Government Angrezi Aur Jihad

British Government and Jihad

Background

The Promised Messiah published this book on May 22, 1900, in which he elucidated at length the philosophy of Jihad in the light of the Holy Quran and Ahadith. Recalling wars fought in the days of the Holy Prophet(sa), the Promised Messiah(as) stated that “all these wars were defensive and the Muslims were forced to take up arms in order to protect their religious freedom. His mission is that of peace and to establish supremacy of Islam through adducing arguments in support of if.”

Hazrat Jalal-ud-Din Shams(ra) in the introduction to this book says:

The mission of the Promised Messiah(as) was to establish the superiority of Islam over all the world religions, and he was mainly motivated by the repeated attempts by Orientalists to paint Islam as a religion spread with sword. Bishop Malcolm McCall writing in the issue December 1877, of The Twentieth Century, on page 832, says: “Quran divides the whole world in two parts—(1) Darul-Islam, and (2) Darul-Harb (the enemy world). People who are not Muslim, all of them are against Islam, therefore it is an obligation on a Muslim that he should wage a war against the non-believers till the time they accept Islam or are killed—this is known as Jihad or Jang-e-Muqadass, and this can end only in one way: either the whole world accept Islam, or everyone is killed. And it is the holy duty of Khalifah that when an opportunity arises, he should declare Jihad.”

On Page 532 of the Life of Mohammad, Sir William Muir says: “As Mohammad arrives in Medina, intolerance took place of the freedom and force of persuasion … Slay the non-believers where ever you find them was the watchword of Islam.”

Hazrat Jalal-ud-Din Shams(ra), on page 17 of the introduction, writes:

The Promised Messiah(as), in accordance with the Holy Quran and Ahadith, did not put a ban on Jihad with sword forever, but on account of the conditions not prevailing for conducting the Jihad with sword, he temporarily postponed it or put it off.

In a letter to Mir Nasir Nawab, published in Durud Sharif, p. 26, the Promised Messiah(as) clarified:

In the current age, Jihad has assumed a spiritual shape. The spreading of the Word of God and Islam and rebutting the objections of the opponents and expressing the beauties of Islam, is the real way of Jihad till the time God, in His Majesty, does manifest any other way.

There were many reasons for writing this book:

• As Hazrat Ahmad claimed he is the Promised Messiah and Mahdi and according to the prevalent belief among Indian Muslims, it was thought that the Promised Messiah would wage war against non-believers.

• Some years before the Promised Messiah(as) announced his mission in March 1889, Mahdi Sudani appeared and declared Jihad against British, but was defeated by the British in 1882. The British Government in India has not forgotten that event.

• Many Maulavis of his time were engaged in dissemination about the Promised Messiah(as) and comparing him to the Mahdi Sudani.

• The Christian clergy who met repeated defeats at his hand were looking for some excuses to have him imprisoned.

• As the Promised Messiah(as) was a Mughal, it was made out that Hazrat Ahmad has made this claim to demand the lost throne of Mughals, lost in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 in India.

Therefore, it became necessary for the Promised Messiah(as) to propound true stance of Islam on Jihad. Hence, this book. He stated that Islam does not allow Muslim to take up arms against a government which ensures complete religious freedom, a rule of law, and life and property is fully protected. Rebutting those critics who called the Promised Messiah(as) a sycophant he said: “I do not flatter Government but the fact is that it is a government which does not interfere in matters of religion and does not raise sword for spreading their own religion. And he made it clear that his praise and loyalty to the government was prompted by three facts:

• This government has liberated Muslims in the Punjab from the tyranny of Sikhs.

• It established complete peace.

• It gave complete freedom of expression.

The Promised Messiah(as) made it clear that the doctrine of Jihad as preached by the Mullahs was quite wrong. In the time of the Holy Prophet(sa), the early Muslims were persecuted to the extreme on account of their religion. They were turned out of their homes. The inhuman persecution was carried on persistently for a period of not less than 13 years. Many new converts were tortured to death. Many righteous persons, the flower of Arabian chivalry was ruthlessly butchered and cut into pieces by savage tyrants. Orphans and helpless women were murdered in cold blood in the streets. Still the Muslims were asked to suffer patiently and bear retaliation. They faced calmly these hardships and scrupulously obeyed the commandments of their Lord. Streets flowed with their blood and they did not utter a cry. They were slaughtered like sheep and they heaved not a sigh. Not only were the Companions subjected to these shocking persecutions but the Holy Prophet(sa) himself was often seriously injured with stones. Constant as the Northen Star he bore it all with an open heart filled with true love. The patience and forbearance shown by Muslims made their cruel persecutors more arrogant and gave them the hope of soon striking a death knell to Islam. It was planned as a last measure to exterminate Islam by murdering the Holy Prophet(sa) himself, with the result that he had to leave Mecca after 13 years of worst persecution. All this, however, did not satisfy the enemies of Islam and they pursued the Holy Prophet(sa) in order to execute their evil designs. He reached Medina. Even there his enemies did not relax their efforts to uproot Islam. The whole of Arabia responded to the call of the Meccan Quraish and marched to slaughter the Muslims. And it was not until their enemies were upon them that the permission was granted to the Muslims to defend themselves.1

The Quran says: “Permission is granted to those against whom war is made (that they may defend themselves) for they have been wronged” (22:40). Again it says: “And fight in the way of God with those who fight with you” (2:191).

Specimen of Writing

I have brought you a commandment which is that Jihad with the sword has been ended but the Jihad of the purification of your spirits must continue to be waged. I say this not on my own but in order to proclaim the design of God. Reflect on the hadith of Bukhari wherein it is stated that the Promised Messiah would put an end to fighting for the faith. Accordingly, I command those who have joined my ranks that they should discard all such notions. They should purify their hearts and foster their mercy and should have sympathy for the afflicted. They should spread peace on the earth, for this would cause their faith to spread. They should not wonder how this would come about. As God Almighty has utilized the elements and all earthly means for the purpose of bringing about new inventions to serve human needs like mechanical locomotion, etc., in the same way, He will put His angels to work for the fulfilment of spiritual needs through heavenly signs, without the intervention of human agencies, and there will appear many flashes of light whereby the eyes of multitudes will be opened.2