The Promised Messiah (as) addressed Dr Muhammad Ismail Sahib and said: “Doctor Sahib! My friends are of two kinds. Firstly, there are those with whom I have a close relationship; secondly, those who are not open with me. Since the latter remain distanced from me, their hearts have an effect on me as well, and I cannot be as close to them as I would like. You are also one of those people with whom I am close. It is my desire that those friends of mine with whom no veil remains should stay with me because there is no telling when death will arrive. All of us are boarded on the fleeting train of life and each of us has been given a ticket for different destinations. Some disembark on the destination of ten years, others at twenty and thirty, and very few reach the destination of eighty years. When this is the state of affairs, how unfortunate is the person who does not value the time that they have been given and wastes it away.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “The formal Prayer is a very important criterion to judge whether one lives a pious life. An individual who constantly weeps in their Prayer, remains safe. For example, a child weeps and wails in the lap of its mother and as a result feels her love and affection. In the same manner, an individual who weeps before God with humility and emotion puts themselves in the benevolent lap of divine providence. Remember, one who has not experienced the pleasure in Prayer has not felt the pleasure of faith. Hollow movements are no Prayer. Certain people take a few pecks just as a chicken pecks its beak and then, after finishing the Prayer, begin to make long supplications. The opportunity that such people are given to make their submissions before Allah Almighty, they quickly bring to a close as though it were a mere ritual or vain custom. When they leave the presence of God, it is then that they begin to supplicate. Make your supplications in the formal Prayer and consider it to be a way or means by which to put forth your entreaties.
In Arabic, the word fatihah means ‘to gain victory.’ It makes a believer a believer and turns a disbeliever into a disbeliever, i.e. it creates a distinction between both, and opens the heart and expands the breast. Therefore, one ought to recite Surah Fatihah abundantly; and it is imperative that one reflects deeply over this prayer. An individual must become a complete beggar and wholly dependant; and just as a beggar—at times with his facial expression and at other times with his voice—solicits the mercy of others with extreme humility, in the same manner, one ought to present their own state in the presence of Allah Almighty with emotion, tears and humility. In short, until one passionately weeps in their Prayer and does not consider the Prayer to be a means of offering one’s supplications, how can one experience pleasure in Prayer?”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “It is not necessary for a person to make their supplications in the Arabic language. As the fundamental purpose in the Prayer is to arouse emotion, tears and humility, one ought to supplicate in one’s mother tongue. One possesses a special attachment to one’s mother tongue and has a command over their own language. No matter how well-versed and extremely proficient an individual is in another language, a feeling of disassociation forever remains. Hence, one ought to supplicate in one’s mother tongue.”
The Promised Messiah (as) said: “How does a person know if after the Zuhr Prayer, they will live until Asr. On certain occasions, blood circulation is cut off suddenly and a person meets their death. Sometimes, perfectly healthy individuals die unexpectedly.
Wazir Muhammad Hasan Khan returned after he had gone out for some fresh air. He happily began to climb the stairs to his home when after a couple of steps he felt dizzy and sat down. His servant asked him whether he required assistance, but he responded in the negative. Then, he ascended two or three more steps, but felt dizzy again and died. Similarly, Ghulam Muhy-ud-Din, a member of Kotli, Kashmir, was met with a sudden death as well. In short, we have no idea when death will come and this is why it is crucial that we do not lose sight of it. Sympathy for the cause of religion is a great thing, which confers honour on a man in his agony of death. It is stated in the Holy Quran:
اِنَّ زَلْزَلَةَ السَّاعَةِ شَيْءٌ عَظِيْمٌ1
Verily, the earthquake of the Hour is a tremendous thing.
The ‘hour’ also refers to the Day of Resurrection; I do not deny this, but here, it is the agony of death that is being alluded to in reality. For death is a time where a man’s relations are severed completely. An individual is suddenly separated from their pleasures and attachments, and a strange tremor shakes the person, as though they were gripped from within. Therefore, the sum total of man’s good fortune is for him to be mindful of death, and not be too attached to the world and its pleasures so that when the final hour arrives, it is painful to part from these attachments. A poet has said in relation to the world and its comforts:
ایں ہمہ را بہ کشتنت آہنگ
گاہ بصلح کشند و گاہ بجنگ
They all seek to murder you;
at times they kill you with harmony, and at times with war.
The Holy Quran has encapsulated this subject in the following verse:
اِنَّمَاۤ اَمْوَالُكُمْ وَ اَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ2
Your wealth and your children are but a trial.
In this verse, the word amwalukum (your wealth) refers to wives as well. Since women cover and veil themselves, they have been veiled, as it were, in the aforementioned verse, and not mentioned explicitly by name. This word also refers to women because man spends his wealth to bring home a wife. The word mal, which means ‘wealth’, refers to that which naturally attracts and inclines a person to itself, and therefore, this word is derived from ma’il (to be naturally inclined or fond of something). Since the male is naturally attracted to the female, the word mal, refers to women as well. In this instance, the word mal has been used so that other pleasures more general in nature are not excluded. Otherwise, in this verse, if only the word nisa (women) had been used, the statement would refer only to two things: one’s wife and children. Now, in addition to this, if man’s other pleasures had been enumerated individually, the list would have no end, even after many, many pages had been exhausted. Therefore, mal, refers to:
کُلَّ مَا یَمِیْلُ اِلَیْہِ الْقَلْبُ
All that to which the heart is inclined.
In this instance, children have been mentioned because one considers them to be a piece of one’s heart; an heir. In summary, Allah the Exalted and the worldly pleasures of man are two things that are diametrically opposed to one another. Both cannot coexist simultaneously.
Now, do not surmise from this that women are possessions of low and insignificant standing. Not at all! Our Perfect Guide, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:
خَیْرُکُمْ خَیْرُکُمْ لِاَھْلِہٖ
This means, the best among you is the one who is excellent in the treatment of his wife. How can one who does not treat and consort with his wife in a kind and noble manner be righteous? A person can only be good and virtuous in the matter of other people when he treats his wife benevolently and lives with her amicably; not if over petty matters he abuses and beats her. There have been examples of certain cases where an angered man became enraged with his wife on a trivial issue and hit her, and as a result, his wife sustained an injury at a sensitive spot, which caused her death. Therefore, in favour of women, Allah the Exalted states:
عَاشِرُوْهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ3
And consort with them in kindness.
Of course, if someone’s wife does something inappropriate, it is necessary to strongly advise her. The duty of a husband is to firmly ingrain into the heart of his wife that he can never be pleased with any action that is against the teachings of religion, but also, he must demonstrate that he is not so cruel and oppressive that he cannot overlook her faults.
A husband is, to his wife, a reflection of Allah the Exalted. It is narrated in a Hadith that if Allah Almighty had permitted one to prostrate before anyone other than God, He would order a wife to prostrate before her husband. A husband must possess both a nature of strength and tenderness. If a husband tells his wife to move a heap of bricks from one place to another, she does not have the right to object.
Similarly, we learn from the Holy Quran and Hadith that the relationship of a disciple with their spiritual guide ought to be like the relationship of a wife with her husband. A follower must not refuse any command given to them by their spiritual guide, nor ask for any justifications. This is why the Holy Quran states:
اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ4
Guide us in the right path—the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings.
This means that one must commit themselves to the path of those upon whom Allah has bestowed His blessings. Since man naturally desires freedom, this verse instructs man to follow the path of those alluded to in this verse. Even if an experienced physician makes an error, that is better than being treated by someone who is ignorant. High quality sharp instruments in the possession of an ignorant man, without the hand of an experienced surgeon, would be useless. A poet has said:
اگر دستِ سلیمانی نہ باشد
چِہ خاصیت دہد نقشِ سلیمانی
Without the hand of Solomon;
What power can the ring of Solomon wield?5
Hence, the Holy Quran is a sharp instrument, but a highly skilled doctor, who is blessed with the succour of God Almighty, is required to make proper use of it. One must possess a pure heart. However, since this treasure is not possessed by all, Allah the Exalted created the Prophets—everyone cannot be a Prophet and this class of people is limited in number.
It is Adam alone who was born without the agency of sperm. In this relation, there is a revelation of mine which is as follows:
اَرَدْتُّ اَنْ اَسْتَخْلِفَ فَـخَلَقْتُ اٰدَمَ
I decided to appoint a vicegerent in this age and so, I created this Adam.
This hints to the fact that he would have no need to swear an oath of allegiance to anyone else or follow some other spiritual guide. On the contrary, just as God created Adam with His hand of beauty and majesty, this Vicegerent of Allah would be taught by Him and would swear allegiance to Him, as it were. This is why Allah Almighty has kept me away from such paths that are opposed to the precepts of prophethood. Now, it is true that one must develop a pure heart, but this cannot be achieved until one remains in the company of a holy individual who has come on the precepts of prophethood; and one cannot benefit from the company of such an individual until one first realises with certainty that he is mortal. This realisation alone gives one an opportunity to benefit from the company of a truthful man of God. It is narrated in a Hadith that when Allah the Exalted desires righteousness for a person, He raises an admonisher, as it were, in his heart. The greatest admonisher a person can have within themselves is one which moves them to understand the deeper essence of:
كُوْنُوْا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ6
Be with the truthful.
Observe the state of the noble companions: what did they not do to benefit from the company of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him? It is incumbent upon our community to follow in the footsteps of the companions and develop a similar nature within themselves. Without this, they cannot attain the true objective for which I have been sent. Do the members of our community have needs and requirements which the companions did not have? Do you not see how ardently desirous the companions were to offer the Prayer with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and listen to his words?
Allah the Exalted has conferred upon this community that is with the Promised Messiah, the rank that it will join the community of the companions.
وَ اٰخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَـقُوْا بِهِمْ7
And among others from among them who have not yet joined them.
Commentators have agreed that this verse refers to the community of the Promised Messiah, which will, as if, be the community of the companions. This community will not belong to the Promised Messiah, but rather, it will actually belong to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, because the Promised Messiah will appear as a manifestation of the Holy Prophet (sas), embodying his attribute of beauty. This Promised Messiah will be commissioned to bring to completion the propagation of the message of the Holy Prophet (sas).
For this reason, my heart throbs with pain so that Allah the Exalted bestows upon our community the favours that were conferred upon the companions; and so that my community develops within themselves the truth, loyalty, sincerity and obedience that was the hallmark of the companions. May this community fear no one but God; may they be righteous, because the love of God embraces the righteous. Allah the Exalted states:
اَنَّ اللهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ8
Allah is with the righteous.9
Since Allah the Exalted accompanies the righteous, even an enemy is struck by awe in the face of a righteous person. However, it must be borne in mind that true righteousness can never be attained until one benefits from the company of the truthful and holy men of God, and until one annihilates themselves completely in obedience to the chosen ones of God. It is for this very reason that Allah the Exalted states:
يٰۤـاَيُّـهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَ كُوْنُوْا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ10
Meaning, O ye who believe! Be righteous, remain in the company of the truthful and gain strength from their company. This clearly demonstrates that the deeper reality of faith is revealed only after one becomes righteous. The true essence of fear of Allah cannot be grasped until one benefits from the holy company of a man who is himself lost in God. It ought to be remembered also that to merely remain in the company of such a person is not the least beneficial and effective either. In reality, to remain in the company of the truthful is an indication of the fact that one must obey them. As such, in another instance, Allah the Exalted states:
يٰۤـاَيُّـهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اَطِيْعُوا اللهَ وَ اَطِيْعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ وَ اُولِي الْاَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ11
In other words, obey Allah and His Messenger, and obey your rulers. Obedience is a quality, which if practiced wholeheartedly, bestows a spiritual radiance to the heart and illuminates the soul, granting it a pleasure. Spiritual exercises are not needed as much as obedience is required. The condition, however, is that this obedience ought to be sincere, and this is the challenge at hand. For obedience, one must slaughter their base desires. Without this, obedience is impossible. It is base desires which have the potential to become an idol in the hearts of even the greatest believers in God’s Oneness. How blessed were the companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them, and how lost this community was in obedience to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. It is true that no group of people can be deemed a nation, and the spirit of community and unity cannot be blown into them, until they adopt the principle of obedience. If a community is plagued by differing views and disunity, then one may be certain that these are signs of ill-fate and decline. One factor among others, which resulted in the weakening and decline of the Muslims was mutual discord and internal dissension as well. Hence, if difference of opinion is set aside and the entire community obeys one leader—to whom Allah Almighty has made obedience obligatory—any objective can be achieved. The hand of God rests on those who are one community. This is the secret that lies beneath the surface. Allah Almighty likes unity and unity cannot be developed without obedience. In the time of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, there were many learned companions who commanded wise views because this was the nature vested in them by God. They were experienced in principles of rule and administration, because ultimately when Hazrat Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and other companions became the Caliph and assumed rule, the impeccable manner in which they managed the heavy burden of sovereignty sheds ample light on their capability and wise judgement. But despite this, in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when he would say something, all of these companions would consider all of their own views and knowledge to be worthless, and they would consider it necessary to act upon whatever instruction was given to them by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. They were so lost in obedience to the Holy Prophet (sas) that they would seek blessings from the water left over after the Holy Prophet (sas) would finish with his ablution; they considered his holy saliva to carry blessings. If the companions did not possess this nature of obedience and submission, and if each of them gave preference to their own view, resulting in disunity, they would not have attained to the lofty ranks that they acquired. In my view, the one argument that is amply sufficient for the Sunnis and Shias to do away with their disputes is that the noble companions were free from mutual discord; indeed, all forms of discord and enmity. For their successes and their triumphs establish that they were one, and that they harboured no malice at all with anyone.
Uninformed opponents allege that Islam was spread by the force of the sword, but I proclaim that this is not true. The actual fact is that the arteries of their hearts were saturated with the water of obedience, which surged forth intensely. It was due to this very obedience and unity that other hearts were conquered. My belief is that when the Muslims were compelled to take up the sword, this was only in self-defence. Even if they had not taken up the sword, they surely would have conquered the world with their tongues alone.
سخن کز دل بروں آید نشیند لاجرم بر دل
A word which springs from the heart invariably
finds place in the hearts of others.
These people accepted truth and rectitude for what it was, and they did so with a sincere heart. There was nothing artificial about their acceptance, nor was this a mere display. It was their truth and sincerity which resulted in their triumphs. In actuality, a truthful person only wields the sword of truth.
Even the countenance alone of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which radiated with the light of trust in God, and shone forth with complexions of glory and grace, possessed a magnetism and force that drew in hearts uncontrollably. Then, the exemplary manner in which his community demonstrated obedience to him, and the way in which they exhibited a level of steadfastness that was no short of a miracle, would draw in helplessly, anyone who saw them. In short, the character and unity of the companions is what we require even today, because Allah the Exalted has counted this community—which is being prepared at the hand of the Promised Messiah—to be among the community that was moulded by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Since communities advance and progress through the examples demonstrated by the sort of people that I have just described, you who are the community of the Promised Messiah, you who yearn to join the community of the companions, must develop within yourselves the hue of the companions; show obedience like them, show mutual love and brotherhood like them. In every aspect and in every quality, adopt a nature that is similar to the companions. I do not care in the least when my opponents verbally abuse me, and call me the Antichrist and a disbeliever, because Allah the Exalted has given everyone individually an inner sense of enlightenment and a sense of judgement. Any individual can smell the foul stench of waste that is excreted from their own body. Now when this is an established and accepted fact, then can a fabricator not smell the stench of his own lie, which is even worse than the reek of excrement? Indeed, he does. Hence, I cannot accept that a person who forges a lie against Allah would have the strength and steadfastness to put forth a claim with the strength and firmness that is always the distinction of the truthful. How then can these opponents succeed and what harm can they possibly do to me?
If I had not been sent by God, and if it was not He Himself Who had appointed me, do tell me why would I, or anyone else for that matter, bother to bear the trials and tribulations that I am faced with—verbal abuse, the uproar and clamour against me, opposition, edicts calling for my death, lawsuits accusing me of attempted murder and the like. No one would tolerate the obscene announcements that are published against me and the letters filled with abuse that are sent to me. But I speak the truth when I say that this matter is not in my control. God does what He wills, because it is He Who has laid the foundation of this community. It is God who has given my heart such strength that all of these afflictions and difficulties mean nothing to me; in fact, I feel as if I am not even being addressed. So think for yourselves, can such dignity, such strength, and such perseverance be possessed by a liar? I will not accept that a deceiver could ever be granted such strength. A person who commits murder is accused by truth itself. Ultimately, the person will confess his crime himself in court. The underlying secret in this is that a liar does not possess the same strength with which a truthful person is blessed. Lies make a person weak and cowardly. This is why God Almighty states:
فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْاَوْثَانِ وَ اجْتَنِبُوْا قَوْلَ الزُّوْرِ12
Shun therefore the abomination of idols, and shun all words of untruth.
Hence, it is imperative that everyone observes the determination and unwavering resolve of a claimant. As we would expect, as regards my community, Allah the Exalted has promised:
وَ جَاعِلُ الَّذِيْنَ اتَّـبَعُوْكَ فَوْقَ الَّذِيْنَ كَـفَرُوْۤا اِلٰى يَوْمِ الْقِيٰمَةِ13
And He will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve.
The promises of Allah Almighty are true and they are never broken. So all of you ought to endeavour to partake in these promises.
Here, Allah the Exalted speaks of a form of contest. The Arabic word fawq (to be above) means that the followers of the Messiah would defeat their opponents. This obviously does not mean that the followers of the Messiah would develop strong and heavier bodies to fight a physical contest. For this community has not been permitted to fight because there is an instruction of the Holy Prophet (sas) as follows:
یَضَعُ الْـحَرْبَ
He will suspend war.
Therefore, the ascendancy that the community of the Messiah will enjoy is one of spiritual truth and its fruits; of knowledge, insight, points of wisdom, hidden verities, nearness to Allah Almighty, and the discovery of fresh knowledge due to this affinity with God and matters divine. The water, as it were, possessed by the opponents, is not heavenly water, and it has no relationship with that which comes from above; this is why it quickly becomes polluted and sullied. However, the ascendancy of the followers of the Promised Messiah is heavenly in nature, due to which they constantly receive fresh knowledge and unique insight. As per nature’s way, if water does not descend from heaven, the water on earth either becomes dry or develops impure and infectious elements. Hence, for the purpose of purification, the law established by Allah Almighty is that there is rainfall from above at least once or twice a year, which cleanses all the pollution in the atmosphere and various forms of contamination, along with other elements of uncleanliness on earth as well. In this phenomenon of nature, Allah the Exalted has made a hidden indication to the law of revival, and in doing so, He has clearly demonstrated how the system of spiritual and physical revival functions. The Hadith that a Reformer would appear at the head of every century may be deemed inauthentic by our opponents, but I say that when the law of nature clearly exhibits a similar phenomenon, how can one reject this Hadith? Everything at some point, requires rejuvination. Hence, every new century has the right to be blessed with holy men, who should sow the seed of wisdom and truth. Allah the Exalted states:
بَعْدِ مَاۤ اَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُوْنَ الْاُوْلٰى14
After We had destroyed the earlier generations.
Here also, this very phenomenon of revival has been mentioned. Just as Reformers were needed in ages gone by, this need shall continue until the Day of Resurrection. The Prophets, peace be upon them, have always been limited in number, while a greater number of Reformers have appeared. However, it is important to realise that revival does not simply mean that a community of such people be formed who utter a few verbal declarations. God desires the manifestation of His glory. Therefore, a Reformer seeks to see a person transformed with a new heart and a new soul. For this reason, I forever long to see my community transformed in this manner, in that whether young or old, it should be as though they have become human beings in a new world. When the community reaches this level, it is then that extraordinary progress will be attained. So each and every one of you ought to endeavour to become a new person because you have accepted a Reformer.
You must also bear in mind that righteousness is necessary if you are to triumph over your opponents, and for this purpose, at the present time, there is no better way than to stay in my company. The very first to have understood this secret is Maulvi Nur-ud-Din Sahib, who has come to live here in a remote hamlet merely for the pleasure of God and for the sake of religion. He has made a great sacrifice. He has left behind his lands and possessions to reside in this remote village. I can say with certainty that a man as qualified and capable as Maulvi Sahib could easily attain immense worldly benefit if he lived in Lahore or Amritsar. In fact, the people of Lahore and Amritsar have expressed their desire many times for Maulvi Sahib to come and reside in their cities, but he has never once given preference to the income and benefits that he could gain in other places over living here. May Allah the Exalted grant him the best of rewards. It is these sorts of people that I hope for, who bring with them a spirit and faith of this nature when they come here.
Then, I see that a number of our friends bid farewell to this world every year. No one knows who will be alive in the year to come and who shall be summoned by God. Therefore, before a person departs this world, they must be in good standing with God. It is also true that no individual can receive divine grace until they possess sincere love for the chosen one of God. The manner in which one can truly prove their love is by obeying the one sent by God.
The Sufis say that a follower can have no benefit until they consider their spiritual guide to be better than all others. In my view, this is undoubtedly true. However, those who suggest that a spiritual guide should sit with a constant scowl on their face are wrong in my estimation. Why should a person do away with good morals? A spiritual guide must never forsake the way of the Prophets; rather, they must be men of great magnanimity and kindness. Those who come from God on the precepts of prophethood bring with them sublime morals. This is my belief. In my view, anything but praise for the Prophets, peace be upon them, is blasphemy.”
Note: O you who are unwise and issue edicts of disbelief, where are you now! Do you hear what this man says? Despite all this, you allege that the Promised Messiah (as) dishonours the Prophets. Have some fear of God. —Editor
The Promised Messiah (as) says: “Therefore, a truly magnificent quality for an individual is to inculcate exemplary morals and righteousness. This, however, requires one to remain in the company of those who are among the Truthful, so be concerned about how you can stay with me. Consider these days to be a gift and look at the life of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, as an example to follow.”15
1 al-Hajj, 22:2
2 al-Anfal, 8:29
3 an-Nisa, 4:20
4 al-Fatihah, 1:6-7
5 Here reference is made to the ancient legend that Solomon (as) possessed a ring with special powers, which was given to him directly from heaven. This is nothing but a false tale narrated in old books. Since the ‘ring of Solomon’ has become proverbial, this is the context in which the Promised Messiah (as) makes reference to this verse. This does not suggest that the Promised Messiah (as) considered the story to be true. [Publisher]
6 at-Tawbah, 9:119
7 al-Jumu’ah, 62:4
8 al-Baqarah, 2:195
9 Al-Hakam, vol. 4, no. 46, dated 24 December 1900, pp. 1-3
10 at-Tawbah, 9:119
11 an-Nisa, 4:60
12 al-Hajj, 22:31
13 Aal-e-Imran, 3:56
14 al-Qamar, 28:44
15 Al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 5, dated 10 February 1901, pp. 1-3