1895

Respected Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahib(ra) writes: ‘Even in 1895 when I would visit the Promised Messiah(as), in my eagerness, I would record his holy words on a piece of paper and take them to Lahore where I would read them out to Ahmadi friends in our weekly meetings. I present here some of my recollections from that time to readers. In those days, since exact dates were not recorded, I put forth all of these words undated.’

The Oath of Allegiance and Repentance

One should understand the benefit and need of swearing an oath of allegiance to a spiritual guide. Until the benefit and worth of a thing is known, its value cannot be appreciated. For example, a person possesses diverse forms of wealth and property around their home, comprised of rupees, paise, cowries, and firewood, etc. Everything is safeguarded according to the degree of its worth. A person would not tend to the safekeeping of a cowrie as carefully as one is compelled to look after a paisa or rupee; firewood and the like is usually left lying around in the corner of one’s home. In the same manner, a person is more protective of that which inflicts more harm if lost. Likewise, the outstanding aspect of swearing allegiance to a spiritual guide is repentance (tawbah), which means to turn back (ruju). Repentance refers to the state when man forsakes the ties that bind him to sin. When a person is indulged in a life of sin, he begins to dwell in this state and sin becomes his homeland, as it were. So, tawbah is to leave one’s homeland and ruju means to purify oneself. It lies heavy on a person to leave their homeland and one is faced with thousands of difficulties in doing so. There are a myriad of problems that one is confronted with even when he leaves his home. But when it comes to migrating from one’s native land, an individual must sever ties with friends and loved ones, and bid farewell to everything, such as his hearth and home, his neighbours, the streets and alleys of his prior homeland, and its place of business. He is compelled to move to a new country and he never returns to his homeland. This is called tawbah. The friends of evil are different from those who befriend righteousness. The Sufis have named this transformation ‘death.’ A person who repents is compelled to sustain a heavy loss. Indeed, true repentance demands great sacrifices, but Allah the Exalted is Merciful and Munificent. God does not let a person die until He bestows upon them a better substitute for all such losses. This is the very indication in:

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Allah loves those who turn to him.

When one repents, they become destitute and helpless and this is why Allah the Exalted holds love and affection for such a person, and includes them among the community of the righteous. Other nations do not consider God to be Merciful and Munificent. The Christians effectively hold God to be a tyrant and His son to be merciful, for the father refused to forgive sin, while the son gave his own life to have others forgiven. It is absurd for there to be such a stark difference between father and son. Father and son always carry a resemblance in morals and habits, but here the case is exactly the opposite. If Allah was not Merciful, man could not survive for even a moment. How can one imagine that He who has created thousands of things for the benefit of man, even prior to his performing any action, would disregard his repentance and good deeds?

The Reality of Sin and Repentance

The reality of sin is not that Allah first created it and then thousands of years later conjured up the idea of forgiveness. For example, a fly has two wings, one containing poison and the other its antidote. Similarly, human beings have two wings, one of sin and the other of shame, repentance and remorse. This is a general rule. For example, if someone were to violently beat a slave, remorse would overwhelm such a one. It is as if both wings move in unison. Poison is not without its antidote. Now the question is, why was this poison created in the first place? The answer is that although this is a poison, if harnessed, it possesses remedial properties. If sin did not exist, the venom of vanity would surge forth within man and lead to his ruin, but repentance prevents this from happening. Sin protects man from the calamity of arrogance and conceit. When the Prophet Muhammad(sa) would seek forgiveness seventy times in one day—despite being sinless—how great an effort should we exert? Only one who is content with sin does not repent; an individual who considers sin to be evil will ultimately refrain from it.

It is narrated in a Hadith that when a person weeps before Allah time and again to seek forgiveness, ultimately, God says, ‘We have forgiven you, now do as you please.’ This actually means that the heart of such a one has been transformed and thereafter he shall feel an innate aversion towards sin. No one who observes a sheep eating filth is driven by greed to consume it as well. Similarly, a person who is forgiven by Allah will never commit sin. Muslims instinctively abhor the flesh of swine though they may be indulged in thousands of other unlawful and forbidden things. The wisdom in placing this form of disgust in Muslims is to illustrate that mankind should develop a similar revulsion towards sin.

Prayer is an Antidote

The thought of having committed a plethora of sins ought not to hold back a sinner from supplication. Prayer is an antidote. Ultimately, such a one will observe how prayers serve to foster within him an aversion towards vice. In the end, those steeped in sin who despair of the acceptance of prayer and do not seek recourse to repentance, lose faith in the Prophets and their effects.

Repentance is an Essential Component of the Oath of Allegiance

This is the reality of repentance (which has been mentioned above). But why is repentance an integral part of swearing allegiance to a spiritual guide? The fact of the matter is that man is given to negligence. When an individual takes the oath of allegiance at the hand of one upon whom Allah the Exalted has bestowed this transformed state, the same divine grace and light—that exists in this transformed individual—begins to emerge in the individual just as a graft changes the properties of a tree. The condition, however, is that one should possess a true relationship with this person as though they were a branch attached to his very being; not a lifeless branch. The greater a person’s affinity with this spiritual leader, the better.

A Superficial Oath of Allegiance is Useless

A superficial oath of allegiance to a spiritual guide brings no benefit and it is difficult to derive any gain from such an oath of allegiance. A person shall truly reap benefit only when they abandon their ego and attach themselves to this person with abiding love and sincerity. Since the hypocrites did not possess a true relationship with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his progeny, ultimately, they remained bereft of faith; they were left devoid of pure love and sincerity. And so, the mere proclamation (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) was of no avail to them. Thus, it is very important to forge these bonds. If a follower does not strengthen these ties and fails to make an effort in this cause, any expression of grief or regret would be unwarranted. One should nurture a relationship of love and sincerity with one’s spiritual guide and insofar as possible, adjust the hue of one’s disposition to that of one’s master, both in terms of action and belief. The inner self of man promises him a long life, but this is deception. There is no telling how long a person will live. One should hasten to adopt piety and worship, and introspect on one’s condition from morning to evening.2

An Exhortation to Offer Tahajjud

If our entire lives are spent in worldly engagements, what will we have accumulated for the hereafter? Make a special effort to wake up for Tahajjud and offer it with fervour and joy. At times, the Prayers to be offered during the day pose a challenge to those who are in employment, but Allah the Exalted is the Provider. The obligatory Prayers ought to be offered at their prescribed times. On occasion, it is permissible to combine the Zuhr and Asr prayers. Allah Almighty made provision for this, for He knew that some would be weaker than others. However, this permission does not allow for three Prayers to be combined.

To Bear Hardship for the Sake of Allah the Exalted

When disciplinary action is meted out to people in employment and in other matters—and they are reprimanded by rulers—how wonderful would it be if they were to bear hardship for the sake of Allah the Exalted.

Those who shoulder pain and difficulty so that righteousness may be upheld find favour amongst people as well. This is the way of the Prophets and the Truthful. Allah the Exalted never remains in debt of an individual who sustains material loss for His sake, and always grants a full reward.

Do Not Adopt Hypocritical Ways

It is incumbent that man not adopt the way of hypocrisy. For example, if a Hindu (despite being a ruler or high official) were to suggest that Ram and Rahim are one and the same, a person should not agree with such an opinion thoughtlessly. Allah the Exalted does not forbid one from treating others with civility. One should always respond politely. It is not wise to make comments that unnecessarily enrage others and which result in pointless conflict. But, a person should never conceal the truth. An individual who pliantly accepts the false statements of others eventually becomes a disbeliever.

Become the friend of he who is dominant,
so that you too may become dominant.

Allah the Exalted should always be honoured and respected. There is not a single aspect of our religion that is at odds with civility.

An Injustice Against Islam

Alas for Islam! Islam has always been wronged. When two brothers are in dispute, the elder brother, on account of his age and rank, oppresses the younger one for no reason whatsoever, because the former believes he commands a greater right due to his having been born first. However, both are entitled to equal rights. A similar form of injustice is being committed against Islam, which came after all the past religions. The errors committed by these religions were corrected by Islam and since they consider themselves greater, they have become displeased with Islam just as it is customary for an ignorant person to grow hostile towards the one who means them well. A large family, ancient ancestry and wealth often make a person arrogant. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, belonged to an impoverished, small and newly formed group of people. So in the beginning, people of other faiths did not accept him. People always act unjustly towards the truth.

Islam is a Benefactor of Other Religions

Islam is such a pure religion that it does not permit the use of abusive language against any religious founder. The followers of other religions let out a stream of invective at the drop of a hat. Just look at how the Christians use foul language against the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. If he had been alive today, even in view of his worldly status, they would not have had the courage to say a word against him. In fact, they would have treated the Holy Prophet(sa) with a thousand times more reverence. Such people would not dare curse or insult the Amir of Kabul or the Sultan of Rome, who are humble followers of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. But when the name of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is mentioned, they revile him with a thousand obscenities. Islam is a benefactor for other religions because it vindicated every Prophet and divine scripture of the past. But despite this, Islam is abused. The essence of Islam (There is none worthy of worship except Allah) is to be found in no other religion.3