Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) once said that great achievements are wrought by prayer whereas people skilled in mesmerism/hypnotism can also bring about changes in people through their knowhow but these changes are temporary and individual and they do not bring about revolutionary advantages. However, when prayer is made with all its due requisites it can turn around fortunes of nations.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated an account from the life of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) regarding Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib. Sufi Sahib had spent many years serving a Pir and performed spiritual exercises and endeavours. Later, he became devoted to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (on whom be peace) whom he identified before his claim that this person would be the Messiah.
Before his claim of messiahship the Promised Messiah had written his book 'Baraheen e Ahmadiyya' which gained huge popularity among saintly and scholarly Muslims. When Sufi Sahib, who was one of the most God-fearing holy people of his time, saw the Promised Messiah's (on whom be peace) poster he started correspondence with him. Sufi Sahib was a most devout person who had also gained mesmerism/hypnotism skills. He requested the Promised Messiah to let him know next time he visited Ludhiana so that they could meet. He invited the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) to his place for a meal and as they walked back together after the meal Sufi Sahib told the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that he had served a Pir for a number of years which had given him so much power of concentration that if he focussed and concentrated the person walking behind them could fall over. Hearing this, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) stood still and slowly raked the ground with the tip of his walking stick. He raked the ground with the tip of his walking stick whenever he felt passionately about something. He asked, Sufi Sahib, if the man were to fall over, how would it benefit you or him? Sufi Sahib had a great foresight. He pondered over it deeply and said that he repented and would abandon this practice. He said he now realised it was a worldly practice and was not something spiritual. He had it announced that none of his followers should consider the practice as part of the faith of Islam but should consider it a worldly practice.
Sufi Sahib's farsightedness is evident from the fact that when the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote 'Baraheen e Ahmadiyya' Sufi Sahib realised that he was going to go on to become the Promised Messiah although God had not yet revealed it to Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (on whom be peace) that he was going to go on to make any claim. Sufi Sahib wrote an Urdu poetic couplet to Hazrat Mirza Sahib in a letter: 'We, the ailing look up to you alone, For God's sake be the Messiah!' God had told him about the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) therefore before passing away Sufi Sahib advised his children to accept Hazrat Mirza Sahib when he made his claim.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the resolve and focus of hypnotists is nothing compared to the resolve and focus of faith and cannot stand before it. God-given resolve and focus and any individual's resolve and focus are worlds apart. Once as the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) sat in Masjid Mubarak addressing a gathering a Hindu accountant from Lahore came by. He was a skilled hypnotist and had come with the intention to hypnotise the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) while he was in a gathering to, God forbid, make him dance. This Hindu person had himself narrated this account to an Ahmadi. It so happened that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) gave one of his books to an Ahmadi from Lahore and asked him to deliver it to a particular Hindu person. When the Ahmadi took the book to the Hindu, he explained that he was a skilled hypnotist. If he wanted he could hypnotise a stranger walking on the road and make him run after the horse carriage the Hindu would be riding. He said he had heard a lot about the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in terms of his books against Hinduism so he decided to disgrace him before his followers. It is with this intention he went to Qadian and sat by the door in the mosque where the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) held an assembly. He tried to focus on his hypnosis technique but saw it had no impact on the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and he thought he must be a man of unusual resolve so he decided to focus that much more on his technique. Still, nothing happened. Not wishing to give up, he tried all that he could muster to try and hypnotise the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). This is when he saw a lion ready to pounce on him. Frightened, he gathered his shoes and ran. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) sent someone after him. The Ahmadi chased and caught him. The Hindu said, please let me go now, I am not in my senses. I will later write a letter to Mirza Sahib. Indeed, he later wrote to apologise for his impertinence and said he had not recognised the high station of the Promised Messiah. Someone asked him why he had assumed that Mirza Sahib would not know the art of hypnotism perhaps more than him and could counter his technique! The Hindu replied hypnotism requires one to be focussed and quiet while Mirza Sahib was addressing the meeting when I tried to hypnotise him, so his strength was from the heavens.
Power of resolve which man learns by himself is like child's play when compared to power of resolve granted by God as indeed it was evident in the account of Hazrat Musa (on whom be peace) the sorcerers and serpents.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said it is important to absorb all truths in order to progress as a community. It is not simply sufficient to accept death of Jesus (on whom be peace) in fact one should reflect over death of Jesus and try and understand why is it important to accept it! For one, the belief of Jesus being alive, is indicative of Jesus' excellence over the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) although no Prophet of God had the glory of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). So, this thought is against Islamic belief and a thought we cannot entertain for a minute. To accept that while the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be him) is buried below earth Jesus (on whom be peace) is residing on fourth heaven is great violation of Islam. Secondly the idea of Jesus alive in heaven affects the concept of Unity of God, His Oneness. Had these points not been there we would not have cared if Jesus (on whom be peace) was in the heavens or on earth. But how can we abide by irreverence towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and something that is contrary to Oneness of God.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says it seems ordinary Ahmadi do not feel passionately when discussing death of Jesus (on whom be peace). He says he has seen the enormity of passion felt by the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) when he discussed the matter of death of Jesus. He would quiver with the strength of emotion he felt and his voice would be majestic as he explained that he had removed a huge impediment in the way to progress of the world. The world was in darkness and he was taking it towards light. Seeing the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) in such fervour it felt that he was reclaiming the throne of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) from Jesus (on whom be peace).
When God grants a high spiritual station to someone He Himself guides them. They receive guidance which cannot be directly called revelation but it cannot be disassociated from being revelation either. This guidance is not based on words but is received in the form of some action. It is as if God's light descends on the person's heart and unfolds matter to them. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to say that when he comes across many people he appears to see rays of lights as if coming out from them which make him aware of the hidden failings or good qualities of the persons. But he did not have the permission to disclose this to the people. It is the way of God that unless and until a person himself causes his failings to be disclosed he is not considered guilty. It is in keeping with this that Prophets of God and people who come in their reflection (and follow them as closely as shadow follows a person) also do not disclose the inner failings of others unless people themselves cause the failings to become evident.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) writes that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) visited Lahore in 1904. He addressed a convention during this visit. There were some non-Ahmadi guests present at the convention who narrate that as the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) spoke he saw a large column of light as if emerging from the Promised Messiah's head and heading skywards. He mentioned this to the person sitting next to him who also saw the column of light. This experience left a huge impact of them and they accepted Ahmadiyyat on the same day.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) writes that he remembers once someone wrote to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) saying his sister was possessed by Jinn and the Jinn say that they are ready to accept the Promised Messiah. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote back and said give the Jinn the message as to why are they bothering a woman. It they had to harass anyone, they should visit Maulawi Muhammad Hussain Batalwi or Maulawi Sana Ullah!!! Hazrat Musleh Maud writes that of course the commonly held concept of Jinn is not correct. Of course people educated in the English medium would be convinced that there were no such things as Jinn. However, a believer does not accept matters only through his power of reasoning but looks at the truth of the Holy Qur'an. If the Qur'an backs the commonly held concept of Jinn then we would say: We believe and we testify to the truth! However, if it is proven from the Qur'an that there is no other creation other than mankind, then this has to be accepted!
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to narrate an incident that once on his visit to Lahore some friends insisted to visit a majzoob (mentally ill ascetic) who lived in Shahdara, a town just outside Lahore. Other friends were not keen on the idea of going because they said the majzoob utters profanities. However, those in favour of going insisted that as the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was a recipient of Divine revelations it would be interesting to see what the majzoob said. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) declined to go but friends somehow took him to see the man. When they met the majzoob he was uttering profanities but he suddenly stopped. He offered a melon to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). Those who are easily swayed by apparent matters were more convinced about the majzoob although the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that he was mentally ill. Sometimes a mentally ill person can see something that a sensible person cannot; because they are cut off from the world they can decipher matters of the unseen.
With reference to signs of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace), Hazrat Musleh Maud said that all accounts of the times of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) are not on record, otherwise there would have been hundreds and thousands of examples of his signs. As atheism is rampant in the time of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) God has shown many signs for him which we can assume to be those of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
One sign is that of a student named Abdul Karim who had travelled all the way from Hyderabad Deccan to receive religious studies in Qadian. He was bitten by a rabid dog and was sent off for treatment. Initially he felt better but then fell ill again and eventually doctors said nothing more could be done for him. When the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was informed of this he was saddened that a young man who had travelled long distance to come to study religion had fallen ill. He prayed most compassionately for Abdul Karim. The Promised Messiah said his mother had sent him to school with so many hopes. The Promised Messiah's (on whom be peace) prayers cured Abdul Karim of something that had no treatment at the time!
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a doctor friend of his told him that during his student days he was discussing existence of God with a fellow student when he narrated the incident of Abdul Karim's healing as a proof of God accepting prayers. His fellow student responded that it was not a big thing; people who were bit by rabid dogs could be saved. Incidentally the same day rabies was the topic of lecture at college. Their professor stressed on prompt treatment after being bitten by a rabid dog and said that if prompt treatment was not given and the patient started suffering from violent movements, the disease became fatal. The Ahmadi student tried to clarify with the professor that some people said rabies could be treated. The professor responded sternly that no, it was beyond treatment. Yet we know that Abdul Karim was healed of it.
Once two men and a woman from USA visited the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). The men discussed the Promised Messiah's (on whom be peace) claim with him. Jesus (on whom be peace) came up during the conversation. The man said he was god. The Promised Messiah asked what proof he had. The man said Jesus showed miracles. The Promised Messiah said that he too showed miracles to which the man asked him to show a miracle. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) remarked you are one of my miracles! The man asked how so. They Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said Qadian was a small, unknown village where even ordinary food stuff was not available, people could not even buy flour there. It was at that time that God had informed the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that He would exalt his name and people from far-off places would visit him. 'So many people will come to you that the track by which they come will deepen. And the help will come to you by every distant track, and such tracks will deepen by the travelling of the people who will walk on them.' [Tadhkirah, p. 725] The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said to the man, see, how the avenues have opened up and you have visited me from USA! What connection did you have with me? This indeed is a sign of my truthfulness.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he remembers at the time people were astonished as to what answer would the Promised Messiah give to the man from USA, they thought he would probably explain the concept of miracles to him. However, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) gave him a different answer!
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that although the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said there were hundreds of thousands of signs in his corroboration, Hazrat Musleh Maud felt the signs were in fact countless. Those with understanding knew that hundreds of thousands of signs could be deduced from a single revelation of the Promised Messiah. People came to see the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) after he made his claim and they benefitted from his company.
The wise see great signs of God even in small matters and the foolish do not see anything even in large scale matters.
Indeed, the entire locality of Qadian and all that there is in it is a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). His own estimation of the number of his signs was very modest. His signs are so many that they are beyond human comprehension and only God can measure them.
Once a Maulawi came to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and said he had come to see his sign. The Promised Messiah laughed and said have a look at my book Haqiqatul Wahi and you will realise how many signs God has shown in my corroboration. What benefit have you derived of the signs in Haqiqatul Wahi that you have now come to see more signs.
May God give insight to those who do not see the signs of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and may He also make us stronger in faith by the minute!
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۔
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) was once explaining the importance of prayer—how remarkable feats can be accomplished through prayer. While describing this in detail, he also explained about the science of mesmerism, saying that those who are experts in mesmerizing also bring about certain changes in people through this knowledge, but these are temporary and individual, and not such that any revolutionary benefits are being obtained from them. Whereas prayers, if offered fulfilling their due right, can transform the fortunes of nations. In this detail, he narrated an incident of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that relates to Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib. About Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib, I had mentioned three Fridays ago how he had practiced spiritual exercises while staying with a pir sahib, but later he also developed devotion to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and even before the claim, he had recognized the station of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). In any case, now I describe the details in the words of Hazrat Musleh Maud, from which we learn what status the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave to influencing others through the science of mesmerism.
Hazrat Musleh Maud says: What is the science of mesmerism? It is merely the name of a few tricks, but prayer is a weapon that transforms the heavens and the earth. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had not yet made his claim; he had only written Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya when it became very famous among Sufis and scholars. Pir Manzoor Muhammad Sahib and the father of Pir Iftikhar Ahmad Sahib, Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib, were among the most God-attained elders of that era. When he read the announcement of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he began correspondence with him and expressed the wish that if you ever come to Ludhiana, please inform me beforehand. By chance, in those very days, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) got the opportunity to go to Ludhiana. Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib invited the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). After the invitation, when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was returning from his house, Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib also walked along. He (Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib) was a disciple of the people of Rattar Chhattar. And in the recent past (that is, of the era he was speaking about), the people of Rattar Chhattar held a very great position among the Sufis of India and were famous throughout the area. Besides piety and asceticism, they had such mastery in the science of mesmerism that when they (the Pir Sahib) prayed, many patients would sit in rows on their right and left, and after the prayer, when they would turn for salutation, along with turning, they would also blow on both sides (and it had an effect because the effect of mesmerism was also considerable), from which patients would be healed.
As I mentioned in the previous sermon, Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib served that Pir Sahib for twelve years, and they kept getting their grinding done by him. In any case, on the way, Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib submitted to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that I have served the people of Rattar Chhattar for so many years, and thereafter I have gained such power from there that, look, the person coming behind me, if I focus on him (that is, mesmerize him), he will fall down right now and start writhing. Upon hearing this, the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood up marking a sign on the ground with the tip of his cane – Hazrat Musleh Maud says that it was the habit of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that when a special state of fervor would come over him, he would slowly rub the end of his cane on the ground, as if digging something out. In any case, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) stood up and started digging the ground with his cane in this manner. He said: Sufi Sahib! If he falls, what benefit will you get from it, and what benefit will he get? He (Sufi Sahib), because in reality he was among the people of Allah—God Almighty had given him far-sighted vision—so upon hearing this, a state of absorption came over him and he began to say: From today, I repent from this science. I have come to know that this is a worldly matter, not a religious one. Consequently, after that, he issued an announcement in which he wrote that this science is not exclusive to Islam. Thus, if any Hindu or Christian also wants to become an expert in this science, he can. Therefore, I announce that from today, none of my disciples should consider it a part of Islam. Yes, if he wants to do it considering it a worldly science, he can.
Hazrat Musleh Maud says that what I said, that God Almighty had given him far-sighted vision, we have an amazing proof of it, and it is that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had only written Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya when he understood that this person is going to become the Promised Messiah, although at that time, even the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had not yet received the revelation that he was going to make a claim. Thus, in those very days, he wrote this verse to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) in a letter. I have mentioned the couplet before:
"The eyes of us patients are upon you alone, For God's sake, become the Messiah."
So Hazrat Musleh Maud says that this matter shows that he was a person of vision, and God Almighty had informed him that this person is going to become the Promised Messiah. He passed away before the claim of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), but he made a bequest to his children that Hazrat Mirza Sahib will make a claim; do not delay in accepting him. And for further introduction about him, Hazrat Musleh Maud has written that the marriage of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I also took place in their family. (Derived from Khutbat-e- Mahmud, Volume 17, Pages 101-103)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I was their son-in-law.
Then, regarding mesmerism, Hazrat Musleh Maud narrated an incident that occurred in the gathering of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him)—how Allah the Almighty not only rendered the mesmerizer unsuccessful against His Messenger but also showed a sign. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: What status does the will-power of mesmerists hold against the will-power of faith? The will-power of mesmerism cannot withstand the will-power of faith. There is a world of difference between the will-power given by God Almighty and human will-power. (Regarding the mosque where he was delivering this sermon, he said:) In this very Masjid Mubarak, in the lower room, the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to sit in gatherings. Once, he was in a gathering when a Hindu who was an accountant in some office in Lahore and was a great expert in mesmerism came to Qadian with a wedding procession with the intention that I will mesmerize Mirza Sahib and he will start dancing while sitting in the gathering (God forbid) and he will be humiliated before the people. This incident was narrated by that Hindu himself to an Ahmadi friend. It happened like this: the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent one of his books through that Ahmadi of Lahore and said to give this book to such and such Hindu. That Ahmadi friend delivered the book to him and asked why Hazrat Sahib has sent you his book, and what is your connection with him? Upon this, that Hindu told his incident that I have such mastery in the science of mesmerism that if I focus on a person sitting in a tanga (horse carriage), that person on whom I have focused will come running after the tanga, although neither will he know me nor will I know him. So he said: I had heard things about Mirza Sahib from Aryas and Hindus, that he had written many books against Arya Samaj. I decided that I will influence Mirza Sahib through mesmerism, and when he is sitting in the gathering, by focusing on him, I will humiliate him before his disciples. Thus, I went to Qadian on the occasion of a wedding. The gathering was being held, and sitting at the door, I began to focus on Mirza Sahib. He (the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him) was giving some words of advice and guidance. He says that I focused, but there was no effect at all. I thought his will-power is somewhat strong, so I began to focus more intensely than before, but still there was no effect on him, and he remained engaged in conversation as before. I thought his will-power is even stronger. So I employed whatever was in my knowledge and expended all my power. But when I had expended all my power, I saw that a lion was sitting before me and wanted to attack me. (He also mentioned somewhere that every time a lion was visible, but the last time, that lion appeared ready to attack. Anyway, he said that upon seeing the lion) I got scared, picked up my shoe, and fled from there. When I reached the door, Mirza Sahib said to his disciples: See who this person is? Thus, a person came down the stairs after me and caught me in the courtyard next to the mosque. Since I was extremely bewildered by that power, I said to the person who caught me: Let me go right now, my senses are not right. Later, I will write this entire incident to Mirza Sahib. So he was let go, and afterward, he wrote this entire incident to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said that I committed an act of insolence. I could not recognize your station. So please forgive me. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that Mian Abdul Aziz Sahib Mughal of Lahore used to narrate (many of his family members are here as well) that I asked that Hindu: Why did you not think that Mirza Sahib knows mesmerism and is greater than you in this science? He said: This cannot be because for mesmerism, focus is necessary, and this act requires complete calm and silence, but Mirza Sahib was engaged in conversation. So I understood that his will-power is not earthly but heavenly.
Hazrat Musleh Maud says: So the will-power that is given to man by God Almighty and that is produced after perfect faith—between it and human will-power, there is a vast difference. To the person to whom God Almighty grants will-power, human will-power is child's play, just as the snakes of the magicians were defeated before the staff of Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him). Similarly, when the will-power of the beloved ones of God Almighty is manifested, people who possess this kind of will-power in a worldly sense become nothing. Then, on one occasion, while explaining what is necessary for national progress and how much the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had sense of honor in religious matters and regarding the station of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he says:
For national progress, it is necessary that all truths be absorbed within oneself—regarding issues as well as beliefs (it is extremely necessary that truths be absorbed). It is not that only the death of the Messiah should be accepted and it should be said that this much is enough for us; rather, keeping the issue of the death of the Messiah in mind, one should reflect on why it is necessary to believe in the death of the Messiah. What troubles us about the belief in the life of the Messiah is, first, that from the belief in the life of the Messiah, the superiority of Hazrat Isa over Hazrat Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), is proven, whereas no prophet has been or will be of the status of Hazrat Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And by believing in the life of the Messiah, the superiority of the Messiah over Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who brought about the true reformation of the entire world, is proven, and this is against Islamic beliefs. We cannot even bring into our hearts for a moment the thought that the Messiah was superior to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And by believing that Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), is buried under the earth while Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) is sitting in the fourth heaven is a severe insult to Islam.
The second thing that troubles us about believing in the life of the Messiah is that this affects the Oneness of God. These are the two things because of which we have to emphasize the issue of the death of the Messiah. If these things were not so, whether the Messiah was in heaven or on earth, what would it matter to us? But when his going up to heaven becomes the cause of insult to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and Islam and is contrary to the Oneness of God, how can we tolerate this belief? We cannot even tolerate hearing that the Messiah was superior to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), let alone accepting this belief. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that we generally see that when ordinary Ahmadis are discussing the issue of the death of the Messiah and presenting their arguments, no fervor is generated in them; rather, they present this issue as ordinary conversation is done. But we have seen the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that when he would bring up the issue of the death of the Messiah, at that time he would be trembling with fervor, and there was such majesty in his voice that it seemed as if he was making mincemeat of the belief in the life of the Messiah. His condition at that time would become completely changed, and with great fervor, he would present that a big heavy stone was lying in the path of the world's progress, which I am lifting and throwing away. The world was falling into the pit of darkness, but I am taking it toward the field of light. At the time when he would make this speech, a special fervor was visible in his voice, and it seemed as if the Messiah had sat on the throne of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who had snatched his honor and dignity, and he wanted to take back the throne of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), from him. (Derived from "Two Important Principles of National Progress," Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 19, Pages 92-95)
So this was the zeal of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), but it is also surprising about today's scholars that regarding one who had so much zeal and fervor for the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), it is said that, God forbid, he had given himself a higher rank than the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), or they consider Ahmadiyyat to be of a higher rank. Then there is an incident: when Allah the Almighty places someone at a high station, how does He guide him regarding people? This is not an incident but a statement of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) about how He guides and how He also reveals the inner state of people to them.
Regarding this, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: When a person stands at such a station (that is, whom Allah the Almighty Himself has placed at a high station, then) guidance from Allah the Almighty automatically continues, and he receives such hidden guidance that we cannot even call it revelation, and regarding which we also cannot say that it is a matter separate from revelation. We cannot call it revelation because it is not verbal revelation, and we cannot call it non-revelation because it is practical revelation, and Allah the Almighty's light descends upon the human heart and tells him that the matter is such and such, although this is not told in words.
He says that sometimes, when something is told from Allah the Almighty in a clearer manner, it is called ‘kashf’ (vision). (It also becomes ‘kashf’ when it becomes clear.) As the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say that many people, when they come before me, I seem to see rays emanating from within them, from which I come to know that they have such and such flaw or such and such virtue in them, but there is no permission to inform them of that flaw. This is the very Sunnah of Allah the Almighty that until a person manifests his nature himself, He does not declare him guilty. Therefore, under this Sunnah, the method of the prophets and their reflections is also this: that they do not mention anyone's inner flaw to anyone until he manifests his flaw himself. (Derived from Al-Fazl, March 9, 1938, Page 3, Number 55, Volume 26)
How Allah the Almighty shows signs even to non-Ahmadis to prove the truth of His beloved ones—narrating an incident about this that happened with a non-Ahmadi, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "This thought that how can such rays emanate from a person's body that others can also see them arises only because people take this sign literally. If they understood that this is a visionary incident, then this kind of misgiving would not arise in their hearts either. The time of Moses is a very distant matter. We see that in this era too, Allah the Almighty has shown some signs in which those who had visionary sight saw the lights of Allah the Almighty embodied in physical form and enjoyed its spiritual delight. Thus, in 1904, when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went to Lahore, he delivered a speech at a gathering there. A non-Ahmadi friend, Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahib, Advocate, was also present at this event. He says that during the speech, I saw that a pillar of light was emanating from the head of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and going toward the sky. At that time, another friend was also sitting with me. I said to him: Look, what is that? He looked, and immediately the other friend also said: This is a pillar of light that is extending from the head of Hazrat Mirza Sahib to the sky. This sight had such an effect on Sheikh Rahmatullah Sahib that he took the pledge of allegiance to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that very day." (Derived from Tafseer Kabeer, Volume 7, Pages 120-121)
These are such signs by seeing which people obtained faith. And then not only this, but there are various forms of signs that Allah the Almighty continues to manifest to people even now. As one Friday before, I had also narrated some recent incidents in my sermon.
While narrating an incident from a gathering of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Hazrat Musleh Maud says: I remember that a friend wrote to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that jinn comes to my sister. (Generally, in our culture and among Arabs too, there is this concept that jinn possess people, and to exorcise jinn, great cruelty is inflicted on the poor person who is possessed. Some people even kill the person possessed by jinn to exorcise them. In any case, someone submitted to the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, that jinn come to my sister, and those jinn are such that) they say we are ready to believe in you (that is, the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him). The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wrote to them: Please convey this message to those jinn: Why do you trouble a woman? If you must trouble someone, go and trouble Maulvi Muhammad Husain Batalvi or Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib. What is the benefit of troubling a poor woman? Hazrat Musleh Maud says that such jinn as common people believe in do not exist. (28:48) Indeed, there will also be many people who, under their English education, already believe that jinn do not exist, but before a believer, the real question is not what his intellect says but what the Holy Quran says. (A believer should think this way.) If the Quran says that jinn exist in the manner common people have conceived of jinn, then we believe and affirm, and if it is proven from the Quran that besides humans, jinn are not a separate creation, then we have to accept this." (Derived from Tafseer Kabeer, Volume 7, Page 363)
In any case, a believer has to accept the word of the Quran in every situation. Then, regarding how Allah the Almighty even influences the mad and insane to maintain the honor and dignity of His beloved ones, narrating an incident (we have heard this many times before), Hazrat Musleh Maud says that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) himself used to narrate that once he went to Lahore. Some friends suggested that a mad dervish lives in Shahdara; we should go to him. But some other friends opposed this proposal and said that he utters very foul abuses; we should not go to him. But those who were in favor of going said that you receive revelations. We should see what he says. (That is, to test the revelations of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, they saw only one standard—that we should go to him. So) You yourself kept refusing, but the friends insisted and took you once. He said: When we reached there, that person suddenly became silent while uttering abuses. A melon was placed near him. He picked it up and presented it to me and said: This is an offering for you. So some onlookers who see outward things became even more devoted to him. But he said that he was mad. So sometimes even a mad person sees such things that a wise person cannot see. Because he has become disconnected from the world, in this regard, at times he sees things of the unseen." (Derived from Al-Fazl, July 28, 1938, Page 4, Volume 26, Number 171)
Regarding the signs and miracles of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Hazrat Musleh Maud has narrated. From among them, I present a few references. There is a famous incident of a mad dog's bite and the patient's recovery. Hazrat Musleh Maud has narrated it thus: Since all the incidents of the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) are not preserved, more examples of this kind cannot be found now. Otherwise, I think that hundreds of thousands of examples could be found in his life. But in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), when atheism is very strong and to break it there is an extreme need for heavenly signs, God Almighty has shown many signs of this kind on which we can base our estimate of the signs of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). For example, I present the incident of a person named Abdul Karim. He used to study in the school in Qadian. By chance, a mad dog bit him. Upon this, he was sent to Kasauli for treatment, and his treatment was apparently successful. But some days after returning, he had an attack of the disease, upon which a telegram was sent to Kasauli asking for some treatment. But the reply came: "Nothing can be done for Abdul Karim"—that is, regretfully, there is no treatment for Abdul Karim. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was informed of his illness. Since it was the beginning of the Movement (it had just newly started; it was the beginning of Jamaat Ahmadiyya), and this person had come from a faraway place, a village in the Hyderabad Deccan area, for education, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) felt great sympathy and specially prayed for his recovery and said that he has come from so far; I do not wish that he should die like this. At one place, he also said that his mother sent him with great eagerness and passion from such a far area to obtain religious education, so a pain arose within me to pray for him. Anyway, the result of this prayer was that Allah the Almighty healed him after the attack, although since man has been created (the medical history of that time said this), such a patient has never been healed.
Hazrat Musleh Maud says: I have a relative who is a doctor; in fact, he still practices medicine. He narrated an incident from his student days that once he was conversing with another student about the existence of God. During the conversation, he presented this incident as evidence that God exists and He listens to prayers in this way, and a treatment happened in this way. That student said—that is, the other one who did not believe in the existence of Allah the Almighty—he said that such patients can survive; this is not such a strange thing. He says that by chance, on that very day, the professor's lecture in college was on "the condition of a person bitten by a dog"—that is, the condition of one whom a dog has bitten. When the professor stood up for the lecture and began to emphasize that the treatment of this disease should be done before the attack and attention should be paid to it very quickly, he says: To clarify this point, I said that some people say that even after an attack, the patient can recover. Upon this, the professor scolded and said: This can never happen. Whoever says so is a fool. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: In short, this was such a disease for which there was no treatment, nor has there ever been. But through the prayer of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Allah the Almighty healed Mian Abdul Karim, and by the grace of God, he is still alive. (At that time when he was narrating this.) So it is proven that above this natural law, there is a Being who is ruler and in Whose hands is the power of healing." (Derived from "The Existence of God," Anwar-ul-Ulum, Volume 6, Pages 328-329)
Then he narrates an incident that once two men and a woman came to the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from America. One man conversed with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) regarding his claim. During the conversation, the mention of Hazrat Isa of Nazareth (peace be upon him) came up. That person said: He was God. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said: What proof do you have of his being God? He said: He showed miracles. He said: We also show miracles. He said: Show me some miracle. He said: You yourself are my miracle (that is, to the American who had asked the question, he said that you are my miracle). Upon hearing this, he became astonished and said: How am I a miracle? He said: Qadian was a very small and unknown village. Even the most ordinary food items could not be obtained from here; even one rupee's worth of flour could not be obtained, and if someone needed it, they would get wheat and have it ground. At that time, God Almighty had informed me that I will raise your name in the world and you will become famous throughout the world. People will come to you from all sides, and the means for their comfort and ease will also come here. "یَأْتُوْنَ مِنْ کُلِّ فَجٍ عَمِیْقٍ" (They will come from every distant track)—and people of every type and every country will come to you. "یَأْتِیْکَ مِنْ کُلِّ فَجٍ عَمِیْقٍ"—and they will come in such numbers that the paths from which they will come will become 'ameeq' (deep, well-trodden). Now see how deep the paths have become. The road that comes from Batala to Qadian—just last year, the government laid two thousand rupees' worth of soil on it. So the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said to him: You have come to me from America. What connection did you have with me? Until I made my claim, who knew me? But today you have walked all the way from so far to me—this itself is the sign of my truthfulness. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: I remember well that at the time this conversation was taking place and that person had said, "Show me some miracle of yours," everyone was astonished as to what answer the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) would give. Everyone thought that he would give some speech in which he would explain how miracles are manifested. But as soon as he finished his statement and it was translated from English to Urdu and conveyed to him, he immediately gave this answer. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: This was a small thing, but every person's intellect cannot reach it. Even now, every person who does not use his intellect will say: What kind of miracle is this? But those whose eyes are open and who have wisdom and understanding know that it is a very great miracle, and for one who accepts the truth, this alone is sufficient. The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has written that in support of my truthfulness, hundreds of thousands of signs have been shown. But I say that so many signs have been shown that they cannot even be counted. Yet there are many foolish people who say that there are not even that many revelations of Mirza Sahib. Then how did the signs become so many? But people with wisdom and understanding know well that hundreds of thousands of signs can be manifested even from one revelation.
There is a famous story that there was a person who said to his nephews: Tomorrow I will feed you such a laddu that several thousands, hundreds of thousands of people will have made. The next day, when they sat down to eat, hoping to eat the laddu, they did not eat anything and told the uncle to give the laddu. He took out an ordinary laddu and placed it before them and said: This is the laddu I promised you. Seeing it, they were greatly astonished as to how several hundred thousand people had made it. The uncle said: Take paper and pen and start writing. I will tell you that indeed several hundred thousand people have made this laddu. Look, a confectioner made it. The things used in making it were bought by the confectioner from several people. Then each of those things was made by thousands of people. For example, take sugar alone—how many people's labor has been spent in its preparation? Some are grinding it. Some are extracting juice. Some are bringing sugarcane from the field. Some are plowing. Some are watering. Then the iron and wood used in the plow—those who made them. Similarly, if you calculate all, how many people does it make? Then besides sugar, there is flour in it. Estimate those who prepared it. Doesn't this number add up? The nephews, upon hearing this, said: Yes, that's right. This thing did not come into the understanding of those children, but that person, since he was wise, was seeing that in the preparation of one laddu, the labor of hundreds of thousands of people is spent.
He had given advice in a worldly manner, but those who are spiritual elders have also done the same. (Then he narrated the incident of Mirza Mazhar Jan-e-Janan:) He gave two laddus to a person named Ghulam Nabi of Batala. He put them in his mouth and ate them. After a short while, they asked him: What did you do with those laddus? He said: I ate them. Upon hearing this, they asked in a very astonished tone: Huh! Ate them? He said: Yes, I ate them. In this way, they kept asking him repeatedly and kept being astonished: So quickly you ate them. It occurred to him that he should see how they eat. One day, someone brought some laddus to them. From among them, they picked up one laddu and placed it on a handkerchief, and breaking a crumb from it, they started a speech: I, a worthless being, God Almighty has sent this great blessing for me. What things are in it! Then how many people must have made them? Has God Almighty sent this blessing for me, a worthless one? In this way, they kept speaking, and on one side, they kept describing their humility and lowliness, and on the other, they kept praising and extolling God Almighty. In this way, going on from Zuhr, only the first grain that was put in the mouth had been eaten when the Azan for Asr was called, and leaving it, they stood up to perform ablution. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: What was this? Just this: that in this laddu, they saw thousands of signs of God Almighty. Otherwise, an eater can quickly eat four, five, ten, twenty laddus, but for Mazhar Jan-e-Janan, even one laddu became so heavy that by eating it and remembering the favors of Allah the Almighty, their back was breaking. So it is intellect alone that makes a small thing big, and folly makes even a visible big thing appear small. Similarly, intellect makes a visible big thing appear small, and folly makes an ordinary thing appear big. So a wise person sees great signs of God even in small things, and a fool sees nothing even in great important things.
The Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say that God Almighty has shown hundreds of thousands of signs of my truthfulness. This is absolutely correct, and (in this, Hazrat Musleh Maud says:) I say that God Almighty has shown so many signs of your truthfulness that they cannot even be counted. But for whom? (For whom are these signs that have been shown?) For those who have wisdom. If any person comes here to see the signs of your truthfulness, then all these buildings that are visible (he is saying this in Qadian, standing in Masjid Aqsa), except for a few of them, all the rest are your signs. Then, beyond Ahmadiyya Bazaar, all the houses that have been built, the land that has been prepared for them—every bag of soil put into it is a sign. Here there was such a big pit that an elephant could drown in it (by filling it with soil, it was filled, and then settlement occurred). Then go out of Qadian to the north—there, the tall and high buildings that will be visible, every single brick of them and every particle of lime is a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then, all the people walking around in Qadian, whether they are Hindus or Sikhs or non-Ahmadis or Ahmadis—all of them are signs of his truthfulness. Ahmadis, because seeing the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), they left their homes and settled here. And non-Ahmadis and followers of other religions, because their style of living, clothing, etc., were not the same before the claim of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) as they are now. Their turban, their shirt, their trousers, their buildings, their wealth, their fortune were not what they are now. (Today too, the progress of Qadian is proof of this. Today too, when people go to Qadian, they go because it is the settlement of the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They do not go because it is a city and like ordinary cities its population is increasing and it is progressing, or the city has spread. The business people there sit hoping even today that here the Jalsa will be held, which was started by the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him, and our businesses will also flourish. So financially too, these advancements of others are happening today in this city because of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him. In any case,) when the Promised Messiah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) made his claim, people came to him, and those people also benefited, and due to "لَا یَشْقٰی جَلِیْسُھُمْ" (He who sits with them does not suffer), they also received the blessing. So all these are signs of his truthfulness. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says:) There is no need to go far. This building of this very mosque (where he was delivering this sermon), this wood, this pillar—all these are signs because they did not exist before. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) made his claim, then they were built. So hundreds of thousands of signs can be found here alone. Then, all the people who come to the Annual Jalsa, each one of those who come is a sign that God Almighty manifests every year and will continue as long as Allah the Almighty wills. So the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) estimated his signs very low that they are hundreds of thousands. I say that there are so many that no human power can even count them. Only God Almighty's estimate can encompass them. But where these signs become a cause of strengthening faith for us, under this verse, they also tell us that first, every person who comes should see with open eyes how many signs are here, and then he himself is also a sign." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmud, Volume 5, Pages 354-357) And today, the Ahmadis spread throughout the world and the mosques, mission houses, Jamias, schools, hospitals of Jamaat Ahmadiyya, the expression of devotion and respect of local people with you—all these are signs. Only one who has spiritual sight can see them.
Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "I remember well that a maulvi came to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and said: I have come to see some sign of yours. He laughed and said: Dear, read my book Haqiqatul Wahi; you will know how many signs God Almighty has shown in my support. What benefit have you taken from them that you have come to see another sign?
So if that person had presented two or four prophecies being fulfilled in two minutes or five minutes, then we would have accepted not only his two-year prophecy but even his two-hundred-year prophecy and would have said that when we have seen prophecies being fulfilled in two, three, or five minutes, these long-term prophecies will also certainly be fulfilled. But if a person makes long-term prophecies without showing such prophecies, we will say that this is against reason." (Derived from Al-Fazl, August 14, 1956, Page 4, Volume 45/10, Number 189)
So the prophecies of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) were fulfilled in his lifetime and are being fulfilled to this day, as I said, the daily progress of the Jamaat is its evidence, its proof.
May Allah the Almighty grant sight even to those who do not see these prophecies being fulfilled as they are, so that they may see them. And may Allah the Almighty also continue to strengthen us every moment in our faith.
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