The First Address of the Promised Messiah(as) at the Annual Convention on 25 December 1897

The Promised Messiah(as) said: I deem it most appropriate, in the best interest of my community, to advise them on righteousness, because a sensible person obviously knows that nothing pleases Allah the Exalted more than piety. Allah Almighty states:

It is particularly incumbent upon my community to adopt righteousness, especially in view of the fact that they associate themselves with and swear allegiance to a man who claims to be divinely commissioned. In this way, they shall be delivered from any of the diverse forms of malice, rancour, associating partners with God, and worldly attachment that may plague them.

It is a well-known fact that irrespective of whether an individual is suffering from a minor illness or a more serious one, they cannot be cured until remedy is sought and trouble is taken to find a cure. Even if a small black blemish appears on a person’s face, this causes serious apprehension, lest the mark should spread to cover the entire face. Similarly, sin is a blemish that blackens a person’s heart. Disregard for minor trespasses steer an individual to greater evil. A minor sin is like the small blemish which spreads to disfigure a person’s entire face.

Just as Allah the Exalted is Merciful and Munificent, He is also Mighty and punishes those who do wrong. When He observes a community boasting and making tall claims while their practical state is quite the opposite, His fury and wrath are provoked. God decides to punish such a community at the hands of disbelievers. Those who are familiar with history know that Muslims have on many an occasion been defeated by disbelievers. Genghis Khan and Hulagu Khan devastated the Muslims, and even though Allah the Exalted had promised to protect and support the Muslims, they were still overpowered. Instances like these have often transpired and the very reason for this is that the might of Allah Almighty manifests its power when He sees that although a group of people recite:

(There is none worthy of worship except Allah), yet their hearts are disposed to other interests and their deeds are of worldly bent.

True fear of Allah demands that a person examine the degree to which his words and actions accord with one another. A person whose words and actions are at odds with one another should know that they shall incur the wrath of Allah. If one’s heart is impure, it will never find favour in the sight of God no matter how pure one’s words may be; in fact, this arouses the wrath of God. My community ought to realise that they have come to me so that I may sow the seed which transforms them into a fruitful tree. So, everyone ought to examine their selves to become cognisant of their inner and outwardly state. If, God-forbid, the hearts of my followers are not in harmony with their words, they shall not be met with a blessed end. Allah the Exalted does not care for a community with hollow hearts who make empty claims, for He is Self-Sufficient. The victory at Badr had already been prophesied and there was every reason to believe that the Muslims would triumph. But the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, continued to weep and pray to his Lord. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq(ra) inquired as to the need for such fervent supplication when victory had already been promised. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, ‘God is Self-Sufficient.’ That is to say, perhaps hidden conditions lay beneath the surface of this divine promise.

We should always appraise the degree to which we have progressed in righteousness and piety. The criterion for this is the Quran. From among the hallmarks of the righteous, one sign manifested by Allah the Exalted in favour of a pious one is that He frees them from the unpleasant things of this world and Himself becomes the Guardian of their affairs. Allah the Exalted states:

And he who fears Allah — He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he expects not.

Allah the Exalted delivers a person who fears Him from any affliction that may befall him, and grants him provision from where he expects not. In other words, one sign of a righteous person is that Allah the Exalted does not enslave him to the recourse of immoral ways and means. For example, a shopkeeper believes that his business cannot operate without the support of falsehood; for this reason he does not refrain from deception and expresses the need for speaking lies. However, this so-called need is completely unjustified. God Almighty becomes the Protector of a righteous person and saves him from such instances as would compel them to speak untruths. Remember, when a person abandons Allah the Exalted, God forsakes such a person as well. Moreover, when the Merciful God leaves a person, Satan definitely develops a relationship with such a one.

Think not that Allah Almighty is weak. Indeed, He is the possessor of immense power. When you put your trust in Him for support in any matter, He shall come to your aid.

However, those who were first addressed in these verses were people of faith. All of their thoughts revolved around religion and they left their worldly affairs to God. This is why Allah the Exalted reassured them and told them that He was their support. And so, one of the blessings of righteousness is that Allah the Exalted grants security to a pious person from the afflictions that impede upon his religious affairs.

Similarly, Allah the Exalted grants special provision to a righteous person. I shall now proceed to shed light on the provision of divine insight.

Despite being unlettered, the Holy Prophet(sa) was to confront the entire world, which included the People of the Book, philosophers, the highly intellectual, scholars and the learned. However, the Holy Prophet(sa) was so amply blessed with spiritual provision that he prevailed over them all and rectified their errors. This spiritual provision is unparalleled. In praise of the righteous, at another instance the Quran states:

Meaning, the saints of Allah the Exalted, that is, the friends of God, are those who are righteous. How great a blessing that one should be granted nearness to God by suffering even a little pain in His cause. The people of this age are so low-minded that if a ruler or official refers to them as a friend, confers upon them an office or honours them, they begin to boast and swell with pride. But, how superior in rank is the person who is deemed a saint or friend by Allah the Exalted Himself. Allah the Exalted has conveyed this promise through the tongue of the Noble Messenger(sa), as recorded in a Hadith related in Bukhari:

Meaning, Allah the Exalted states that through voluntary worship a friend of Mine attains such nearness to Me that I become the ears with which he hears, I become the eyes with which he sees, I become the hands with which he grasps, I become the feet with which he walks. When he asks of Me, I grant him his wish and when he seeks My refuge, I grant him refuge.5

All the virtuous deeds performed by a person may be divided into two categories: obligatory and voluntary. Obligatory deeds refer to that which is compulsory on man, such as the repayment of a debt or goodness in kind. In addition to these obligations, every good deed is accompanied by an aspect of voluntary service, that is to say, virtue which is above and beyond the call of duty. An example of this would be for one to reciprocate greater benevolence than that shown to him by another. This serves to complete and perfect compulsory actions. This Hadith expounds that the saints of Allah perfect their religious obligations through the observance of voluntary acts of worship. For example, in addition to zakat, they also give charity. Allah the Exalted becomes the friend of such people and states that this relation grows to such intimacy that He becomes the hands, feet, etc. of such a person; in fact, He even becomes the tongue with which such a person speaks.

The fact of the matter is that a man who becomes pure of selfish passions and acts in accordance with the will of God whilst abandoning his ego, never commits an unlawful deed. On the contrary, his each and every action is in accordance with the will of God. When people fall into trial, it is always the case that their actions are not in accordance with the will of God and are ones that cause His displeasure. Such a one follows his passions. For example, swayed by anger, at times one will commit an action that leads to legal and criminal proceedings. However, if a person determines that they will perform no action whatsoever that is against the mandates of the Book of Allah and turns to it in all their affairs, they can be certain to find guidance in it. Allah the Almighty states:

So if we resolve that we shall always seek counsel from the Book of Allah, we shall definitely receive guidance. But he who follows his selfish passions will always suffer a loss. Often, he shall be called to account on such instances. Allah states that the saints are a contrast to the people just mentioned, for they remain attached to Him in all circumstances. They become absorbed in Him completely. The lesser a person’s assimilation in God, the more distant they are from Him. However, if a person is lost in Allah as God desires, then the faith of such a person is beyond description. In support of such people, Allah the Exalted states:

In other words, he who opposes a friend of Mine, actually wars with Me. One can see how great the eminence of a righteous person truly is and how lofty they are in stature. A person of this nature enjoys such nearness to God that their grief is the grief of God. How mighty, then, would the succour and assistance of God be for such a person?

People are victim to a host of afflictions, but the righteous are safeguarded. In fact, even those who are in their company find refuge. Hardship has no end. Even from within, man is plagued so severely by affliction that it is beyond imagination. Even if one takes the example of various illnesses, they are enough to result in countless other afflictions. But those who are within the fortress of righteousness are free from such affliction as distances one from God. However, those who are beyond its walls sit in a jungle teeming with ravenous beasts.

Meaning, those who are righteous receive glad tidings in this very world by means of true dreams. In fact, even more so than this, they begin to experience visions and receive revelations; they are so honoured as to experience converse with Allah. Despite being human, they are able to see the angels, as is stated:

Meaning, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then show steadfastness, the angels descend upon them, saying: ‘Fear ye not, nor grieve; and rejoice in the Garden that you were promised.’

In other words, at a time of trial such people demonstrate through practice that they have fulfilled the promise they earlier made to God by word of mouth.

Allah the Exalted declares that those who say: ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them. The commentators of the Holy Quran have erred in their belief that the angels descend only when a person is struggling through his last breaths—this is not true. In actuality, those who cleanse their hearts and keep their souls free from filth and impurity—which distance a person from Allah—develop the capacity to receive revelation, and then actually do receive it as well. Then, at another instance, Allah speaks of the greatness of those who are righteous in the following words:

Meaning, the friends of Allah are confronted with no grief for which God is not a Protector, and they suffer no real hardship. None can harm such a person by opposing them if God becomes their friend. Then, Allah states:

Meaning, rejoice for the paradise that you have been promised. The teachings of the Quran indicate that there are two paradises for mankind. How can a person who loves God live a life of hell? In this world, if even the friend of a government official enjoys a kind of heavenly life on account of his worldly relations, why then should the gates of heaven not be opened to those who are the friends of Allah? Although the world is full of difficulties and afflictions, who can know the pleasure that the friends of Allah experience? If they truly suffered from such circumstances, even half an hour of such pain would be difficult to bear, yet they go on bearing such hardship for their entire lives. Even if they are offered grand kingdoms to prevent them from carrying out their mission, they do not lend an ear to such offers. Even if mountains of affliction fall upon them, they do not stand down from their objective.

Our Perfect Guide was required to confront both situations. At one time, a shower of stones was rained down on him in Ta’if. A large majority afflicted upon him the most brutal physical harm, but the perseverance of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, faltered not. When his people witnessed that these trials and tribulations did not affect him in the least, by collective agreement they offered him sovereignty and desired to make him their ruler. They promised him all sorts of luxuries, even the most beautiful of women. And all this was on the sole condition that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah, refrain from speaking ill of idols. However, just as the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not care during the tribulation of Ta’if, so too, he demonstrated an indifference to this promise of sovereignty and preferred to be stoned. Hence, unless the Holy Prophet(sa) experienced a special kind of pleasure in this, what was the need for him to abandon comfort and bear hardship?

No other Prophet, except for our Messenger, peace and salutations be upon him, was confronted with a situation where he was promised something in exchange for refraining from carrying out the work of his ministry. The Messiah(as) was not faced with such circumstances. In the history of the world, only the Holy Prophet(sa) was met with an offer of sovereignty to step away from performing his duty. This honour is specific to our Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Similarly, our Perfect Guide experienced both eras of hardship and triumph, and in this way he was able to manifest a perfect example in both times. Allah the Exalted desires that the righteous experience both these forms of pleasure. On certain occasions, they experience this in the form of worldly pleasures, comfort and bounties, and on other occasions, in the form of difficulty and hardship, so that their morals may grow towards perfection in both respects. Certain morals are manifested in times of authority, while others come to light in times of affliction. Our Noble Prophet(sa) experienced both these situations. Therefore, the extent to which we are able to present the diverse morals of the Holy Prophet(sa) is not within the power of any other nation to present in favour of their own Prophet. For example, the Messiah(as) can only be shown to have exhibited patience. He continued to suffer brutality, but how will it be established that he attained a station of power? There is no doubt that he was a truthful Prophet, but it cannot be proven that he exhibited a moral example in all respects. Since he is mentioned in the Quran, we believe in him to be a Prophet. Otherwise, the Gospel alone does not prove that the Messiah(as) demonstrated a moral character that accords with the grandeur of the Prophets who are strong in determination. In the same way, if our Perfect Guide had died in his initial thirteen year period of hardship, many aspects of his lofty character would have remained hidden as was the case with the Messiah. However, when he was later blessed with an era of triumph and those who had oppressed him were presented before the Holy Prophet(sa), it was then that his attributes of mercy and compassion were truly proven. This also demonstrates that the deeds of the Holy Prophet(sa) were never the result of restrictive circumstances; he never acted under duress; rather, all his deeds were natural. Similarly, there are many other moral qualities of the Holy Prophet(sa) which can also be proven. Allah the Exalted has stated:

This means, We are the friends of those who are righteous, both in this world and in the next. As such, this verse refutes the notion of those foolish people who deny the descent of angels in this life. If angels only descend when man is to depart from this world, how is God Almighty a friend in this life?

So, one bounty that the saints are blessed with is that they see the angels of God. The life of the hereafter is based completely on faith. However, a righteous person beholds the hereafter in the present life. It is in this very life that they find and witness God, and He speaks with them. So if a person is not blessed with such a state of affairs, his death and passing on from this world is not a promising prospect. A certain saint is reported to have said that a person who has not been blessed to experience even one true dream all their life is to be met with a perilous end. The Quran also says that this is the hallmark of a believer. Take heed! One who does not possess this sign is bereft of righteousness. So, we all ought to pray that this condition is fulfilled in us. May Allah the Exalted bless us with the grace of revelation, dreams and visions. For these are characteristic of a believer, and thus, should exist in us.

There are many other blessings that are also conferred upon a righteous person. For example, at the beginning of the Quran, in Surah Fatihah, Allah Almighty instructs the believers to supplicate:

Meaning, show us the straight path of those upon whom thou hast bestowed thy favour and bounty. This prayer has been taught so that human beings develop a high resolve and understand the will of their Creator. God does not desire to see the people of this community live their lives like beasts, but rather, He wishes to see all the veils that obstruct their path to be removed. The Shias believe that the institution of sainthood (walayat) ended after the twelve Imams. Contrary to this, however, the prayer just mentioned demonstrates that God has decided that whosoever is righteous and acts in accordance with His will, shall be able to achieve the ranks attained by Prophets and saints. This also establishes that humans have been endowed many faculties that are to be nourished and nurtured to make great progress. Of course, since a goat cannot be compared to a human being, its faculties, therefore, cannot develop in the same manner. Whenever a person of high resolve hears about the lives of the Messengers and Prophets, they desire not only to develop a faith in the bounties that were conferred upon this pure community, but they also long to partake of these blessings; first through the stage known as knowledge by inference, then certainty by sight and finally by true certainty.

There are three stages of knowledge: knowledge by inference, certainty by sight and true certainty. For example, to believe in the existence of a fire somewhere at the sight of smoke is knowledge by inference. However, to see the fire with one’s eyes is certainty by sight. After this, there is true certainty, which is akin to putting one’s hand into the fire and to know for certain that the fire exists by experiencing its heat and burning sensation. How unfortunate is the one who has attained neither one of these stages. According to the following verse, a person who is deprived of Allah’s grace is entangled in the practice of blindly following others. Allah the Exalted states:

Meaning, a person who strives in our cause shall be shown the ways that lead to Us. Along with this promise, we have also been taught the prayer:

Therefore, man ought to keep this in mind and supplicate fervently in their formal Prayer, lest he departs from this world blind and bereft of insight. Allah Almighty states:

Meaning, whoso is blind in this world shall be blind in the hereafter. This demonstrates that we must take our ability to see from this very world, so that we may be able to witness the hereafter. In order to experience the next life, our senses are to be developed in this very world. Can it be conceived that Allah the Exalted would make a promise and then break it?

A blind person is one who is bereft of spiritual insight and pleasure. A person who blindly follows the practices of their family just because they are born into a Muslim household is called a Muslim. Similarly, a person who is born to a Christian family becomes a Christian. This is the very reason that such people give no regard to God, the Messenger or the Quran. Even the love such people possess for religion is questionable. Some remain in the company of those who act insolently towards God and His Messenger. This is wholly due to the fact that such people do not possess a spiritual eye. They are empty of love for religion. Does a person who is full of love desire anything that is at odds with the liking of their beloved? Hence, Allah the Almighty teaches that He is prepared to bestow His bounties if a person is prepared to receive them. The offering of this supplication prepares one to receive divine guidance.

After this prayer, Allah the Exalted states the following towards the beginning of Surah Baqarah:

In other words, God Almighty has furnished the means by which He bestows His blessings. That is to say, this Book (i.e. the Holy Quran) promises to elevate a righteous person to the pinnacle of excellence. These words imply that this Book is beneficial to those who abstain from evil and give heed to exhortation. A righteous person (muttaqi) of this degree is one who rids themselves of preconceived bias and is willing to hear the truth. For example, when a person accepts Islam, they follow a course of righteousness. Whenever favourable days dawn upon a person belonging to another faith, righteousness takes root in them; they are cleansed of pride, arrogance and conceit, for these are hindrances in their path, and when they are removed, the windows of their dark house are opened, as it were, and rays of light shine through.

Meaning, this Book is a guidance for the righteous (muttaqin). The word ittiqa is in the measure of the form known as ifti’al in Arabic and this grammatical form signifies a meaning of forced effort. In other words, Allah the Exalted indicates here that the degree of righteousness He requires of a person at this stage is not empty of strain. However, this Book contains various forms of guidance to preserve an individual’s righteousness. This demonstrates that in order to perform good deeds, a muttaqi suffers travail.

When this state passes, a seeker of God becomes a virtuous servant. The element of difficulty vanishes, and a salih (i.e. a virtuous person) begins to naturally and inherently perform virtue. They enter an abode of security, which is safe from all danger and all their battles against their selfish desires come to an end. Such a person finds refuge from all forms of peril. Our Perfect Guide, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, alludes to this very fact when he states: ‘Satan dwells within all, but my Satan has become a Muslim.’

Thus, a muttaqi remains forever at war with Satan but when he becomes a salih, all battles come to an end. Take the example of ostentation—a person remains in combat with this ill throughout the entire day. A muttaqi stands in the field of battle, as it were, where a war ensues without end. Victory cannot be attained without the supporting hand of God. Ostentation creeps up on man as subtly as an ant. At times, a person allows ostentation to enter the heart, completely unaware. For example, let us presume someone loses a knife that belongs to them and asks another individual about its whereabouts. In this instance, the individual who is questioned about the knife begins to war with Satan if he is at the level of a muttaqi. Satan will instigate the person to feel that the owner of the lost knife has dishonoured him by questioning him about his lost property. It is even possible that the individual being questioned becomes inflamed and the two fall to altercation. In the event of such a situation, a muttaqi battles with his own ill emotion. If the individual being questioned is honest purely for the sake of Allah, what reason has he to be angered? The more one keeps their piety hidden, the better. If a dealer of jewels was confronted by some robbers, and they consulted amongst themselves, some asserting that the jeweller was a rich man and others perceiving him to be empty-handed, the jeweller would be more pleased with those robbers who suggest that the dealer has nothing.

What more is this world than an abode of trial? A person who keeps his virtues secret and saves himself from ostentation is best off. Those people whose deeds are solely for the sake of Allah do not allow for their deeds to be seen by others. It is these who are the righteous.

I have read in Tadhkira-tul-Awliya that once a noble man asked for some money in a gathering, as he was in need. One person gave him a thousand rupees, considering him to be a righteous man. The noble man took the money, and praised the generosity and munificence of the person who had helped him. At this, the person who had offered the assistance was saddened by the thought that he may well be deprived of his reward in the hereafter as he had been praised before the people here on earth. Shortly thereafter, he returned and said that the money belonged to his mother and she was unwilling to give it to anyone. So, the money was returned. Everyone cursed the man and said that it was he who actually did not wish to give his money to the man in need. Later that evening, when the noble man returned home, the same person brought his thousand rupees to him and said: ‘You deprived me of my reward in the hereafter by praising me in public. This is why I made an excuse. Now this money belongs to you, but please do not mention my name to anyone.’ The noble man began to weep and said: ‘Now, you have taken upon yourself until the Day of Resurrection the curse and reproach of the people, because everyone is aware of the incident that occurred earlier today, but no one knows that you have now returned the money to me.’

A righteous person wars with their inner self that incites to evil in order to veil and conceal their good deeds. However, God Almighty always manifests their hidden deeds. A wicked person, after committing an evil deed, desires to remain hidden. Similarly, a righteous person observes the Prayer in hiding and fears lest someone sees him. A truly righteous person desires to remain hidden. There are many stages of righteousness, but in any case, righteousness requires a forced effort and a righteous person (muttaqi) constantly remains in a state of war with himself, while a virtuous person (salih) is no longer engaged in such a battle. In this relation, I have stated above the example of ostentation, which must be fought against by a righteous person throughout the day.

Often a battle ensues between ostentation and forbearance. At times, in contradiction to the Book of Allah, man shows anger. Upon hearing abuse, his inner self becomes incensed. Righteousness demands that one ought to suppress their anger, as stated in the Quran:

Many a time, an individual is also required to fight against impatience. This means that a person is confronted with such a multitude of difficulties whilst treading the path of righteousness that it is difficult to attain one’s objective, and thus, such a one becomes impatient. For example, if someone wanted to dig a well fifty cubits deep, but they stopped digging after a mere two or three cubits, this is mere pessimism. Now, the condition of righteousness is that one should fulfil the commandments that have been enjoined by Allah the Exalted to the end and not become impatient.

There are two blessed parties that tread the path of God. Firstly, those who adhere firmly to the fundamental principles of religion without any real insight (din-ul-aja’iz), or in other words, those who follow the shariah and thus attain salvation. Then, there are those who advance even further still. Whatever the odds, they do not tire and continue to march forward until they reach their ultimate objective. However, truly unsuccessful are those who advanced forward from the rank of din-ul-aja’iz but did not complete their spiritual quest; such people always fall prey to atheism. In this context, some people assert that they have observed their Prayers and undertaken periods of reclusion for spiritual exercise, but to no avail. For example, a man named Mansur Masih states that the reason he become a Christian was due to the fact that he turned to various spiritual preceptors and went into 40-day retreats but none of this bore any fruit; so he became averse to Islam and accepted Christianity.

Those people who are impatient fall into the clutches of Satan. A righteous person must battle with impatience as well. In Bustan there is mention of a worshipper. Whenever this individual stood for worship, he would hear an angel’s voice from the unseen saying: ‘You have been rejected and forsaken.’ On a certain occasion, one of his disciples heard this voice from the unseen and said: ‘Now the verdict has been passed. What then is the use of futile action?’ The man wept profusely and said: ‘If I am to leave God, where else should I go? If accursed I am, then so be it. At least I am fortunate enough to be called accursed.’ These discussions were still underway with his disciple, when a voice was heard saying: ‘You have been accepted.’ So all this was the result of sincerity and patience, which is a condition for one who is righteous.

Meaning, those who strive in Our cause shall be guided. In other words, a person must join God’s Messenger, and strive and endeavour in this path together with him. It does not behove one who strives in the cause of Allah to flee within an hour or two. In fact, the task of such a person is to remain forever ready to give their life. So, the hallmark of a righteous person is steadfastness. In this regard, Allah the Exalted states:

Meaning, they say our Lord is Allah, then show steadfastness; and turn away from all else to find God. In other words, success depends on steadfastness. And steadfastness is to recognise God and stand unshaken in the face of all difficulty, trial and tribulation. If a person is able to do this, they will surely become the recipient of divine communion and converse like the Prophets.

There are many who come here hoping—by some magic spell—to reach the highest spiritual heights and attain communion with God. Such people are guilty of mockery. They ought to cast a glance upon the lives of the Prophets. It is false to assert that hundreds of people were instantly transformed into saints by merely visiting a certain religious divine. Quite the contrary, Allah Almighty states:

Do men think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘We believe,’ and that they will not be tested?

In other words, until man is tried and made to face affliction, how can he become a saint? Once, Bayazid(rh) was exhorting the people in a gathering. The descendant of a long line of saints, who harboured malice in his heart for Bayazid(rh), was also present. It is the way of God that He chooses newer families for older ones. For example, he selected the Children of Ishmael over the Children of Israel, as the latter had fallen prey to worldly pleasures and enjoyment, and thus had forgotten God.

So, the thought crossed this person’s mind that Bayazid(rh) belonged to a lower-class family. How then could he possibly be a man of miracles who attracted so many people to himself? The other man realised that people did not flock to him the same way. God Almighty disclosed the thoughts of this man to Bayazid(rh) and so, he began to relate a story. He said that once, in a gathering, a lamp containing oil diluted with water was burning at night. The oil and water began to quarrel. The water addressed the oil and said: ‘You are heavier and dirtier than I, yet despite your thickness you float up above me. For I am a pure and refined substance that is used for cleansing purposes, but I still remain below you. Why is this so?’ The oil responded: ‘You have not experienced even minutely the degree of difficulty that I have endured. It is for this reason that I have attained this lofty position. There was a time when I was sown in the earth, I remained hidden and was humbled. Then, by the will of God I began to grow, and had not grown much before I was cut down. After great pains, I was then refined. Further still, I was ground in an oil press, whereafter I was transformed into oil and finally set aflame. After all this, was I not to attain a lofty position?’

The above-mentioned parable is an example which expounds that the people of God attain lofty ranks only after enduring trial and tribulation. It is an absurd notion to suggest that such and such person simply went to some individual and, without any effort and purification, became one from among the Truthful. Study the Holy Quran to see that the pleasure of God cannot be attained until trials and difficulties befall you just as in the case of the Prophets. At times, even the Prophets would express a sense of apprehension, as mentioned below:

Until the Messenger and those who believed along with him said: ‘When will come the help of Allah?’ Yea, surely the help of Allah is nigh.

The servants of Allah have always been subjected to calamity. It was then that Allah accepted them.

The Sufis have written that there are two paths for attaining progress. Firstly, the spiritual quest and secondly, spiritual magnetism.

The spiritual quest is to embark upon the path of Allah and His Messenger(sa) as a result of one’s own understanding and sense. For example, Allah the Exalted states:

Meaning, if you desire to become the beloved of God, then follow the Noble Prophet, on whom be peace. It was this Perfect Guide and Messenger who shouldered such afflictions as are unparalleled in the history of the world. He did not rest even a single day in his life. Now, those who truly emulate their Master can only be ones who follow his every word and action with assiduous toil and labour. Only he is a follower who obeys the Holy Prophet(sa) in all respects. Allah the Exalted does not like those who flock to comfort and flee from hardship. Rather, such a one shall incur the wrath of Allah Almighty. In this verse, Allah the Exalted has commanded obedience to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The task of a seeker of God ought to be to first study the entire life of the Holy Prophet(sa) and then follow him. This is called ‘the spiritual quest.’ There are great trials and tribulations in this path. It is only after these difficulties are shouldered that a person becomes a seeker of God.

The rank of those who are absorbed in God is greater than those who are seekers on the path of God. Allah Almighty does not leave the former group of people to go on as mere seekers; rather, He casts them into adversity Himself and then pulls them towards Himself through his eternally spiritual magnetism. All the Prophets were absorbed in God as such. When the human soul is faced with hardship it is strained and gains experience, and as a result, begins to glow. For example, iron or glass possess the inherent quality to shine but only become clear after repeated polishing to the extent that one is eventually able to see their own face reflected in these materials. Spiritual efforts also serve as a polishing agent. One ought to polish the heart, to such an extent that one is able to see in it a reflection of their own face. What is implied by seeing one’s own face? It means to embody the following:

The heart of a seeker of God is like a mirror, which is polished by trial and tribulation to such extent that the character of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, begins to be reflected in it. This occurs when, after much spiritual effort and purification, no traces of filth and impurity remain. It is then that this rank is conferred upon an individual. Every believer is to a degree in need of such cleansing. No believer can attain salvation until they become a mirror. A seeker of God polishes themselves of their own accord and bears difficulty by virtue of their own effort. But a person absorbed in God is thrown into tribulation. God Himself refines such a person and bestows upon them the qualities of a mirror by subjecting them to countless forms of adversity and affliction. In actuality, the end result of a seeker of God and one who is absorbed in God are the same. There are two aspects which relate to the righteous: the spiritual quest and spiritual magnetism.

As I have mentioned above, righteousness requires a certain degree of forced effort. This is why Allah Almighty states:

This implies a sort of intentionally exerted labour. In comparison to witnessing something, belief in the unseen requires a kind of extra effort. Therefore, a muttaqi (or a righteous person) must, to a certain degree, make an intentional struggle. For when such a person attains the rank of a salih (or a virtuous servant), the unseen no longer remains hidden to such a person. A stream gushes forth from within such a one and reaches God. An individual of this nature witnesses God and His love with their eyes.

From this it is evident that until a person attains enlightenment in this world they shall never be able to see the countenance of God. And so, the task of a righteous one is to prepare diverse collyriums, which may rid them of the spiritual cataracts in their eyes. Now, this demonstrates that a muttaqi is blind at first and they attain light through various forms of effort and purification. When such a person gains vision and becomes a salih, they surpass the state of having to believe in the unseen and forced effort also ceases to exist. In the same way, the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was given the ability to behold with his eyes the heaven and earth etc., as well as other hidden matters in this very world. All the things that a muttaqi must believe in by virtue of belief in the unseen were actually witnessed by the Holy Prophet(sa) in this very world. This verse indicates that although a muttaqi suffers from the pains of consciously forced effort, a salih enters an abode of security and enjoys the state of the soul at rest. A muttaqi remains in a state where they must have faith in the unseen, and blindly follows a course of action without knowing much, and believes in all spiritual matters by virtue of faith in the unseen. This is the very sincerity of a muttaqi and as a result of this sincerity, God Almighty promises that such a one shall prosper.

Meaning, he sets upright the Prayer. Here, ‘to set upright’ has been stated. This also alludes to the forced effort that is specific to a righteous person. When such a person begins the Prayer, he must ward off countless evil whisperings, due to which his Prayer falls repeatedly as it were, and he must hold it up. When he says Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) to begin the Prayer, a swarm of evil temptations rush to dissipate his heart’s concentration. These thoughts lead a person to a far off place, causing him distress, but he goes on fighting to the death in order to acquire this concentration and contentment in Prayer. With great anguish, such a person forever remains concerned about keeping erect his falling Prayer. He repeats the words:

In this supplication, man implores that his Prayer may be established and seeks to be guided to the right path so that his Prayer may be set upright. In the face of these evil whisperings, a muttaqi is like a child who implores earnestly and humbly before God. He weeps before Allah and concedes that he falls true to the following:

This is the war that a muttaqi must wage with his inner self during the Prayer and this is what results in the acquisition of spiritual reward.

There are some who in the Prayer desire to rid themselves of evil distractions immediately, although

(He establishes the Prayer), indicates something quite the opposite. Is Allah unaware? Hazrat Sheikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani, may Allah have mercy on him, states that spiritual reward is earned only until strenuous efforts remain. When these efforts cease to exist, spiritual reward no longer remains either. In other words, fasting and Prayer are considered deeds only as long as one is required to struggle against evil temptation to perform them. However, when these deeds attain a higher status, and the one who fasts and observes the Prayer escapes the clutches of forced effort and develops an inherent inclination to virtue, fasting and observing Prayer no longer remain to be deeds. Then, Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani(rh) goes on to raise the question himself: ‘Does this mean that such a person is exempt from observing Prayer? For spiritual reward was only attainable until a person was required to make a forced effort.’ The fact of the matter is that Prayer no longer remains to be a deed, rather, it becomes a reward in itself. This Prayer becomes the nourishment of such a person and the delight of their eyes; it is paradise on earth.

On the contrary, those engaged in strenuous effort are in a state of battle, while the other has already attained salvation. This means that when a person’s spiritual journey finishes, their trials also come to an end. For example, if a eunuch were to say that he has never cast a glance upon a woman, of what favour or spiritual reward is he deserving? Such a person does not even possess the characteristic of casting lustful glances. However, if a man possessing virility were to restrain his glances, he would indeed be worthy of spiritual reward. Similarly, an individual must pass through thousands of stages. In certain cases, his constant practice invests within him a strength. When a person makes peace with his inner self, he enters a sort of paradise; but the same degree of spiritual reward is no longer warranted. Such a person has already engaged in a transaction of which he continues to reap benefit. However, this does not possess the same state as before. An action performed repeatedly by forced effort eventually takes on the form of a natural disposition in man. A person who inherently attains pleasure in something cannot be deterred from it. He finds himself naturally inclined. And so, when a person is at the level known as ‘righteousness’ (ittiqa) where they must force themselves to perform good with strenuous effort, they are still impaired, as it were, and the nature of their virtue is still incomplete.

Here, the words ‘mimma’ (i.e. from out of what) have been used when referring to a righteous person because he is still in a state of blindness. And so, he dedicates for the sake of God only a portion from among that which God has given him. But the truth is that if he possessed a discerning eye, he would see that nothing belongs to him at all and that everything belongs to God Almighty. This lack of understanding is like a veil, which is a necessary element in the state of ‘righteousness’ or ittiqa. The demands of this state push one to give a portion from that which is endowed to him by God. In his last days, the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, inquired of Hazrat Ayeshah, may Allah be pleased with her, if there was anything in the house. It came to light that there was one dinar at home. At this, the Holy Prophet(sa) said that an individual cannot attain true nearness to God if they do not sacrifice everything in His cause. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had surpassed the level of righteousness or ittiqa and had attained unto salahiyyat (i.e. a level of higher virtue). Therefore, the words ‘mimma’ were never used for the Holy Prophet(sa), for blind is the one who keeps some for himself and gives some to God. Nonetheless, as mentioned, this is part and parcel of a righteous person, because for such a person, even giving in the cause of God first required a battle with the inner self. As a result, he gave some and kept some. Of course, the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, gave everything that he had in the way of God and kept nothing for himself.

As has been expounded in the treatise that was read out in the Conference of Great Religions (Dharam Mahautsav), there are three states that man traverses through, from the beginning of life until the end. In this context, the Quran, which was sent down to lead man through all the stages of progress, starts with the state of righteousness (ittiqa), which is a path of forced effort. It is a perilous arena, as it were, in which man stands against a foe—both with swords in hand. If one is able to escape death, salvation is his; otherwise, he becomes the lowest of the low. As such, when describing the attributes of a muttaqi, Allah has not stated that they spend in entirety all that He has bestowed upon them. A muttaqi does not possess the same faith that characterises the grandeur of a Prophet, so that like our Perfect Guide, they are able to return to God, whatever He bestowed on them in entirety. And so, initially, man is taxed insignificantly so that the sweet taste of this sacrifice motivates him to an even greater degree.

Provision does not only imply wealth. In fact, it connotes everything that is endowed to humans, whether knowledge, wisdom or experience in medicine. All of this is considered ‘provision’ and man is to spend out of all this in the way of God.

Man is to progress on this path gradually and step by step. If, like the Gospel, Muslims were taught to offer the other cheek when slapped on one, or to give away everything they possessed, they too like the Christians would, as a result, have been deprived of spiritual reward due to an impractical teaching.

The Quran, however, leads man to progress in degrees, and this accords with the nature of man. The case of the Gospel may be likened to a young boy who is compelled to study an immensely difficult book as soon as he begins his schooling. Allah the Exalted is Wise and so His wisdom demanded that teaching reached perfection gradually.

Meaning, righteous are those who believe in the books that were revealed in previous times and in the book that was revealed to you. Moreover, they believe in the hereafter. This affair is also not free from forced effort. At this stage, belief is still somewhat deprived. The eyes of a muttaqi lack divine understanding and insight. Such a one wars with Satan and manages to believe only in fundamental terms and this is the case with our community at the present time. Indeed, our community has also believed, but they still remain unaware of the extent to which it will soon flourish in the hands of Allah. Hence, such belief ultimately yields benefit.

When the word ‘yaqin’ is used in a general sense it implies the lowest level of belief. That is to say, the lowest stage among the three stages of knowledge is knowledge by inference (ilm-ul-yaqin)—at this stage a person possesses righteousness (ittiqa). After this, their advances in degrees of righteousness lead them to certainty by sight (ayn-ul-yaqin) and true certainty (haqq-ul-yaqin).

Righteousness is no insignificant thing. For it is through righteousness that man fights all the devils within, which command ascendancy over his every inner strength and faculty. In the state of the self that incites towards evil, each of these faculties are a Satan which dwells in man. If not reformed, they shall enslave man. Even knowledge and reason, if misused, become satanic. The task of a muttaqi is to correctly put these and all his other faculties to good use.

As for such people who consider retribution, anger or marriage to be unacceptable in all cases, they too disregard the Book of Nature and defy the faculties of man.

A true religion is one that nurtures the human faculties, not one that uproots them. To forsake virility or anger, which God Almighty has invested in man, is to war with God—as if one were to become a hermit or a monk. All such things are an infringement of the rights due to fellow man. If human faculties were to be relinquished completely, this would result in objection against God who invested us with them. Hence, the teachings in the Gospel—which result in the ruin of one’s faculties—lead a person to misguidance. Allah the Exalted orders their proper use, not for them to be wasted away. As such, He states:

Justice is a thing which all ought to benefit from. For the Messiah(as) to teach that ‘the eye which offends thee be plucked out,’ also brings about the destruction of one’s faculties because he did not teach that a person must not look at a non-mahram woman at all. On the contrary, one is permitted to very well do so, but not with an adulterous eye—there is no prohibition in looking at the first place. If a person looks at such a woman, it should be taken into account how this affects a person’s faculties. Why, like the Quran, was the eye not forbidden from looking at what causes a person to stumble in the first place, so that one would not mourn the loss of something as beneficial and valuable as the eye?

In the current day, objections are raised against the veil. However, people do not realise that the Islamic veil is no prison. It is only a barrier which prevents the free mixing of men and women. The veil saves them from stumbling. A just-minded individual would appreciate that if non-mahram men and women were to mix without any hesitation and concern, and if they were to go about together, they would surely succumb to the flare of their inner-passions. It has often been heard and observed that certain people see no ill in a non-mahram man and woman remaining alone behind closed doors. Civilisation they call it. It is to counter these very adverse effects that the Founder of Islam has forbidden an individual altogether from approaching anything that may lead them to stumble. In this relation, the Holy Prophet(sa) has stated that where a non-mahram man and woman sit in seclusion, the third of them is Satan. Just reflect on the harrowing outcomes that Europe is having to bear as a result of this non-restrictive and unbridled teaching. In certain places, an utterly shameless life of promiscuity is led. This is due to teachings of the sort just mentioned. If you wish to protect a thing from misuse, it must be safeguarded. However, if one does not watch over a possession—and considers the world to be innocent—then keep in mind that it will surely be ruined. The Islamic veil is a truly holy teaching indeed, which through segregation, saves man and woman from stumbling. It has delivered mankind from a grievous and bitter life, on account of which Europe has seen domestic disputes and suicides every other day. The fact that noble women drift into lives of promiscuity is the practical outcome of the permission to gaze freely at non-mahram women.

None of the faculties endowed by Allah Almighty have been granted to man so that they may be wasted; rather, their discipline and proper use is the true means by which they are nourished and developed. This is why Islam has not taught that the faculties of virility be slaughtered completely or that the eye be gouged out. Instead, it teaches their proper use and the purification of one’s inner self. In this respect, Allah the Exalted states:

Then, after illustrating the life of a righteous person, God Almighty draws a conclusion in the following words:

That is to say, those who tread the path of righteousness; those who believe in the unseen; those who establish or set upright their Prayer when it begins to fall as it were; those who give from that which is bestowed to them by God; those who, irrespective of their own thoughts and fancies, believe in all the divine scriptures sent by God, ultimately attain to the level of certainty. It is these very people who are truly guided and who tread a path that goes on to lead a person to success. Therefore, it is such people who are triumphant and who shall reach their final destination, and who have been delivered from the perils of the journey before them. Hence, from the very outset, Allah the Exalted has given us a teaching of righteousness and bestowed upon us a book, which also provides counsel on how to develop piety.

And so, let my community grieve, more than anything else, over whether they possess righteousness or not.

It is necessary for the righteous to live a life of humility and modesty. This is an aspect of piety by which we must combat undue anger. To refrain from anger was the final and most trying stage experienced by many a great saint and the Truthful. Vanity and pride stem from anger; and in certain cases, anger itself is the result of arrogance and conceit. For anger comes about when an individual gives superiority to themselves over another. I do not desire that members of my community should consider themselves superior or inferior, behave arrogantly, or look down upon one another. God knows who is superior or inferior. This is a form of neglect that reeks of contempt. I fear that this contempt may grow like a seed and ruin such a person. Certain people meet those of high standing with immense respect, but truly great is the one who listens to a lowly person with humility, comforts them, gives importance to their opinion and does not rebuke them in a manner that would cause them grief. God Almighty states:

Do not call one another by nicknames. Bad indeed is evil reputation after the profession of belief; and those who repent not are the wrongdoers.

Do not call upon one another in a hurtful manner out of irritation. For this is the way of the sinners and the transgressors. A person who scoffs at another shall not meet death until they too are subjected to the same. Do not look down upon your brethren. When all drink from the same stream, who knows which of you are destined to drink more than the other. Worldly definitions cannot afford a person honour and greatness. In the sight of God Almighty, great is the one who is righteous.

Verily, the most honourable among you, in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

The various castes are no cause of honour. God Almighty has only made these castes a means of recognition. In these days, even after four generations, it becomes difficult to confirm a person’s lineage. It does not behove a righteous person to fall into disputes over caste. Allah the Exalted has decreed that castes are no means of preference in His estimation. True honour and greatness comes from righteousness alone.

The Word of God states that the righteous are those who walk with humility and modesty, and do not speak arrogantly. They speak as though they were a lowly person addressing their senior. In any case, we should act in a manner that brings about our prosperity. None can claim a monopoly over Allah Almighty, for He desires righteousness alone. One who adopts righteousness shall attain a lofty status. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or Abraham, on whom be peace, did not receive honour by any inheritance. Although we believe that Abdullah, the revered father of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was not an idolater, but it was not on this account that the Prophet of Islam was conferred his prophethood. Prophethood was endowed to him by divine grace due to the virtues present in his nature. This is what drew in God’s grace. It was sincerity and righteousness which led Abraham, on whom be peace, the Father of the Prophets, to sacrifice his son without hesitation. Even he himself was cast into a fire. Just reflect upon the sincerity and devotion of our Chief and Master, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The Holy Prophet(sa) stood firm against all forms of evil. He bore diverse trials and tribulations, but did not care in the least. It was this sincerity and devotion which moved Allah the Exalted to shower His grace. It is for this reason that He states:

Translation: Allah Almighty and all His angels send blessings upon the Messenger. O ye who believe! You also should invoke blessings and peace upon the Prophet(sa).

This verse establishes that the deeds of the Noble Messenger(sa) were such that Allah Almighty did not use any specific word to praise them or outline his attributes. Although words could be found, God Himself chose not to use any in particular. For the pious deeds of the Holy Prophet(sa) were beyond the confines of praise. A verse of this nature does not exist in praise of any other Prophet. The soul of the Holy Prophet(sa) was imbibed with such sincerity and purity, and his deeds were so praiseworthy in the sight of God that Allah the Almighty decreed for all times to come that all future generations would send blessings upon the Holy Prophet as an expression of gratitude. The resolve and devotion of the Holy Prophet(sa) is such that we would find no equal, either before him or after him, who could match him. One may reflect upon the time of the Messiah(as) to see the extent to which his resolve, or spiritual sincerity and devotion impressed an effect upon his disciples. Anyone can appreciate how difficult it is to put right an ill habit. It is truly challenging to relinquish firmly rooted habits. However, our Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reformed thousands of people who were worse than animals. There were some who, like animals, thought nothing of having relations with their mothers and sisters; they would devour the wealth of orphans and usurp the inheritance of those who were no more. Some worshipped the stars while others were atheist and others still worshipped the elements. What was the Arab Peninsula? It was home to diverse religious thought.

One benefit of this is that the Holy Quran possesses within itself every necessary teaching. Its tenets are more than sufficient to uproot every false doctrine or ill teaching that could possibly exist in the world. This is the deep wisdom and power of Allah the Exalted.

Since this perfect book was destined to bring about perfect reformation, it was necessary for spiritual disease to be at its peak at the time and place of its revelation as well. This was so that a perfect remedy could be provided for each and every malady. As such, this peninsula was home to ailing people of all sorts, who suffered from every spiritual illness that was to afflict the people of that age or those of future generations. This is why the Quran brought all religious law to its perfection. At the time of the revelation of other books, neither was this needed, nor did they possess such a perfect teaching.

Of all the blessings that were manifested by our Perfect Prophet(sa), and if all his other miracles are put to one side, the reformation that he brought about is simply a magnificent miracle in itself. If one reflects upon the prevailing circumstances at the time of his advent and the state that he left behind, one must accept that this influence in itself is a miracle. Although every Prophet is worthy of honour, but as stated in the Holy Quran:

If the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had not appeared, prophethood aside, even proof of God would not have existed in the way that it does now. For it was through the teaching of the Holy Prophet(sa) that we came to know of the following:

Say, ‘He is Allah, the One; ‘Allah, the Independent and Besought of all. ‘He begets not, nor is He begotten; ‘And there is none like unto Him.’

If such a perfectly clear teaching of God’s Unity had existed in the Torah, and the Quran had only come to elaborate it further, there would be no Christians in the world today (who believe in the Trinity).

Therefore, the paths of virtue chalked out by the Quran provide guidance on how to foster people of all types and of all intellectual ability. It provides methods to train people of all intellectual levels, whether an ignorant person, a scholar or a philosopher, and answers the questions of people from all classes. In short, methods to reform people from all walks of life have been provided in the Holy Quran. This is a Book of Nature, as it states itself:

In other words, this is a book which contains every truth. What a blessed book indeed. For it contains all that is needed to attain the greatest of heights.

As stated in the Hadith, it is unfortunate however, that a time known as the Era of the Misguided would dawn. In other words, the Holy Prophet, on whom be peace, said that one era is my blessed era and the other is that of the Messiah and Mahdi who would appear. The Messiah and Mahdi are not two separate individuals, rather, both titles refer to the same person. The term Mahdi means ‘The Guided One’ and it cannot be said that the Messiah is not divinely guided. Irrespective of whether the Mahdi has Messianic qualities or not, in the least, no Muslim can suggest that the Messiah is not guided by God. In actuality, Allah the Exalted has used these two words to defend against the slander and reproach of the people, and to establish that the person in question is not a disbeliever, misguided or one who leads others astray, rather, he is divinely guided. For Allah knew that the Messiah and Mahdi who was destined to come would be branded an Anti-Christ and one gone astray, and so Allah named him the Messiah and Mahdi. The Anti-Christ was best described as 44

(one who inclined to the earth) but the Messiah was to be raised to the heaven. And so all that Allah the Exalted had desired was destined to come about in two eras: firstly, the era of the Holy Prophet(sa), and secondly, the era of the latter-day Messiah and Mahdi. To elaborate, in one era the Quran, a true teaching, was revealed, but then the Era of the Misguided veiled this teaching; and this veil was destined to be lifted in the time of the Messiah(as). It is stated that the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, purified a community in his lifetime, i.e. the revered companions, as well as another group of people in praise of whom it is said:

It is clear that God gave the glad-tidings that when misguidance would prevail, Allah the Exalted would not allow this religion to be ruined. As a matter of fact, in the era that was to come, God would unearth the verities of the Quran. It is related in a narration that one hallmark of the Messiah who was to come would be that he would possess understanding and insight of the Quran. Moreover, through his insight derived from the Holy Quran alone, he would warn people of the errors that would have taken root within them due to their ignorance of Quranic verities.

In the Quran, the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has been described as the likeness of Moses(as) in the following words:

Meaning, We sent a Messenger just as Moses(as) who was sent to Pharaoh. Our Messenger is the likeness of Moses(as). Then, in another instance, Allah the Exalted states:

Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them.

In other words, the successors who would follow after this likeness of Moses(as) would also be from his very dispensation, just as was the case with the successors of Moses(as). This succession lasted for 1400 years and successors continued to appear. This was a prophecy from Allah the Exalted that just as the first chain of succession began, so too would this one. In the beginning, just as Moses(as) manifested signs of glory and released his people from Pharaoh, the Prophet who was to appear after would also be like Moses(as).

How will you then, if you disbelieve, guard yourselves against a day which will turn children grey-headed? On that day the heaven will be rent asunder and His promise will be fulfilled.

In other words, just as was the case when God sent Moses(as), in the time of the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the disbelievers of Arabia were full of traits that resembled Pharaoh. They too, like Pharaoh, did not refrain from transgression until they witnessed a sign of glory. The work of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was like that of Moses(as). Apparently, it would seem that the work of Moses(as) was not commendable, but the Holy Quran established otherwise. In the era of Moses, on whom be peace, although the Children of Israel were saved from Pharaoh, they were not delivered from sin. They fought and developed crooked hearts, and even attacked Moses(as) himself. But our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, granted true and complete salvation. If the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had not secured strength, grandeur and rule for Islam, the Muslims would forever remain oppressed and would not have been saved from the hands of the disbelievers. And so, one form of deliverance granted by Allah Almighty was that an independent Islamic sovereignty was established and another was that Muslims were blessed with deliverance from sin. God Almighty has illustrated both conditions to describe what the state of the Arabs was like in the beginning and how it was transformed. If both states are compared, the initial condition can be fully realised. Hence, Allah the Exalted blessed the Muslims with both forms of salvation. They were delivered from Satan and also from worldly oppression.

The sincerity and purity demonstrated by the Holy Prophet(sa) and his noble companions is unparalleled. They did not hesitate in even laying down their lives. Jesus(as) was not confronted with any real difficulty. None of his people rejected the concept of revelation. What is so difficult in exhorting a few from one’s own kinsfolk? The Jews had already read the Torah and believed in it; they already believed in God as being One and without partner. At times a person thinks: what did the Messiah(as) come to do anyway? Even today, the Jews possess indignation for the Unity of God. At most, one could perhaps say that there were certain moral deficiencies that had crept into them. But the teaching, nonetheless, was already present in the Torah. Despite the facility that his people already believed in this book, the Messiah(as) learnt this book from a teacher, lesson by lesson. In contrast, our Chief and Master, our Perfect Guide, was unlettered. He was never taught by a teacher and this is a fact which even adversaries have not been able to deny. Hence, Jesus(as) benefited from two facilities. Firstly, he came to preach to his own kinsfolk and secondly, the main thing that he had come to teach the people, they accepted already. Indeed, they were guilty of certain moral flaws. However, despite all this ease, even the disciples themselves could not be reformed. They remained covetous. Some of the disciples even stole from the wealth that Jesus(as) owned. As such, the Messiah(as) said, ‘I have nowhere to lay down my head.’ However, I am astonished as to what this statement implies, especially when one has a shelter, a home, and such ample wealth that if someone were to steal a portion of it, this would go undetected. In any case, mention of this is incidental. The main point is that despite all these facilities, no reformation took place. Peter was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, but he could not refrain from cursing his teacher.

In contrast, let one fair-mindedly reflect over the sacrifices made by the companions of our Perfect Guide, for the sake of their God and Messenger. They were exiled, persecuted, made to bear all sorts of misfortune and gave their lives. However, they continued to advance with sincerity and devotion. So what was it that made them so truly devoted? It was the ray of the fervour of that true divine love which had penetrated their hearts. Therefore, no matter which Prophet one compares him to, the Holy Prophet(sa) cannot be matched, whether it be with respect of his teaching, his purification of souls, turning the hearts of his followers cold to the world, or valiantly sacrificing blood for the sake of truth. This is the rank of the companions of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Moreover, the mutual love and affection that existed amongst them has been illustrated by Allah in two sentences:

And He has put affection between their hearts. If thou hadst expended all that is in the earth, thou couldst not have put affection between their hearts, but Allah has put affection between them.

In other words, the affection between them could never be fostered even if a mountain of gold had been spent for this purpose. Now another community is that of the Promised Messiah(as), which is to develop within itself the hue of the companions. The companions were a pious community for whom the Quran is full of praise. Are you like them? God says that the people who will accompany the Promised Messiah(as) would stand shoulder to shoulder with the companions. The companions were those who sacrificed their wealth and homeland in the way of truth. They abandoned everything. Most would have heard the incident of Hazrat Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. On one occasion when people were instructed to sacrifice their wealth in the way of God, he brought all the possessions he owned at home. When the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, inquired of him as to what he had left at home, he said: ‘I have left God and His Messenger at home.’ Hazrat Abu Bakr(ra) was a chief of Mecca who lead an ascetic life and wore the most simple clothes. So the companions may be considered as ones who were martyrs in the cause of Allah. For them, it was decreed that paradise lay beneath the shadow of swords. But we are not faced with such trying circumstances because for us it was decreed that

, i.e. there would be no war in the era of the Mahdi.

In consonance with the dictates of various points of wisdom, Allah the Exalted performs a certain action but later in specific circumstances, when the same action is inappropriate, He no longer acts in the same manner. Our Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was not the first to take up the sword, yet he was made to suffer the severest of cruelties. A period of thirteen years is enough for a child to mature. And even if the period of the Messiah(as) is taken into account by subtracting ten years from the above, this too is quite a long time. Hence, during this lengthy period, there was no pain that the Holy Prophet(sa) was not compelled to bear. Ultimately, when he left his homeland and took refuge in another land, even then he was pursued and not left alone. When this state of affairs arose, in order to save the oppressed from the persecution of their oppressors, it was commanded:

Meaning, war was wrongly made against a people and they were unjustly driven out of their homes, only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ and therefore, it was necessary to take up the sword. Otherwise, the Holy Prophet(sa) would never have taken up the sword. Indeed, in this era the pen has been taken up against us. It is by the pen that we have been abused and severely pained and so in return, the pen is our weapon.

I have repeatedly said that a person becomes proportionally accountable as they increase in their nearness to Allah. The household of the Holy Prophet(sa) was more accountable than others. Those who are further away are not accountable, but surely, you are. If you are not greater than others in faith, then what is the difference between you and them? You are under the watch of thousands. These people survey your every movement as though they were spies of the government. And they are right in doing so. When the followers of the Promised Messiah(as) are to walk shoulder to shoulder with the companions of the Holy Prophet(sa), are you and they alike? If you are not like them, then you shall be called to account. Although this is an elementary state, but who knows when death shall arrive? Death is inevitable and every single individual must confront it. When this is the case, why do you not take heed? When a person has no relation to me, this is a different matter completely. However, when you have come to me and you have accepted my claim and believe in me as the Messiah, essentially you claim to be like the companions of the Holy Prophet(sa). Now did the companions ever exhibit reluctance in demonstrating faith and sincerity? Were they overcome by sloth? Were they hurtful? Did they not command control over their emotions? Were they not humble? Indeed, they were immensely humble. So pray to God that He enables you to be the same because no one can adopt a life of humility and modesty until Allah Almighty helps them in doing so. Delve into yourselves and if you find yourself weak in the likeness of a child, then do not worry. Like the companions, continue to pray:

Rise up during the nights and pray that God may guide you to His path. The companions of the Holy Prophet(sa) were also trained gradually. What was their initial state? They could be likened to the seeds sown by a farmer. The Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then watered these seedlings. He continuously prayed for them. The seed was healthy and the soil fertile, and so this watering brought forth excellent fruits. Be it day or night, the companions emulated the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. You ought to wholeheartedly seek repentance, wake up for Tahajjud, pray, purify your heart, forsake your weaknesses, and mould your words and actions according to the will of God Almighty. Be certain that Allah the Exalted shall bless one who tirelessly follows this advice, and actively prays and brings their plea before God. The heart of such a person shall be transformed. Do not lose hope in God.

Some people say: ‘Are we out to become saints?’ Regrettably such people have shown no regard whatsoever. There is no doubt that one is to become a saint. If one treads the right path, God shall also move towards such a person, and ultimately, he shall receive communion with God. Even if a person moves slowly in His direction, God Almighty shall move towards him with far greater swiftness in response. Hence, the following verse alludes to this very fact:

And as for those who strive in Our path — We will surely guide them in Our ways.

So bear in mind all the counsel I have given you today, for it is on this that salvation depends. Divine pleasure ought to dominate your interaction with God and His creation. Through this you must become an embodiment of the following:

As I have mentioned earlier, the profound wisdom of God desired for two dispensations to be established on earth: the Israelite and the Ishmaelite dispensations. The first succession began with Moses(as) and ended with the Messiah(as). This spanned an era of 1400 years. Similarly, there are indications of the advent of a Messiah in this day and age, who would appear 1400 years after the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. One significance that the number fourteen holds is also that a human being attains to maturity at the age of fourteen. Moses(as) was informed that the Messiah would appear when the Jews would become divided into many sects and their beliefs would differ with one another to the extreme. Certain sects rejected the existence of angels, while others rejected the Day of Judgement and the Resurrection of Bodies. In short, when irreligious ways would run rampant, at such a time the Messiah was to appear as an Arbiter. In the same manner, our Perfect Guide, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, informed us that when, in the likeness of the Jews, countless sects would develop amongst you; various false beliefs and ill-practices would begin to take root; and like the Jewish scholars, when some would declare others to be non-believers; at that time, a Messiah would appear as the Arbiter from among the Muslims in this blessed community. He would settle every matter in light of the Quran. He would be tormented at the hands of his people just like the Messiah and would be labelled a disbeliever. It was inevitable that these people, out of their ignorance, were bound to call this person the Anti-Christ and a disbeliever, because it had already been foretold in the Hadith that the Messiah who was to come would be branded as such. However, the belief which is taught to you is perfectly clear and evident. In fact, it does not even require any argumentation; rather, it already comes buttressed by conclusive proof.

The first bone of contention relates to the death of Jesus(as). There are clear and lucid verses that support this. Allah the Almighty states:

O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself

The argument that tawaffi means something else is completely false. Ibni Abbas and even our Perfect Guide, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, have already defined this word to mean ‘death.’ Even those who oppose us, define the word to mean death or to take one’s soul. In every instance, the Quran has also defined this word in the same way and so, no one can prove otherwise. Hence, when it stands proven that the Messiah of Nazareth(as) has died, it necessarily follows that the one who is to appear as Jesus(as), should be from this ummah. The Hadith

(He will be your Imam from among you) also expounds the same.

Naturalists are fortunate as they are immune from this predicament because they already believe in the death of Jesus(as). Moreover, the Promised Messiah(as) is mentioned so frequently in narrations that it is impossible for one to turn a blind eye in this respect. Furthermore, Quranic testimonies also allude to the person who is to appear. Hence, an intelligent individual cannot reject the fact that the Messiah will appear.

Indeed, there are some who are justified in raising the question as to why the Messiah possesses a particular relationship with this age. The answer is that the Holy Quran clearly and markedly draws a parallel between the successorship of both the Israelite and Ishmaelite dispensations. This is apparent from the following verse:

Allah has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely make them Successors in the earth, as He made Successors from among those who were before them.

The last successor of the Israelite dispensation who appeared in the fourteenth century after Moses, on whom be peace, was the Messiah of Nazareth(as). In parallel to this, it was necessary for the Messiah of this ummah to also appear at the head of the fourteenth century. Additionally, those blessed with visions have declared this century to be the one in which the Messiah would appear. Shah Waliyullah(rh) and others have from among the Ahl-e-Hadith all agree that all the minor signs (alamaat-e-sughra) and to some extent the major signs (alamaat-e-kubra) have been fulfilled. However, they have erred somewhat in this respect. All of the signs have been fulfilled. The major sign or hallmark of the one who is to appear can be found in Bukhari as follows:

In other words, the era in which the Messiah shall descend is marked by the dominance of Christianity and prevalent worship of the cross. Is this not such a time? Has there been such a time from the era of Adam(as) until now when such harm was ever inflicted upon Islam by the Christian priests? Division has plagued every country. There is no Muslim family who has not lost a member or so to their hands. Hence, the era of he who was to come is one in which worship of the cross would be dominant. What could be more dominating than what we see now? Vicious attacks like those of ravenous beasts have been made against Islam. Is there a single group that has not made the most savage of remarks against the Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and hurled abuse at him? If now is not the time for the advent of the awaited one, the earliest that he can appear now is after a hundred years. For a divinely appointed Reformer (Mujaddid) must always appears at the head of the century. Now does Islam possess enough strength to combat the ever-increasing dominance of the Christian priests for another century? This ascendancy has reached its pinnacle and the one who was to appear has come. Now, he shall destroy the Anti-Christ with clinching argumentation. For it is recorded in the Hadith that nations will be overturned, not people themselves or the individuals that comprise these nations. And so has it occurred.

Another sign in support of the awaited one is that in his era, during the month of Ramadan, the solar and lunar eclipses will occur. Those who ridicule divine signs in fact mock God Himself. For the solar and lunar eclipse to take place after the claim of the awaited one is something that no one could possibly forge or fabricate. Before this, no such solar or lunar eclipse has taken place. This was a sign by which Allah the Exalted was to proclaim the arrival of the awaited one throughout the entire world. And so upon witnessing this sign, the Arabs have also proclaimed its truth, as is their nature. Wherever our announcements could not reach to serve as public pronouncements, this solar and lunar eclipse announced the coming of the era of the awaited one. This was a sign of God completely free from human machination. No matter how strictly philosophical a person may be, they ought to reflect and contemplate that when the appointed sign has been fulfilled, it necessarily follows that the one in whose favour the sign was manifested, must also be present. This was not a matter that could have been predetermined, because it was stated that the sign would be manifested after a person who claimed to be the Mahdi had appeared. The Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, also said that no such incident would have occurred from the time of Adam(as) to this Mahdi. If anyone can historically show otherwise, I shall accept.

Another sign of the era was that the star Dhus-Sinin would emerge, i.e. the star of years gone by. In other words, the star which emerged in the time (or years) of the Messiah of Nazareth(as). Now, even that star has appeared, which gave heavenly news of the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Similarly, we find in the Quran:

And when the she-camels, ten-month pregnant, are abandoned, And when the beasts are gathered together, And when the seas are made to flow forth one into the other, And when people are brought together, And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about, ‘For what crime was she killed?’ And when books are spread abroad.

Meaning, in that era, she-camels, which previously were the best means of transport and conveyance, shall become useless. In other words, during that era, the mode of transport will become so advanced that these earlier forms would be rendered useless. This alluded to the age of locomotives. Those who believe that these verses speak of the Resurrection do not stop to reflect how a she-camel could remain pregnant at such a time. The word ishar refers to pregnant she-camels. Then, these verses state that streams shall be made to flow forth in all directions and books shall be published abundantly. Hence, all of these signs relate to the era under discussion.

As for the place of the Promised Messiah’s advent, it ought to be remembered that the emergence of the Anti-Christ has been foretold to take place from the East and this refers to our country. The author of Hujaj-ul-Kiramah writes that the disorder of the Anti-Christ is manifesting itself in India. And it is obvious that the Messiah must also appear in the same place that the Anti-Christ emerges. Then, it is narrated that the Messiah will appear in the village of Qad’ah, which is short for ‘Qadian.’ It is possible that in Yemen a village by this name exists, but one ought to remember that Yemen is not to the east of Hijaz, it is to the south. In fact, there is another Qadian, in the Punjab near Ludhiana as well.

Furthermore, the name given to me by divine destiny and decree is also a subtle indication to this very fact. The numerical value of the letters in ‘Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani’ equal 1300 exactly. In other words, the Imam whose name this is, was to come at the start of the fourteenth century. Hence, it is to this fact that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, alluded.

Calamities were also to serve as a sign. Heavenly calamities took on the form of famine, plague and cholera. The plague is an affliction so vicious that it has even shaken the government, and if it continues to grow, it shall devastate the entire country. As for earthly calamities, there are wars and earthquakes, which have destroyed the land. It is necessary for a person commissioned by Allah to manifest heavenly signs in support of their truth as well. Was the sign of Lekhram not a magnificent sign? This contest ensued for many years with the term outlined in advance. This encounter went on for five years without fail. Both parties published announcements and the matter gained publicity—unmatched publicity. Then, the events unfolded exactly as prophesied. Is there any other example of such an occurrence? Similarly, well before the Conference of Great Religions (Dharam Mahautsav) I announced many days in advance that Allah Almighty had informed me that my essay would be superior to all others. Those who witnessed this grand and awe-inspiring conference can reflect and understand for themselves that to foretell one’s triumph over all others in a conference of such stature could not have been a mere conjecture or guesswork. Ultimately, the prophecy was fulfilled.

And our final submission is that all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.59

1 an-Nahl, 16:129

2 at-Talaq, 65:3-4

3 at-Talaq, 65:4

4 al-Anfal, 8:35

5 Bukhari, Kitab-ur-Riqaq, Bab-ut-Tawadu

6 al-An’am, 6:60

7 Yunus, 10:65

8 Ha Mim As-Sajdah, 41:31

9 al-Ankabut, 29:3

10 Yunus, 10:63

11 Ha Mim As-Sajdah, 41:31

12 Ha Mim As-Sajdah, 41:32

13 al-Fatihah, 1:6-7

14 al-Ankabut, 29:70

15 al-Fatihah, 1:6

16 Bani Isra’il, 17:73

17 al-Baqarah, 2:3

18 al-Baqarah, 2:3

19 al-Furqan, 25:73

20 al-Ankabut, 29:70

21 Ha Mim As-Sajdah, 41:31

22 al-Ankabut, 29:3

23 Aal-e-Imran, 3:141

24 al-Baqarah, 2:215

25 Aal-e-Imran, 3:32

26 al-Baqarah, 2:3-4

27 Bani Isra’il, 17:73

28 al-Baqarah, 2:6

29 al-Baqarah, 2:4

30 al-Fatihah, 1:5

31 al-A’raf, 7:177

32 al-Baqarah, 2:4 [Publisher]

33 al-Baqarah, 2:4 [Publisher]

34 al-Baqarah, 2:5

35 an-Nahl, 16:91

36 al-Mu’minun, 23:2

37 al-Baqarah, 2:6

38 al-Hujurat, 49:12

39 al-Hujurat, 49:14

40 al-Ahzab, 33:57

41 al-Jumu’ah, 62:5

42 al-Ikhlas, 112:2-5

43 al-Bayyinah, 98:4

44 al-A’raf, 7:177

45 al-Jumu’ah, 62:4

46 al-Muzzammil, 73:16

47 an-Nur, 24:56

48 al-Muzzammil, 73:18-19

49 al-Anfal, 8:64

50 al-Hajj, 22:40-41

51 al-Fatihah, 1:6

52 al-Ankabut, 29:70

53 al-Jumu’ah, 62:4

54 Aal-e-Imran, 3:56

55 al-Ma’idah, 5:118

56 An-Nur, 24:56

57 Bukhari, Kitabu Ahadithil-Anbiya’, Babu Nuzuli Isa Alayhis-Salam

58 at-Takwir, 81:5-11

59 Report on the Jalsa Salana of 1897, Compiled by Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani(ra), pp. 33-61