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A Call to Faith IV

Enemies in the Guise of a Friend

Islam has no lack of external enemies, but unfortunately many foes have arisen from within too. These so called Muslims encourage the opponents of Islam and fervently draw their co-religionists towards the slumber of negligence. The Holy Prophet(sa) said in the final days his umma would degenerate and the people would be Muslims in name alone. Nothing would remain of the signs of Islam or the Holy Qur’an—the latter being reduced to a mere collection of words. At this hour, Allah the Exalted would raise someone from the spiritual progeny of the Prophet(sa) who would once again restore Islam to its full glory. This individual would prepare the foundations for the renaissance of Islam by bringing back the faith and restoring the Qur’an. At that time the ulema would be the worst of all creation on earth and more deprived of spirituality than any other people.2 At its inception Islam was like a traveller with no home, country or nation. In the final days it would again be destitute and itinerantly wander from place to place with no one willing to give it shelter in their home.3

These ahadith plainly show a time was to come when Muslims would ostensibly follow Islam, while their inner selves would be ravaged by disbelief. Their tongues would declare allegiance to Islam, but from within they would reject the faith and the Qur’an. Rather than recall people to Islam the ulema would, in practice, abandon the faith. Hence they would be the worst of all creation on the face of the earth. Clearly it would be foolish to assume that at such a point the ulema could be expected to support the truth. Therefore, to protect Muslims from destruction, Allah the Exalted would raise an individual of Persian descent who would return the people to Islam and re-establish the faith.4

It is also evident from the ahadith that in the future of Islam, Christianity would be the worst of disorders. So much so, according to these ahadith, Christians would prevail over the world in terms of their strength and might. Indeed, this disorder is intimated in the Holy Qur’an itself when Allah the Exalted says:

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When Gog and Magog are let loose they will hasten from every height and prevail over the world.

It is further clear from the Bible Gog and Magog are the people of Christianity. Gog symbolises Russia and Magog alludes to a great power which rules over its territories in peace.6 That is to say, the British Government. In both these nations, Christianity is the religion of royal patronage. So it is manifest the problems which were to inflict the Muslims as foretold by the Holy Prophet(sa) were to coincide with this disorder, that is, the era of Christian ascendency. This chaos has already risen, indeed it has begun to show signs of decline as is evident from the state of Russia. Thus it is impossible the condition of the Muslims would not have deteriorated in accordance with the words of the Holy Prophet(sa).

The enemies of Islam who do not want to admit to its truth seek to hide it. They soothe the Muslims and tell them they are in a state health as they pray, fast and perform the Hajj; according to them there is no cause for alarm. They insist the ulema are sufficient to address any faults which may arise within them. But there is no greater injustice than to conceal an ailment from a patient, or to give the task of curing an ill to a mortal enemy. The Holy Prophet(sa) said in the age of Christian ascendency the Muslims would suffer a decline and their Islam would be a superficial creed. But so-called Muslim leaders tell the people to be content with their affairs as if there were nothing at all amiss. Hence, the Holy Prophet(sa) said at such a time the ulema would be the worst of all creation. Yet they claim that, first, there is nothing ailing the Muslims, and if any strife should emerge it will be resolved by the ulema. Not only do they deny the prognosis of the Holy Prophet(sa), even when they accept the possibility of a disease, they exhort the people to have it tended to by those whom the Holy Prophet(sa) declared as fatal to the life of Islam, so that any last remnants of faith and belief may be destroyed.

Brothers! Know well there is no one who holds more compassion for you than the Holy Prophet(sa). He is our spiritual father, and as such, loves us more than our physical parents. What kind of father would speak ill of his children or refer to his righteous and healthy child as sinful and unwell, except for one who is an enemy to them or bereft of his senses? Do you think a father like the Holy Prophet(sa) could ever be guilty of such a failing? If this fate did not await them, the Prophet(sa) would never have said in future times people would be Muslims in name alone.

Again it is patently manifest the Holy Prophet(sa) was the foremost person in establishing the honour of the ulema. He said:

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The ulema of Islam have been given such honour as no other prophet of the past has bestowed on his people. Thus the Prophet(sa) would not have suggested in future times they would become the worst of all creation beneath the heavens without good reason. It is certain Allah the Exalted showed him the corrupted state of the ulema of today; otherwise the Prophet(sa) was so merciful that had a few minor faults attended them, he would not have raised the issue. And in his forbearance and his capacity as the concealer of faults, he would have masked these shortcomings in order to uphold their honour. But he did not choose this course and instead spoke of their condition in the harshest tones. It is quite obvious he undertook this from a sense of sympathy for the umma; for he feared that in the time of their despair they might destroy themselves by turning to the ulema to cure their ills, and in this way wash their hands of whatever spirituality they had left.

My brothers keep in mind the words of the Holy Prophet(sa) for there is no one else who is as sincere to you as him. Be wary of those enemies who appear to you as friends and who, when they look upon your malady, do not prescribe a cure and instead wish to further misguide you. Not only are they your foes, they deny the Holy Prophet(sa). The terrible plight of the Muslims is as manifest as the sun.They have squandered their rule; their business and commerce is ruined; their hearts are devoid of knowledge; righteousness has left them; they no longer remember God Almighty; their passion and zeal to follow the Holy Prophet(sa) has gone cold; they have lost all sense of sympathy for others; their spirit of sacrifice has died; and according to the most truthful of all people only superficial observances of Islam remain whilst its soul and spirit has ebbed away.

Had Allah the Exalted not attended to the needs of the Muslims at this hour, and failed in His promise to raise an individual of Persian descent, that is Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community, surely He would stand accused of betraying His word. But no one is truer to their promise than Allah the Exalted. He fulfilled His commitment at the appointed time and sent a physician as soon as the disease took hold. The onus is now on you to have yourselves cured by the recommended physician of the Holy Prophet(sa) and the one sent by Allah the Exalted. Enter his allegiance and enhance the splendour of Islam, or choose to have your ills tended to by those whom the Holy Prophet(sa) has called the worst of all creation beneath the heavens and who are hostile to your faith. But know well that one who turns away from a friend and seeks sanctuary with an enemy can never prosper. And one who eschews the prescription of Allah the Exalted and looks to man-made remedies offered by people can never return to health.

The hour is precarious and the calamity is great. Value the guidance given to you by Allah the Exalted. Be thankful to Him for sending a spiritual doctor as and when the disease took hold. Enter into the fold of Ahmadiyyat by accepting the claims of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the appointed one of God, so that these days of menace may be averted and Islam may once again witness victory and honour. The orchard of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad(sa), turns barren. If your loyalty is to him, make haste and water its trees with the sweat of your effort. Heavenly orchards are irrigated not by wells, but by the sweat and toil of believers. Wait not for the day when the angels of God Almighty will record your names in the archive of traitors and leave you to confront an everlasting death. Instead, come forward and choose the death of sacrifice so that you are raised to eternal life. May Allah the Exalted be with you.

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With Humility,
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad
Imam of the Ahmadiyya Community
Qadian, District Gurdaspur, Punjab
(Alfazl, 22 October 1933)