Siraj-ud-Din ‘Isa’i Kei Char Sawalon Ka Jawab

Answers to the Four Questions by Siraj-ud-Din, a Christian

Background

Siraj-ud-Din was a Muslim professor in F. C. College, Lahore. On account of his close relations with Christians, he gradually accepted their influence and eventually became a Christian. In 1897, when he visited Qadian and remained in the company of the Promised Messiah(as), he accepted his influence and regained his faith in Islam. He also started offering prayers. But when he went back to Lahore, he again fell a victim to the influence of Christians and again joined the Christianity. From Lahore, he sent four questions to the Promised Messiah(as) for which he wanted to have his clear views.

The Book

The Promised Messiah(as) completed the writing of the answer to the four questions posed by the professor.

Question No. 1: According to Christian beliefs, the Mission of Jesus was to come for the love of mankind and to offer himself for the salvation of the mankind.

In answering the first question, he contrasted the Christian concept of salvation with that of Islam. Promised Messiah(as) further pointed out that Saint Paul’s Christianity teaght that Jesus redeemed mankind from his natural sin by his vicarious sacrifice which made him accursed. According to Islam, the faculties with which God endowed man are all good. It is wrong to condemn a person for an act for which he is not responsible. It is, therefore, the right or the wrong use of the gifts of God which determines the nature of a man’s reward. Man should seek God’s love and submit to His will completely, attaining union with Him completely.1

Question No. 2: The mission of Islam is to invite mankind to the unity of God, then why Islam moved against Jews whose divine book also teaches the unity of God?

Answering the second question, the Promised Messiah(as) explained the doctrine of the Unity of God, and he added that the Old Testament contained this doctrine only as a seed and, on account of its being interpolated, it was further mutilated and distorted, and the Jews had for all practical purposes strayed away from their original faith. Islam did not wage war against Jews because of the doctrine of the unity of God but the mischivious activities of Jews prompted war. Hence, the necessity of a fresh and fuller revelation which was sent through the Holy Founder of Islam.2

Question No. 3: Where are the verses in the Quran relating to man’s love for God and God’s love for mankind?

Answering the third question of professor Siraj-ud-Din, the Promised Messiah(as) pointed out those verses and laid particular stress upon the fact that Islam was pre-eminently a religion of love.3

Question No. 4: Jesus has said “Ye you who are stressed and tired come to me, I will give you rest and I am light and I am the way that takes you to righteousness. Has the founder of Islam used such terminology?

Dealing with the fourth question, he pointed out that the Holy Prophet(sa) was the Light of God. By walking in his way, man himself becomes the beloved of God and attains to eternal joys and bliss.4

In this book, the Promised Messiah(as) published one of his prophecies that Christianity will henceforth face a decline. He said that the Christians have made a weak man the son of God. They have not seen the true face of God and His blessings. The signs of faith that the Bible has mentioned are not seen in Christians. Therefore, either the Christians are not the true Christians or the Bible is not a true holy book. The Promised Messiah(as) said that the Holy Quran is a living Book, and that a man of faith is blessed with revelation and hears the Voice of God. His prayers are accepted and he is given information about events of future and these are the signs of a living religion.

The Promised Messiah(as) exhorted:

O Christians, rise if you have any power; come and face me. If I am a liar, you slaughter me, but I know that your God is already under the curse and that you are treading the path of hell.5

Specimen of Writing

As a tree which is uprooted from the earth and is unable to suck water begins to dry up and loses its greenness, the same is the case with a person from whose heart the love of God is uprooted so that it begins to dry up and falls into sin. In God’s law of nature there are three remedies for this dryness. One is love; the second is istighfar which means the desire to suppress and cover up, for so long as the root of a tree is firm in the earth there is hope of its greenness; and third is repentance, that is to say, to turn humbly towards God in order to draw the water of love and to get close to Him and to pull oneself out of the darkness of disobedience with the help of good deeds. Repentance is not merely by word of mouth but is completed by good deeds.6

Impact

According to the introduction to volume 12, written by Hazrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shams(ra): The publication of this book represented a turning point in the life of the Christian world which was at that moment at its height. The British Empire, a reflection of Christianity, was so vast that the sun never set on it. William Kaiser of Germany who was a devout Christian and there was the Czar of Russia.

Following the publication of this book, that point of Zenith disappeared and inroads into the Christian world became apparent everywhere.

Today Christians themselves acknowledge their defeat everywhere. Fourteeen leading Christian clerics published a book under the title “Has the Church Failed?” in which they plainly admitted their failure.

The Archbishop of East Africa writing in the issue of Tanganayaka Standard December 23, 1961, admitted this very fact in the following words: “The population of the world is increasing fast, even though Church is enlisting new members but the ratio between the rate of population growth compared to the new membership is falling fast.” Church has no option but to admit this fact that there is a rapid decline of Christianity.

Edwin Lewis in his book Manual of Christian Beliefs says: “The people of twentieth century are not prepared to believe that Jesus is son of God.”

Another writer, S. G. Wilson, a professor at Ghana University, in his book, Christ or Muhammad, says: “The southern parts of Ghana are being conquered by missionaries of the Ahmadiyya Movement who have set up a network of missions.” The hope that Gold Coast would become a Christian domain is now threatened because a number of young dedicated Ahmadis are openly challenging Christianity in this region.

The Nicnove Mengish Couront of The Hague in its issue of September 20, 1958, writing under the title, “The Movement of Islam has begun in Europe,” says: “Islam is not a religion of any area or of any nation any longer, it offers the solution to the present problems facing the world, and although a large part of the Europe has not accepted Islam, it is not possible to ignore the reality that during the last decade or so the efforts of the Ahmadiyya Movement have gained the sympathy of a large number of people.”

A number of Dutch papers carried an article “Crescent of Islam Over the Horizon of Europe” which said that a substantial portion of Christian youths of Europe are fed up with Christianity and it is because of this that they are prepared to accept any other faith. On the other hand, people are also inclined towards this; so, the basic foundation of this movement had been laid by the Ahmadiyya Movement.”

George Bernard Shaw in his book, On Getting Married, says: “It is my conviction that by the end of this century, the British Empire would accept Islam. I have always seen the religion of Muhammad with great respect and this religion holds appeal for the people of every age. Now Europe has begun to understand the teachings of Muhammad and in the next century, Europe would have to acknowledge the fact that Islam alone offers solution of their problems.”

The prophecy of the Promised Messiah(as) made in 1897, it appears, has started making its impact and the people of this age are gradually turning away from their faith. In fact, in another prophecy the Promised Messiah(as) said: “From this day, the third century will not be over when there will be one religion in the world and there will be one Prophet. I have only come to sow the seeds of this religion which I have sown, and this will gradually grow and prosper and nobody will be able to stop its growth and prosperity.”7