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۔

A few days ago, someone showed me a short video in which an African maulvi was teaching the Quran to elderly people, and for the slightest mistake, he was beating them badly with sticks. Now, if a person's language is different and they are seventeen, eighteen, or even older, how can they pronounce every letter correctly like Qaris? The result is that people run away from reading the Quran, and this is why many non-Arab Muslims do not even know how to read the Holy Quran. Therefore, if the Quran is to be taught, it should be taught in such a way that creates enthusiasm and love.

A few days ago, a Japanese lady who lives here came to meet me. She took bai'at some time ago. She told me that in three years, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, she completed the Holy Quran, and she wanted to recite some of it. I said, alright, go ahead. She recited Ayat-ul-Kursi with such absorption that it was astonishing. So the real thing is that one should have such love for the Holy Quran that one reads it with complete absorption. The purpose is not merely to produce sounds from the throat like Qaris for show. Allah the Almighty has commanded to read with tarteel—reading slowly and deliberately, pronouncing words as correctly as possible. If we say that we can pronounce words like Arabs, that is difficult. Non-Arabs simply cannot correctly pronounce certain letters, unless they have been raised among Arabs. The Japanese nation also cannot pronounce certain letters. For example, the lady who was reciting was pronouncing 'خ' (kha) in such a way that 'ح' (ha) was more prominent. There was no difference between 'خ' and 'ح'. Hearing this Japanese lady, I have gained the impression that if not all Japanese, then like this lady, there must be many for whom pronunciation of certain letters will be difficult. However, the real thing is love for Allah the Almighty's Word. One should try to pronounce it as correctly as possible and should strive for this, rather than merely becoming a Qari and participating in competitions for show. No Qari or Arab can compete with the loving gaze that Allah the Almighty and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had for Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) when he said "اَشْھَدُ " instead of "اَسْھَدُ." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 15, page 470)

So people from non-Muslims are also joining the Jama'at and embracing Islam. The majority of Muslims, as I mentioned, do not know how to read the Holy Quran. In Africa, our missionaries encounter many situations where they have to teach the Holy Quran anew—not just the Holy Quran, but even the basic Qa'ida from the beginning. So these people also need to be taught the Holy Quran. Therefore, teachers of the Holy Quran should teach in such a manner that creates enthusiasm for reading the Holy Quran. May Allah the Almighty also reward that Pakistani lady who not only taught this Japanese lady the Holy Quran but also seemed to have created love for the Holy Quran in her.

So the real thing is not recitation like a Qari, and one should not think that if they cannot pronounce words in that manner, they should stop reading the Holy Quran altogether. Reading the Holy Quran is necessary, and one should try to improve. But just because certain words are difficult to pronounce or we cannot pronounce them, one should not abandon reading the Holy Quran altogether. Rather, every Ahmadi should pay attention to recitation daily. Yes, as I said, one should try to pronounce words as close to the original as possible and as easily as can be done, and then one should also try to improve.

Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says at one place that this effort to pronounce every word like a Qari is not correct because Allah the Almighty has not granted this ability to us non-Arabs. You say that my late wife Umm-e-Tahir used to narrate that her father was very fond of reading and teaching the Quran. He had employed teachers to teach his sons (his children), and had also entrusted his daughter to the same teacher to teach the Quran. Umm-e-Tahir (may Allah be pleased with her) would say that the teacher used to beat severely and would put twigs between our fingers—small branches from trees like pencils, and some people would also put pencils—the teacher would put twigs between the fingers and press them. He would beat and hit us because we were not pronouncing correctly. We Punjabi people also have such an accent that we cannot pronounce Arabic words like Arabs. (Derived from Al-Fazl, October 11, 1961, pages 2-3, Volume 50/15, number 235)

Hazrat Musleh Maud then also narrated the incident of that Arab which I had mentioned in my previous sermon—when he came to meet the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) used 'ض' (Daad) two or three times, he said: How can you be the Promised Messiah when you cannot even pronounce Daad? That Arab committed a very foolish act. Every country has its own accent. The Arabs themselves say that we are "Natiqeen bil-Daad" (speakers of Daad). Indians cannot pronounce it. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that Indian people either read it as "Dwaad" or read it as "Zaad," but its points of articulation are different. So when Arabs themselves say that we are "Natiqeen bil-Daad" and no one can pronounce it correctly, then what is there to object about? (Derived from Al-Fazl, October 11, 1961, page 3, Volume 50/15, number 235)

So Arab Ahmadis should also keep this in mind. Generally, the majority understands this, but some have a sense of pride in their temperaments. A Pakistani woman married to an Arab also thinks that by producing sounds from her throat, she has pronounced correctly, whereas it is not correct. If the matter was limited to herself, there would be nothing to say and I would not need to mention it. But I have learned that she sits in certain gatherings and mockingly says that Pakistanis cannot pronounce certain letters, do not know how to read the Holy Quran, cannot pronounce Arabic words correctly, and Arabs sit and mock them. I do not think every Arab would be like this, mocking others. It is possible that the Arabs among whom she is married mock others. In Islam, the hearts of every nation are to be won over and they are to be not only familiarized with Allah the Almighty's Word but also love for reading it is to be created in their hearts. Everyone has their own accent. Everyone tries to read it in the best manner because of love for the Holy Quran, and should do so, and certainly tarteel should be observed. Those who can help new Muslims in this regard and who know how to read with correct pronunciation should help, but mocking is not permissible.

So even those who know correct pronunciation should keep in mind that there are different nations, different people, everyone has their own accent, and not everyone can pronounce every Arabic word.

Now I narrate some other incidents with reference to Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him). Describing the condition of Muslims and what their state is becoming, at one place you give an example and say: "There is a famous parable that there was a cowardly man who developed the delusion that he was very brave. He went to the tattoo artists. (Those who do tattoos) In olden times, there was a custom that brave and strong men would have symbols tattooed on their arms according to their character and morals. (Here in Europe too, this custom is very prevalent.) He (anyway) went to the tattoo artist. The tattoo artist asked: What do you want tattooed? He said: I want a lion tattooed. When he began tattooing the lion, making its shape on his body, he pricked him with a needle. The needle prick was bound to cause pain. He was not brave. (He thought he was very brave.) He said: What are you starting to do? The tattoo artist said: I am starting to tattoo the lion. He asked: Which part of the lion are you starting to tattoo? He said: I am starting to tattoo the tail. That man said: If a lion's tail is cut off, does it not remain a lion? The tattoo artist said: It remains a lion. He said: Alright then, leave the tail, do something else. When he pricked the needle again, he started saying: What are you doing now? He said: Now I am starting to tattoo the right arm. That man said: If a lion's right arm is cut off during a fight or battle, does it not remain a lion? He said: It remains a lion. He said: Then leave that too and move on. Similarly, when he started tattooing the left arm, he also let it go, saying: Does it not remain a lion without that? Then when he wanted to tattoo the leg, he said the same thing. Finally, the tattoo artist sat down. That man who had gone to get tattooed and thought he was very brave said: Why are you not working? The tattoo artist said: Now nothing is left. What should I do? Hazrat Musleh Maud says: This is how Islam is treated nowadays. This is especially the work of Muslim scholars and leaders. They raise many slogans but have no action, and what they advise others has no connection with the teachings of Islam. Leave this too, leave that too, leave the other too. For themselves, they keep getting everything exempted. In this connection, Hazrat Musleh Maud gives another example and says: Our maternal grandfather, Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab Sahib, used to say that in my childhood, my temperament was quite playful. He was the grandson of Mir Dard and was a resident of Delhi. Mangoes are also found there. He used to say that when my mother, father, and siblings would start sucking mangoes in the mango season in the morning, I would set aside the sweet mangoes, calling them sour, and would eat the remaining mangoes with them. To suck mangoes, one first has to taste them, so while tasting, I would say this one is sour, although it was sweet. When the mangoes would finish, I would say that my stomach is not full. Alright, I will eat these sour mangoes, and eat all the mangoes. One day my elder brother, who later became the successor of Mir Dard, said: My stomach is also not full. Today I will also suck the sour mangoes. He says that I tried hard to stop him, but he did not desist. Finally, he sucked the mangoes and said: The mangoes are very sweet; you were just saying they are sour. Just as he used to set aside sweet mangoes while sucking and suck the rest with others, and later would call them sour and suck those too, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: This is the condition of today's Muslims. If those who say that Islamic Shariah should be implemented have this condition, then what is the condition of those who do not even know Islam? Those implementing Islamic Shariah also do the same, deceptively keeping things separate for themselves. This was his childhood. But here, wrong things are done deliberately. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: Other people who do not know Islam will not leave even the bones and flesh. (Derived from Al-Fazl, October 11, 1961, page 3, Volume 50/15, number 235) They will consume everything in the same way, even if it is wrong.

So nowadays too, the scholars creating justifications for themselves and engaging in such plunder, which we see everywhere, is a great tragedy for Islam in this age. And because of these scholars, others have also engaged in plunder in the name of Islam. Because of these scholars, various organizations have been formed that have heated up the markets of oppression and tyranny. May Allah the Almighty have mercy on Muslims.

Then, drawing attention to how we should improve our conditions to increase our faith and develop a relationship with Allah the Almighty, Hazrat Musleh Maud, advising the Jama'at, said at one place: If you people develop taqwa and purity within yourselves, develop the habit of prayers and remembrance of Allah, and maintain regularity in Tahajjud and Durood, then Allah the Almighty will certainly give you a share of true dreams and visions and will honor you with His revelation and speech. And a living miracle is indeed that which manifests in one's own self. Indeed, the miracles of Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) are also great. The miracles of Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) are also great. The miracles of Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him) are also great, but as far as a person's own self is concerned, the miracle that is greatest for him is the one he witnesses in his own self. Even today, people ask this same question. If one wants to see miracles, it is also necessary to develop a relationship with Allah the Almighty.

Giving an example of increase in faith and personal signs, you mention Hazrat Sahibzada Abdul Latif Shaheed and say: Look at Sahibzada Abdul Latif Shaheed. When he accepted Ahmadiyyat and returned to Kabul after staying in Qadian for some time, the governor there summoned him and told him to repent. He said: How can I repent? When I left Qadian, at that very time I saw in a dream that I was in handcuffs. So when Allah the Almighty had said that you will have to wear handcuffs in this path, how can I now try to have these handcuffs removed? These handcuffs should remain on my hands so that my Lord's word may be fulfilled. Now see, he obtained this confidence and certainty because he himself had seen a dream. Similarly, no matter how little knowledge a person has, if he sees a dream, unless he hides it due to cowardice, he has more faith even in his own false dream than in anything else. (Al-Fazl, July 22, 1956, page 5, Volume 45/10, number 169)

So if a person's faith is strong and he has a relationship with Allah the Almighty, then he does not fear worldly people.

Giving another example of this, Hazrat Musleh Maud said that Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib of Ludhiana was a great elder and was among the righteous people of his time. Once the Maharaja of Jammu invited him, saying: Please come to Jammu and pray for me. But he refused and said: If you want to have prayers done, come to me here. (Derived from Al-Fazl, March 27-30, 1928, page 9, Volume 15, number 76-77) Why should I come walking to you? So if there is a relationship with Allah the Almighty, no matter how great a person may be, one does not fear him.

Mentioning how much devotion people had for the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) before his claim and what the condition became after his claim, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: Look, "Considering the fame of Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, we can say that hundreds of thousands of people had great devotion for him. There is even testimony of one who passed away before the claim. That is, Hazrat Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib (whom I just mentioned earlier, who told the Raja that if he wants prayers, come here. Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib) of Ludhiana wrote about the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) before the claim. (We have heard this many times before. You have a couplet that says:)

سب مریضوں کی ہے تمہی پہ نظر   تم مسیحا بنو خدا کے لئے

(All the sick have their eyes on you, Become the Messiah, for God's sake)

This was the far-seeing vision of a saint of Allah. (Sufi Ahmad Jan Sahib was a saint of Allah. He had a far-seeing vision through which he saw that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was indeed the Promised Messiah, whether there was a claim or not.) But we can say that even those whose vision was not so far-seeing understood that the salvation of Islam was connected to him. But when that weapon was given to him (that is, the weapon through which Islam was to triumph), through which the enemy could be crushed, that water of life was given through which the life of Muslims was destined, then even great sincere ones became averse to him and began saying: What we thought was gold, alas, turned out to be brass. Hundreds of thousands of such people suddenly became suspicious. Even when you announced bai'at, on the first day only forty people took bai'at. Either hundreds of thousands of people had sincerity, and (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) old people narrate how great scholars used to say that service to Islam can only be done by this person, and they themselves would send people to you. Even Maulvi Sanaullah Sahib wrote that upon the publication of Barahin, I walked on foot to Qadian for the honor of meeting Mirza Sahib. And Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Sahib Batalvi, who in the end spent all his energy in opposition, also wrote that in thirteen hundred years, no one has done as much service to Islam as this person has done. (Derived from Al-Fazl, March 15, 1934, page 6, Volume 21, number 110)

Even today, various so-called Islamic TV channels speak grandly in this context, saying that at that time he rendered service, there was need for it, but later, God forbid, he went astray. But in reality, these people are those who are blind of heart, and what Allah the Almighty has made gold, these people consider brass. Instead of looking at Allah the Almighty's practical testimony, these people have drowned in the darkness of their own selves and are also leading astray Muslims with little knowledge. May Allah the Almighty grant them wisdom.

Once, when Dar-ul-Bai'at Ludhiana was mentioned in the 1931 Shura, Hazrat Musleh Maud said to the representatives there: In my view, this matter, that is, the matter of Dar-ul-Bai'at Ludhiana, is an extremely important matter. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) specifically mentioned it; rather, he declared Ludhiana as "Bab-e-Ludd" where there is the prophecy of the killing of the Dajjal. (The place where enemies will be finished, Dajjal will be finished) For such a place where the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) came from Qadian to take bai'at, the Jama'at should have special awareness (of this place). When Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) requested you to take bai'at, you said: Bai'at will not be taken here. (That is, it will not be taken in Qadian) Then bai'at was taken in Ludhiana. The late Peer Ahmad Jan Sahib there, who passed away before the claim of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), was among those whom Allah the Almighty enabled to believe in you even before the claim (as mentioned earlier). At the time of his death, he gathered all his family and said: Hazrat Mirza Sahib will make the claim of being the Messiah; all of you should believe. Accordingly, this whole family believed. Peer Manzoor Muhammad Sahib and Peer Iftikhar Ahmad Sahib are his sons, and his daughter, the wife of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him). Hazrat Musleh Maud says: It is my intention that a special map of this place be made, a separate place be designated at the site of bai'at and marked, and a gathering be held there on this occasion. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) took bai'at from forty people at this place; the names of all of them should be inscribed at this place. (Report Majlis-e-Mushawarat 1931, pages 106-107)

The house in Ludhiana is now, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, in the possession of the Jama'at. To what extent the Jama'at has acted on this, what is happening there, I do not have the record right now, but it will be known. Anyway, efforts are being made to make it a memorial.

Then, mentioning Ludhiana and the prophecy of Musleh Maud, Hazrat Musleh Maud says at one place that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw a dream in which a bunch of grapes from Paradise was brought before him and then he was told that this is for Abu Jahl. Its interpretation was that his son Ikrimah would attain Paradise. And so it happened. Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated how Allah the Almighty made the son of Abu Jahl so righteous that he made magnificent sacrifices for the faith. On one occasion of battle, Muslims faced severe difficulties. Christian archers were aiming and shooting arrows into the eyes of Muslims, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) kept being martyred. Ikrimah said: I cannot bear to watch this. (He was the son of Abu Jahl.) And he told his army officer: Please permit me to attack them, and taking sixty brave men with him, he attacked the heart of the enemy's army (going to the center) and made such a fierce attack that its commander had to flee to save his life, which caused panic in the enemy's army. These brave ones fought with such courage that when the Islamic army reached there, all of them had either been martyred or were lying severely wounded. Hazrat Ikrimah (may Allah be pleased with him) was also severely wounded. An officer came with water to the wounded and first wanted to give water to Ikrimah. But he saw that Hazrat Suhail bin Amr was looking towards the water. He told that officer: First give water to Suhail, then I will drink. I cannot bear that my brother should lie nearby thirsty while I drink water. When he reached Suhail with water, Harith bin Hisham was lying wounded nearby. Suhail said: First give water to Harith. When he reached Harith, he had already passed away. Then he came back to Suhail, but he too had passed away. And when he reached Ikrimah, his soul had also departed. So this Ikrimah was the son of Abu Jahl.

So if a person is wicked, irreligious, and false, who can say that his son will certainly be like him? But in Allah the Almighty's Word, there are such testimonies that make His truth clear, and that which does not have testimony is not worthy of acceptance. The real thing is how Allah the Almighty's prophecies are fulfilled. Although when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw a dream, he was very troubled, wondering how it could be that Abu Jahl is in Paradise and I am giving him a bunch of grapes. So the real meaning of this was that his sons would embrace faith and would make extraordinary sacrifices for the sake of Islam.

Hazrat Musleh Maud says: In this prophecy of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) also (that is, in the prophecy of Musleh Maud also), like other prophecies, there are many testimonies. You made this prophecy at a time when even the people of Qadian did not know you. Several elderly people of Qadian have narrated that we did not even know you. We used to think that Ghulam Murtaza Sahib has only one son whose name is Mirza Ghulam Qadir. So a person who himself is unknown, whom even the people of his own village do not know, makes the prophecy that Allah the Almighty will give him offspring who will live, and among his sons there will be one son who will gain fame to the ends of the earth, and through him, his message will also reach the ends of the earth. Who is there who can say such a thing on their own? Then you said that the boy will be "one who makes three into four." This also meant that he would be born in the fourth year from this prophecy. Accordingly, you made this prophecy in 1886 and (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) my birth was on January 12, 1889 (eighteen eighty-nine). And the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) took the first bai'at in Ludhiana on March 23, 1889. There is much discussion of this prophecy of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) both within our Jama'at and outside. Generally, this question was asked: Who is that boy? Hazrat Musleh Maud says: In the prophecy, the name of this boy was also told as Mahmood, so by way of good omen, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) also named me Mahmood. And since his name was also Bashir Thani (Bashir the Second), my full name was kept as Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad. As far as having offspring and their survival was concerned, this prophecy was fulfilled, and you were also able to name one son Mahmood. But the world was waiting to see which boy the prophecy was about? Accordingly, today I have come to Ludhiana to tell this (you had gone to Ludhiana). You say: The Jama'at Ahmadiyya has a connection with Ludhiana in several ways. The importance of Ludhiana in the history of the Jama'at has several aspects. He says: The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) took the first bai'at in this very city. (One connection) After him, Hazrat Maulvi Nooruddin Sahib became your first Khalifa, and his wedding took place in Ludhiana at the home of the late Hazrat Munshi Ahmad Jan Sahib (this is the second connection). And the boy connected to this prophecy was also born from the womb of that wife of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) who also lived in Ludhiana. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) I remember that in childhood, I also lived here for some time. I was so young at that time that I do not remember any particular things from that period because at that time my age was two to two and a half years. (Now see, even at this age, some things that are remembered are generally not remembered, but you are narrating those things too. He says that) I only remember one incident, and that is that the house in which we lived was at the head of the road, and it was a straight road. I came out of my house and a small boy was coming from the other side. He came up to me and threw a dead lizard at me. I was so terrified that I ran crying towards the house. I remember the layout of that bazaar. It is a straight bazaar, though now I do not know which one it was. Our house was at one end. So I spent several months of my childhood here. So this city has a connection with Ahmadiyyat in several ways. (Derived from Address to the People of Ludhiana, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 17, pages 257-259)

Hazrat Musleh Maud says that this city has great significance, as is evident from the things mentioned. But he says: I was thinking that people certainly oppose the things that are announced from Allah the Almighty, and the announcement of the prophecy of Musleh Maud had been made. The gathering in Lahore had taken place before Ludhiana, it had taken place in Hoshiarpur, but there was no opposition. So he says: Despite my announcement that this prophecy has been fulfilled, there was no opposition against me. I do not know why no one opposed. But when I came to Ludhiana—he says—when I was passing through the city, a procession of people was passing by, raising slogans that, God forbid, "Mirza is dead, Mirza is dead." But anyway, it does not make any difference to us. They have mocked due to forgetting the teaching of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). But the prophecy of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) has been fulfilled with full brilliance. Further, Hazrat Musleh Maud also prayed: May Allah grant the people of Ludhiana the ability to accept the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and those who today are raising slogans in opposition, may tomorrow be raising slogans in favor. (Derived from Address to the People of Ludhiana, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 17, page 260)

Mentioning the love and connection of one Companion, that is, a Companion of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), you (Hazrat Musleh Maud, may Allah be pleased with him) narrate that Mian Abdullah Sahib Sanori (may Allah be pleased with him) also had such love within himself. Once he came to Qadian and met the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was taking some work from him. Therefore, when Mian Abdullah Sahib Sanori's leave ended and he sought permission from the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) to leave, he said: Stay for now. Accordingly, he sent an application for further leave, but the response from the department came that more leave cannot be granted. He mentioned this matter to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), and he again said: Stay for now. So he wrote that I cannot come yet. Upon this, the department dismissed him. (It was a government department) For four or six months, however long the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had asked him to stay, he remained here. Then when he returned, the department raised the question that the officer who had dismissed him did not even have the right to dismiss him. Accordingly, he was reinstated to his position, and he also received the salary for the previous months that he had spent in Qadian.

Similarly, you gave another example. An incident occurred with Munshi Zafar Ahmad Sahib of Kapurthala. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: I was traveling to Dalhousie. Yesterday on the way, Mian Ataullah Sahib Vakil narrated this to me. This incident had already been published in Al-Hakam in 1934. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says) Therefore, I will narrate it in Munshi Sahib's own words. He says that when I became a superintendent and worked in the court, once I closed up the files etc. and came to Qadian. On the third day, I sought permission, and (the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him) said: Stay for now. Then I did not consider it appropriate to ask again, thinking that he himself would say. A month passed over this. Meanwhile, the files were in my house. Work stopped and stern letters began coming. But here, the state was such that there was no thought even of those letters. (He says I forgot everything. Letters come, let them come.) There was such pleasure and absorption in the company of the Promised Messiah that there was no thought of losing the job nor any apprehension of any accountability. Finally, a very stern letter came from there. He says I placed that letter before the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He read it and said: Write that I am not coming. (I cannot come yet.) I wrote that same sentence. Another month passed over this. Then one day he said: How many days has it been? Then the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) himself began counting and said: Alright, you may go. I went and upon reaching Kapurthala, went to the house of Lala Harchand Das, the magistrate. (The employment was in the magistrate's court) To find out what decision is made. (Whether to keep in employment, dismissed, to be fined, what happened? When I went to his house) He said: Munshi Ji, Mirza Sahib must not have let you come. (This is what the magistrate said) I said: Yes. So the magistrate said: His command takes precedence. (That is, of the Promised Messiah, peace be upon him.) So Hazrat Musleh Maud says that in Mian Ataullah Sahib's narration, there is this much more that the late Munshi Sahib said that when the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said: Write that I cannot come, I wrote those same words and sent them to the magistrate.

Hazrat Musleh Maud says: This was a group that showed such a high standard of love that our eyes cannot be lowered before our previous communities. No matter how many weaknesses there may be in the friends of our Jama'at, no matter how many negligences there may be, if the Companions of Hazrat Musa present their example before us, we can present before them the example of this group. Similarly, if the Companions of Jesus present their great deeds on the Day of Judgment, we can proudly present before them these Companions of ours. And when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that he cannot say what difference there is between his Ummah and the Ummah of the Mahdi, it was indeed said because of such people. These were people who, like Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and other Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), made all kinds of sacrifices and remained ready to bear all kinds of hardships in the way of Allah the Almighty. Look at Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) himself. Since Allah has Himself granted him a distinguished position in the Jama'at, I did not mention his name, otherwise the incidents of his sacrifices are also astonishing. When you came to Qadian, at that time your practice was going on in Bhera, your clinic was open, and work was continuing on a large scale. When you sought permission from the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) to return, he said: What is there to go? You stay right here. Then Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) did not even go himself to get his belongings. (He did not go to get his things) Rather, he sent another person and had his belongings brought from Bhera. These are the sacrifices that distinguish communities in the sight of Allah the Almighty, and this is the station that every person should strive to attain. Mere philosophical faith cannot be of any use to a person. The faith that benefits a person is that which has the sweetness of love and devotion. No matter how many claims of love a philosopher makes, they have no more value than an argument because he has seen the truth not with the eye of the heart but merely with the eye of intellect. But he who recognizes the truth and the شعائر اللہ (signs of Allah) that have come from Allah the Almighty not with the eye of intellect but with the vision of the heart, no one can deceive him. Because from the mind rises the hand of philosophy, and from the heart rises the hand of love. (Derived from Al-Fazl, August 28, 1941, pages 6-7, Volume 29, number 196) May Allah the Almighty grant us the ability to recognize the Imam of the age with the eye of the heart and to remain steadfast on it always. May we always be those who recognize the شعائر اللہ (signs of Allah), and may Satan never be able to deceive us.

After the prayer, I will also lead a funeral prayer in absentia which is of a Dervish brother of ours. Respected Maulvi Khurshid Ahmad Sahib Prabhakar, son of respected Chaudhry Nawab-ud-Din Sahib, passed away on July 28, 2015, at the age of 94. اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ (Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return). He was born in a village of Lyallpur (which is now called Faisalabad). He was an Ahmadi by birth. In 1936, at the age of fifteen, he first came to visit Qadian and attended a question and answer session of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II (may Allah be pleased with him) on the roof of Masjid Mubarak. Due to not having enough fare for return, he covered approximately 95 kilometers from Qadian to Amritsar and from there to Lahore on foot. At the age of 19, he joined the Nizam-e-Wasiyyat. In 1937, he wrote to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II that the deadline for joining Tehrik-e-Jadid had ended in December 1936. At that time I was a student. Now I have some income. I should also be given exceptional permission to participate in Tehrik-e-Jadid. Upon this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II granted permission to him and all those unemployed students who had become employed. Then Maulvi Khurshid Ahmad Sahib Prabhakar also worked on Jama'at lands in Sindh. In early 1947, he devoted his life and reached Qadian. That same year, India was partitioned, as a result of which he was blessed with the fortune of Dervishi (humble service). He carried out the period of Dervishi with extreme patience, gratitude, and loyalty. As a rural missionary, he did the work of invitation and preaching in the Indian state of UP in a very good manner. After returning to Qadian from the field of preaching, he had the opportunity to serve as a teacher in Talim-ul-Islam High School and Madrasa Ahmadiyya Qadian. Under Nazarat Dawat-o-Tabligh, he studied Hindi for three years and obtained three Hindi degrees: Ratan, Bhushan, and Prabhakar. He had good study of Vedas, Bible, Gita, and Guru Granth Sahib. He continued writing research articles on Hinduism, Sikhism, and Christianity, and was also blessed with the fortune of translating the Holy Quran into Hindi. Your articles began to be published in the weekly newspaper Badr Qadian from when the newspaper resumed after the partition of the country in 1952, and this series continued until 2013. So this series of articles spans sixty years. In addition, your articles were also published from time to time in other journals of the Movement including Mishkat and Rah-e-Iman. Also, your articles continued to be published in other national newspapers including the daily Hind Samachar, Milap, and newspapers of Kashmir. A booklet of the deceased, "Hukumat-e-Waqt aur Ahmadi Musalman" (The Government of the Time and Ahmadi Muslims), was published under Nazarat Dawat-o-Tabligh in 1963 and became very popular. Your articles and poems were of a very high standard. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV also greatly praised them, and truly when reading them, one could tell they came from the heart. They were scholarly articles. He was a very self-respecting person. He never liked being dependent on anyone. He continued doing his own work. Along with scholarly work, he also continued farming and raising livestock with his children, and after becoming a property owner and arranging personal residence for his children, he returned the Jama'at house to the Anjuman. This is a great example of his. Even during the days of severe illness, he continued to pray regularly in the mosque. He used to have true dreams which he continued writing and sending to the Khulafa. One month before his death, he told his younger son Ibrahim about his death, and then reminded him a week before. He married twice. The first marriage was to respected Alam Bibi Sahiba in 1944, from whom he has one son, Munir Ahmad, in Pakistan. The second marriage was in 1956 to Ayesha Begum Sahiba, daughter of Abdul Razzaq Sahib of Hubli, Karnataka, from whom Allah the Almighty blessed him with five sons and three daughters. Among his sons, Israel Ahmad, Krishan Ahmad, Ibrahim Ahmad, and sons-in-law Shakeel Ahmad and Mahmood Ahmad are blessed with the opportunity to serve the Movement. May Allah the Almighty elevate the deceased's status and may He always continue to grant his offspring and descendants the ability to remain attached to Khilafat and the Jama'at.