As per custom, His Holiness, our Noble Leader, peace and salutations be upon him, went for a walk. On the way, he said: “Understanding my claim is the key to prophethood and the Holy Quran. An individual who understands my claim will begin to comprehend the essence of prophethood and the insight of the Holy Quran. One who does not understand my claim can neither develop full certainty in the Holy Quran, nor in the institution of prophethood.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “There is a verse in the Holy Quran:
اَفَلَا يَنْظُرُوْنَ اِلَى الْاِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ1
Do they not then look at the camel, how it is created?
This verse is very helpful in expounding the philosophy of prophethood and spiritual leadership. There are about one thousand words in the Arabic language for ‘camel.’ What then is the secret in using the word ibil for camel in this instance? The words in this verse could have been ilal-jamal as well.
The wisdom in this seems to be that the word jamal is used for ‘one camel’ whereas the word ibil is a collective noun. In this verse, it is the purpose of Allah Almighty to show the manner in which this animal socially coexists together in collective harmony. This deeper sense is not conveyed in the word jamal, which refers to one, individual camel. It is for this reason that Allah the Exalted preferred the word ibil in this context.
Camels possess a nature whereby they follow and obey. Just observe how camels move in a long line, and how they walk in a particular manner and speed behind the camel that is in front. The camel that is at the very front of the line, as a leader and guide, is the most experienced and familiar with the route. Moreover, all the camels walk one behind the other at the same pace; none of them feel greed in their heart to walk shoulder to shoulder with the one in front, as is the case with horses and other animals. That is to say, an established phenomenon that is observed in the nature of the camel is that it follows its leader. Allah the Exalted states:
اَفَلَا يَنْظُرُوْنَ اِلَى الْاِبِلِ2
Do they not then look at the camel?
By stating these words, God Almighty alludes to the overall, collective state of camels when they are moving forward in the form of a line. Similarly, a leader is needed in order to safeguard humanity socially and maintain unity.
Then, also bear in mind that camels arrange themselves in this line formation when they are on a journey. As such, on the journey of life, if there were no leader, man would deviate and be led astray to ruin. Further, a camel carries immense load and can walk for long distances. This is a lesson for us to develop patience and forbearance. Another quality of the camel is that on long journeys it keeps a store of water that is enough for many days and is not careless. Hence, a believer must always remain prepared and mindful of their own journey, and the best provision is righteousness.
فَاِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوٰى3
Surely, the best provision is righteousness.
The word yanzuruna (they look) demonstrates that man is not instructed to look in the manner of children. In fact, by this example, we are meant to take a lesson in obedience. In this instance, the social cohesion and unity of camels has been shown—they possess a strength on account of their following a leader. In the same manner, it is imperative for man to make it his practice to show obedience to their leader, because even camels, who are created to serve humans, possess this quality.
Moreover, the words kayfa khuliqat (how it is created) make reference to the sum total of all those benefits that are reaped due to the collective unity present in the camel (ibil).”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The concept of reincarnation is a blasphemy and turns a person’s moral faculties to dust. For when it is accepted that everything we attain in this world is the result of our deeds, it must also be accepted in turn that, God forbid, Allah Almighty sits idle completely. The reason being that, by virtue of this concept, it is suggested that the Creator cannot create anything of His own accord and that He is not the Creator of even a single particle, because the view put forth in this regard is that everything that is received in this world is the result of man’s actions. For example, if no one were to commit evil deeds so that they would return in the form of a cow or buffalo, or become a sheep or goat, no one would have any milk or anything else for that matter. Now if a god who neither creates anything nor grants anyone anything is not a useless god, then what is he?
Another damage that is inflicted upon one’s moral strength by this concept of transmigration is that one’s faculty of honour is completely destroyed. Now when the Vedas have provided no list specifying that such and such person has returned in such and such form, how can one rule out the possibility that a man, in a certain cycle of birth could even marry his mother or sister and produce children; or a father could return in the form of a horse and his son could mount it and discipline it with a whip? In short, this concept is one which leads to vile consequences. Was transmigration not enough? The Aryas even advance the concept of niyoga from the Vedas as well.”4
1 al-Ghashiyah, 88:18
2 al-Ghashiyah, 88:18
3 al-Baqarah, 2:198
4 Al-Hakam, vol. 4, no. 42, dated 24 November 1900, pp. 4-5