When we read or hear accounts of the companions of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) we note and observe their intense desire to recognise the truth, their intense desire to make financial and personal sacrifice and their demonstration, on individual levels, of ardent love and devotion for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). These were the latter-ones who tried to fulfil the dues of joining the ranks of the earlier-ones. Each had his own individual manner and style. Those who saw them or were close to them also learnt from them according to their own capacities and drew conclusions from some matters.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) was also a companion and he had personal connections with those companions whose accounts he relays, if not with all of them. He draws conclusions from these accounts and advises us and his advice affects the heart. On reflection we see many aspects of each such conclusion.
Hazrat Maulawi Burhan ud Din Jhelumi Sahib. His first meeting with the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) is a most interesting account. He arrived at Qadian to meet the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) but learnt that he had gone to Gurdaspur, so he travelled there. The residence where the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was staying in Gurdaspur had an adjacent garden. Hamid Ali Sahib was at the door and did not allow Burhan Sahib to enter but he surreptitiously managed to get to the door. As he slowly opened the door he saw the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) having a brisk walk. Burhan Sahib stepped back. He realised there and then that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was a truthful person who had to reach a far-off destination and this was the reason for his brisk walk.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) observed that Burhan Sahib was an erstwhile Wahhabi and they are known to be harsh. But Burhan Sahib did not seek Quranic proof, or proof from Ahadith. Indeed, Wahhabi stance is that after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) doors to Divine revelations are closed. They also maintain that, God forbid, saints and Prophets of God do not have any exceptional excellence. It is in refutation of this wrong concept that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said Prophets of God are like rainfall, they have luminosity of a very high degree and are an amalgamation of excellences…it is wicked to consider them the same as ordinary people. Love for Prophets of God and saints increases one's strength of faith.
Indeed, Hazrat Burhan ud Din Sahib considered the Promised Messiah's (on whom be peace) brisk walk a sign of his truthfulness. This was special grace of God because there are those who do not accept even after being given strong arguments and signs. Of course not all Wahhabis are hard-hearted. Thousands in Africa have been convinced of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and have taken bai'at. They appreciate the significance of Divine revelation and realise that Prophets of God and saints are like rainfall which keeps the earth green and verdant and that Divine revelation is necessary for spiritual lushness.
Hazrat Saith Abdul Rahman Sahib Madrassi. He became an Ahmadi during the lifetime of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and was a most sincere person with great keenness for Tabligh. The Promised Messiah used to relate an account of his most tender-heartedly. Saith Sahib was very well off in the early days and used to make huge financial sacrifice for faith and send rupee 300 to 500 every month as his donation. He made some bad business decision which resulted in ruination of his business. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had a revelation about him: 'Almighty is He. He sets right a ruined project and breaks up a running one. None has access to His secret.' (Tadhkirah, p. 424). It was understood from the first line of the revelation that Saith Sahib's business will recover while no one thought about the second line. Some two to three years after the loss occurred, Saith Sahib's business took off once again but then it nose-dived yet again. So much so that he did not have enough for basic needs like food and drink. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) once spoke of Saith Sahib with much love and said he was extremely sincere and loyal. Saith Sahib had sent rupee 500. Seeing his predicament a friend gave him two or three thousand rupee out of which Saith Sahib sent 500 and explained in a letter that he had not been able to send chanda (donation) for a long period but now his sense of honour could not tolerate not sending some for the cause of faith.
Once the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) received a money order from a non-Ahmadi. He had written that Saith Sahib was his friend whom he considered to be a holy person and was devoted to him. He had seen Saith Sahib very sad one day and on asking was told that when he had money he used to send regularly to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) for the cause of faith but could not do so any more. The person wrote that this had moved him and he had decided to send rupee 200 to 300 every month. Once Saith Sahib sent a few hundred rupee and when asked how did he manage to send it he wrote that he had taken some money from a friend to pay off a loan which made him think to send a little to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) as well.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that since the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had challenged all religions Christians and Hindus were severely opposed to him and tried to disgrace him and filed numerous court cases against him. Once the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had to attend court daily during the working week for three months running where he had to stand in the court for several hours at a time. Once owing to his enmity a magistrate did not even allow him to have a drink of water. Today we have forgotten these matters but for the sincere Ahmadis of the time these were great trials. On the one hand they heard Divine revelations like 'Kings will seek blessings from your garments' and on the other hand they observed that a jobsworth Hindu magistrate did not even allow the Promised Messiah a drink of water! Who made him stand for hours so much so that he felt dizzy and his feet ached. Those weak of faith would have wondered could this possibly be the person about whom all the Divine promises were made!
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) says he remembers the day the verdict of a court case was going to be passed. An Ahmadi friend was popularly known as Professor by everyone. Before becoming an Ahmadi he was an avid gambler who made a lot of money every month playing cards. He gave this up after accepting Ahmadiyyat and started keeping a small shop. His love and devotion for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was great and owing to this he happily endured poverty. He would do Tabligh to his customers during which he would start arguing with them. A complaint was made to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) about this who explained to him most affectionately that we are commanded to remain gentle. The Professor's face went red, he listened quietly but then said that he could not abide by this advice. He said when someone said something to the Promised Messiah's Pir (the Holy Prophet peace and blessings of Allah be on him) he either challenged him with prayer duel (mubahala) or wrote books in response but asked him to stay quiet! This may appear impertinent but it shows the intense love Professor had for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace).
At the time of verdict, people were sure the magistrate would give a harsh sentence, even imprisonment, a thought which Ahmadis could not even contemplate. There was extra security around the court on the day. When the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) arrived Ahmadis stopped Professor from going inside the court because he was quick-tempered. He had hidden a large stone under a tree. He screamed and cried highly charged with emotion and ran towards the court with the stone. Had other Ahmadis not stopped him he would have hit the magistrate with it. He had assumed that the magistrate would definitely give a guilty verdict and as such wanted to lash out.
Some people do react in this way under such circumstances. Those who are weak of faith deviate, the sincere have their faith strengthened and those who react emotionally try and think of ways to get even. However, the education and training of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) as demonstrated by his own blessed example is to be patient and steadfast. In the end what God has promised will come to pass and the steadfast will experience it.
Some people ask about certain days, calling some days auspicious and others ill-fated, ill-omened. People also give reference of the Promised Messiah in this regard or Hazrat Amman Jan's. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Hazrat Amman Jan (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him not to travel on a Wednesday based on a dream or some superstition of hers. There is no other significance of this. Explaining with reference to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) Hazrat Musleh Maud says that he was told that the Promised Messiah considered some days inauspicious, ill-fated. That Hazrat Musleh Maud had himself said in an address that perhaps the Promised Messiah had received a revelation regarding Tuesday or there was some other reason behind him not liking the day. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) replied he had said what he had said only in elucidating a tradition. He had not said that Tuesday was an inauspicious day. Since the tradition was associated with the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Musleh explained that if this tradition was to be considered correct then perhaps his inclination about Tuesday was because he was going to pass away on a Tuesday. But some people made this matter, which was specific to the Promised Messiah's person, a ruling and were convinced of the inauspiciousness of Tuesday. Indeed, to consider something that is from God as ill-fated is extremely foolish. The tradition referred to the inauspiciousness of the passing away of the Promised Messiah on a Tuesday. Otherwise, each day is from God Who has blessed each day. If there is any tradition contrary to this we will consider that the narrator of the tradition has been mistaken or we will consider that owing to humanness sometimes there is superstition, perhaps the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had such an experience regarding Tuesday, but we will not say that any day is ill-fated. The reality is that as a principle God has stated in the Holy Qur'an that all days are blessed.
Relating an account of contrasting traits of too much humbleness and harshness of viewpoint Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said Hafiz Muhammad Sahib was a passionate person from the time of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) who was rigid in his thoughts. Once, on returning home to Peshawar after attending Jalsa at Qadian conservation on fear and awe of God was under discussion. A person praised God and said he wondered if God accepted our Salat, our fasting, our Zakat and Hajj. Another person also praised God and said he wondered if he was even a momim (true believer) or not. Hearing this Hafiz Sahib asked, do you consider yourself a momim or not? The man replied he could not say with certainty. Hafiz Sahib replied, fine I am not going to offer Salat behind you. People said to Hafiz Sahib that the man was right; station of belief was a lofty one. Hafiz Sahib replied, fine, I am not going to offer Salat with/behind any one of you. Thus on return to Peshawar he did exactly that and refused to offer Salat in congregation saying he could not do so because they had said they were not sure about being momim. When the matter escalated the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) was informed. He said Hafiz Sahib is right but it was his mistake to stop offering Salat with the others. People had not committed any kufr (act of disbelief). However, people of our Jama'at should have thought positively about themselves and continued to improve. But it is not right to deny being a momim.
These days during the summer months here in Europe one sees people wearing scanty clothing and exposing a lot of flesh. God has stated that clothing enhances beauty but society today considers nakedness as fashionable. It was in the news recently that a group of Muslim girls was cycling somewhere and when they felt hot while cycling they took their clothes off. So, a time has come when it is not considered erroneous for Muslims to inherently expose some parts of their body on the basis of morals. There was a time when a large section of society considered it inherently and morally wrong, in particular Muslims. Nakedness and exposure in the days of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) was perhaps 70% to 80% less than today. Yet, a painter of that time wrote about it. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a famous British painter wrote an article in which he addressed women and said that European women tended to expose their bodies more and more. He wrote that as a painter he had seen the naked human form of both men and women more than others. As an artist he advised that naked body does not enhance beauty, in fact at times such women are considered unattractive in the sight of men. Therefore if women exposed their bodies to hear praise of their beauty, at times rather than praise they instil repulsion. Thus was the advice of a European artist and it is indeed a rational, weighty advice. These days even men keep strange appearances which are not dignified. Even if a proverbial handful of people get together and make a stance in the name of freedom it is given importance and this has made society immoral in the collective sense. Today's painters could perhaps not say what the painter of seventy years ago did and could not give an honest opinion. In fact no one would dare do so and this is why morality is diminishing. Nakedness is identified as beauty. It should be remembered that beauty is not nakedness or what is apparent. It is indeed something else.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that during the time of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) and Hazrat Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib were having a discussion. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) maintained that it was not easy to recognise beauty and only a physician was capable of it. Maulawi Abdul Karim Sahib said that every person could recognise human beauty but the counter argument was that only a physician knows and others can be mistaken in their viewpoint. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) asked if Maulawi Sahib saw anyone who he deemed to be handsome among the men who were around and he pointed to a young man. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) said he may be in your sight but he has defective bone structure. He asked the young man to lift his shirt and his terrible defective bone structure was exposed. Thus God has commanded to cover up with clothes so that mankind may look good but people are turning away from this!
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) related an account of an Ahmadi who was affectionately known as Philosopher by everyone because he found a new point in everything said. He said that people have made a big deal of the fact that if you stop eating sehri a little later than the set time your fast is not right and proper. He maintained that so what if a person who is not going to eat for twelve hours keeps eating sehri five minutes after the set time and extensively argued this. Next morning he came to see Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) in a perturbed state and said last night Maulawis told him that fast is not right and proper if you keep eating five minutes after sehri time finishes but he had maintained that it did not matter if one kept eating five minutes after finishing time. When he went to bed he had a dream. The man was a weaver so his dream was based on his work. He dreamed that he is trying to prepare to arrange yarn on his apparatus to start weaving but no matter how much he tries and pulls and tugs his yarn falls short just by an inch. He feels as if all his yarn is wasted and has fallen in dust. The man understood from his dream that God made him understand that if his yarn was spoiled merely by being an inch or so short, how could it be all right to fast by continuing to eat after sehri time had passed!
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) used to say that once it was asked in a gathering if anyone had eaten bread made of wheat. People usually ate bread made of millet and oats in those days as the Sikhs used to seize all wheat. No one said they had eaten bread made of wheat. Only one person said wheat bread was very tasty. He was asked if he had eaten it. He replied, no, he had only seen someone really relishing it as he ate it, so he had assumed it must be delicious. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said some people are very fond of eating chicken. Hazrat Chaudhry Zafrulla loved to eat leg of chicken as did the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) though he said he did not like eating it due to some dental problem. Some things are liked a lot by people and they are lucky if they get them, but these things are ordinary and insignificant. There is no doubt that if one believes in God and finds Him, one can say with certainty and conviction that one does not need anything anymore.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) often used to relate a sufi's adage which said: you either hold onto someone's cloak or someone's cloak covers you up. That is to say, the way of the world is such that there is no option other than either you becoming someone's or someone becoming yours. Even before getting to the age of awareness a child wants to become someone's, puberty comes much, much later. Little girls play with dolls calling them their dolls and in our culture little girls do play weddings of their dolls. Emulating their mothers they shower love on their dolls and cuddle them. Boys are attached to mothers and after marriage to their wives. This is what God refers to in the verse: 'Created man from an adhesive clot' (96:3). There is no sense of satisfaction for man besides this. The best scenario is of course that man becomes God's and tries for it. This way he will benefit both temporally and spiritually.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) said one of his late teachers, Maulawi Muhammad Yar Sahib had obsessive love for the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). He started associating every prophecy of the Promised Messiah with his own person. In his desire to be physically close by to the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) he sometimes did unwarrantable things. For example during Salat he would stroke the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). In light of this the Promised Messiah appointed people to keep an eye on him during days when he was particularly obsessive and not let him come in the Promised Messiah's vicinity.
When the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) spoke or delivered lecture he had the habit of motioning his hand towards his thighs. When he moved his hand in this manner Maulawi Yar Muhammad Sahib jumped up and came close to him. When asked why he did so he would say the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) had gestured him to come close to him. Thus was his obsessive love for the Promised Messiah that he even considered his reflex actions to mean a beckoning gesture. We claim to love God but in spite of His clear declaration to: 'come to Prayer and come to prosperity' we do not pay attention! Each Ahmadi should try and respond to God's call like ardent devotees and jump up in obeisance. Its school holidays now and children bring along their parents [to the mosque], later attendance lessens. This is a reminder. May God enable us to safeguard and establish our Salat!
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۔
When we read or hear the accounts of the Companions of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), we observe their noble nature, their yearning to recognize the truth, their eagerness and effort to sacrifice their lives and wealth, and their love and devotion for the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) expressed according to their individual understanding and standards. In essence, these were the latter ones who strived in their own unique ways to meet the standards of the earlier ones. Each had their own manner, and those who observed them and had close relationships with them derived lessons in their own ways from the conduct and character of these Companions, or drew conclusions from certain matters.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) was himself among the Companions and had personal relationships with almost all the Companions or those whose accounts he narrated. When he spoke about the Companions and derived lessons from them to offer guidance, these admonitions have a special effect on the heart. Sometimes we take one aspect from an incident, but upon reflection, different aspects come into view and the same incident becomes a source of guidance in different ways. For example, there is the account of Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib of Jhelum. Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) has narrated the account of his bai'at in his own manner.
Regarding Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib's first meeting with the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "It is quite an amusing incident. He used to say that I came to Qadian but the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was in Gurdaspur, so I went there. On one side of the house where the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was staying, there was a garden. The late Hamid Ali was sitting at the door. (This is what he narrates) He did not allow me (meaning Maulvi Sahib) to go inside. But he says that I secretly reached the door. When I quietly opened the door and looked, the Promised Messiah was walking and taking quick, long strides. (We have heard this incident several times before. Hazrat Maulvi Sahib says that) I immediately turned back and understood that this person is truthful; whoever is walking so quickly must certainly have to reach some distant destination, that is why he is walking so fast. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) Being a Wahhabi (Hazrat Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib of Jhelum was a Wahhabi), for Maulvi Sahib to have such a thought is quite remarkable, otherwise generally these people are rigid." (That is, Wahhabis are generally rigid. They are extremists.) (Al-Fazl, April 17, 1922, page 6, volume 9, number 81)
Now observe how Allah the Almighty made Hazrat Maulvi Sahib recognize the truth—neither did the thought of understanding any Quranic argument occur to him, nor any argument from Hadith, nor any other kind of argument. Wahhabis strongly believe that after the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the doors of revelation and inspiration have been closed. Then there are also such beliefs that, God forbid, what superiority does a Prophet or saint have over us? Just as we are, just as other people are, so too a Prophet is a human being, and a saint is also a human being. Let me explain briefly, perhaps some may not know.
Refuting this wrong concept, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said at one place: "The existence of Prophets (peace be upon them) is also like rain. It is an illuminated existence of the highest degree. It is a collection of virtues. There are blessings in it for the world. To consider them like oneself (that is, the Wahhabis' notion that they are just like us, human beings) is injustice. Loving the saints and Prophets increases the strength of faith." (Malfuzat, Volume 5, page 213, footnote, Edition 1985, printed in England)
Now this is a special point: loving Prophets and saints increases the strength of faith. In any case, the noble nature of Hazrat Maulvi Burhan-ud-Din Sahib understood the quick walking of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) itself as a sign of truthfulness. It was Allah the Almighty's special loving gaze that fell upon Hazrat Maulvi Sahib, otherwise there are people who hear arguments and see signs yet still do not accept. It is also not correct for us to say that all Wahhabis have become hard-hearted or are hard-hearted. In Africa, there are thousands who became convinced of the truth of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and entered into his bai'at. These people realized the constant need for revelation and inspiration, and also learned that saints and Prophets are like rain, whose coming makes the earth green and flourishing. Thus, for spiritual flourishing, the continuation of revelation is also necessary.
Then he narrates an incident about the sincerity and sacrifice of Hazrat Seth Abdul Rahman Madrasi. "Seth Abdul Rahman Sahib of Madras became an Ahmadi during the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He had great sincerity and was an excellent preacher. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) used to narrate one of his incidents with great emotion. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) When I remember that incident, it inspires me to pray for him. Initially, his financial condition was very good, and at that time he made great sacrifices for the faith. He used to send three hundred, four hundred, up to five hundred rupees monthly as a contribution. By Divine decree, he made some wrong decisions (meaning in terms of business, he made wrong decisions) and because of this, his trade was completely ruined. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) received this revelation regarding him:
(Powerful is that Court which can restore what is broken, and can break what is made, and none can fathom its secret)
When this revelation came, attention was drawn only to the first line, and from 'Powerful is that Court which can restore what is broken,' it was understood that Seth Sahib's business would be restored, and no one's mind went to the second line, 'and can break what is made, and none can fathom its secret,' meaning the work would first be restored and then would also deteriorate. Rather, it was considered a general principle. After Seth Sahib's business suffered a blow, for two or three years conditions improved. (When this revelation came, afterward the business flourished again. Conditions improved) But then it deteriorated again and conditions reached such a point that sometimes they had nothing to eat or drink. One day the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) mentioned him with remarkable affection. He said: How great was the sincerity of Seth Abdul Rahman Haji Allah Rakha Sahib. There was a sum of five hundred rupees that he had sent on this occasion. (Some amount had come, and upon seeing it, he mentioned it) A friend, seeing his difficulties, gave him two or three thousand rupees so that he could start some business or open a utensils shop. From this, he sent five hundred rupees to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and wrote that for a long time I have not been able to send any contribution. Now my sense of honor could not bear that when God Almighty has sent me some money, I should not give something from it for the faith. In short, his sincerity for serving the faith was very great." (Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 3, page 542)
Then, elaborating further about him, explaining how much pain he felt about his financial sacrifice—that is, with how much anguish he used to sacrifice and how restless he would become when unable to do so, what was his condition? And how did he express this to others? Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "When his financial condition became very bad—as mentioned, sometimes he did not have money even for food and some friends would help him—one day a money order came in the name of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) from a non-Ahmadi who had written that Seth Abdul Rahman was a great friend of mine, I have great trust in him and consider him an elder and am devoted to him. (This non-Ahmadi writes that) One day I saw him very dejected (Seth Sahib) and asked the reason, so he said that when I had money, I used to send it to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) for the faith, but now I cannot send. (This non-Ahmadi says that) His words had a great impact on my heart and I have made a vow that I will send you two or three hundred rupees monthly. Thus, that non-Ahmadi started sending him money. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) Once a money order came from Seth Sahib which was perhaps for three or four hundred. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) saw it, he said: This money order is from Seth Sahib; his financial condition is very precarious. (Then how did he send it?) Later his letter came in which he had written that I had incurred some debt, and to pay it off I took some money from my friend. Then I thought I should send some to you as well. So I paid off part of the debt and am sending some to you." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 23, page 402) So this was his sincerity, loyalty, and spirit of sacrifice.
Then at one place, Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), describing the scene of the Promised Messiah's (peace be upon him) time—how after your claim that you are the Promised Messiah and therefore also a Prophet and Messenger, and that you received this status through servitude to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), not because of any ability of your own—yet the majority of Muslims turned against you. We still witness this scene today. Then Hazrat Musleh Maud writes that when you challenged all religions, Christians and Hindus also turned against you, and great efforts were made to humiliate the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Cases were filed against you, to the extent that continuously for three months, apart from general government holidays, you had to stand in court for several hours daily. One day the magistrate, out of enmity, did not even allow you to drink water. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that today we have forgotten these things, but for the sincere ones of that time, this was a great trial. On one hand, they heard God Almighty's promise that kings will seek blessings from your garments and those who do not accept you will remain in the world like the lowest of nations. But on the other hand, they saw that an ordinary Hindu magistrate earning only four or five hundred rupees kept you standing and did not allow you even to drink water, to the extent that your head would spin from standing and your feet would tire. Those of weak faith must have wondered: Is this the same person about whom there are so many promises from Allah the Almighty? In short, these were also trials. For some in the sense of what helplessness this was, and for some in the sense that they considered this the demand of their faith. Their faith demanded that they should simply kill such opponents. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: I remember the scene on the day when a verdict in a case was to be announced. In our Jama'at there was a friend who was called Professor. Earlier, when he was not an Ahmadi, he used to play card games at a high level, meaning he would gamble. He was a clever person and similarly earned four to five hundred rupees monthly from card games. But upon becoming an Ahmadi, he gave up this work. (This is also a lesson for Ahmadis. If there was a habit of gambling before, upon becoming an Ahmadi, this work was given up) And he opened a small shop. He had deep love for the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) and because of this, bore poverty with great sincerity. Regarding an example of his sincerity, Hazrat Musleh Maud says I will narrate: "He opened a shop in Lahore. He would get into arguments while preaching to customers who came. If a customer said anything against the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he would quarrel. One day Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din Sahib came and complained to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), so the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) lovingly said to him: Professor Sahib, the instruction for us is to adopt gentleness. This is Allah the Almighty's teaching. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) kept explaining and Professor Sahib's face kept turning red. Out of respect, he did not speak in between, but after hearing everything, he said: I cannot accept this advice. Then he said: If anyone says even one word against your Master, meaning the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), you are ready for a challenge and write books, but you tell us that if people abuse our Master, we should remain silent. (Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) Apparently this was disrespectful, but from this, one can certainly gauge his love. (Anyway, the court case was being mentioned when the magistrate was to announce the verdict) When the time came to announce the verdict, people were certain that the magistrate would definitely convict and it was not unlikely that he would be sentenced to imprisonment. On the other hand, the sincere Ahmadis could not imagine for a moment that you would be arrested. That day, extra precautions had been taken by the court. There was also more security (meaning police was much more). When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) went inside (the court), friends held Professor Sahib back outside because his temperament was hot. Professor Sahib had hidden a large stone under a tree. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that just as a madman cries out, crying bitterly, he suddenly ran towards the tree and picking up the stone from there, ran recklessly towards the court, and if the members of the Jama'at had not stopped him on the way, he would have smashed the magistrate's head. He had assumed that the magistrate would definitely convict, and under the influence of this thought, he was ready to strike him." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 15, pages 66-67)
So in such circumstances, some people have such reactions. Those of weak faith apostatize (as mentioned, this was the situation), and the faith of the sincere ones increases, but those who are very emotional like Professor Sahib—somewhat emotional and also hot-tempered—such people even think of taking revenge themselves. But the teaching and training of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), which is our example and a course of action, we should always remember that we must always exercise patience and forbearance. Even today such incidents occur. The ultimate outcome will, God willing, be what Allah the Almighty has foretold, and those who exercise patience and prayer will, God willing, also witness its manifestation. Regarding certain days, some people believe that some days are good and some are ominous. Travel on certain days, not on others. Some people keep asking questions, they also ask me. Sometimes the reference of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) is also presented, or the reference of Hazrat Amma Jan is presented. The reference to Hazrat Amma Jan was that Hazrat Musleh Maud wrote that on Tuesdays or certain other days, she stopped me from traveling. She had some dream or apprehension, so that was its demand, which is why Hazrat Musleh Maud wrote it. In reality, the day has no importance. You have also provided a clarification regarding the reference to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). Hazrat Musleh Maud says that someone told me that I have called some day ominous in reference to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). The person said to Hazrat Musleh Maud: "You yourself said at some occasion that perhaps the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had received some revelation regarding Tuesday, or there was some other reason that you used to dislike it. Hazrat Musleh Maud says: I had explained a narration; I did not say that Tuesday is ominous. Since a certain narration is attributed to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), I had explained that if this narration is considered correct, perhaps you were forewarned about Tuesday because your demise was to occur on a Tuesday. But some people took this specific matter which was related only to your person, expanded it and made it a rule, and became believers in the ill-omen of Tuesday. Whereas to call something from God as ill-omened is great foolishness. As for that narration attributed to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), if it is correct, then by that ill-omen was only meant that ill-omen that your demise was to occur on a Tuesday. Otherwise, when Allah the Almighty Himself has made all days blessed and has manifested His attributes in all days, then in its presence, if any narration comes before us contrary to it, we will say that the narrator has made a mistake. We cannot accept such a narration, or we will say that every person sometimes has some apprehension due to human nature; it is possible that the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) also had such an apprehension due to some fear of Tuesday. But we will not say that this day is ill-omened. In this narration, we will either call the narrator a liar or say that perhaps under the demand of human nature, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) mentioned this about this day for himself. Otherwise, Hazrat Musleh Maud says, as a matter of principle, this is the reality, and this is what Allah the Almighty has stated in the Holy Quran: that all days are blessed, but Muslims, by their misfortune, started making days ill-omened one by one, the result of which was that they completely came under ill-fortune and decline." (Derived from Al-Fazl, September 21, 1960, pages 2-3, volume 49/14, number 217)
Some people exceed in their humility more than necessary. There is also an interesting incident about this, and some adopt excessive rigidity in their views. There were two people with such temperaments who came together. Mentioning an incident about them, Hazrat Musleh Maud says: "I remember that in the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), there was a person, Hafiz Muhammad Sahib, who was from Peshawar. He was a Hafiz of the Holy Quran and was a very zealous Ahmadi. I think he had been an Ahl-e-Hadith because great rigidity was found in his views. He had once come to the Jalsa and was returning from Qadian when discussions about the fear of God Almighty began on the way. Someone said: Allah's glory is indeed very great. We are utterly lowly and insignificant. Who knows whether God even accepts our prayers or not, accepts our fasts or not, accepts our Zakat and Hajj or not. Upon this, another person said: Allah the Almighty's glory is great. I often wonder whether I am even a believer or not. These Hafiz Muhammad Sahib from Peshawar were sitting in a corner. Upon hearing these things, they addressed the person who had said 'who knows whether I am even a believer or not,' and said: What do you think of yourself? Do you think you are a believer or not? He said: I cannot say with certainty whether I am a believer or not. Hafiz Sahib said: Well, if that is so, then from today I will not pray behind you. The others said: Hafiz Sahib, his point is valid; the station of faith is indeed very high. He said: Well then, from today my prayer behind all of you is stopped. When you do not even consider yourselves believers, how can I pray behind you? In short, the friends reached Peshawar and Hafiz Sahib stopped praying with the Jama'at. When asked, he said: You do not even consider yourselves believers. How can I pray behind you? Finally, when the discord increased greatly, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was informed of this incident. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) said: Hafiz Sahib is right (about what they had said that you say you are not a believer). But it is not just that he is right so prayer should not be offered. He said: But it was their mistake that they stopped praying behind people altogether because they had not committed disbelief, but the point is valid. It was the duty of our Jama'at members to have a good opinion of themselves. As far as effort is concerned, it is man's duty to continue his effort and strive to advance in virtues. (The Promised Messiah said) But to deny being a believer is the wrong approach." (Talluq Billah, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 23, pages 144-145)
These days in summer, nakedness is visible everywhere in Europe, although Allah the Almighty has declared clothing to be an adornment, and we see in today's society, as I mentioned, that nudity has been considered fashion. Now the extreme has reached the point that a few days ago there was news that somewhere a group of Muslim girls was cycling. While cycling, they felt hot, so they removed their clothes. As if that time has also come when keeping certain parts of the body naked morally and naturally is not considered disgraceful even for Muslims. Was there not a time when, at least among Muslims, a very large segment morally and naturally considered this disgraceful? In the time of Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him), perhaps nudity was seventy percent, eighty percent less than today. But regarding a painter of that time who made paintings, Hazrat Musleh Maud wrote that a famous English painter wrote an article in which he addressed women. You say that nowadays among European women, this trend is found that they keep exposing more and more of their bodies. In any case, that famous painter writes that as a painter, I am so accustomed to seeing naked bodies of women and men that no other person has such an opportunity to see. Therefore, as an expert, I advise that a naked body does not create beauty; rather, sometimes such a woman is considered ugly in a man's eyes. Therefore, if women keep their bodies naked thinking that beauty will be praised, sometimes instead of praise, disgust is created. Hazrat Musleh Maud says that this is the opinion of an expert who is a resident of Europe, and this opinion is very weighty and very reasonable. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 15, pages 152-153)
Similarly, men also create their strange appearances and wear clothes that waste their dignity and also highlight ugliness. But nowadays, in the name of freedom, if four people gather and make some expression, this absurd expression is given importance, due to which society as a whole keeps becoming a victim of immorality and decline. Seventy or eighty years ago, this was an expression of truth by a painter. Today's painter might not even be able to make this expression—give honest opinion and advice—and not just the painter, but no one has the courage, and this is why moral decline continues. Recognition of beauty is becoming nudity.
So it should be remembered that recognition of beauty is not nudity or external appearance, but something else. In this regard, Hazrat Musleh Maud mentioned a debate between two Companions of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). He says: "Once during the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), a debate arose between Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I (may Allah be pleased with him) and Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib (may Allah be pleased with him). Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I used to say that recognizing beauty is not easy. Not every eye can correctly estimate beauty. Only a physician can recognize who is beautiful and who is ugly. But Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib used to say: What difficult thing is this? Every human eye can recognize beauty. When you look at the external appearance, you can recognize it. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I's point of view was that indeed every eye recognizes beauty in its own way, but many errors occur in this recognition, and only a physician can understand who is truly beautiful and who merely appears beautiful on the surface. During this same conversation, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I said: In your view, is there any handsome man here? They (Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib) named a young man who happened to come in front of them when the debate was going on. They said: In my view, he is handsome. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I said: In your view, he is handsome, but actually his bones have a defect. He recognized it by looking at his face. Then you (Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I) called him near and said: Dear, please lift your shirt. When he lifted his shirt, such a horrifying shape of crooked bones appeared that Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahib said: لَاحَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰہ. I did not know that his body had this defect. I considered him handsome looking at his face." (Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 15, pages 154-155)
So sometimes external beauty is visible which is not beauty from within, and Allah the Almighty, if He has commanded clothing to cover certain flaws, it is so that some adornment of the person may remain. And man keeps moving away from this.
Hazrat Musleh Maud (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned a person who had his own view about the times of suhoor, but then how Allah the Almighty also guided him is remarkable. He says: "In our Jama'at, there used to be a person who was called Philosopher. Now he has passed away, may Allah the Almighty forgive him. (He says that) He would find jokes in every matter, some of which were quite good. He was called Philosopher because he would find a new point in everything. Once the topic of fasting came up. He said: They (meaning the scholars or experts of jurisprudence) have created a mere sham that if you eat suhoor a little late, the fast is not valid. If someone fasted for twelve hours and ate suhoor five minutes late, what harm was done? The scholars immediately issue a fatwa that his fast is void. In short, he debated this well. In the morning, he came anxiously to Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I. It was during the time of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), but since Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I used to give lessons, people would also come in large numbers to his gatherings. Upon arriving, he said: Last night I was severely scolded. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I asked: What happened? He said: Last night I kept debating that the scholars have created a sham that if a fasting person eats suhoor a little late, his fast is not valid. I used to say: What harm is there if a person who has fasted for twelve or fourteen hours eats suhoor five minutes late? After this debate, I fell asleep and I saw in a dream that we had set up a warp (taani). The Philosopher was a weaver. So in his dream too, he remembered his profession. The rope, the thread that is stretched to make cloth) I drove pegs on both sides and tied the warp to one peg first, and then I took it to tie to the other peg. When I reached near the peg, the warp fell short by two finger-widths. I kept pulling to somehow tie it to the peg but could not succeed, and I understood that all my thread had fallen in the dirt and was ruined. (That thread was getting spoiled.) So I started shouting: Come help me. For the sake of two fingers, my warp is gone. And while shouting like this, I woke up. When I woke up, I understood that through this dream, Allah the Almighty has explained the issue to me: if the warp gets ruined by a gap of two finger-widths, then regarding the fast, you are talking about a gap of five minutes. How can the fast remain valid despite this gap?" (Talluq Billah, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 23, pages 177-178)
It is human nature that one cannot remain alone. One must form an attachment somewhere. Hazrat Musleh Maud explains this at one place: "The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) used to say that in a gathering, it was being discussed whether anyone had eaten wheat bread? In those days, people mostly ate millet, sorghum, and barley. Wheat was rarely available, and if it was discovered that someone had wheat, the Sikhs would snatch it from them. All the people said that they had not eaten wheat bread. Only one person said that wheat bread is very tasty.
Others asked: Have you eaten wheat bread? He said: I have not eaten it, but I have seen a person eating wheat bread. The eater was eating it with such relish that I understood that wheat bread is very tasty. (Al-Fazl, February 17, 1955, page 3, volume 44/9, number 41) (So he is mentioning that some people are very fond of eating. Then he said that) Some people are very fond of eating chicken. Chaudhry Zafarullah Khan Sahib is also a friend from my childhood. He was very fond of chicken legs. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) was also very fond of it. And mentioning a friend who passed away, he says that he used to say that if a person keeps getting chicken legs throughout his life, what more does he need? But (anyway, Hazrat Musleh Maud says that) I do not like it (and the reason he gave was that there was some trouble with his teeth. He said that) In any case, there are some things that people are very fond of; if they get those things, they are very fortunate. But those things are very inferior and ordinary, and then for obtaining those things too, man remains in need of thousands of other things. But there is no doubt that if we have faith in God Almighty, and if we can find God Almighty, then absolutely and certainly man can say that after this, what need do I have of anyone else?" (Derived from Talluq Billah, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 23, page 127)
Regarding finding God Almighty, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) often used to quote a saying of a Sufi in Punjabi: Either you cling to someone's garment or let someone's garment cover you. That is, the life of this world is such that there is no other way except that either you belong to someone or someone belongs to you. Hazrat Musleh Maud says this is the meaning of being created from "طِیْن" (clay) (that man was created from clay in which he molds himself). That is, it is inherent in human nature that either he wants to belong to someone or wants to make someone his own. Look, a child has not even fully gained consciousness when the desire to belong to someone starts creating stirrings in his heart. Puberty comes after several years, but at a young age itself, look at the girls: when they play, they say this is my doll, your doll. Then their mutual relationship—in our society, children also perform doll weddings. Then those girls, imitating mothers, carry dolls in their laps. They love them; just as mothers nurse their children, and just as they keep them pressed to their chests, this is seen in every society. Because their hearts desire that we should belong to someone or someone should belong to us. Similarly, look at the boys. Until they are married, they cling to their mother all the time. When married, then the wife. So Allah the Almighty, pointing to this very subject, says: خُلِقَ الْاِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَلَق (Man was created from a clinging substance). That is, we have placed this element in human nature that he wants to belong to someone. (Derived from Talluq Billah, Anwar-ul-Uloom, Volume 23, pages 136-137) Without this, his heart is not satisfied, and the best way of belonging to someone, through which both religion and world are obtained, is that man should become Allah the Almighty's and should strive for this. Then Hazrat Musleh Maud, mentioning the standard of love and the relationship with Allah the Almighty, gives an example and says: Although the example is of a madman, and then such a madman who has now passed away, and although it is the example of such a madman who was also my teacher, but in any case, from this, the state of love becomes very clear. There was a teacher of mine who used to teach in school; later he also claimed prophethood. His name was Maulvi Yar Muhammad Sahib. He had such love for the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) that as a result of it, a color of madness overcame him. It is possible that there was some defect in his mind before too, but we saw that love for the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) increased until he became insane, and he began attributing every prophecy of the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) to himself. Then his madness increased to the point that in his desire to be close to the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him), he would sometimes do things that were improper and incorrect. For example, he would try to rub his hand on the Promised Messiah's (peace be upon him) body during prayer. Seeing his condition, the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had appointed some people so that during the days when he had an episode, they would take care that he should not come and sit behind you. The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had a habit that when he conversed or lectured, he would bring his hand towards his thighs like someone gently tapping. When the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) moved his hand like this, Maulvi Yar Muhammad Sahib, in the passion of love, would immediately leap and reach near the Promised Messiah (peace be upon him). And when someone asked: Maulvi Sahib, what is this? (What did you do?) He would say: The Promised Messiah (peace be upon him) had called me with a gesture." (Derived from Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 15, pages 531-532) So Hazrat Musleh Maud gave this example and said that this is the state of madness and love: even when attention is not being given (a person who becomes insane), even then, he considers the involuntary movement of the beloved's hand as a gesture to call him near. But we claim love for God Almighty, yet despite His clear announcement to come towards prayer and come towards success, neither do we rush towards prayers nor do we regularly attend Friday prayers with great care. (Derived from Khutbat Mahmood, Volume 15, pages 531-532)
So every Ahmadi should pay attention to this and, responding to Allah the Almighty's clear call, like this absorbed one or lover, should leap forward and continue striving to populate the mosques. Right now it is the holidays; children also bring their parents. But after that, gradually attendance starts decreasing. Therefore, I am also reminding you. May Allah the Almighty continue to grant us the ability to protect our prayers and fulfill the rights of their observance.
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