Addendum to the Booklet “Jihad”

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The real truth about my claim
of being Jesus the Messiah and Muhammad Mahdi
and a proposal submitted to His Excellency the Viceroy

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I have explained in many of my books that my claim of being Jesus the Messiah and Muhammad Mahdi is not based on the idea that I am actually Jesus(as) or the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa). Nevertheless, those who have not carefully studied my books might surmise that I am referring to reincarnation, as if I claim that the souls of both these holy men have reappeared in me. This is not so. The fact of the matter is that earlier Prophets predicted that there would be two types of transgressions in the Latter Days: one against the rights of God’s creation, and the other in relation to the rights of the Creator. They prophesied that killers would violate the rights of God’s creation by spilling much innocent blood under the pretext of jihad, believing that such acts would earn them great Divine reward. They also foretold that the excuse of religion would be used to persecute the human race in many other ways. The time that was foretold has therefore arrived. Every God-fearing person must concede that human rights are violated constantly and manifest brutality occurs every day. For example, every other day the Frontier Region’s violent tribes kill the British officers who are protecting their lives and property, as well as that of their Muslim brethren. This is manifest cruelty and a violation of human rights. Do they not recall the time of the Sikhs, who were ready to kill those who merely raised the adhan [Call for Prayer]? What did the British Government do to deserve this kind of treatment for its honourable officials? The British Government permitted complete religious freedom as soon as it entered the Punjab. Gone is the time when we were assaulted for even whispering the adhan. Nobody will stop you if you now proclaim the adhan from minarets, and perform salat [Prayer] in congregation. Muslims lived like slaves in the time of the Sikhs, but their dignity has been restored by the British administration. Their life, property, and honour are now safe. The doors of Islamic libraries are re-opened. Has the British Government been benevolent or oppressive? In the Sikh era, even the graves of Muslim elders were dug up. The Sirhind incident is still fresh in memories. However, this government guards the living among us as well as the graves of our dead. We live under the protection of a benign and peaceful government, which has shown no trace of religious prejudice. A Muslim can perform his religious obligations, including hajj [Pilgrimage], the zakat [obligatory charity] and salat [Prayers]. Or, on Divine authority, he can claim to be the mujaddid [reformer] of the age, a wali [saint], a patriarch, the Messiah or the Mahdi [promised guided leader]. This even-handed government remains uninvolved in these matters, unless such a person violates the law of the land and engages in rebellion. Muslims respond to the government’s tolerance and benevolence by wrongfully killing the innocent authorities who are engaged night and day in serving the country justly.

And if it is said that the Muslims and maulavis of our country are sinless in these affairs because the culprits are from the Frontier Region, then I respectfully point out that they have sinned whether one accepts it or not. While we observe the fervour with which the barbaric tribes of the Frontier Region seek to become ghazis [the survivors of a religious war], we do not, on the other hand, see that the maulavis of this country demonstrate any feeling of true sympathy for the British Government and its officers. If they truly wish this government well, why do they not unanimously publish a fatwa in the Frontier Region dispelling the notion among foolish people that they are ghazis who will attain Paradise immediately after death. I do not understand why the maulavis and their followers fail to perform any admirable service despite their lofty claims of loyalty. This is, in fact, an understatement. There are many maulavis against whom even greater objections can be made. May God reform their hearts.

In short, our fellow Muslims are doing grave injustice to the rights of God’s creation. If a benevolent king is treated like this, what treatment shall we expect for others? God witnessed this injustice from the heavens and has sent a person in the likeness of Jesus the Messiah to set it right. He named him the Messiah in the same way as the reflection of a face in water or a mirror can metaphorically be called the re-advent of that person. For the teachings that I am emphasizing now, such as having love for your enemy and compassion for God’s creation, have previously been stressed by that honourable Prophet whose name is Jesus the Messiah. Rather than loving their enemies, some contemporary Muslims unjustly use shameful religious pretexts to murder innocent people who, far from harm, have done only good things for them. The advent of one who receives revelation from God, has the characteristics of the Messiah, and brings a message promoting peace was necessary for the reformation of these people. Did this age not need the avatar [second coming] of Jesus the Messiah? Of course it did. Currently, millions of Muslims are ready to kill other people under the pretense of jihad. Indeed, some are unable to truly love a benevolent government even while living under its protection. They are unable to reach the highest levels of sympathy, and cannot cleanse themselves of affectation and pretence. There was therefore a dire need for the avatar of the Messiah. So I am that very promised avatar, who has been sent in the spiritual likeness, personality and temperament of Jesus the Messiah.

The other type of transgression, which relates to the Creator, is the belief of the present day Christians that has exceeded all bounds. There is no doubt that the Prophet Jesus(as) is a great Prophet of God. He is without question loved and honoured by God, a light of this world and the sun of guidance. He was glorified before the Lord God and possessed a status close to His throne. Millions of those who love him, follow his teachings, and act upon his guidance will receive deliverance from hell. However, it is a serious error and disbelief to raise such a chosen servant of God to divinity. Those whom God loves are very close to Him and have a special relationship with Him. If, on account of this relationship, they sometimes refer to themselves as the “sons of God”, or claim that God speaks through them or manifests Himself in them, then these claims are true in a sense and from a perspective which must be explained. The use of such terms—for those who lose themselves in God and then emerge in a new form after being nurtured by the light of God—is a time honoured tradition among those bestowed with Divine knowledge. It is sometimes said that God has appeared in such a person. This expression does not mean that the person is himself Rabbul ‘Alamin [Lord of all the Worlds]. Many have lost their footing on entering this delicate chateau of thought and, as consequence of this confusion, thousands of pious people, holy men, and avatars have been worshipped as God. The truth is that the populace fails to appreciate the essence of spiritual issues and, at some point, distorts matters, going astray by treating metaphors as reality. Present day Christian scholars are also trapped in this mistake, seeking to somehow establish the divinity of Jesus(as). This is a violation of God’s rights.

To establish the rightful status of the Creator and the grandeur of Tauhid [Unity] in peoples’ hearts, a great Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was raised in the land of Arabia. His name is Muhammad(sa) and Ahmad(sa), countless greetings of peace be bestowed upon him by Allah.

Shari‘ah [Divine religious Law] consisted of two parts. The more important part was la ilaha illallah [footnote: There is none worthy of worship except Allah - Translator], i.e., Tauhid. The other part was sympathy for mankind—to wish for them what you wish for yourselves. From among these two parts, the Messiah stressed sympathy for mankind, because that was the need of his time. The greater part, la ilaha illallah, the fountainhead of God’s Grandeur and Unity, was emphasised by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) because his time needed that emphasis. The era we live in then followed, and both of these illnesses have reached their zenith in this age. Disregard for the rights of God’s creation and the murder of innocent people have both become a part of the Muslims’ beliefs. These barbaric people have killed thousands of innocent people because of this erroneous point of view. Disregard for the Creator’s rights has also reached its apex. It has become a part of the Christian faith that Jesus(as), the Messiah, is God and worthy of worship by human beings and angels. There are three beings in the Trinity according to their belief but, in practice, they supplicate to and worship only the Messiah. Both of these violations—against the rights of God’s creation and against those of the Creator—have reached such a height that it is difficult to tell which one exceeds the other. Therefore, God named me the Messiah in relation to the rights of His creation and sent me as the avatar of Jesus(as) the Messiah. Similarly, in relation to the rights of the Creator, He named me Muhammad and Ahmad, and sent me as the avatar of the Holy Prophet(sa). In accordance with these meanings, I am Jesus the Messiah and also Muhammad Mahdi. “Messiah” is a title that was given to Prophet Jesus(as) and it means: one who finds God, partakes of His favours, is His khalifah and is a person established on the path of truth and righteousness. “Mahdi” is a title given to the Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and it means: one who by his very nature is rightly guided, is heir to all guidance, and is an embodiment of the reflection of God’s attribute Hadi [Guide]. God’s blessing and mercy have allowed me to inherit both these names in this era, and both these titles have been joined together in my person. In line with these meanings, I am both Jesus the Messiah and Muhammad Mahdi. In Islamic terminology, this type of advent is called a “buruz” [re-advent, or spiritual reappearance]. I have been granted two kinds of buruz: one is the buruz of Jesus(as), and the other is the buruz of Muhammad(sa). In short, by way of buruz, my being is a blended compound of the personalities of both these Prophets.

In the capacity of Jesus(as) the Messiah, I have been assigned the duty of stopping the Muslims from vicious attacks and bloodshed. It has been clearly mentioned in the ahadith of the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that the Messiah would end religious wars when he returns to the world. This is what is happening. My followers—who dwell in different parts of British India—now number close to thirty thousand or a little more. [footnote: The number of people who are especially endowed with knowledge and understanding is about ten thousand. But all types of people, including the unlearned, are at least thirty thousand, and possibly more. - Author]. Each person who takes the bai‘at [pledge of allegiance] at my hand and believes in me as the Promised Messiah must accept that jihad is totally forbidden in this age because the Messiah has come. In particular, he must be loyal—truly and not hypocritically—to the British Government. This flag of friendship has now been raised and, had they wished, even a hundred thousand maulavis would not be able to establish a similar movement to bring an end to violent jihad. If God so wills, it is my hope that this blessed and peace-loving jama‘at, which is erasing the ideas of jihad and armed conquest, will increase to many hundreds of thousands within a few years, and those who practice violent jihad will change their views.

In the capacity of Muhammad Mahdi, my mission is to re-establish Tauhid in this world with the help of Divine signs. Our Lord and Master Hadrat Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) established the Grandeur, Might, and Power of God in the hearts of the idolaters of Arabia through heavenly signs alone. I also have been given the help of the Holy Spirit. The same Mighty and Holy God Who has descended upon me appeared to all Prophets. He appeared to Moses(as) at Sinai, to Jesus(as) at Mount Seir, and He shined forth on the Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) at Mount Paran. He has communicated with me and said to me:

I am the Highest Being for the worship of Whom all Prophets were sent. I alone am the Creator and Possessor and there is none like Me. I am not subject to birth or death.

I have been informed that prevailing Christian beliefs such as Trinity and Atonement are all human errors in contravention of God’s real teachings. God has directly informed me with His own living word:

If you confront difficulties, and people ask how they might know that you are from God, tell them that heavenly signs are my witness, my prayers are answered, and I am informed of what is yet to come.

Hidden mysteries, known only to God, are revealed to me before they are manifest publicly. Another sign is that if anyone wishes to compete with me in these areas—such as acceptance of prayers, the prior knowledge of such acceptance or knowledge of the unseen beyond human capacity—he will fail regardless of whether he is from the East or the West. These are the signs bestowed upon me in order to draw people towards the True God, Who is the God of our souls and our bodies and to Whom we shall all return one day. Certainly, a faith that does not demonstrate Divine Power amounts to nothing. All Prophets have accepted that Divine Power is the sign of a true religion.

It should be noted that it is not just in recent days that God has given me these two names. In a revelation mentioned in my book, Brahin-e-Ahmadiyyah, which was published about twenty years ago, God has used these two names for me—Jesus the Messiah and Muhammad Mahdi—so that I might bring the message of God as mentioned above to both Christians and Muslims. Alas! All seekers have been provided the opportunity to satisfy themselves through me, if only their hearts wished it and they feared the Last Day.

A living faith is one which possesses God’s Power and displays His countenance through miraculous works. I testify that the belief in Tauhid—that is Islam—is a faith in which God’s creation does not assume the place of the Creator. Christianity was also from God but, unfortunately, it is no longer established on those teachings. It is also disappointing that the Muslims of this era have deprived themselves of the second part of the Divine Law, which is composed of sympathy, love and the spirit of service. It is shameful that they indulge in such barbaric customs despite believing in Tauhid. I have tried repeatedly to liberate them from these habits. Unfortunately, they are presented with certain political movements that arouse their violent instincts. The writings of some unenlightened priests also have a poisonous effect on them. A number of books have been written that are full of insults and lies about our Holy Prophet(sa). The books written by Reverend ‘Imad-ud-Din, Reverend Thakar Das, and Safdar ‘Ali, the book Ummahatul-Mo’minin, as well as the journal of Reverend Riwarhi are all of this type. Any Muslim who does not possess a high degree of patience and forbearance will become emotional upon reading this literature because the harsh language it uses in place of scholarly discussion is difficult to tolerate. One honourable priest has written in his Lucknow-based newspaper that if the events of 1857 were to recur it would be due to the books of Reverend ‘Imad-ud-Din. It is worthy of note that Reverend ‘Imad-ud-Din’s literature is inflammatory enough for an honourable missionary to have expressed this opinion. In light of the high emotions among Muslims, I recently wrote a somewhat stern response to these books so that Muslims might derive some comfort by seeing that their grievances had been redressed. This did benefit Muslims and their pain was eased with these rebuttals. Nevertheless, the problem remains since priests continue to produce literature that sensitive and passionate Muslims cannot bear.

The Christian priests have embarked on a very dangerous course of action. On one side, they falsely argue that the Qur’an summons Muslims to jihad at all times and occasions, as if seeking to draw attention towards this tradition. And then they incite the Muslims’ passion with provocative literature. It is unclear why these people naïvely fail to recognise that these actions can combine to produce dangerous consequences. I have written repeatedly that jihad is certainly not a Qur’anic commandment. The truth of the matter is simply that some of Islam’s early opponents wanted to forcibly restrain or rather annihilate it. Islam raised the sword against them only in self-defense. Only for such enemies was it ordered that they could be killed [footnote: This reference is to the convicted criminals who had committed serious atrocities - Translator] unless they accept Islam. This permission was for specified circumstances and not forever. Islam is not responsible for the erroneous or self-serving actions of the monarchies that came after the time of the Prophet(sa). Anyone who raises the issue of jihad to deceive ignorant Muslims in fact wants to promote this poisonous habit. It would have been better if Christian clerics, upon duly examining history, had emphasised that there is no doctrine of such jihad in Islam, and that there is no injunction to convert people to Islam by force. The Holy Qur’an is the book that contains the following verse: (al-Baqarah, 2:257)

This means that there should be no compulsion in matters of religion. Can we conclude that such a book teaches warfare? What complaint can we lodge against the maulavis when the Christian clerics have also failed to adopt the path of truth, which would have been beneficial in promoting the policies of the government. Because of these concerns, I have twice before requested His Excellency the Viceroy to suspend debates in which one party criticises the religion of another. However, up to this point no attention has been given to these suggestions. For the third time, I humbly request His Excellency to ban this practice of attacking the faiths of others for a period of at least five years. These practices are leading to chaos in the country, so much so that friendly meetings of different groups have ceased to occur. At times, one group with little real knowledge raises a baseless allegation and offends the others. Sometimes this leads to a riot. Criticism of the Islamic concept of jihad is an example of this phenomenon. Such criticism refreshes sensitive memories and results in disorder. I believe that the poisonous growth of envy and spite, which is secretly flourishing, will quickly disappear if our wise government passes a law that: [a] prohibits all parties, including the clerics of the Church, from indulging in negative attacks on other religions for a period of five years, [b] asks all parties to live together with love and civility, and [c] encourages all groups to focus on the positive features of their own religions.

Such action on the part of the government will be appreciated, will have a beneficial impact on the people of the Frontier Region and will also promote peace and friendship. It seems that God in Heaven wishes that wars and conflicts be abandoned and that traditions of friendship and love be promoted. If there is any truth in a faith, it should be displayed. One should not just continue to recite the deficiencies of other faiths. Not every ruler or administrator can implement or accept my suggestion. Only a highly astute administrator will understand its true significance. I hope that his Excellency the Viceroy Lord Curzon, who is both broad-minded and perceptive, will consider this suggestion and implement it with determination.

If this is not possible, then he should put all faiths to the test in order to determine which has Divine authority on its side. In other words, orders should be sent to the renowned scholars of each religion—Muslims, Aryas, Sikhs, Sanatan Dharm, Christians, Brahmus, Jews, etc.—to demonstrate the evidence of Divine Power in their faith in the form of a prophecy or something else. The religion that is judged to have the strongest Divine support should then be declared true and worthy of respect. Since I have been given authority from the heavens, I volunteer on behalf of my followers, and I am ready for such a contest. At the same time, I pray that Allah may always bless our government, under the auspices of which we have the opportunity to make suggestions that demonstrate the Might of God.

With greetings of peace,
July 7, 1900
Petitioned by the humble one,
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian