Jang-E-Muqaddas

A Holy War

Background

The three books, one after another, Hujjatul-Islam, Sachcha’i Ka Izhar and Jang-e-Muqaddas, are all inter-connected and have a common theme.

Hujjatul-Islam deals with the terms and conditions that were settled between the Promised Messiah(as) and Christian missionaries led by Dr. Henry Martyn Clark.

The second book, Sachcha’i Ka Izhar in addition to discussing the terms of the debate with Christian missionaries, covers various invitations issued by the Promised Messiah(as) to Maulavis to join him in a prayer duel. It also carries the text of an agreement on the part of ‘Abdullah Atham to become Muslim if he was defeated.

The Book

This book carries details of the debate that was held with the Christians commencing on May 22, 1893, lasting for 15 days and ending on June 5, 1893.

The debate began at the house of Dr. Clark. Munshi Ghulam Qadir Fasih and Dr. Clark were appointed as presidents. The Promised Messiah(as) was assisted by Hazrat Maulavi Hakim Nur-ud-Din and others, and ‘Abdullah Atham was assisted by Rev. Ihsanulla. The Promised Messiah(as) dictated his paper for one hour and at the conclusion of which it was read out in the meeting. Atham spoke for five minutes in answer to the Promised Messiah(as) who began to dictate again when the Christians raised a point of order. According to the terms of the agreement, the first question to be discussed was the Divinity of Jesus, while the Promised Messiah(as) had started a comparison of the Holy Quran with the New Testament. The actual terms of the Agreement, which were in English, were referred to and it was discovered that the translation handed over to the Promised Messiah(as) was wrong. Therefore, the Promised Messiah(as) began to dictate his paper on the subject of the Divinity of Jesus at 8:20 a.m. and finished it at 9:15 a.m. after which it was read out. ‘Abdullah Atham began his paper at 9:30 a.m., but could not finish it within the time allowed. Five more minutes were given to him with the consent of the Promised Messiah(as) during which it was completed. The papers were signed by the president and certified copies were handed over to the parties. The Promised Messiah(as) laid down one basic fundamental principle, right in the beginning of the debate and also in the beginning of his paper, that the advocate of a religion should put forward his claims supported with reasons from recognized scriptures of that religion. Then, he referred to Quranic verses which refute the Divinity of Jesus with an appeal to human experience and inductive truth. He explained that from the beginning of this world, all messengers of God have been human beings. Never a son of God was sent to the world. There is not a single instance of that kind in history. To illustrate it, “we know by observation and experience that man has two eyes and he does not eat with his eyes and now if some one claims that he could eat with his eyes, no one would believe him. There has never been a man who has had twenty eyes nor has there ever a man who ate with his eyes. Therefore, it is absolutely incorrect to draw the inference that a man can eat with his eyes.” He emphasised this point that unless and until it was shown that there had actually been any instance which definitely contradicted the general human experience, the mere claim of Jesus to divinity could not be accepted as true as an exception. The fact that Jesus had a mother and that both of them ate food further showed that he was only a human being and nothing more.

Atham admitted the reasonableness and the validity of the method of induction but could not refer to any actual fact, by way of an instance, which could prove the divinity of Jesus. All he said was that Jesus was called the son of God in the Bible which is obviously begging the whole question. The Christian advocate contended that reason and experience could not be a guide of faith and man cannot understand the doctrine of the Trinity.

The Promised Messiah(as) explained the value of inductive reasoning on which all sciences were based. It was perfectly valid reasoning and the results obtained by this method held good, unless contradicted by a recognized and unusual occurrence. To discard this method of reasoning means the rejection of all sciences and progress would be rendered impossible. He also quoted the Holy Quran and the Bible in support of his argument and explained the scriptures. He answered all objections against Islam. He, again and again, emphasised the necessity of drawing all arguments from the scriptures in order that the debate might be useful and as representative as possible. But the Christian advocate would not accept this.

Atham’s quotations were not always exact. He said that the visible object which needed food and drink was not God but only His manifestation. Atham claimed that in the Quran, it is written about the fire which was seen in the bush: “O Moses, take off thy shoes because it is the valley of Towa. I am the God of thy father Abraham, Issac and Jacob ” The Promised Messiah(as) pointed out that there was no such verse in the Quran.

In the course of the argument, Atham was compelled to admit that Jesus became a special manifestation of God only when he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove. This admission on the part of the Christian representative was a clear contradiction of Atham and the creed of the Christian faith which lays down that Jesus, the son of God, was “of the substance of the father, and that in this Trinity none is afore or after other, and the whole three persons are co-eternal together.”

This important debate lasted 15 days during which Atham became indisposed and Dr. Clark took his place. The Promised Messiah(as) dictated his last paper on June 5, 1893, which concluded as follows: “When I prayed to God, in all humility and earnestness that He might give His judgement in the debate because we were weak mortals and without His decision we could not do anything, I was given the sign by way of glad tidings that of the two parties to the debate, the one, who was deliberately following falsehood and forsaking the True God and making a weak mortal a god, would be thrown in “Haviyah” (Hell) within 15 months—each month corresponding to each day of this debate—and that he would be severely disgraced if he did not turn to the truth and that the person who was following the truth and believed in the True God, would be openly honoured. Now I ask Deputy Sahib (Atham), if this sign is fulfilled, would you accept it or not as a perfect and Divine prophecy according to your liking? Would it be or not strong proof that the Holy Prophet(sa) whom you call a “Dajjal” in Andruna’i Bible is a true Prophet?”

During the course of this controversy, there occurred another interesting incident which made friends and foes alike admit the superiority of the Promised Messiah(as). One day, the Christians, in order to put the Promised Messiah(as) to shame, brought three men, one of whom was lame, the second was blind and the third was dumb, and while the debate was in full swing, presented them to the Promised Messiah(as) saying that since he had claimed to be the Promised Messiah, and since the first Messiah (Jesus) used to cure the maimed and the blind, therefore, his claim to be the Promised Messiah could be accepted only if he could effect a similar cure. The Christians claimed that there was no need for him to go to find such afflicted persons since they were already at hand.

This sally took the assembled people by surprise and they wondered how it could be met by the Promised Messiah(as). The Christians felt elated and thought that a stunning blow had been dealt and their opponent had suffered a severe discomfiture in full face of assembly. But on seeing these men, the Promised Messiah(as) said to the Missionaries: “It is your books that speak of the blind being restored their sight and the lame being made to walk and they also say that ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall heal the sick with the touch of your hands.’ It is well that you yourselves have brought these men together, now heal them, therefore, to prove your faith.” When they heard the reply of the Promised Messiah(as), their joy changed into chagrin and self-reproach and victory turned into defeat, and everyone applauded the readiness and appropriateness of the reply. The curing of such unfortunate ones by Jesus was an assertion made by the New Testament and formed no part of the Promised Messiah(as)’s own conviction. In fact, to him, the miracles of Jesus bore an altogether different aspect. It has indeed been claimed by the New Testament that Jesus used to effect the physical cure of such people simply by a touch of his hand and not by medicine, nor by the prayer. And, in the same book, it is written that if the Christians have but a grain of faith, they can perform more wonderful miracles than these. Therefore, it did not lie with the Christians to bring those people to him rather it was he, who was entitled to present such people to them and, therefore, with due acknowledgment of their kindness in collecting them, he presented them to the Christians with the request that in conformity with the teachings of the New Testament, if they had in them faith even as small as a grain of mustard seed, they should place their hands on them and command them to be fully cured. If, however, they failed and could not act up to their own pretensions, then no one could possibly believe in their truth. The rejoinder made a great impression and the Christians were altogether dumbfounded and hastened to change the topic.1

Specimen of Writing

This objection of compulsion can, however, be raised against your scriptures. In Exodus, 4: 21, God said to Moses: I shall harden the heart of Pharaoh. If this heart was hardened its consequence was that he was condemned to hell. Also see Exodus, 7:3; Proverbs, 16:4; Exodus, 10:3 and Deuteronomy, 29:4: God has not bestowed on you minds that may understand and eyes that may see and ears that may hear. Is this not a clear instance of compulsion? Then see Psalms, 148:6: He appointed a decree that cannot be averted. All these references show that your own scriptures are open to the objection that you have raised against the Holy Quran.2