Note: The Alislam Team assumes full responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in this translation of the Friday Sermon.

أَشْھَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَا شَرِیکَ لَہٗ وَأَشْھَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُہٗ وَ رَسُوْلُہٗ

أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ- بِسْمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ۔ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ۔ مٰلِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ۔ اِیَّا کَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ۔

اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ غَیْرِالْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَاالضَّآلِّیْنَ۔

Two days ago, I was looking at a recent issue of Al-Fazl International. It contained a portion of an address by Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) in which he had drawn attention in 1937 to the fact that many Companions were still alive, and that their accounts and words regarding the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) should be compiled, because a time would come when these matters would be of great importance in resolving many issues. He gave an example, writing that a young Companion told him that all he could remember was that when he was very small, one day he took hold of the hand of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and held it in his own for some time, standing beside him. After a while, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) gently withdrew his hand and became occupied with some task.

He writes that the Companion said, "This is all I remember." Though I am a Companion, this is the only thing I can recall. Now this is a small matter, but he said that even such small things yield great conclusions. For instance, even from this one small incident, it becomes clear that young children should also be taken to the gatherings of elders. Furthermore, when the need arose, he withdrew his hand with love. He had held it, which was fine, but when there was a need, when there was work to be done, he withdrew his hand with love and affection. He writes that such matters are sometimes the answer to issues that arise later. Thus, every small thing that the Companions have narrated in relation to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) contains a lesson — that even with a child, the hand was held with love, not pulled away. And when there was a need, when work required it, it was withdrawn gracefully, with love and affection, so that the child would not be adversely affected. (Derived from Al-Fazl International dated 24 to 30 October 2014, page 4; derived from Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 14, pages 552 to 555)

I have been narrating incidents of the Companions previously as well. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrated, in his own manner, some incidents of his own or those that occurred in his presence and that he witnessed, and these are published across his various addresses and sermons. They contain lessons, advice, history, and aspects of the character of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah). Many dimensions come to light through them. All of these things play a very effective role in our lives. These are the things that can transform and enrich our lives. One of our Waqifeen-e-Zindagi, Habib-ur-Rahman Sahib, is making efforts to compile these from various sources. It is a commendable effort, but some things cannot be understood without their context, because he has simply gathered the incidents together. Certain principles and methods will need to be established for this. In any case, once it is given a proper form and published separately, it is hoped that it will be a valuable addition to our literature.

At this time, I have selected some incidents and accounts for presentation here, which are either from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (may Allah be pleased with him) himself, or incidents of others that he narrated in his own style. As I have said, these contain advice and clarifications on various matters. I will narrate a few today. They are not on any particular theme but are of various kinds, and they will continue to be narrated on appropriate occasions in the future, insha'Allah. I narrate these incidents in the Friday Sermon, and will continue to do so, because the Friday Sermon, broadcast through MTA, is the most widely listened-to broadcast within the Ahmadiyya Community, and as I have mentioned, these matters play a role in resolving various issues. It is therefore necessary for every Ahmadi to receive them, and the sermon is the best means for this.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "Once a dog came to our door, and I was standing there. In the room inside, there was only Hazrat Sahib, meaning the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). I made a gesture toward the dog and called out: Tippu, Tippu, Tippu. Hazrat Sahib came outside very angrily and said: 'Have you no shame? The British, out of enmity, named their dogs after a true Muslim, calling them Tippu, and you are imitating them and calling a dog Tippu. Beware, never do such a thing again.'" He writes: "I was perhaps eight or nine years old at the time. That was the first day the love of Sultan Tippu was established in my heart, and I understood that the sacrifice of Sultan Tippu had not gone to waste. Allah the Almighty had blessed his name to such a degree that His appointed one of the age honors him and has a sense of honor and devotion for him." (Al-Fazl Rabwah, 1 April 1958, page 3, Volume 47, No. 76)

This incident leads to the conclusion, on one hand, that bearing every act of a child without distinction does not fall within the definition of forbearance, and on the other hand, it gives an idea of the boundless religious and national zeal of Hazrat Sahib. The child who, in an instant, sets fire to and reduces to ashes those precious manuscripts that Hazrat Sahib had written with painstaking labor — manuscripts that had perhaps cost him countless hours or many nights of effort — even that act he bears with patience, giving no thought to the hardship of having to undertake that work again. (Derived from Sawaneh Fazl-e-Umar, Volume 1, page 78, published by Fazl-e-Umar Foundation)

The incident to which he is referring is this: once, when Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) was a young child playing with other children, he went and set fire to the entire manuscript of the book that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was then composing. Yet the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said nothing about it. (Derived from Seerat Masih Maud (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) by Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him), pages 20-21, publisher Abul Fazl Mahmood, Qadian)

He is thus saying that he bore it patiently — that great labor of his — yet he could not bear even a slight disrespect toward a national leader. He says, but a Muslim Sultan who was martyred in the cause of national honor, and with whom Hazrat Sahib shared no bond other than Islam, he could not tolerate even a child, out of ignorance, using his name in a manner that dishonored him. In this incident, there is also a lesson for those who have the audacity to accuse Hazrat Sahib of being an agent of the British. That heart filled with national honor, which held Sultan Fateh Ali Tippu in the highest esteem for no other reason than that he sacrificed his life bravely rather than bow his head before the British — how is it possible that even the thought of such a noble man being an agent of a foreign nation could enter anyone's mind? (Derived from Sawaneh Fazl-e-Umar, Volume 1, page 78, published by Fazl-e-Umar Foundation)

Then at one point, he states: "In my view, there are no greater enemies than those parents who do not instill in their children the habit of offering the congregational prayer. I remember an incident of my own: once Hazrat Sahib, meaning the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), was somewhat unwell and therefore could not go to the mosque for the Friday prayer. I had not yet reached the age of puberty for the related obligations to apply to me. I was young, a child. Nevertheless, I was on my way to the mosque to offer the Friday prayer when I met a man. At that age, one cannot be expected to remember someone's face after so long, yet that incident had such an effect on me that I still remember the face of that man. His name is Muhammad Bakhsh, and he still lives in Qadian. I asked him: " Are you coming back? Has the prayer been offered? He replied: " There are too many people; there was no space in the mosque, so I came back. Upon hearing this reply, I also turned back and went home and offered the prayer there. When Hazrat Sahib saw this, he asked me: why did you not go to the mosque to offer the prayer? By the grace of Allah, from childhood, I respected Hazrat Sahib in his capacity as a prophet. I saw that there was a sternness in his asking, and his face showed signs of displeasure. His manner of asking had a great effect on me. In reply, I said that I had gone, but came back because there was no space. Upon hearing this, he became silent. But when Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib came after the Friday prayer to enquire about his health, the very first thing the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) asked him was: Were there a great many people in the mosque today? At that moment, a great anxiety arose in my heart, because I myself had not gone to the mosque. I did not know whether the person who had told me had been mistaken or whether I had misunderstood what he said. I had understood his words to mean that there was no space in the mosque. My worry was whether the mistake was mine or his; in either case, the blame would fall on me, as I had told a lie. Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib replied: yes, Huzoor! There were indeed a great many people today. To this day, I do not know what the truth was. Allah arranged for my vindication in such a way that the Maulvi Sahib's words also confirmed it, or perhaps that day there truly were an exceptionally large number of people. In any case, this is an incident that has left a lasting impression on my heart to this day. From it one can understand how much the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) cared about the congregational prayer." (Derived from Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 9, pages 163-164)

Then he also narrates a light-hearted incident from his childhood regarding his writing and his education. He writes: "The greatest favor in the course of my education was done to me by Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him). As he was also a physician and knew that my health was not such that I could look at a book for long, his method was to seat me beside him and say: 'My dear, I will read and you simply listen.' The reason was that in my childhood I suffered from severe trachoma, and for three or four continuous years my eyes were painful. The affliction of trachoma became so severe that doctors said his eyesight would be lost. Upon this, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) began praying specifically for my health and at the same time began keeping fasts. I do not remember now how many fasts he kept — in any case, he kept three or seven. When he was about to break the last fast and put something in his mouth to open it, Musleh Maud says: Suddenly I opened my eyes and called out that I could see again. But the severity of the illness and its repeated attacks resulted in the loss of sight in one of my eyes. My left eye has no vision. I can see a path, but I cannot read a book. If a person familiar to me is sitting two or three feet away, I can recognize him by looking at him, but if an unfamiliar person is seated, I cannot make out his face. Only the right eye functions, but trachoma also developed in it and became so severe that I would spend many nights without sleeping. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) had told my teachers that his studies would be according to his own wish." (Now consider: in this there is also an aspect related to the prophecy of Hazrat Musleh Maud, that despite all of this, despite this illness, Allah the Almighty had said he would be "filled with secular and spiritual knowledge" — and how indeed Allah fulfilled this. He has written in one place that he had read hundreds of thousands of books, and he would read very quickly.) In any case, he says that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said: " Let him read as much as he wishes. If he does not wish to read, he should not be forced, because his health is not such that he can bear the burden of study. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) would often say to me only this much: you should read the translation of the Quran and Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib, meaning from Hazrat Khalifa I. In addition, he also said: learn something of medicine as well, for it is our family art."

He says: "Master Faqir Allah Sahib, whom Allah the Almighty granted the opportunity to join us this very year — he had been separated from us for some time among the non-Baiat — he was our teacher of arithmetic, and used to solve problems on the board to explain to the students. But due to the weakness of my eyesight, I could not see the board, because the board was as far as my eyesight could not reach. Moreover, I could not look toward the board for long in any case, because my eyes would tire. For this reason, I considered it pointless to sit in class. Sometimes I felt like going, and I would go, and sometimes I would not. One day, Master Faqir Allah Sahib made a complaint to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) about me, saying: Huzoor, he does not study at all. Sometimes he comes to school, and sometimes he does not. I remember that when the Master Sahib made this complaint to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), I hid out of fear, not knowing how displeased the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) might be. But when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) heard this, he said: Master Faqir Allah Sahib, you are very kind to take care of the child, and I was very pleased to hear from you that he does go to school sometimes, for in my view his health is not such that he can study. Then, laughing, he said: We are not going to open a flour and lentil shop with him that he should be taught arithmetic. Whether he knows arithmetic or not is of no consequence. After all, what arithmetic did the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or his Companions learn? If he goes to school, that is a good thing, otherwise he should not be compelled." Let me also say something about arithmetic: Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) later became so proficient in it that during speeches, he would perform calculations of millions in multiplication and division on the spot and present the figures.

In any case, he says, "Upon hearing this, the Master Sahib went back. I began to take even greater advantage of this leniency and then stopped going to school altogether. Occasionally, once or twice a month, I might go; otherwise, that was the nature of my education. And I was truly compelled as well, because in childhood, in addition to the eye ailment, I also suffered from liver disease, and for six months at a time, I would be given the water of mung lentils or spinach water. (For liver disease, this remedy of mung lentil water or spinach water is also good.) Along with this, my spleen had also become enlarged." Treatment was administered for this as well. And then there was the eye trachoma. There were considerable illnesses. Along with these, fevers would also begin that would not subside for six months at a time. So he says: "The decision of the elders regarding my education, that he may read as much as he wishes and should not be unduly pressured, from these circumstances, everyone can gauge what the state of my educational capability must have been. Once, our maternal grandfather, Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab (may Allah be pleased with him), examined me in Urdu. Even now, my handwriting is very poor. But at that time, my handwriting was so bad that it could not be read at all — one could not make out what I had written. He made a great effort to determine what I had written, but could make nothing of it. He was of a very spirited temperament. In his anger, he immediately went to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). I happened to be at home at the time. We were already used to being afraid of his temperament. When he went to lodge the complaint with the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), the fear grew even greater as to what would happen now. Well, Mir Sahib arrived and said to Hazrat Sahib: " You give no attention at all to Mahmood's education. I examined him in Urdu. Please just look at this paper. His handwriting is so bad that no one can read it. Then, in the same state of agitation, he said to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace): you pay no attention at all, and the boy's youth is being wasted. When the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) saw Mir Sahib in such a state of agitation, he said: 'Call Hazrat Maulvi Sahib.' Whenever he faced a difficulty, he would always call Hazrat Khalifa I (may Allah be pleased with him). Hazrat Khalifa, I had great affection for me. He arrived and, as was his custom, stood to one side with his head bowed. He would not look up in the presence of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) said: 'Maulvi Sahib, I have called you for this reason: Mir Sahib says that Mahmood's writing cannot be read. I feel we should test him.' Saying this, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) picked up a pen and wrote a few sentences, then handed them to me and said: Copy this. That was the examination which the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) administered. I copied it very carefully and thoughtfully. For one thing, the passage was not very long. For another, I only had to copy it, and copying is easier because the original is before you. Then I copied it slowly. I carefully placed the alif, ba, and so on. When the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) looked at it, he said: Mir Sahib's words had caused me great concern, but his handwriting is quite similar to mine. Hazrat Khalifa I (may Allah be pleased with him) was already set on supporting me. He said: Huzoor, Mir Sahib got agitated for nothing — the handwriting is perfectly fine. He writes that after the passing of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), Hazrat Khalifa I again said to me: " My dear, do at least complete Bukhari with me. In fact, I had already told him that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) used to tell me: read the Quran and Bukhari from Maulvi Sahib. So, during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), I had already begun reading the Quran and Bukhari from him, though there were interruptions. Similarly, medicine also I had begun studying from him under the instruction of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace)." (Derived from Al-Maw'ood, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 17, pages 565 to 569)

Then, when he launched the journal Tashheez-ul-Azhan, he writes about what Hazrat Khalifa I observed and what he expected of it: "Some time ago, when I had first started the journal Tashheez-ul-Azhan together with a few friends, the article I wrote to introduce it, in which its aims and objectives were set out, when it was published, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) especially praised it before the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) and submitted that this article was worthy of Huzoor's attention and he should certainly read it. Accordingly, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) had the journal brought to Masjid Mubarak and had the article read to him, most likely by Maulvi Muhammad Ali Sahib, and praised it. But afterward, when I met Hazrat Khalifa (may Allah be pleased with him), he said: My dear, your article was very good, but my heart was not pleased. And he said: in our homeland, there is a well-known saying — 'Oont chali aur toda batali' — and you did not fulfill this saying. I did not know enough Punjabi to understand its meaning, so upon seeing the expression of surprise on my face, he said: Perhaps you have not understood its meaning. This is a saying from our region. Someone was selling a camel, and with it was also a young camel, which in that area is called a toda. Someone asked him the price, and he said: " The price of the camel is forty rupees, but the toda is forty-two. The person enquired: " How is that? He replied: the toda is a camel as well as a young one. Then, Hazrat Khalifa, I said to Khalifa II: before you was the Promised Messiah's (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) work, Braheen-e-Ahmadiyya. When he composed it, there was no Islamic literature before him, but before you, this was available, and it was hoped that you would bring something even greater than this. Hazrat Musleh Maud writes: " What can anyone bring that surpasses the knowledge of those divinely appointed ones, except to draw out their hidden treasures and continue to present them. The intention of Hazrat Khalifa I (may Allah be pleased with him) was that the work of succeeding generations is to continually build upon and elevate the foundations laid by their predecessors. And this is something that if future generations keep in mind, they themselves can attain blessings and grace, and can also be a source of blessings and grace for the community. But the effort to surpass one's forebears should be in righteous matters. It does not mean that the child of a thief should take to theft. The offspring of a person of prayer should strive to be even more devoted to prayer than the father." (Derived from Daily Al-Fazl Qadian, dated 26 February 1931, page 9, No. 99, Volume 18; derived from Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 3, pages 456-457)

Regarding the greatness of the Holy Quran, he says at one point, "I too remember a folly from my childhood. When I was a young child, when some opponents would come to the gatherings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) and raise objections against him, since the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) would speak with great simplicity, sometimes the thought would cross my mind that perhaps he would not be able to match the cunning of that person. But when the adversary would become more aggressive in his opposition, it seemed as if some heavenly power had taken hold of him, and he would reply in such a manner that a hush would fall over the gathering. Equally foolish are those people who, when someone raises an objection against the Holy Quran, say: Be silent, or your faith will be ruined. (In general, when people speak to outsiders, to the ulema, they are told the same thing — that they cannot understand. Many new converts write that if some issue is not understood, the maulvi says: " You cannot understand it, so be quiet, or your faith will be lost.) Whereas this is an absurd position. What should be done is that the objections raised against the Holy Quran should be answered in such a manner that even the adversary is compelled to acknowledge their truth, not that the objector be told not to raise objections and his doubts be left to fester in his heart. I remember well a statement of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). I have heard it from his lips with my own ears on several occasions. He used to say: If all the people in the world were like (Hazrat) Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), there would have been no need for such a vast Quran. The mere 'b' of Bismillah would have sufficed. The profound knowledge contained in the Holy Quran was revealed because of Abu Jahl. Had there been no people like Abu Jahl, there would have been no need for such a detailed Quran. In short, the Holy Quran is the Word of Allah. The more objections are raised against it, the more its excellences will manifest. The fear, therefore, that if an objection becomes strong, how will it be answered — this is a satanic whisper. Is it the Word of God that must protect our faith, or must we protect the Word of God? A word that requires a human being to save it is a false word and deserves to be abandoned — it is of no use to us. Of use to us is only that Holy Quran which requires no human being for its protection, but whose guardian is Allah Himself, and which repels every objection raised against it by its own power and manifests its own greatness. Our Holy Quran is precisely such." (Emphasis on reading and teaching the Holy Quran. Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 18, page 160)

Then, regarding how one ought to examine the weaknesses of one's own self — that is, one should have control over one's self — he says: "There is an incident of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) himself: once in a lane in Lahore, a man pushed him and he fell, whereupon his companions became agitated and were about to strike the man. But he said he did this out of his own zeal in support of the truth. Say nothing to him. Thus, prophets do not speak for the sake of their own sake but for the establishment of the honor of God. One should not, therefore, think that the prophets of Allah also act in the same way as ordinary people do. There is a great difference between them and ordinary people. They act for God's sake, while ordinary people act for their own sake. Then he says: the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to narrate the incident of Hazrat Muawiyyah's prayer, that once the Fajr prayer was missed by him, but as a result of this error, he did not fall lower — rather, he made progress. Thus, one who is conscious of sin is protected from sin. When one loses consciousness of sin, a person becomes engulfed in transgression. A believer should therefore reflect upon اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ and understand that he is not secure from dangers. He can only be secure when the voice of God tells him so. A person must therefore examine the weaknesses of his own self. For such a person, the paths of spirituality open up. For one who does not do so, the paths of spirituality become blocked, and such a person goes astray." (Derived from Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 18, pages 141-142)

The opposition that the Community faces, that a prophet faces, becomes a means of progress. Regarding this, he writes: "We have heard an incident from the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) on several occasions. He used to say: When our enemies abuse us and oppose us, we have hope that the righteous souls among them will come toward us. But when people neither abuse us nor oppose us and fall completely silent, that is distressing for us. He, meaning the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), used to say: the example of a prophet is like that of an old woman about whom it is well known that she was somewhat mad, and the children of the town used to tease her, and she would curse and abuse them. Eventually, the parents of the children proposed that the children be stopped from troubling the old woman. They accordingly advised the children, but children being children, they were hardly going to desist. This plan also proved ineffective. Finally, the parents decided not to let the children out at all and to keep the doors shut. They acted on this, and for two or three days, they did not let the children out. When the old woman saw that the children were no longer troubling her, she went from door to door asking: Where has your child gone? Has a snake bitten him? Has he died of cholera? Has the roof fallen on him? Has lightning struck him? In short, she went to every door and said all manner of things. Eventually, people concluded that the old woman had begun abusing and cursing even more than before, so what was the use of keeping the children confined. They let the children loose. He used to say: This is exactly the condition of a prophet. When opposition is intense, he also suffers distress. And when the adversaries fall silent, he also suffers distress, because as long as there is no opposition, people's attention cannot be drawn toward the divine dispensation." (Derived from 'All the Important Events in the Life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).' Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 19, page 152)

Abuses do not come from the prophet — from the prophet, in every situation, come only prayers. But when opposition intensifies, prayers are offered even for the adversaries, so that the righteous souls among them may also come to accept the truth. Then, regarding opposition being a means of progress, he says: "Once a Maulvi Sahib came to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah). He was also a poet and a very well-known literary figure. The Nawab Sahib of Rampur had commissioned him to write a lexicon of Urdu idioms. He related that the manuscripts of the renowned poet Minai were with the Nawab Sahib of Rampur. He had written a very large lexicon of Urdu but had not yet completed it when the Nawab Sahib passed away. The (successor) Nawab Sahib of Rampur gave me those manuscripts and asked me to complete them. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) asked: There is great opposition to us in Rampur, and you are a resident there. How did the inclination to take the pledge of allegiance come to you? He said: Someone had given me Durr-e-Sameen. As I am myself a poet, I read your poetry and was greatly impressed, because it was filled with love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). After that, Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib came there and delivered a lecture. In that lecture, he said that Mirza Sahib was a fierce enemy of Islam and disrespected the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When I heard his lecture, I concluded that Mirza Sahib was certainly truthful, otherwise why would this Maulvi Sahib have any need to tell such lies about him? A person whose very poetry is filled with love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) — if a maulvi says about him that he is a fierce enemy of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then that maulvi is certainly a liar. And the person against whom he levels the charge of disrespecting the Prophet is the truthful one. Otherwise, why would the speaker need to give false arguments? He could have said the truth: that although this person has greatly praised the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and Allah the Almighty in Durr-e-Sameen, he is nonetheless a liar. Had he said that, there would have been nothing to it. But he entirely abandoned the truth and said that this person speaks ill of Allah and His Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). When I heard his lecture, I immediately concluded that Mirza Sahib was truthful in his claim, and I became ready to take the pledge of allegiance at your hands. So the reality is that at times the enemy endeavors to stir agitation against the believers, but instead of the desired agitation, the matter proves beneficial to the believers.

He narrates a similarly early and initial incident: "In the district of Gujrat, near Chak Sikandar, there is a village called Bhao Ghassit Pur, where in the time of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) there lived some extremely sincere brethren." He writes: "I was young at the time, but I remember well that they used to come with great eagerness to the gathering of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) and would be greatly pleased. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) had a brother-in-law — that is, a brother of his wife — whose name was Ali Sher. (He was the brother of the first wife.) Since, in accordance with the divine will and its injunctions, he had married Hazrat Ummul Momineen, the relatives of his first wife had become hostile toward him. The first wife of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) was a very pious woman. I have seen that she loved us so much that people say: 'one who loves more than a mother is called a step-mother who shows off' — but the reality is that in childhood we believed that she loved us even more than a mother." (So the common misconception that there was no bond with the first wife is also incorrect.) He writes: "When our elder sister Ismat passed away, in those days the relatives of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) had published a hostile pamphlet regarding the prophecy of Muhammadi Begum, and so the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) had the door between our house and theirs bricked up. Hazrat Ummul Momineen narrated that when Ismat fell ill, and her condition became critical, she would writhe — as a chicken writhes when being slaughtered — and would repeatedly call out: " Call my mother. (Meaning the elder mother.) The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) accordingly sent for her. When she came and placed her hand in Ismat's hand, the child felt peace and comfort, and then her soul departed. In short, she was a very pious woman and had great love for the children of her co-wife. She also had deep love for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) himself, held him in great esteem, and could not bear to hear anything ill said about him from anyone. But her brothers were very bigoted, and they would continue to mislead those Ahmadis who came, saying: I am his brother and relative. I know that he has merely set up a shop — there is nothing more to it. (Meaning regarding the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace): that it is merely a shop and nothing else, that the claim of prophethood is a deception.) Hearing such things, weak people would be deceived, thinking that since the brother is saying these things, they must be true. Once, these five brothers from the tehsil of Kharian, mentioned earlier, came to Qadian. At that time, Bahishti Maqbara had not yet been built — this was long before that. In those days, those who came to Qadian for pilgrimage to the blessed sites would go either to Masjid Mubarak, or to the gathering of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I, or to our grandfather's garden. They believed that since this was the garden of the father of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), it too was a blessed place. On the path to that garden was the area where Mahalla Darul Zu'afa was later built. Before this quarter was established, that land belonged to Ali Sher Sahib, meaning the brother of the first wife of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), and he used to lovingly tend a garden there. He always kept a long skewer in his hand. He also had a very long beard, but he was a fierce enemy of the Movement and always lay in wait for any Ahmadi he might find to mislead. Once, these five brothers came to Qadian, as mentioned, and set off to see the garden. One of the brothers was walking ahead of the rest with quick steps. Mirza Ali Sher saw them and recognized that they were outsiders. He called out loudly: " Brother, please listen to a word from me. Upon this call, they came to him. Mirza Ali Sher asked them: How did you come here? They said: " We had heard that Mirza Sahib has claimed to be the Mahdi and Masih, so we have come here to see him, as he appears to us to be truthful in his claim. He said: How have you been deceived by him? You do not know — this person has merely set up a shop to earn his livelihood. He is my brother, and I know his circumstances well. You are outsiders — how can you know the real state of affairs? Do not be deceived by him, or you will suffer. The Ahmadi friends, upon hearing these words of Mirza Ali Sher, stepped forward with great eagerness and said: Please give us your hand. (Meaning, let us shake hands.) Ali Sher thought that his words had made an impression and that the man had been won over by his dignity, for he had the habit of speaking while also continuously saying 'SubhanAllah' and 'AstaghfarAllah.' So Ali Sher eagerly extended his hand, thinking that today a good catch had come into his grasp. Then the Ahmadi brother who was in front grabbed his hand firmly and began calling out loudly to the other four brothers: come quickly, there is something important. Hazrat Musleh Maud writes: our maternal uncle thought that his words had taken effect and that this person was now calling his brothers to tell them that he was right, and inwardly he was very pleased that today his stratagem had worked. But when the brothers arrived, and all five had gathered, the one who had come forward said: in the Quran and Hadith, we used to read that there is a Satan in the world, but we never used to find him. By a fortunate coincidence, today we have found Satan. (The one who is trying to mislead us.) (Derived from Al-Fazl Rabwah, 31 August 1956, pages 5-6, No. 204, Volume 45/10)

Then at one point he says: "There is no doubt that the blessings of Allah are like a river, and if a drop of water is taken from a river, what diminution can it cause? But the servant himself is so unfortunate that he deprives himself of Allah's bounties and turns his face away from them. And when a divinely appointed one comes, people consider him insignificant and begin to deny him." He then writes: "The parents of Hazrat Bawa Nanak (may Allah have mercy on him) too looked upon him with contempt and said that he has ruined our business and this useless child has been born in our home. If his parents were to come back to life today and see that the very child whom we considered worthless now has hundreds of thousands of devotees willing to lay down their lives for his sake, and among them are many millionaires, they would be astonished. But people foolishly conclude that this is a small person — what would we gain by accepting him? Yet Allah the Almighty sends precisely such people who appear outwardly insignificant, and a time comes when hundreds of thousands who are willing to die for their sake emerge." He said: "In the same way, Allah the Almighty sent the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) to Qadian. Qadian had neither a railway, nor a post office, nor any institution for religious or worldly knowledge. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) himself had no worldly prestige, and the education he had apparently received was ordinary. So when he claimed to be the Masih and Mahdi, people raised a clamor: God forbid, this man is ignorant. How can this man be the Mahdi? People also used to say: How can a divinely appointed one come to such a small village? If a divinely appointed one were to come, he should have come to Lahore, Amritsar, or some similarly large city. In short, people began fierce opposition, and those who, upon hearing of his claim, intended to come to Qadian to see him were also stopped. If they would not stop, they were subjected to all manner of hardships and torments and were made to suffer every kind of difficulty and pain. But amidst all these circumstances, he received a revelation from Allah the Almighty: 'A Warner came into the world, but the world accepted him not, yet God shall accept him and shall vindicate his truth with mighty assaults.' This revelation came to him at a time when not a single person accepted him. Then this revelation came: 'I shall cause your message to reach the corners of the earth.' At that time, the state of opposition was such that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) had a servant named Peera who was so simple-minded that he would mix kerosene oil in the curry and drink it. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) would sometimes send him to Batala on some errand. Once he was sent to Batala, and there he met Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib Batalvi, who was considered a leader of the Ahl-e-Hadith and a great scholar. His very work was to meet every person who was about to travel from Batala to Qadian and tell him that this person, meaning the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), had set up a shop and was a liar, and there was no point in going to Qadian. But despite this, people would come to Qadian and would not be deterred by the Maulvi Sahib's attempts. On that day, the Maulvi Sahib found no one else — only Peera. He went up to him and said: Peera, you should not stay with this person. Why are you ruining your faith? The poor fellow could not understand such talk. But he did understand this much: that they were saying it was not right to remain with Mirza Sahib. When the Maulvi Sahib had finished speaking, he said: Maulvi Sahib, I am completely uneducated and cannot understand such matters. However, I have understood this much: you have said that Mirza Sahib is bad. But one thing I can also see: you go around every day in Batala telling people not to go to Qadian, and you also try to stop and mislead those coming from other areas, yet it is clear to me that God is with them, not with you. Because, despite all your efforts, people go to Qadian in their hundreds on foot, while no one has ever come to you.

Thus, such servants of Allah appear small at the outset, and the worldly-minded consider them insignificant. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) was regarded in the same way. But today, by the grace of Allah — Hazrat Musleh Maud is writing at that time — our Community has spread to every corner of the world." (And now, by the grace of Allah, it has spread even further.) "Whereas in the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), a mere seven hundred people attended the last Annual Gathering." (And in the Friday Sermon, Hazrat Musleh Maud mentions that over four thousand people participated in Masjid Aqsa at that time.) And today, in this mosque in this part of the world, too, five or six thousand people are seated listening to the sermon.

He says: "During his time, all the communities of India raised a clamor against him and opposed him fiercely, yet despite all that opposition, our Movement made progress in India as well, and our communities were established in foreign lands too. Today, our missions are working in all the countries of the world. In England, America, Africa, China, Japan, Java, Sumatra, and all the countries of Europe, our missions are established, and the work of preaching continues. The Abyssinians of Africa are receiving education. People of America and Europe who had been associating partners with God are entering Islam in droves. The only reason for this is that through His appointed one, God has generated a new faith in our hearts, from which others are deprived……" Then he says: "One distinguished member of our Community, Sahibzada Abdul Lateef Sahib Shaheed, was also among those of this kind (who came upon hearing the claim of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah). He left home for Hajj and, upon hearing of the invitation of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), came to Qadian and took the pledge of allegiance. After taking the pledge, when he returned home, the king of Afghanistan sentenced him to death by stoning — for no reason other than that he had taken the pledge of allegiance at the hands of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah). People made great efforts to persuade him to change his belief, but he did not comply, for the truth had been made manifest to him. In the end, the king had him buried up to his waist and stoned to death in the most merciless manner, yet he uttered not a single complaint and gave his life in the path of God. Before the stoning, a minister came to him and said: Hold whatever beliefs you like in your heart, but simply deny them with your tongue. But he said: I cannot tell a lie. So he was martyred. But shortly after his martyrdom, cholera broke out in Afghanistan, and thousands of people died. (And to this day, one can see how devastation continues to spread there.)

Similarly, when people opposed the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), Allah the Almighty showed him that a severe plague would break out in the land. And so it came to pass, and thousands fell victim to it. But even at the time of that plague, although its outbreak was in support of the truth of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), he became the very embodiment of mercy and prayed before Allah with the utmost supplication to avert this punishment, and wept and implored so intensely that Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib, who lived in the upper portion of Masjid Mubarak, used to say: one day I heard the sound of someone weeping, and it was so agonising — like the pain of a woman in the throes of labour. I listened carefully and found that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) was weeping and praying before God: O Allah, if all Your servants die, who will believe in me? This too is a most powerful proof of his truth. The same Allah who had sent the plague for his support — and yet in his own heart, compassion arose, and he began to pray. This is the standard of a prophet's mercy." (Derived from 'Allah the Almighty Always Sends a Prophet for the Guidance of the World.' Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 18, pages 510 to 514)

May Allah create a sense of religious honor in every Ahmadi. May He increase their bond with Allah. May He grant them patience and fortitude. May He grant us the opportunity to pray for the salvation of humanity. May we be those who let humility prevail over our egos, and may He grant us the opportunity to walk entirely in accordance with His pleasure. May we play our part in the fulfillment of the mission of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah), and may we do everything that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace and blessings of Allah) desired or hoped for from his followers and the members of the Community.