After tashhud, ta'awwuz and recitation of Sura Al-Fatiha, Huzur Aqdas (may Allah strengthen him with His Mighty Help) said that:
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra), while talking about the negative impact of debating in which people say things that are not from their heart, mentions the case of two people who engaged in a study of the Promised Messiah's books but adopting the opposing point of view from their own. The result was that the one who originally was in favor became an opponent and the one who was an opponent became a follower. So Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) says that this way of participating in debates is very dangerous and can sometimes lead to very grave results. So even if one looks at very good things with a very negative attitude or intent then one can be misled into erroneous paths as a result.
Many people level criticisms at the Promised Messiah (as)'s writings - that this is written there, and that is written and they do this because their reason for reading is only for the purpose of making a criticism. They do not look at the context and such people even find objections in the Word of God. This is why Allah Himself says in the Holy Quran that it is for the believers a cure and a mercy but for those who seek to make objections or those who exceed all bounds it causes them to fall into a state of loss and they continue to become more and more distant from God and faith. Even if it be the Word of God, it can be of no benefit till it is read with a pure heart.
Then with regard to the importance of Salat he mentions an incident from the life of the Promised Messiah (as). The Promised Messiah (as) went to attend a case in the courts but the proceedings got delayed and the time for Salat came. Despite people's advice, the Promised Messiah (as) went to offer the Salat and soon thereafter he was called into court for the proceedings. However, being occupied in Prayer he came after having completed the Prayer. Now the rule of the courts is, that in his absence the judge should have declared in favor of the opposing party but Allah loved this devotion of the Promised Messiah (as) so much that He moved the judge to ignore his absence due to his being involved in prayer at that time and decide the case in his or his father's favor.
Then at another place Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says concerning the importance of offering Salat in congregation that one should gather the whole family and offer Salat in congregation and that due to this not being the habit of the people, the value of salat in congregation has fallen badly in people's estimation. People should give up the habit of offering Salat individually and rather go to offer Salat in congregation. When the Promised Messiah (as) could not go to offer Salat at the mosque he would offer the salat in congregation at home and it was very rare indeed that he would offer any salat on his own. Mostly on such occasions he would include our mother and offer the Salat in congregation thus and the other women would also join with our mother, so as a first resort all friends should come together and offer Salat in congregation and if someone cannot do this he should offer the salat in congregation at his home with his wife and children. Friends should make arrangements everywhere for the offering of Salat in congregation. Where the town is big, the members should make arrangements by streets and sections of the city and where there are no mosques, they should try to build mosques. Thus, in any case, the importance of offering salat in congregation is such that even if the salat has to be offered at home it should be offered in congregation by including the wife and children so that the children get into the habit of offering the salat in congregation.
Then the Promised Messiah (as) emphasized greatly that Salat should be offered with all its attendant requirements. Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) said in this connection that the offering of the salat with all its obligations and requirements is an immensely beautiful thing but if we go on being careless and depriving it of all the necessities and requirements then it goes on becoming a useless and worthless thing which serves no purpose. The beauty of salat is in it being offered with all the due care and attention it merits but if it is not offered in this way it becomes a worthless thing and such a salat can never be full of blessings. The Promised Messiah (as) used to say that people offer their prayers the way that hens peck at grains on the ground. Such salat can certainly not provide any benefit. Indeed at times such salat can be the cause of a curse from God descending on a person.
Once a complaint was made to the Promised Messiah (as) that the young do not offer the elders salams. Upon this the Promised Messiah (as) said that the commandment to say salams applies equally to both, the elders and the young alike. Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says he remembers a couplet the Promised Messiah (as) used to recite:
woh nah ayay to too chal aiy mir, teree kiya iss main shaan ghattee haiy
If they do not come you should go, your grandeur is not affected by you doing this.
He says that if one brother does not accept or obey a command of the Holy Prophet (sa) why should we not be the ones to obey this command of the Holy Prophet and become the beneficiaries of God's blessings thus. Thus if this complaint is true then this act is contrary to wisdom and of low moral stature. There is no such command that only the young or the juniors should offer salams. If the junior person has not offered salams the senior should do so himself. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (ra) says that this is my practice that when the thought occurs I myself offer salam first and instead of making a complaint, the senior officers should adopt this method and say salams themselves first. So all our officeholders should try to establish their own examples and be the first in offering salams and it should not be the case that they wait for the junior or the young to say salams to them first.
There are also some senior people who sometimes do not reply to people's salams or do so with great difficulty - I receive such complaints also that the senior people do not reply or do so so softly or in such an awkward manner as if this is a great difficulty that has been imposed upon them.
Every strata of the Jama'at and every section of the Jama'at must give this custom of saying salams great attention as this is a saying of the Holy Prophet.
Then mentioning an incident from the life of the Promised Messiah (as) he shows how the people used to oppose him. In October 1897 he had to go to Multan to testify for some court proceeding and on the way back spent some time in Lahore also. From whichever street he had to travel, people would hurl abuse at him and shout out abusive things at him as he went by. Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says I was eight years old at that time and I was with him and though I could not understand the reason for this opposition I was amazed that in every street the people would be whistling at him and making noise and jeering at him. After Lahore the Promised Messiah (as) arrived in Qadian.
Then there is the case in which the Magistrate had taken an oath to definitely punish the Promised Messiah (as). Mentioning this case Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says at one place: That at one time the Holy Prophet (sa) had asked for a population count of the Muslims and found that they numbered a total of 700. The Companions thought that the Holy Prophet had done this counting, fearing that the enemy may not come and destroy them. So they said to the Holy Prophet, "O Messenger of Allah, we are now 700, can even now the thought worry us that someone may be able to destroy us?" What a wonderful faith this was that they had, that being just 700, they could not even think that their enemies could destroy them.
After mentioning this Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) went on to say that the power of faith is an immense thing. This is an incident from the life of the Promised Messiah (as). He was once in Gurdaspur and although I was in the area I was not present in that majlis, that gathering, in which this incident took place. I was told of it by a friend who was present in that gathering. I was told that Khawaja Kamaluddin and some others arrived there in a state of great agitation and said that such and such magistrate went to Lahore and the Aryas put great pressure upon him that Mirza Sahib is a great opponent of our religion and you must punish him even if it be of just one day imprisonment and if you do this it will be your service for the nation and he has returned having made this promise that I will most certainly award a punishment.
The Promised Messiah (as) heard this and at that time he was lying down. Hearing this he turned to lie resting on one of his elbows and said, "Khawaja Sahib, what sort of things are you saying? Can anyone place his hand on the Lion of God?"
So Allah punished this magistrate. First he was transferred from Gurdaspur. The he was demoted. And another magistrate was sent to hear and decide the case. So the power of faith is immense. And no one can compete with it. So the joining of new members into the Jama'at can be a source of contentment and progress only if it is not just the increase in numbers but it is their faith and certainty. If someone has in their house ten kilos of milk and he adds 10 kilos of water into it, he will not be happy thinking that now he has 20 kilos of milk! What would be the source of happiness and contentment would only be that the quantity of milk is what is caused to be increased. And this would happen only by adding milk to the milk already there. So what we have to do, the new and the older Ahmadis, is to increase in our faith. Those 700 who were the early companions of the Holy Prophet (sa) had the faith that now no one could defeat them...and the world saw that indeed no one did defeat them.
Talking further about this very case, at another place Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that it was the practice of Khawaja Kamaludin Sahib that he would talk about a thing at length. He said that Huzoor, the magistrate will indeed imprison you. And punish you. It is best that a reconciliation be attempted with the other party involved in the case. The Promised Messiah (as) resting on his elbows said that Khawaja Sahib it is no easy matter to lay hands on the Lion of God. I am the Lion of God. Let him try and see if he can lay a hand on me. So this is what happened. From among the two magistrates who had been designated to decide that case the son of one went mad and his wife wrote to him, although she did not accept the Promised Messiah (as) as being a man sent by God, that you have disrespected a Muslim saint, and as a result of this the boy has gone mad, now be careful with regard to the second. That magistrate was a learned man, he said what type of ignorance are you spouting and paid no attention to his wife, so the result was that his second son died of drowning in the river. He had gone to the river Ravi for bathing where a crocodile got a hold of his leg and he died as a result. That magistrate was so far gone in his opposition that he would make the Promised Messiah (as) stand throughout the proceedings and if the need arose for the Promised Messiah (as) to drink water, he would not allow him permission to do so. At one time Khawaja Sahib asked for permission to drink water, but he did not permit it. The case went to the other magistrate and he, as was said before, was relieved of his duties. In any case both of them were bent on committing great excesses against the Promised Messiah (as) and they saw the consequences.
In connection with this same incident, Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that once he was going to Delhi when he met this magistrate at Ludhiana railway station and he said with great emotion and pain that "pray that Allah, the Exalted, gives me the strength to persevere, I have made great mistakes, and I am afraid and in such a state that I fear I may not go mad." Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that these are the manifest signs through which Allah, the Exalted, manifests the truth of His Prophets in the world.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that the Promised Messiah (as) used to relate an event that once a thief came into the house of Rustam [a famous figure renowned for his bravery] and although, without doubt, Rustam was very brave, and although he was very expert in warfare, and knew how to wield a sword very well, not necessarily was it the case that he could overcome someone in wrestling. In any case, when the thief entered the house and he tried to catch him but the thief was expert in wrestling and he managed to throw Rustam to the ground. At that time Rustam thought that now he would be killed, so he shouted out, 'Here comes Rustam.' When the thief heard this he left him immediately and ran away. In other words the thief kept fighting with Rustam and in fact had succeeded in throwing him to the ground but ran away afraid of his name. So by relating this story he is saying that sometimes people spread stories to break the people's resolve. He says that when a man is present in his house and a fire takes hold he is not so affected as he is when he is not present at home and he hears that his house has caught fire.
Then he said at a time when there was a war going on that bombs dropping at some place is not so dangerous as the rumor and news spreading everywhere that bombs are falling. So false rumors spreading can sometimes create cowardice and break the resolve of the people. So in order to maintain one's own bravery and resolve it is very essential that we should try to stop false rumors from spreading and they should be confronted.
About the case of Karam Din, Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that in 1902 a man named Karam Din filed a case of defamation of character and he was summoned to appear in the court in Jhelum. So the Promised Messiah (as) went there in January 1902. This journey was the first of the signs of his success that although he was going in relation with a very serious court case, yet there were large numbers of people who were there everywhere he went. When he arrived in Jhelum the numbers were so large that there was no space left for anyone to stand on the platform and in actuality even outside the station there were such large numbers of people that the conveyance could not pass easily through them so much so that the district officers had to make special arrangements and Ghulam Haider Sahib, Tehsildaar, was appointed to discharge the duty and he accompanied the Promised Messiah (as) all the way. Not only had people of the town come out in large numbers but people from the villages around also had come to see him. Almost 1,000 people performed the bai'at at this place and when the Promised Messiah (as) went into the court to testify such a large number of people were there to hear the proceedings that the court found it difficult to make adequate arrangements to hear the case. There were people present to the farthest reaches of the open air areas.
In any case the Promised Messiah (as) was freed in the very first appearance and reached back safely. And as Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) mentioned, thereafter the numbers of Ahmadis started to increase and from 1903 the progress of the Jama'at became incredible and at times daily 500 or more people used to write letters of bai'at and the numbers of followers reached into the thousands and hundreds of thousands. All types of people did bai'at at the hands of the Promised Messiah (as) and this Movement began to spread and grow very rapidly and reaching out from Punjab it arrived in other states and even other countries of the world even during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (as) himself.
How does Allah deal with those who are guilty of causing offence to His loved ones? You have heard the case of the magistrate. Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) mentions another incident. He says once we went to Lucknow...there was a Maulvi named Abdul Karim there from the frontier region who was an avowed and extreme opponent of our Jama'at. After our arrival there he made a speech there in which he mentioned an incident from the life of the Promised Messiah (as) in a very bad and abusive insulting manner. The incident was such that once the Promised Messiah (as) went to Delhi where there was a relative of ours who, on a satanic whim, decided to come dressed as a fake police officer and in order to scare the Promised Messiah (as) started to say that I am an Inspector of the Police and that I have been sent by the government for the purpose of giving you notice that you should leave this place immediately or you will face loss. The Promised Messiah (as) did not pay any attention to this but some friends decided to look into the matter and determine who this person was and so he ran away from there. Maulvi Abdul Karim took this incident and presented it in this manner that look this man goes around pretending to be a prophet of God and he went to Delhi and Mirza Hairat dressed up as a police officer came and he was sitting on the roof [although this is a lie, the Promised Messiah was at the time sitting in the inner area of the house] and when he heard that an inspector of the police had arrived he became very agitated and immediately tried to climb down the stairs and slipped and fell on his face. Upon hearing this account those present in the audience had a good laugh.
But what happened after this, how Allah deals with those who make fun of His dear ones, is that, that same night, Allah dealt with Maulvi Abdul Karim. He was sleeping on the roof of his house. He got up during the night for something. And because the roof had no limiting walls and he was in a state of sleep, one of his feet landed outside of the roof and he fell and died as a result.
Had he known that he would be punished by God for his abuse of a loved one of God, he would never have committed the deed. Infact he would have declared his faith in the Promised Messiah (as). Such a faith that he would have attained by virtue of there being nothing left hidden would not have given him any benefit because when there is no hidden things left then such faith is of no use. So faith in the unseen is essential. So those who saw what happened to him saw what happens when people make fun of and commit blasphemy against the dear ones of God.
Today those who do such things against the Holy Prophet (sa) should know that he is the most beloved Prophet of Allah, the Exalted. Do they imagine that Allah, the Exalted, will let them off free for having committed such atrocious blasphemy against him? Never. Indeed Allah, the Exalted, will make such people the target of His wrath so that they serve as warnings to others who have eyes to see.
The things that Muslims must do as a response to the blasphemy of such people is not by their own hands or guns, but rather by prayers to God but the true understanding and comprehension of this truth also is only known to the Ahmadis. So, as I have said, we need to convert our pains into our prayers and should especially occupy ourselves in prayer these days.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) goes on to say that a large number of people used to say that the Promised Messiah (as) would be afflicted by a disease but God involved them in the same disease they had imagined would strike the Promised Messiah (as). Many used to say that Mirza Sahib would be struck by the plague but God destroyed those who used to say this by the very same plague. When thousands of such examples are there for all to see then how can we assign them all to mere coincidences. So develop, or bring about such a change in yourselves that the world should feel or see it and be affected by it. Your condition should be such that by seeing your righteousness and purity, your acceptance of prayers, your connection with God, the people should be drawn towards us. Remember that Ahmadiyyat will progress only through such people. Once you will reach this stage or close to it then, even if you will not step out into the world, or even if you will be sitting in some hidden place, even there the people will come and gather around you and insha-Allah they would enter into the fold of Ahmadiyyat.
Another incident that Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) mentions. That the Promised Messiah (as) went to Sialkot. The mullahs gave a fatwa that whoever goes to his lecture his Nikah would become null as a result. But the attraction and pull of the Promised Messiah (as) was such that the people paid no heed to this fatwa even. People were posted on the roads so that those wishing to go to the lecture could be prevented from going. Stones were piled up on the roads so that those who would still try to go would be targeted and hit with them. Then people would snatch those present at the Jalsagah [location of the gathering] and removed forcibly from participating and listening to him. Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that the city inspector in Sialkot who was incharge of keeping the peace had heard the lecture and was surprised to see that the mullahs were creating disorder while the lecture was establishing the supremacy of Islam against the Aryas and the Christians, so he was perplexed why the Muslims were doing this. So Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that although he was a government officer yet he stood up in the gathering and said aloud that O Muslims he is saying that the god of the Christians is dead why do you O Muslims show anger at this?
Hazrat Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib was a great extremely sincere Companion of the Promised Messiah (as). Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says he was, before accepting Hazrat Masih-e-Maood (as) a great scholar of the Wahabis and for that reason he held a very high position of honor among them. When he became an Ahmadi and his means became straitened he did not care and spent his days in this same ver limited means of existence. He was a very humble man and seeing him no one would think that he was a great scholar but would assume that he was likely an ordinary laborer.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that I always remember a beautiful subtle thing he used to recount. When the Promised Messiah (as) went to Sialkot and there was great opposition there then when he came back and the opponents found out about whichever person who had become an Ahmadi they started giving them great pains and difficulties. Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib was also returning from the train station after seeing off the Promised Messiah (as) when the people starting pelting him with cow dung and one of them even put it in his mouth but he went on bearing this treatment happily and whenever cow dung was thrown upon him he would say with great pleasure, 'oh wherefrom such days and such pleasures.' And the person relating the incident says that not the slightest wrinkle appeared upon his countenance as a result.
He used to recount a strange incident that made him become an Ahmadi. Although he became an Ahmadi much later he had recognized the Promised Messiah very early. In the beginning when he heard about the Promised Messiah (as) he came on foot to Qadian. When he arrived he learnt that the Promised Messiah (as) had gone to Gurdaspur. He went immediately to Gurdaspur. There he met Hazrat Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib. He was also one of the Promised Messiah's early servants who accompanied him. The Promised Messiah (as) was staying at a house and in the room that he was staying there was at its entrance a curtain. Upon inquiry from Hazrat Burhanuddin Sahib Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib told him that the Promised Messiah (as) was working in his room. He said I want to meet him. Hafiz Sahib told him that the Promised Messiah (as) had prohibited this as he was busy and has ordered that he not be called. Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib entreated that please in some way make a meeting possible. But Hafiz Sahib kept saying that he could not do so in the presence of the order. But upon repeated entreaties he was permitted to just look in behind the curtain and see the Promised Messiah's countenance. When he went there and looked inside he saw that the Promised Messiah (as) had his back to him and was moving very fast away from him towards the other wall. It was the practice of the Promised Messiah (as) that when he was writing something - an announcement or book or some article - then often he would do so while walking and at the same time also read it out softly. At that also he was doing this. When he reached the other wall and turned Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib says that I ran so he may not see me. Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib or someone asked what happened? Have you seen the Promised Messiah (as)? He replied that now I know that one who walks so fast inside of a room, he has some very far off place to reach and it became solidly established in his heart that he would bring about some very great changes in the world.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says this is a fine point but it can be seen only by one who has been blessed with spiritual sight. He left at that time with the realisation solidly set in his heart and so later when the Promised Messiah (as) made the claim he was blessed to accept him and then he was bestowed so much sincerity that he became oblivious to all opposition.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that working at a fast pace can make a great change in stature of a person and then he said that the children should be taught to think and work fast. But he cautioned by fast is not meant doing things hastily and without due care. But to do things quickly after and with due thought. One who makes haste without thought is a satan. But one who works fast after due thought and care is a solider of Allah, the Exalted.
This laziness develops in many that we will rest and then do some work and then the work goes on being delayed and delayed. So this is not just with regard to children the elders and the officeholders too need to develop speed in the doing of their assigned tasks. This, because we are the followers of the Messiah who made great use of his time and because Allah also revealed to him that your time would not be wasted. So we must remain focused on this.
Then Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says about the Promised Messiah (as) that I have seen that he would work all day long inside the house but daily he would also go for a walk at least once. And he was very strict in this despite his age and occupations. He used to say that walking in the open fresh air is of great benefit for the brain. And so Hazrat Musleh Maood is advising that if this is done then we would become of benefit to the world with good health and also good brains.
So in these days also our children and young need to pay attention to playing in the open fresh air. And their attention needs to be drawn to this and the students of the Jamias need at least to devote one and a half hours to this activity daily. These days computer and such games have made this very necessary and if there is no difficulty walks and games in the open air should be done.
Then Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) talking about Satan making people afraid of death he mentions the incident of Sialkot.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that when the Promised Messiah (as) went to Sialkot. The mullahs gave a fatwa that whoever goes to his lecture or listens to his address his Nikah would become null as a result.
These people are disbelievers and the antichrist and speaking with them
or listening to them or reading their books is totally forbidden. And that beating them and killing them is a meritorious act worthy of reward from God.
What the maulvis are saying these days is nothing new this has been their stance from the start.
Nevertheless in the Promised Messiah (as)'s presence they could not create any disorder because the police was present and also government officials and there were present a large number of people so they could not dare to do any mischief at that time.. also because Ahmadis were present on all four sides... so they decided that we should do what we have in mind by way of mischief after the Promised Messiah (as) is gone.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that I was also present with the Promised Messiah (as) at that time and so when he left people started throwing stones from a long distance but the moving vehicle was not an easy target and rarely a stone would hit the target ..they were trying to hit us but the stone would go and harm one of their own, so this attempt of theirs failed. Then those Ahmadis who were there due to the Promised Messiah (as) had come from neighboring villages and had dispersed upon his leaving but those who were local or had come from outside they began to be attacked at the station itself. From among those who were attacked one was Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib. His case has been mentioned before also. The opponents followed him. Struck him threw stones at him and abused him and then he was taken to a shop and his mouth stuffed with dung..so stating this he says that those who saw relate that instead of responding with abuse he was saying subhanallah..Holy is Allah how wonderful these days are bestowed upon upon the select..and they are bestowed upon people only upon the coming of the prophets of God...and this is a great bounty of Allah, the Exalted, that He has shown me this day.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that as a result those people who were attacking their own souls began to make them feel guilty and they left him alone feeling humiliated and ashamed. So the thing is that when the enemy sees that these people are afraid of death he says that look they are afraid of death let us go and make them afraid of death.
Allah, the Exalted, says in the Holy Quran that Satan makes his own friends afraid...so when a person shows fear they recognize that this is a satanic person but if he shows no fear and shows that he considers these attacks and difficulties to be the bounties of Allah, the Exalted, and says that Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed this stations of honor and respect upon me and has bestowed a great favor upon me that I am being beaten for His sake ..then the enemy is overcome, overawed and in the end he feels ashamed.
There is another incident in relation to Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib. He was one the Promised Messiah's very sincere Companions. He had a very pleasant personality. It was because of his death and that of Maulvi Abdul Karim SAhib that the Promised Messiah (as) thought about the establishment of the Madras-satul Ahmadiyya which later became Jamia Ahmadiyya.
Hazrat Musleh Maood (ra) says that he once came to the Promised Messiah (as) and said that in a dream I have seen my deceased sister, she met me and I asked her, Sister, tell me how are you there? She replied Allah has been very gracious to me. He forgave me and now I reside with all comfort in Paradise. I asked, 'sister, what do you do there?' She replied, and Huzur Aqdas says this also is a subtlety, 'I sell berries.' Maulvi Burhanuddin Sahib says that I said to her in the dream that our fortune, our luck, is strange that even in Paradise we are going to be selling berries? Because there was much poverty in their family, even in the dreams his thoughts went in that direction.
When the Promised Messiah (as) heard this he said Maulvi Sahib its interpretation is something else but even in the dream you did not forget to be jovial and make fun. The Promised Messiah (as) said that the berry is a fruit of Paradise and by it is meant such perfect love that never decays because sidra is the station of perfect love. SO the interpretation of it is that she distributes the undecaying and perfect love of God among the people. Then in further explanation, the Promised Messiah (as) says no matter where a momin, a believer, stays he will have to do work. So it is not the case that after death and after reaching paradise there will just be rest and more rest in paradise. We will have work to do there as Maulvi Sahib's siter told him what work she does there. And if in anyone's mind this thought took hold that now it is the time to rest, then it would mean that he had lost his faith. Because the thing that Islam has designated as faith and rest that is to do work. Allah, the Exalted, says very clearly:
So when thou art free, strive hard, And to thy Lord do thou attend whole-heartedly. [94:8-9]
This is the subtlety which we must remember always. There is no rest for you in the sense in which the people of the world employ this word. Because in the sense in which the Holy Quran mentions rest it is that which you can easily attain. The meaning which the world ascribes to this word, rest, that is most certainly wrong and the person who seraches for rest that means this such a one will remain blind in this world and also in the next. So it is the job of the believer that he should keep himself busy in his work. Having attained to a height he should be prepared to undertake the next target. And this is the secret for success of our individual and national progress and success.
May Allah, the Exalted, bless us to carry out this obligation in this way. Aameen!
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۔
The positive and negative effects of reading the books of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) are established according to the mindset with which a person reads them. In this regard, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates an incident. He says:
"I remember an incident from which this becomes evident." He was explaining that debating societies that hold debates, where one speaker speaks in favour without reason and the other speaks against—this sometimes creates differences in thinking. Because whoever is speaking is not saying what is in their heart, but rather it is a competitive situation in which they have to speak. So, while explaining that these things sometimes cause harm to faith, he says that Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib Amrohvi related to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that Maulvi Bashir Ahmad Sahib was a great supporter of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and he says that I was very opposed. (That is, Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib was very opposed.) Maulvi Bashir Sahib would always urge others to read Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya and would say that the person who has written this book is a Mujaddid. He says that finally I said to him (Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib said to Maulvi Bashir Sahib): Come, let us have a debate on whether he is a Mujaddid or not. But what will be the form of the debate? Since you are a supporter, you should read the books from an opposing point of view, and since I am opposed, I will read from a favourable point of view. Seven or eight days were fixed for the study of the books, and both studied the books. The result was that I, who was opposed (Maulvi Muhammad Ahsan Sahib says, I who was opposed), became an Ahmadi, and the one who was close moved completely away. Maulvi Ahsan Sahib understood the matter, and faith departed from Bashir Sahib's heart. Commenting on this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that according to psychology, holding debates is extremely harmful and sometimes causes severe damage. These are such subtle matters that not every teacher has the ability to understand them. (Taken from Al-Fazl, March 11, 1939, Page 8, Number 58, Volume 27)
So even a good thing, if one tries to find fault by looking at it with a critical eye or an objecting eye, becomes a cause of stumbling. Many people object to the books of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) because they read them only to object, and then they do not even match the context, saying we read this is written and that is written. So this is nothing new. Those who object even find objections in the Word of God Almighty. Therefore, regarding the Holy Quran, Allah the Exalted Himself says that it is a healing and mercy for believers, but for those who object, for the wrongdoers, it puts them in loss, causes them harm. They move further away from it and begin to object further against the Being of God Almighty, against Islam, against the need for religion. So whether it is the Word of God Almighty, it does not benefit until one tries to read it with a pure heart.
Then regarding the importance of prayer, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates an incident of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that once it so happened that he went for the hearing of a case, and there was a delay in the case being presented. The time for prayer came. Despite people's dissuading, he left for prayer, and after leaving, he was called for the case hearing, but he remained engaged in worship. When he finished, he came to the court. According to the rule of the government and the rule of the court, the Magistrate should have passed an ex parte decree against him. But Allah the Exalted was so pleased with this action that Allah the Exalted turned the Magistrate's attention in this direction—that he is offering prayer, he is worshipping—and the Magistrate, overlooking his absence, decided in his favour or in favour of his father. (Adapted from Da'wat-ul-Amir, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 7, Page 575)
He himself did not have cases. There were cases about properties. If ever he had to go out of necessity, he would go because of his father.
Then at another place, regarding the further importance of congregational prayer and the method of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says how we should develop the habit of congregational prayer: "One method of congregational prayer is that one should have congregation with one's wife and children. Because of not having the habit, the value of congregational prayer has not remained in people's hearts. Because there is no habit of congregational prayer, the estimation of how valuable congregational prayer is has not remained. By abandoning this habit—that is, the habit of praying alone—the habit of congregational prayer should be developed. On such occasions when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) could not go to the mosque for prayer, he would have a congregation at home, and rarely, under some compulsion, would he pray alone. Mostly, he would have a congregation by including our mother (Hazrat Amma Jan) with him. Other ladies would also join with our mother. So firstly, friends everywhere should pray with the congregation, and whoever does not have this opportunity should have congregational prayer with his wife and children. Friends everywhere should arrange for congregational prayer. Where the city is large and friends live far apart, the neighbourhood residents should arrange for a congregation. Where there are no mosques, effort should be made to build mosques." (Some Important and Essential Matters, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 16, Page 493)
In any case, the importance of congregational prayer is that even if one is at home, one should pray with children so that the sense of congregational prayer remains in children too.
Then the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) greatly admonished that prayer should be offered with all its conditions. (Taken from Malfuzat, Volume 1, Page 433, Edition 1985, Published in England)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud said regarding this: "Offering prayer with all restrictions and requirements is an extremely beautiful thing, but when we keep stripping it away due to our negligence and ignorance, it becomes a useless and vain thing." (The beauty of prayer lies in offering it properly, but if not offered properly, it becomes a vain thing.) "And such prayer can never be blessed. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say that people offer prayer the way a rooster pecks at grains. Such prayer certainly cannot provide any benefit; rather, sometimes such prayer becomes a cause of curse." (Taken from Al-Fazl, May 20, 1939, Page 4, Volume 27, Number 115)
Once someone complained to Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) that subordinates do not greet us with Salam, or the younger ones do not greet the elders. Upon this, he gave this advice: "The command to greet is the same for both." It is equal for both. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says: "I have heard a verse from the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him):
'If he does not come, then you go, O Mir, how does your honour diminish in this?'"
He says that if one brother does not follow the command of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), why should we not act upon it ourselves? So if the complaint is valid, this action is against reason and is of fallen morals. There is no command anywhere that only the younger should greet and not the elder. If the subordinate has not greeted, the officer himself should take the initiative. He says that my own method is that when I think of it, I myself say Salam first. Sometimes it does not occur to me, so others say it. He says that in such matters, instead of objecting, the Nazirs (officials) should themselves become examples. (Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 22, Page 173)
So every office-bearer of ours, whatever level of office-bearer they are, should set their own examples. They should take the initiative in greeting. It is not necessary that they wait for the younger or subordinate to greet them. There are also some elders or office-bearers who even find it difficult to respond to Salam—such complaints also come to me. So if officers have complaints, people also have complaints that they do not respond to Salam, or respond so quietly under their breath that they cannot understand, or respond with such indifference that it seems what calamity has befallen them. In any case, every class within the Jama'at should promote the practice of Salam. This is also mentioned in Hadith. (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Iman, Bab Bayan Annahu la Yadkhul-ul-Jannah illa al-Mu'minoon..., Hadith No. 194)
Then, regarding how people used to oppose the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) during his time, narrating an incident, he says: "In October 1897, he had to go to Multan to give testimony. When he returned after giving testimony, he also stayed in Lahore for a few days. Here, in whichever streets he passed, people would abuse him and call out bad words against him." (Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, says:) "I was eight years old at that time and I too was with him on that journey. I could not understand the reason for the opposition people showed him, so I was greatly surprised to see that wherever he passed, people would clap behind him and whistle. I remember that there was a one-armed person whose one hand was cut off and the remaining hand had cloth tied on it. It is not known whether the wound from the cutting of the hand remained or it was some new wound. In any case, it was a wounded hand. He too, joining the people, was standing probably on the steps of Masjid Wazir Khan, clapping and hitting his cut hand on his other hand and shouting along with the others, 'Alas, Mirza has fled.' Meaning, he fled from the field of competition. God forbid. And I was greatly astonished watching this scene, especially at that person who did not even have a hand and was trying to clap, and I kept watching that person for a long time with my head out of the carriage. From Lahore, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) then returned to Qadian." (Adapted from Sirat-e-Masih-e-Maud, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 3, Page 360)
In one case, the Magistrate had a firm intention—rather, a pledge had been taken from him—that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) must certainly be punished. Mentioning this incident, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud said at one place, he first set the context that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a census of the Muslims taken, and their number was seven hundred. The Companions thought that perhaps he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had the census taken because he thought that the enemy might destroy us. And they said, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), now we have become seven hundred. Can it still be thought that anyone can destroy us? What a magnificent faith this was that despite being only seven hundred, they could not even think that the enemy could destroy them. (He related the incident and said:) The power of faith is very great. There is an incident of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that once he was in Gurdaspur. I (meaning Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud) was there but was not in the gathering where this incident occurred. A friend who was in that gathering told me that Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din Sahib and some other Ahmadis came in a very anxious state and said that such and such Magistrate, before whom the case is pending, had gone to Lahore. The Aryas had strongly pressed him that Mirza Sahib is a fierce opponent of our religion, so you must certainly punish him even if it be for only one day. This will be your national service, and he has come back having promised them that I will certainly punish him. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) heard this, he was lying down. Upon hearing this, he supported himself on his elbow and turned to one side and said, "Khwaja Sahib! What kind of things are you saying? Can anyone lay a hand on the lion of God Almighty?" Thus, Allah the Exalted punished that Magistrate in this way that first he was transferred from Gurdaspur. Then he was demoted—that is, from ESC he was made a Munsif—and the decision was made by another Magistrate who came. So the power of faith is very great, and no one can compete with it.
So the entry of new people into the Jama'at can be beneficial only if those who join have faith and sincerity. Mere increase in numbers should not be a cause for joy. If someone has ten seers of milk in their house, they cannot be happy by adding ten seers of water to it thinking that now their milk has become twenty seers. Joy is only in increasing milk itself, and there is benefit only in adding milk to increase milk. (Some Important and Essential Matters, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 16, Pages 293-294)
So whether they are new or old, we should strive to progress in our faith. If the faith of those seven hundred was such that they thought that no enemy in the world could defeat them, and the world saw that they were not defeated.
Regarding the same case, he says further at one place that Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din Sahib had a habit of speaking at great length. He said, "Huzoor! The Magistrate will certainly imprison and punish you. It is better to make a compromise with the opposing party." The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), supporting himself on his elbows, sat up and said, "Khwaja Sahib, to lay a hand on the lion of God Almighty is not an easy matter. I am the lion of God Almighty. Let him try to lay a hand on me." And so it happened. Of the two Magistrates who were appointed to decide this case, one's son went mad. His wife wrote to him (although she did not accept the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, as a commissioned one of God Almighty, but she wrote): "You have insulted a Muslim faqir, and the result is that one son has gone mad. Now be careful about the other." Since that Magistrate was educated, he said, "What ignorant things is my wife saying?" He did not believe in such things. He paid no attention to it, and the result was that his second son drowned in the river and died. He had gone to the River Ravi and was bathing there when a crocodile caught his leg. Thus, he too perished. The extent of this Magistrate's harassment of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) was such that during the case, he would keep him standing the entire time. If he felt the need for water, he would not allow him to drink water. Once Khwaja Sahib requested permission to drink water, but he did not give permission. (Adapted from Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 1, Pages 428-429)
There was another Magistrate too who went after this one; he too was suspended as has been mentioned. In any case, both these people were ready to commit severe cruelty, and then they also saw their own end. Describing the end of that Magistrate, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that once I was going to Delhi when I met him at the Ludhiana station. That Magistrate who had treated the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in this way met Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud at Ludhiana station and with great earnestness and pain began to say, "Please pray that Allah the Exalted grants me patience. Great mistakes have been made by me, and my condition is such that I fear I may go mad." Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that these are manifest signs through which Allah the Exalted manifests the truthfulness of His Prophets in the world. (Tafsir Kabir, Volume 6, Pages 359-360)
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to relate an incident that once a thief entered Rustam's house. Rustam was indeed very brave, but his fame was in the arts of war. He was an expert in fighting. He knew well how to wield a sword, but it is not necessary that one who is an expert in war should also be an expert in wrestling. Anyway, the thief came, and Rustam tried to catch him. The thief knew wrestling. He brought Rustam down. When Rustam saw that now I will be killed, he said, "Rustam has come." When the thief heard this voice, he immediately left him and fled. In short, the thief fought with Rustam and even brought him down, but he fled in the name of Rustam. In this context, he also gave the advice that sometimes some people spread such rumours that demoralize people. He said that if someone's house is on fire, it is fine, they try to extinguish it, but they are not as affected as they would be upon hearing the news that their house caught fire and they were not present there. (Adapted from Some Important and Essential Matters, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 16, Page 277)
Then he said that the falling of bombs at some place is not as dangerous as the cry spreading that bombs are falling. So false rumours sometimes create cowardice. Therefore, to maintain one's bravery and courage, it is extremely necessary that false rumours be stopped from spreading and be countered. (Adapted from Some Important and Essential Matters, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 16, Page 276)
The thief overpowered Rustam, but there was fear of his name, so he ran away at that name. Similarly, sometimes rumours frighten the atmosphere wrongly, so one should always avoid rumours and in such situations should also display courage.
Regarding the Karam Din case, he also says: At the end of 1902, a person named Karam Din filed a case of defamation against the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and a summons was issued in his name to appear in court at Jhelum. Accordingly, he went there in January 1903. This journey was the first sign of the beginning of his success—that as if he was going to answer a criminal case, yet the state of the crowds of people was such that it cannot be estimated. When he alighted at the Jhelum station, there was such a large crowd there that there was no space to stand on the platform; rather, even outside the station, there was such a crowd of people on both sides of the roads that the passage of the carriage became difficult. So much so that the district officers had to make special arrangements for management, and Ghulam Haider Sahib, Tehsildar, was assigned to this special duty. With great difficulty, he managed to take the carriage while clearing the way with Hazrat Sahib, because all the way to the city there was no passage due to the crowd of people. Besides the residents of the city, thousands of people had also come from villages for his audience. About one thousand people took Bai'at at that place, and when he went to appear in court, such a multitude was present to hear the court proceedings that it became difficult for the court to manage. People were spread out into the distant field. (In any case,) At the first hearing, he was acquitted and returned safely. (Adapted from Sirat-e-Masih-e-Maud, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 3, Page 366)
In any case, after this, as he mentioned, the numbers also began to increase. From 1903, his progress began in an astonishing manner, and sometimes five hundred people would write letters of Bai'at in a single day, and his followers reached thousands and millions in number. All kinds of people took Bai'at at his hand, and this movement began to spread vigorously, and during his lifetime itself, it spread beyond Punjab to other provinces and then to other countries as well. (Adapted from Some Important and Essential Matters, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 16, Page 276)
How does Allah the Exalted punish blasphemy? You have heard one incident of the Magistrate. He narrates another incident: "Once we went to Lucknow. There was a frontier Maulvi, Abdul Karim, who was a fierce opponent of our Jama'at. After our arrival, he gave a speech in which he narrated an incident of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) in a very contemptuous manner. That incident was that once the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) went to Delhi. There, we had a relative uncle, Mirza Hairat Dehlvi. One day mischief occurred to him, and he came as a fake Police Inspector and, to frighten the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), began to say, 'I am a Police Inspector, and I have been sent by the government to give you notice that you should leave here immediately, otherwise you will suffer harm.' The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not pay attention to him, but some friends wanted to investigate who this person was, so he fled from there. This incident was narrated by Maulvi Abdul Karim Sarhadi, who was a non-Ahmadi Maulvi, in this manner that, 'Look, he claims to be a prophet of God, but when he went to Delhi, Mirza Hairat went to him as a Police Inspector. He was sitting on the rooftop'" (although this too is a complete lie. The Promised Messiah, peace and blessings be upon him, was at that time sitting in the veranda below, in the courtyard of the house). Maulvi Abdul Karim said about the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that "'When he heard that a Police Inspector had come, he was so frightened that while coming down the stairs, his foot slipped and he fell face down on the ground.' People, upon hearing this speech, laughed loudly and kept laughing. But what happened after this matter? How does Allah the Exalted seize? That very night, Allah the Exalted seized Maulvi Abdul Karim. He was sleeping on the roof of his house. At night, he got up for some purpose, and since that roof had no parapet, and due to sleep his eyes were closing, one of his feet went over the edge of the roof, and he fell down with a thud and died upon falling. He says, look, if, in the absence of the veil of the unseen, he had known that he would receive this punishment for blasphemy, he would never have blasphemed; rather, he would have believed in him, though such faith would have been of no use to him because when the unseen itself is gone, what is the benefit of faith? Faith only comes when there is also belief in the unseen. Only that faith can be beneficial which is in the state of the unseen. Upon seeing reward or punishment in front of them, anyone can believe." (Adapted from Tafsir Kabir, Volume 7, Page 23)
In any case, from this, it also became evident to those who saw his end what the result of mocking the prophets of God Almighty is.
Today, those who have adopted a mocking attitude towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or speak nonsensically—he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the most beloved Prophet of Allah the Exalted. Will Allah the Exalted simply let the foolish talk of people about him go? No. Rather, Allah the Exalted makes such people a lesson in this world too. So the cure for such people should not be done by Muslims with their hands or with guns but through prayers. But the true understanding of this is only with Ahmadis. Therefore, as I have said, we should channel our pain into prayers, and these days, we should especially pray.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), mentioning the incident of the Maulvi that has been previously narrated, further says: "There were many people who would say that Mirza Sahib will get leprosy. God afflicted them with leprosy. Many would say that Mirza Sahib will get the plague. God destroyed those who said this with the plague. When thousands of examples of this kind exist, how far can we attribute them to coincidences? So create such a pure transformation in yourselves that the world perceives it. Your condition should be such that, seeing your piety and purity, the acceptance of your prayers, and your relationship with Allah, people should be drawn towards it. Remember that the progress of Ahmadiyyat will be through such people, and when you reach or come close to this station, then even if you do not step outside, rather even if you go and sit in some hidden corner, people will gather around you there too." (Adapted from Response to the Address of Jama'at Ahmadiyya Delhi, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 12, Page 86)
And Insha'Allah, they will enter into Ahmadiyyat.
He mentions an incident: "When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went to Sialkot, the Maulvis issued a fatwa that whoever attends his lecture, his Nikah will be annulled. But since the attraction of Hazrat Mirza Sahib was such that people did not care about this fatwa at all. Guards were placed on the roads to stop people from going. Stones were gathered on the streets so that whoever did not stop would be pelted. Then people would grab and take away people from the gathering so that they would not listen to the lecture." Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that there was a BT Sahib who at that time was the City Inspector in Sialkot and later also became the Superintendent of Police. He was in charge there to maintain peace or for supervision. In any case, he says, when people made a lot of noise and wanted to create disorder, since BT Sahib, the Police Inspector, had also heard Hazrat Sahib's speech, he was astonished that in this speech, the attack had been made on Aryas and Christians, and whatever Mirza Sahib had said, even if it was against the views of the Maulvis, no objection against Islam arose from it. And if those things are true, then the truth of Islam is proven. Then what reason do Muslims have for creating disorder? Then he says that although he was a government officer, he stood up in the gathering and began to say, "He is saying that the God of the Christians has died—so why, O Muslims, are you angry about this?" (Adapted from Tahrik-e-Shuddhi Malakana, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 7, Page 192)
Hazrat Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib was a most sincere companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Regarding him, he says: "Before Ahmadiyyat, he was a famous scholar among the Wahhabis and held great respect among them. When he became an Ahmadi, despite the fact that his livelihood became straitened, he still did not care and spent his days in that very poverty. He was a man of very contented disposition. Looking at him, no one could imagine that he was some scholar; rather, outwardly, one would think that he was some labourer or menial worker. He was a man of very humble nature." Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says: "I always remember a joke of his. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went to Sialkot and there was severe opposition there, then when he returned, the opponents began to severely trouble whoever they found out was an Ahmadi. Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib was also returning from the station after having the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) board the train when people began to throw dung at him, and one person even put dung in his mouth. But he kept bearing this affliction with great joy, and whenever dung was thrown at him, he would say with great pleasure, 'Where did these days come from, where did these joys come from!'" And the one who narrated said that not a wrinkle would appear on his forehead. In short, there are different versions of it—different narrations. But in any case, even if the exact words were not these, the meaning is the same—that he expressed joy. No wrinkle appeared on his forehead, and he understood it as Allah the Exalted's grace that this is happening to me because of this opposition. In any case, he says that in short, he was a very sincere person. He would narrate a strange incident as the cause of his becoming an Ahmadi. Although he became an Ahmadi some time later, he had recognized the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) long before the claim. There was some interval in between. Initially, when he heard mention of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he came to Qadian on foot. Upon arriving here, he learned that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had gone to Gurdaspur. Perhaps there was a court hearing or some other reason. I do not know exactly. He immediately reached Gurdaspur. There, he met Hazrat Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib, may he rest in peace. He too was an old servant of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and had been with him before the claim. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was staying in the Zail house or somewhere else, and a curtain was hung at the door of the room in which he was staying. Upon Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib's inquiry, Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib told him that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) is working in his room. He (Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib) said, "I want to meet him." Hafiz Sahib said, "The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has forbidden you due to being busy and has given orders that you not be called." Maulvi Sahib pleaded: "Somehow arrange a meeting." But Hafiz Sahib said, "How can I request it when he has forbidden meetings?" But finally, after many pleas, he got permission from Hafiz Sahib to have an audience of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) by peeping through the curtain. Or he looked while evading their sight. In any case, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says I do not remember the details at this time. He went towards the room where the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was and, lifting the curtain, peeped and saw that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was pacing. At that time, his back was towards the door, and he was walking very briskly towards the other side of the wall. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says that this was a habit of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)—when he would write a book, an announcement, or any article, he would often keep writing while pacing and would also read it in a low voice alongside. At that time too, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was writing an article and was pacing very briskly and reading along. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), upon reaching near the wall, began to turn back, Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib says, "I fled from there lest he see me." Hafiz Hamid Ali Sahib or someone else asked, "What happened? Did you have the audience of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)?" He said, "It has been determined," and began to say in Punjabi, "He who walks so briskly in the room must be going to some far-off place." Meaning, whoever is walking so briskly in the room, it seems the destination is very far. And at that very moment, this conviction settled in his heart that he would accomplish some magnificent work in the world.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says: "This is a subtle point, but it can be seen by one who has spiritual eyes. He left at that time without saying anything to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). But since this conviction had settled in his heart, therefore, when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) made his claim, Allah the Exalted granted him the ability to accept Ahmadiyyat, and then granted him such sincerity that he no longer cared for anyone's opposition."
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud says: "Working with speed makes a great difference in time." And then he said: "Children should be made to develop the habit of working quickly and thinking quickly. But by 'quickly' is not meant haste; rather, it means working quickly with thought and consideration. The hasty one is Satan. But one who works quickly with thought and consideration is a soldier of God Almighty." This laziness develops in many—that they should rest, they will work later—and then work always keeps getting delayed. So this is not just about children. Adults and office-bearers also need to develop speed in their work because we are followers of that Messiah who used time by valuing it greatly. Because Allah the Exalted also said through revelation that his time is not wasted. So we should pay attention to this.
Then regarding the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he says: "I have seen the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)—he would work all day inside the house, but he would definitely go for a walk once daily." (Writing, speeches, meetings—all this work would happen, but he would definitely go for a walk.) And despite being seventy-four or seventy-five years of age, he was so regular about walking. (Now, he has mentioned the age here approximately. There is no need for debate about this. Some people have the habit that upon hearing a reference here, a debate will start—was it seventy-three years or seventy-four years or seventy-five years? Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud is stating approximately, so in any case he says that despite such an age, he was so regular about walking) "that today we cannot do it. Sometimes we miss going for a walk, but the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) would definitely go for a walk." (He said:) "Walking in the open air and benefiting from it is useful for the brain, and when the Tahrik-e-Jadid boarders" (he is advising the boarders) "do hard work while being in the open air, then not only will their health remain good, but their brains will also develop, and they will become useful beings for the world." (Adapted from Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 16, Pages 836-839)
So these days, children and youth especially should pay attention to playing in the open air, and there is also a need to draw their attention to it. And for the students of the Jamias, especially, at least one and a half hours of outdoor play should be made mandatory daily. These days, TV and related games have completely stopped outdoor exercises. If there is no compulsion, then in any case, walking and sports should take place.
Explaining the point that those who fear death are frightened by the enemy, he narrated the incident of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) involving Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib Jhelmi in this manner: "When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went to Sialkot, the Maulvis issued a fatwa that whoever goes to Mirza Sahib or attends his speeches, his Nikah will be annulled. He is a disbeliever and a Dajjal. Talking to them, listening to their words, and reading their books is completely forbidden; rather, beating them and killing them is a cause of reward." (So this matter of the Maulvis is not new; it has been going on since the beginning.) But in his presence, they did not have the courage to create disorder (because at that time there was also a police guard there, and there were government officers, and there were also enough people, so at that time they did not have the courage to create disorder) because Ahmadis were gathered from all sides. They consulted among themselves to create disorder after his departure. (Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud, may Allah be pleased with him, says:) I too was with him at that time. When the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) departed from there and boarded the carriage, people were standing at a distance who began to throw stones, but how could stones hit a moving carriage? Rarely would any stone hit our carriage. They threw at us, but it would hit some person of their own. So their plan could not be fulfilled. The remaining Ahmadis who had gathered there because of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)—some of them were residents of surrounding villages who dispersed after his departure—and the few local Ahmadis or guests from outside Jama'ats who remained, the opponents began attacking them at the station itself. Among those who were attacked was Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib. (His mention has already come.) The opponents pursued him, threw stones, and used abusive language. (And then the same incident—he was taken into a shop and dung was put in his mouth. So narrating this, he says, when this excess and cruelty was being done to Maulvi Sahib) instead of Maulvi Sahib abusing or shouting, those who saw that scene narrate that he was saying with great calm and joy, "SubhanAllah, who is fortunate to receive such days? Such days are only received at the coming of Allah the Exalted's prophets, and it is a great favour of Allah the Exalted who showed me this day." (He says:) The result was that in a short while, the conscience of those who were attacking reproached them, and they left him and went away in shame and humiliation. So the point is that when the enemy sees that these people fear death, he says, "Come, let us frighten them." (Adapted from Tafsir Kabir, Volume 7, Pages 582-583)
Allah the Exalted says in the Holy Quran that Satan frightens his allies. So when a person is afraid, the enemies think that he is a satanic person. But if he is not afraid; rather, considers these attacks and afflictions as a blessing of God Almighty and says that God Almighty has granted me this position of honour by His grace and He has done me a favour that I am being beaten for His sake, then the enemy is overawed, and eventually remorse develops in them.
There is another incident in connection with Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib: "Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib (as has been mentioned) was a very sincere companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He was a man of very pleasant humour. It was due to their deaths—his and that of Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib, may he rest in peace—that the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings be upon him) conceived the idea of establishing Madrassa Ahmadiyya (which later became Jamia Ahmadiyya). So he says that he once came to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and mentioned that, 'I have seen my deceased sister in a dream. She met me. I asked her, "Sister, tell me, what is your condition there?" She said, "God has greatly favoured me. He has forgiven me, and now I live in peace in Paradise." I asked, "Sister, what do you do there?" She said—and this too is a joke—she said, "I sell berries."'" Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib says, "I said in the dream itself, 'Sister, our fate is strange indeed; even in Paradise we have to sell berries.'" Since there was poverty in their family, even in the dream, his thought went in that direction. Hearing this dream, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said, "Maulvi Sahib! Its interpretation is different, but even in the dream you could only think of jesting and you did not forget to joke." (Because he used to joke.) The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said that berries are actually a fruit of Paradise, and by them is meant such perfect love that is eternal. Because Sidratul Muntaha is the station of eternal divine love. So its interpretation was that I distribute the eternal love of Allah the Exalted among people. So the sister's meaning was that I distribute the eternal love of Allah the Exalted among people. (Then he says in explanation:) In short, wherever a believer is, he will have to work—meaning it is not that after death, once one goes to Paradise, there is only rest and rest. One will have to work, as their sister told them what work she does. And if at any time the thought comes to someone that now is the time for rest, then it will mean that they have lost their faith, because what Islam has declared as faith and rest is working. Allah the Exalted clearly says: فَاِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَانْصَبْ وَاِلٰی رَبِّکَ فَارْغَبْ (Al-Inshirah: 8-9). That is, when you are free, then work even harder, and run towards your Lord. This is a point that should always be remembered. For you, there is no rest in the sense in which worldly people call it rest. But in the sense in which the Holy Quran promises rest, you can easily obtain it. The sense in which the world takes the meaning of rest is certainly wrong, and whoever sought rest in that sense will remain blind in this world and will be raised blind in the hereafter." (Adapted from Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Volume 16, Pages 612-613)
So the task of a believer is to keep himself busy with work. After achieving one goal, he should guide himself in the search for another target. And this is the prescription and secret of individual and national progress. May Allah the Exalted grant us the ability to do so.
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