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A Call to Faith II

Attacks Against the Holy Prophet

The blessed being of the Holy Prophet(sa) was so determined in his opposition to disbelief that anyone who possesses a hint of faithlessness in their heart, harbours enmity against him. Such people consider it their duty to attack his pure being for they reckon his success amounts to their downfall, and that his life brings about their death. Hence no other prophet has been slandered to the same degree as the Holy Prophet(sa) has, whether they are Arab, Syrian, Indian or Persian.

As I have mentioned, the enemies of Islam are compelled to malign its founder because Islam shatters their deception and fraud. After all, everyone cherishes their own life. More astonishing is the case of those who claim to love Islam, profess apparent faith in the Holy Qur’an, invoke peace and blessings on the Holy Prophet(sa) and yet do not hold back from attacking his character. They propagate such doctrines which dishonour the blessed personage of the Prophet(sa) and thereby turn the hearts of people away from his love.

Time and again, some among them proclaim Jesus(as) is still alive and resides in the fourth heaven with the same physical body, and one day he will descend from there and bring the people under his rule. Unfortunately, they fail to comprehend that this is an insult to that prophet to whose beneficence they owe everything; whom God Almighty ordained the greatest of all humanity; and whose spiritual power far exceeds that of the angels and all other human beings. They seek to confer higher rank and station on an individual who, if he had lived in the time of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(sa), would have prided himself on entering his servitude.

It is an inexorable truth that no one has suffered more than the Holy Prophet(sa) for the sake of God Almighty’s religion. For 13 years in Mecca he endured such agony and torment that had it been inflicted on any other person it would have broken them within a year. His loyal and devoted followers also persevered in the face of unbearable horrors. Conversely, the sacrifices made by the Messiah(as) and his disciples cannot begin to compare with those of the Holy Prophet(sa). As great as they may be in their own right they hold no value against the sacrifices made by the Prophet of Islam(sa). First, the ministry of the Messiah(as) is reported to have lasted for three years. And even during this brief period the injustices his opponents inflicted on him were limited to a few instances of verbal abuse and derision. Whereas the Holy Prophet(sa) spent the same length of time under siege in a confined valley. He [and his followers] were deprived of food and water and trade with them was made punishable. Their suffering was so acute the Prophet’s(sa) wife, Hazrat Khadija(ra), fell ill and died as a result. His companions would narrate that at times, due to a shortage of food, they would survive by eating leaves and as a consequence their excrement would resemble that of goats.

The lives of the Prophet(sa) and his followers were attacked on numerous occasions; they were stoned; strangulated; pelted with filth; there was no agony which they did not suffer. But through it all, Allah the Exalted continually instructed them to:

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Have patience as had the Messengers of strong determination; and be steadfast in resisting your enemies.

Is it not strange that despite knowledge of this, those who call themselves Muslims and scholars believe that when the Messiah(as) was to be crucified, Allah the Exalted gave his likeness to another man and placed him in the hands of the Jews while raising the actual Messiah(as) to heaven? If this were true, Christians would be justified in the belief their guide is greater than the Prophet of Islam(sa) on the basis that he underwent 13 years of hardship in Mecca and five more in Medina; Allah the Exalted made him endure these agonies without coming to his help; whereas the moment Jesus’(as) enemies sought to harm him, God Almighty raised him to the fourth heaven and did not tolerate his torment for an instant. I call on those who grieve for the plight of Islam and who claim to love the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(sa), and ask whether you have given thought to the damage such scholars have inflicted on Islam and how they have dishonoured the Holy Prophet(sa) by raising the Messiah(as) to heaven? Have you ever considered that the doctrine of the Messiah(as) surviving in heaven for so many years as advanced by these scholars only strengthens the hand of Christianity? Quite clearly an individual raised to heaven and kept alive there by Allah the Exalted is perforce more lofty than one who is allowed to live to an average age and then caused to die by divine will. Moreover, if it were accepted that not only was the Messiah(as) still alive, but that he brought the dead to life as is commonly believed by the Muslims of today, then God forbid, no doubt can remain that the Messiah(as) is greater than the Holy Prophet(sa).

Does the Holy Qur’an, the final book of God Almighty, support this belief? Certainly not! The Holy Qur’an categorically rejects this and says in the clearest terms the Holy Prophet(sa) is the chief of all prophets. All the messengers took an oath that if he were raised in their age they would bring faith in him and extend to him their help and support.3 How is it possible to ignore a sovereign and adorn one of lesser rank in regal dress?

Allah the Exalted is not unjust. If the Holy Prophet(sa) truly is the chief of all prophets, and I swear by God in Whose hand is my life—surely cursed are those who give false testimony in His name—the Holy Prophet(sa) is certainly the chief of all prophets and messengers, then no one who has previously lived and no one who will ever be born can rise to his rank. All others are subservient to him and the nearness to God Almighty enjoyed by him and the jealousy God Almighty showed for him has not been accorded to anyone else, nor has God Almighty ever shown such regard for another. Who was the Messiah(as)? He was but one in a long line of prophets from the Mosaic dispensation, whereas the rank of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(sa), was such that all of the Mosaic prophets combined could not attain it. Thus how is it possible God Almighty raised the Messiah(as) to heaven in order to protect him from the onslaughts of his enemies and left the Holy Prophet(sa) alone for people to pelt him with rocks until he was wounded and bleeding, or to stone him and break his blessed teeth and not cease until he fell unconscious as in the Battle of Uhud. I swear by God this could not have happened. If God Almighty were to raise anyone to heaven, it would have been the Holy Prophet(sa). And if God had willed to keep anyone alive for centuries, it would surely again have been him. Foolish are those who believe God Almighty raised the Messiah(as) to heaven where he is alive to this day. This creed not only goes against the Holy Qur’an, it bolsters Christianity. Moreover, it is an insult not only to the Holy Prophet(sa) but also to God Almighty as it implies, God forbid, that He is unjust for the one who deserved the best of His bounties was dealt with unfairly and the one who deserved lesser bounties was given the best of them. It further suggests, God forbid, that God Almighty was helpless to do anything in this world and therefore raised the Messiah(as) to heaven in order to save him.

If Muslims would only reflect, they would recognise this belief of the Messiah(as) being raised to heaven was foolishly invented by Christians, on account of the fact it clearly says in their interpolated scripture the Kingdom of God does not hold sway on the earth.4 So to this day Christians beseech God to establish His kingdom in the world just as He has in heaven. But in Islam such doctrines are considered disbelief. The Qur’an clearly says:

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To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.

Christians have little option but to accept God Almighty raised the Messiah(as) to heaven, for according to their beliefs, the Kingdom of God is not established on the earth, therefore, He was unable to protect the Messiah(as) in this world. But what of the Muslims? What caused them to imitate Christians and raise the Messiah(as) to heaven without good cause? The Kingdom of their God is established in heaven and earth. What need was there for Him to raise His prophet to heaven from fear of the Jews? He could have protected him and brought destruction on his enemies in this very world. No matter how you look at it, the belief that the Messiah(as) is alive in heaven is an affront to God Almighty and the Holy Prophet(sa). Christians have taken advantage of these circumstances, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims have faltered due to this creed and entered the fold of Christianity as a result. There is still time for the Muslims to ponder and repent from this nonsensical and un-Islamic tenet and convince others from among them to do the same. Otherwise to insult the Holy Prophet(sa) is no minor offence. They should know that one day they will entrust their lives to the custody of God Almighty rather than their clerics. Therefore, while there is still time, the Muslims should unite as one and drive this foul creed which insults the Prophet(sa) from their hearts and thereby loosen from themselves the grip of Christianity. Let the Messiah(as) die for in his death is the death of Christianity and the life of Islam. Is there a fervent soul out there who would bring death to the Messiah(as) and revitalise Islam? Surely, those who would do this from a religious zeal rather than from a rationalist approach would earn the mercy of God Almighty, and He would enable them to tread on His chosen paths.

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With Humility,
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad
Imam of the Ahmadiyya Community, Qadian

If you hold sympathy for Islam and wish the best for your people, it is your duty to be compassionate to all those who refer to themselves as Muslims. Wherever possible try to give your business to Muslim traders and instil your children with the belief that Muslims are brave and courageous.They have nothing to fear from any individual or group of people.

Mirza Mahmud Ahmad