Karamatus-Sadiqin

The Miracles of the Truthful

Background

Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi wrote an article in his journal, Isha‘atus-Sunnah, in which he made allegations against the Promised Messiah(as) saying that he had no proper knowledge of how a commentary on the Holy Quran is written and that he was not well-versed in oriental learning. The Promised Messiah(as) answered this allegation very effectively by writing the book, Karamatus-Sadiqin.

The Book

The book comprises four exquisite qasidahs (a poetic composition—639 verses) of matchless character and a masterly commentary on the Surah al-Fatihah in beautiful Arabic, written within a week. He then invited Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi to test his knowledge by an open competition of literary character, but Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi evaded it with a long explanation which he published in his journal, Isha‘atus-Sunnah, No. 8, Vols. 190-192.

The Promised Messiah(as) further invited the Mullahs who were already siding with the Christians and were busy excommunicating him, to point out any mistake in his qasidahs or his commentary, and offered them five rupees per mistake as a reward.

The Promised Messiah(as) also announced that if Maulavi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi and his friends wrote within a month of publication of this book, similar qasidahs or made an attempt to write a similar commentary on the Surah al-Fatihah, he would offer them a handsome reward of Rs.1000. He further prophesied that none of them would dare accept this challenge.

Explaining the aim and object of writing these qasidahs and commentary, the Promised Messiah(as) said that he had not written them for self-praise, but to refute their objection that he was a liar and an imposter and that he had no knowledge of the Holy Quran.

Specimen of Writing

No part of my doctrine is contrary to the commandments of Allah and His Messenger. If anyone thinks so, it must be due to his misunderstanding. Anyone who still considers me a kafir, and does not desist from calling me one, should remember that he will be called to account for it after his death. I call God, the Glorious, to witness that I have such firm faith in God and His Messenger that if the faith of all the people of this age were placed on one side of the scale and my faith is placed on the other side, then, by Allah’s grace, my faith would prove to be the heavier.1

Impact

The beauty and high literary merit of the qasidahs written in honour and praise of the Holy Prophet(sa) was such that it created a deep impression on the Arabs. A young Arab was so much moved by the excellence of these qasidahs that he composed a poem in Arabic praising Karamatus-Sadiqin and its highly ornate Arabic language.