Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya (Part IV)

Arguments in Support of the Holy Quran and the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet(sa) (Part IV)

The Book

Hazrat Ahmad(as) discussed at length, in Part IV of the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, the origin of human language, the nature and importance of miracles and the significance of the Prophet’s foretelling the future.

Hazrat Ahmad(as) then took up the concept of God as presented by the Aryah Samaj, Christianity and Buddhism and compared them with the conception as presented by Islam.

The principles of Brahmu Samaj are subjected to exhaustive criticism and the principles of Jewish scriptures are compared with the Holy Quran in all their aspects. Through the force of pure logic and reasoning, he established the superiority of Islam over all other religions. This portion of the book also carries a prophecy about the death of Pandit Dyanand. The Promised Messiah(as) also discussed at length the concept of salvation and how it can be attained.

The book speaks for itself, and points out its own merits and excellences, and proclaims its own uniqueness and matchlessness compared with other books. It proclaims loudly its challenge: Will any one come forward and contest? The points of wisdom, the truth which it teaches—not two or three—may be disposed off by vain criticism. The points are like waves in the ocean, surging noisily. Or, like stars in the firmament, bright and luminous, ready to meet the eye wherever one may look. There is not a single verity that is not contained in the Holy Quran. No wisdom is outside its orbit of exposition. The Divine Light one can only have by submitting to its teachings, and yet nothing on these matters is asserted without proof, and without evidence.

The morals of the Holy Prophet(sa), the Khatam-ul-Anbiya’(the Seal of the Prophets), mentioned in the Holy Quran, are superior, a thousand times superior, to the moral of Moses. God’s description is quite clear: “The Holy Prophet(sa), Khatam-ul-Anbiya’, possesses collectively the moral qualities found separately in the other prophets.” God Himself has testified on his behalf saying: “And surely thou does possess the most excellent, the sublimest human morals (68:5).”

The Arabic for sublimest is ‘Azim. This, in Arabic idiom, is a superlative signifying the utmost limits of something, some quality, its most perfect manifestation. As for as human excellence and human character are concerned, these in their perfection and in their totality belong to the person of Muhammad(sa), higher praise than this is inconceivable. To this, we have reference in another verse pertaining to the Holy Prophet(sa), which says: “And great (meaning greatest possible) is the grace of Allah upon thee (4:114).” According to this, the Holy Prophet(sa) received the Grace of Allah in the largest measure. No other prophet comes anywhere near him in this respect.

The same high praise is contained in Pslams (45:7) in a prophecy about the Holy Prophet(sa) which says: “Therefore, God, thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness, above thy fellows.”

Impact

The impact of the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya was so electrifying that it at once checked the advance of all movements, like the Brahmu and the Aryah Samaj, and for a time, it paralysed the activities of all anti-Islamic forces.

The Muslims of India had at last found that there was among them a great giant of Islam, who had the determination and courage to demolish with conviction and logic the attacks on Islam by various movements in India. The publication of this book came as a rude shock to Christians and the Aryah Samajists, who thought that the days of the glory of Islam were over and they would have an easy walk over.

The approach of Hazrat Ahmad(as) was so effective that while defending Islam against all attacks, he demolished the very foundations and basis on which the Aryah Samaj and the Christian movements were flourishing.

As early as 1864, about fifteen years before the publication of this book, Hazrat Ahmad(as) had a dream. This is how he described it:

In my early youth I saw [in a dream] that I was in a magnificent building, which was very clean and neat where people were talking about the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. I enquired from the people where the Holy Prophet(sa) was and they pointed to a room in which I entered along with other persons. When I presented myself to Holy Prophet(sa), he was much pleased, and returned my greeting with a better greeting. I can still recall and can never forget his charm and beauty and the kind and affectionate look that he directed towards me. He won my heart with his love and the beauty and glory of his countenance. He asked me: ‘O Ahmad, what are you holding in your right hand?’ When I looked towards my right hand, I found that I had a book in my hand and I felt that I had written it myself. I answered him: ‘O Messenger(sa) of Allah, this is something I have written.’ He enquired: ‘What is the name of your book?’ I was surprised and looked at the book a second time and felt that it resembled a book in my library, which was called Qutbi, so I answered him: ‘O Messenger(sa) of Allah, this book is called Qutbi.’ He said: ‘Show me your book Qutbi.’ When the Holy Prophet(sa) took it, it turned into a delicate and attractive fruit as soon as his blessed hand touched it. When the Holy Prophet(sa) cut it as fruit is cut, pure honey began to flow out of it like pouring water. I perceived the wetness of honey on the right arm of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, from his fingers to his elbow, which were dripping with honey. I also felt that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was showing me all this in order to make me wonder. Then it was conveyed to my heart that there was the dead body of a person lying outside the door who had been destined by Allah the Almighty to be brought to life by that fruit and that the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was to bestow life upon him. When this thought passed through my mind I saw that the dead person had suddenly come to life and had come up to me running and stood behind me, but that he was in a weak condition as if he was hungry. Then the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, looked at me smiling and cut the fruit into several pieces and ate one of them himself and gave all the rest to me, while they were dripping with honey and said to me: ‘O Ahmad, give one of the pieces to this person so that he might draw strength from it.’ I gave him a piece and, like a greedy person, he started eating it immediately.

I then saw that the chair in which the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sitting began to rise till it reached up to the ceiling and I noticed that the face of the Holy Prophet(sa) began to shine as if reflecting rays of the sun and moon. I was watching his blessed countenance and my tears were flowing because of delight and ecstasy. Then I woke up and I was still weeping profusely.

Allah the Almighty then put it in my mind that the dead person in my dream was Islam and that Allah the Almighty would revive it at my hands through the spiritual power of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.1

Time had now come for the fulfilment of that vision which Hazrat Ahmad(as) had seen some years before. Islam was under attack from all directions. So the publication of this book blunted the attack.

Review

How this book was received can be seen from a review that was written by Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, the head of the Ahl-e-Hadith and the editor of Isha‘atus-Sunnah, who later became his bitterest enemy. This review appeared in Volume 11, No. 6, pages 6-11of this magazine. The review extended over 200 pages, Maulavi sahib says:

The author of the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya is well-known to us. In fact, few know more about his thoughts, aspirations and circumstances etc. than we do. He belongs to our district, and when young, attended the same course and the same instruction with us. Since those days we have corresponded, communicated and conferred with him regularly. Nobody, therefore, should take it an exaggeration if we say that we know the author and his circumstances rather well.

So far, the reviewer affirms that his testimony is not based on hearsay, but on his long intimate personal association with the author. But, look at the testimony itself:

This book2, in our opinion, is without parallel in our time, and in view of the circumstances and the needs of our time, there has not been another one like it in the entire history of Islam. About the future, no one can say. Only Allah will reveal the truth after this. As for the author, we can say there have been few Muslims, if any, who have been so constant in their service to Islam, service by purse and pen, by personal character and by speech.3

If we are accused of exaggeration, so common in Asia, we should be told at least of one book written in our time, which answers the objections of the enemies of Islam such as the Aryah Sect and the Brahmu Samaj with the same energy and earnestness. We should also be told of two or more friends of Islam, who have resolved to serve Islam in the same way, with purse and pen, with speech and silence, whose lives are similarly devoted and who are able manfully to challenge the enemies of Islam and the deniers of revelation, come and witness these experiences and have their doubts removed and have made non-Muslims taste the truth of Islam.4

The Riad-e-Hind of Amritisar, a non-Muslim paper, published the following comments in its issue of March 1, 1886:

The excellent merits and high spiritual accomplishments of Mirza Sahib are too great for our humble observations in our journal. The cogent reasons and the brilliant arguments that he has brought forth in support of Islam and truth, in so beautiful a manner, show beyond doubt that he has excelled the writings of the old and the new ulema in eloquence and presentation. Those who have read his work, the Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, will surely agree with us in saying that although the book was published several years ago and a prize of Rs.10,000 was offered in printed leaflets for its refutation, the opponents of Islam and the Holy Prophet(sa) have not had the courage to come forward and claim the prize.