Meaning that, had this Prophet falsely attributed any sayings to Us, We would have seized him by the right hand and severed that vein which is his life-vein [i.e. jugular vein]. Although this verse has been revealed regarding the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, it is of general application, quite like the idiom of the entire Holy Quran where most of the commands and prohibitions are apparently addressed to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but others are also addressed in these commandments, or such commandments are exclusively meant for others as is this verse:
Meaning that, never say unto your parents any word expressive of ennui, and do not say to them such things as lack regard for their esteem. The addressee of this verse is the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, but this commandment is, in fact, directed toward the Ummah, because the father and the mother of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had passed away when he was very young. This commandment also contains a point to ponder, namely, that a sensible person can appreciate from this verse that if this commandment is addressed to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, admonishing him to respect his parents and pay due regard to their exalted station in all conversation, how much respect others need to show towards their parents. This is what another verse points to:
Meaning that, your Lord has ordained that you should worship only Him and show benevolence towards parents. In this verse the idolaters who worship idols are admonished thus: ‘Idols are nothing and idols have done no favour to you; they did not create you, nor did they provide for you in your tender age.’ Had God permitted the worship of anyone other than Himself, He would have enjoined that you should worship parents too; for, figuratively speaking, they are also sustainers, and everyone—even beasts and grazing animals—protect their offspring in their tender years. Thus, after God’s sustaining Lordship, they also play their role in nurturing, and this impulse to nurture, again, is from God.
After this short digression, let me turn to the main subject. God says about the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that, had he lied against Us, We would have destroyed him. This does not mean that God has expressed His jealousy only with reference to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in that were he an impostor, God would have destroyed him; but His jealousy is not roused in the case of others no matter how much they lie against God or concoct false revelations and ascribe them to God. Such a concept is as irrational as it is against all of God’s Scriptures. The Torah still contains the sentence that whoever lies against God and makes a false claim to Prophethood shall be destroyed. Besides, Muslim scholars have long been quoting the verse 4
before the Christians and the Jews as evidence of the veracity of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. It is obvious that an argument is of no use unless it has a general application. How can this be an argument that had the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, fabricated [against God], he would have been destroyed and the whole undertaking would have come to naught, but God is not offended if someone else fabricates [against Him]; rather, He loves such a person and grants him respite more than He did to the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and even helps and supports him! This should not be called an argument. Rather, it is a claim which itself stands in need of an argument.
Alas! In opposing me, they have stooped so low as to attack even the Signs of the veracity of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Since these people know that more than twenty-five years have elapsed since my claim of being a recipient of divine revelation and inspiration, which exceeds even the tenure of ministry of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as that was twenty-three years; while, in my case, it is close to thirty years and I do not know how long the extent of my period of call is in the knowledge of God. This is why these people, despite being hailed as maulawis, assert that one who lies against God and is a false claimant of revelation can even survive for as long as thirty years from the beginning of his fabrication and that God can help and support him, and yet they do not produce any precedent for it.
O impertinent people! Remember, lying is akin to eating dung. The way God has treated me with His grace and kindness is so much so that during this lengthy period5 of time, each day was a day of progress for me, and in every lawsuit that was filed to ruin me, God disgraced my enemies. Do produce, if you have any precedent of such [divine] support and succour over such a period of time. Otherwise, in keeping with the verse 6
the fulfilment of this Sign has been proven and you will be called to account about it.
1 Surah al-Haqqah, 69:45-47 [Publisher]
2 Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:24 [Publisher]
3 Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:24 [Publisher]
4 If he had falsely attributed [even a trivial statement to Us] (Surah al-Haqqah, 69:45). [Publisher]
5 It may be borne in mind that, if the duration of my period of revelation is counted from the time when Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part I was written, the period during which I have been receiving revelations from that year approx- imates twenty-seven years; if it is counted from Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part IV, then twenty-five years have elapsed; and if the time when I first started receiving revelations is taken into account, then this period amounts to thirty years. (Author)
6 Surah al-Haqqah, 69:45 [Publisher]
