-wishers of Islam? Are they supporters of the right path? Are they aware of the tribulations that have smothered Islam and are they cognizant of the methods of revival employed by God? I truthfully declare that if I had not come, their claims to support Islam might have been acceptable to some extent. But now these people stand accused by God Himself; for despite claiming to be supportive, they were the first to deny the star of heaven when it emerged.

Now what answer will they give to God who has sent me precisely at the appointed time? Alas, they are completely heedless. The sun has almost reached its zenith, but by their reckoning it is still night. God’s fountain gushes forth but they continue to lament in their wastelands. A river of His heavenly knowledge flows before them but they are completely oblivious to it. His signs continue to become manifest but they remain utterly unmindful of them. In fact, not only are they unmindful but they harbour hostility towards the community of God. So these are their efforts for the sake of assisting, propagating and teaching Islam! However, will the rejection of these people halt the true will of God, which all the Prophets have testified to since the remotest ages? Certainly not! Instead, God’s prophecy, ^[7] will soon be fulfilled. Ten years ago today, God testified in favour of His servant by causing the sun and the moon to eclipse in Ramadan. He caused the luminary of day and the luminary of night to bear testimony in my favour and thus manifested two signs. Similarly, in fulfilment of the prophecies of the Prophets, He also showed two earthly signs:

1. You read the first of these in the Holy Quran as stated:

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Then, in the Hadith as you read:

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For the fulfilment of this a railway in the land of Hejaz i.e. between Mecca and Medina is being constructed.

2. The second sign is the plague, as God Almighty says:

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So, God introduced the railway in the land and also sent the plague so that the heaven and earth may bear witness. So do not war with God, as to war with Him will be sheer folly. In the past, when God decreed to make Adam a Khalifah, the angels put forth their plea. But was God held back by their submission? Now when He has raised the second Adam, He has declared: , that is, I decreed to raise a Khalifah and have thus decided to raise this Adam. Can anyone halt the will of God? So why do you present this worthless conjecture and not tread the path of certainty? Do not put yourself to trial and know for certain that there is no one who can frustrate the will of God. Such disputes are against the path of righteousness. But, should anyone be prey to doubt, there is another method. On the basis of God’s revelation, I have received glad tiding that the group of individuals who pay heed to my words will be saved from the punishment of the plague and this has been published. Similarly, other people who possess heartfelt concern for the welfare of their people should also secure the good news from God Almighty that their co-religionists will be protected from the plague. Then, they too ought to publish this prophecy so that the public knows that they enjoy God’s support. In fact, this too is a wonderful opportunity for the Christians who ever proclaim that salvation lies with the Messiah. Surely, in these days of peril, they too are obliged to deliver their fellow Christians from the plague. So, of all these denominations, the one whom God heeds the most will have to be considered as accepted by Him. Now, God has given everyone the opportunity to cease unnecessary indulgence in debates on earth and instead show the level of their acceptance so that they can be saved from the plague and their own truth may become evident as well. This is particularly true for the Christian clergy who have declared the Messiah son of Mary to be the saviour of the world and the hereafter. If they truly believe the Son of Mary to be the Lord of this world and the next, then they are entitled to witness a manifestation of salvation through his atonement. This will also ease the problems of the eminent government. In order to save their people and deliver them from the plague, the various denominations present in British India, who consider themselves true in their faith, ought to repair to their God whom they believe in, or any other being whom they deem worthy of worship besides God, and call on Him to save these afflicted souls. And they ought to attain a firm promise from their God and publish it in the form of announcements just as I have published this announcement. Not only is such a course wholly in the interest of all creation, but will also help establish the truth of their particular faith and shall also provide assistance to the government. What more does the administration desire than the deliverance of its people from the plague, by any means possible?

Finally, through the publication of this announcement, I wish to make it known to the members of my community — who are spread throughout the Punjab and elsewhere in India — that they are not prohibited from taking the vaccine. Should the government categorically order their vaccination, they ought to duly comply with this directive and have the vaccine administered to them. And it would be appropriate for those who are given a choice in this respect to avail it, if they do not fully follow the teachings that have been delivered to them; so that they do not stumble, or permit their own miserable state to spawn doubt regarding the promise of God in the minds of others. Below, I briefly expound on the teaching — which, if followed precisely, can stave off the onslaught of the plague — for anyone who may have an interest to know.