The Promised Messiah (as) said: “Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is a perfect manifestation of divine graciousness (rahmaniyyat) because the meaning of Muhammad is ‘one who is praised immensely.’ The meaning of Rahman (the Gracious) is one who gives not as remuneration, but without being asked and without distinction between believer or non-believer. It is obvious that one who grants without being asked will definitely be praised. As such, in the name Muhammad, divine graciousness was manifested. The name Ahmad shone through as a manifestation of divine mercy (rahimiyyat). For the meaning of Rahim (the Merciful) is one who saves efforts and endeavours from being wasted. The meaning of Ahmad is one who praises. Now it is obvious also that when someone does good to a person, that person becomes pleased with them, endeavours to repay them for their effort and praises them in return. In this context, God’s mercy is manifested in the name Ahmad. Therefore, Allah is the Gracious, as manifested in the name Muhammad, and He is the Merciful, as manifested in the name Ahmad. In other words, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was a manifestation of these two magnificent attributes of divine graciousness and mercy.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The world is a train and we have each been given the ticket of a lifetime. Wherever a certain individual’s station arrives, they are made to disembark, i.e. they die. Then on what basis does man build castles in the sky with the thought of a long life and on what basis does he make long-term plans?”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The spiritual ascension of the Holy Prophet (sas) (mi’raj) was an experience of complete detachment from the world and the secret in this was to show the spiritual station of the soul of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Each and every soul has a station in heaven, which it does not surpass. The spiritual station of the soul of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the throne of God. The True Companion on High (Rafiq-e-Ala) is God. There is no one more honourable and esteemed than the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The Prayer is man’s amulet. One receives an opportunity to supplicate five times a day. Some supplication or other is bound to be heard. Therefore, one ought to beautify the observance of one’s Prayers. This is what I hold most dear.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “Surah Fatihah consists of seven verses because there are seven gates of hell. Hence, every verse, as if, saves a person from one gate of hell.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The highest pleasure is attained in God, beyond whom no greater pleasure exists. The word jannat (paradise) refers to something that is hidden. The reason paradise is referred to as jannat is because it is covered with God’s favours and bounties. The true paradise is God, to whom no form of anxiety or worry can be attributed. This is why the greatest of all bounties in paradise is none other than:
رِضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللهِ اَكْبَرُ1
The pleasure of Allah is the greatest of all.
Man, being human, is plagued by some grief or unease. However, the more and more one advances in nearness to God, one continues to become imbued in:
تَخَلَّقُوْا بِاَخْلَاقِ اللهِ
Develop within yourselves the attributes of Allah.
The more this occurs, the more one grows in comfort and tranquillity. The degree to which one basks in divine nearness is the degree to which one partakes of the bounties of God; this is the meaning of elevation (rafa).
Perfect salvation is attained when one ascends towards God. One who is not raised in this manner falls true to the following:
اَخْلَدَ اِلَى الْاَرْضِ2
He inclined to the earth.
Hence, the exaltation of the Messiah (as) is an indication towards his being amongst those blessed with salvation; these are spiritual ranks and every eye cannot discern the manner in which a human being is spiritually raised to the heavens.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The word nuzul (to descend) is used to describe the expression of honour and glory. As such, the nature of my descent possesses the very same grandeur as well. So, naturally, the ‘minaret’ that was to herald my ‘descent’ was always meant to be.3 The word nuzul does not refer only to one being commissioned by God.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The Holy Quran begins with the words:
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ4
All praise belongs to Allah.
This is in order to allude to the name of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Then, it is stated in this chapter:
اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ5
Guide us in the right path.
This indicates that when human efforts are exhausted, ultimately one is compelled to turn towards Allah the Exalted.
A prayer is all-encompassing only when it seeks every form of good and seeks protection from every kind of evil. Hence, every form of good is implied in the words:
اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ6
Guide us in the right path.
Then, the chapter goes on to state:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ7
Not the path of those who have incurred Thy displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray.
This is a supplication which seeks protection from every evil, even from the trial of the Antichrist. Commentators are in agreement that those who have incurred divine wrath (maghdub) refers to the Jews and those who have gone astray (dalleen) alludes to the Christians. Now, if there was no underlying secret or deeper reality in this, what would be the purpose in teaching this prayer? Then, such emphasis is laid on this supplication that without it, the formal Prayer is not complete; it is necessary to recite this supplication in every rak’at of the Prayer. The underlying secret in this supplication is that it refers to my era. At present, the right path (sirat-e-mustaqim) is the path that I have shown.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “It is said that a lookalike of the Messiah (as) was put on the cross. However, I should like to state that logic would lead us to deduce that the man who was turned into an identical image of the Messiah (as) would either be a friend or foe. If the lookalike was an enemy, he would have definitely raised a hue and cry; he would have said that I am not the Messiah, my relatives are present, my wife and I share so-and-so secret, and I consider the Messiah to be such and such. In short, he would have raised an uproar to clear and absolve himself. However, no authentic historical account states that the person who was hung on the cross protested to secure his own freedom.
If, however, this identical likeness was a friend of the Messiah (as) and a disciple, then the matter is clear. In this case, the man would have to be a believer in Allah who bore an unwarranted curse due to his death on the cross, and who God made accursed. Now remains the question as to why a person who dies on the cross is accursed. It is a widely known fact that a thing which relates to a certain group of people becomes associated with them. The cross bore a relationship with criminals who were worthy of being cut off, as it were. God can never have a relationship with a criminal and this is a curse. This is why a person who dies on the cross is accursed.
Therefore, it is impossible for a believer who has committed no sin to be declared accursed. Hence, both of these suggestions are false. The truth is, as has been revealed to me by Allah the Exalted, that the Messiah (as) went into a state of swoon and so on, and appeared as though he were dead.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The Prophets, peace be upon them, and those commissioned by Allah Almighty are preserved from foul and disgraceful diseases, such as syphilis for example, or leprosy, or any other vile disease of this nature. It is the wicked who are afflicted with such diseases.
اَلْـخَبِيْثٰتُ لِلْخَبِيْثِيْنَ8
Bad things are for bad men.
The word used in this verse is general in meaning and even in the specific connotations here a generality is implied. Therefore, Allah the Exalted safeguards those commissioned by Him and His chosen ones from every foul illness. Never is a false accusation levelled against a believer from which they are not absolved; especially in the case of divine reformers and those commissioned by God. This is also the reason that divine reformers and those commissioned by God especially belong to high-ranking, noble families. I do believe it to be true that in the estimation of God Almighty, righteousness alone is the criterion for honour and esteem. I believe that even a person belonging to the scheduled caste9 can become a Muslim and attain the highest level of nearness and status in the eyes of Allah Almighty, in Whose presence no particular nation or caste enjoys any distinction. However, the way of Allah is that when He commissions someone or appoints a reformer, He chooses them from a high-ranking, noble family. This is so that people are influenced by these divinely appointed individuals and so that no one can taunt them.”10
1 at-Tawbah, 9:72
2 al-A’raf, 7:177
3 It is mentioned repeatedly in the Hadith of the Holy Prophet (sas) that the Messiah to come would appear as the Man of the Minaret. This signified that in his age, the truth of Islam will reach the greatest of heights in the likeness of a towering minaret, and that the religion of Islam will prevail over all religions just as the voice of he who makes the call to Prayer, standing atop of a tall minaret, dominates all other voices. So it was but destined that the same would happen in the time of the Messiah. —Khutbah Ilhamiyyah, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 16, p. 18. [Publisher]
4 al-Fatihah, 1:2
5 al-Fatihah, 1:6
6 al-Fatihah, 1:6
7 al-Fatihah, 1:7
8 an-Nur, 24:27
9 Historically, in the subcontinent, Hindus belonging to the lowest, socially disadvantaged class were officially referred to as the scheduled caste. [Publisher]
10 Al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 6, dated 17 February 1901, pp. 7-8, as narrated by Sahibzadah Miyan Mahmud Ahmad Sahib (ra) in Tashhidh-ul-Adhhan.