The Promised Messiah (as) said: “I often receive letters from people stating that someone asked them a question, and they were unable to respond. In such a state, a person often becomes doubtful and weak. Those who become doubtful every other day ought to bear in mind that this is a sign of deficient insight of divine matters. Divine cognisance and insight is a quality which makes it possible for a human being to shake the hand of an angel, as it were. I truthfully proclaim that there is no power as great as divine insight. Birds soar high into the sky, but a person who possesses divine insight will soar higher and go even further than birds. In short, my fundamental purpose is to express that we ought to develop such certainty which elevates us to a station of tranquillity. Without this, an individual is utterly weak and infirm, and the doors to their progress remain shut.
It is necessary for the members of our community to take time out of their schedules and come here, so that they are able to stay in my company and make amends for the heedlessness which develops at a time when they are absent; thus, they can dispel the doubts which became the cause for this heedlessness in the first place. They have the right to pose their questions and hear them answered by myself. Now, if a frail child, who is in need of milk and the benevolent lap of its mother, is separated from her, can it be expected that such a child would survive? Of course not. This is also the state of one’s excellence and divine insight before they reach a level of spiritual maturity. A person may be likened to a weak, infant child, and they require the company of one who is appointed by Allah. If a person is separated from a divinely commissioned man of God, there is a risk that they may perish.
In actuality, this is absolutely imperative. If one is given the ability by God Almighty, and if one understands how vital it is to visit the centre again and again, one will not only benefit one’s own self, but will benefit many others as well. For until one first nurtures divine cognisance and insight in oneself, how can one guide others? It is for this very reason that certain ill-natured people will deliberately pose a question to people who are not in the habit of visiting me again and again. Since these people have not had the opportunity to hear the answers to various questions, on being challenged, they are left speechless and not only suffer humiliation themselves, but also prove to be a stumbling block for others who are observing and listening to the exchange at hand. As a result, this disgrace and inability to respond injures a person’s faith, which then begins to fall weak. For it is a matter of principle that when someone is defeated, they are also influenced by the person at whose hands they have been vanquished. Often, this effect will blacken a person’s heart, and accordingly this darkness begins to spread to the extent that if that person dies in this state, they will enter hell. If one reflects upon all these points, a wise individual will definitely reach the conclusion that there is a dire need for the antidote of godly company, to expunge the poisons which destroy the soul. By remaining in the company of one who is appointed by God, a person comes to know about threats that prove deadly, and also gains insight into things that lead a person to salvation. It is for this reason that I have had the thought in my mind for some time—and I think about this often—to test the members of my community by asking them various questions. In fact, I have spoken about this idea on many previous occasions as well; albeit, until now, I have not been able to find the opportunity to do so. However, this idea constantly remains in my mind, inasmuch that I should at least once test my community by asking them questions, so that I am able to ascertain the level of their knowledge in respect of my teachings; so that I can determine the degree to which they have understood my aims and objectives; and so that I may know the extent to which they are able to refute the internal and external allegations that are levelled against us. If there are even 40 people whose souls are illuminated, and they are able to fully receive the light of insight and divine cognisance, they shall be able to do great benefit.
Ever since I was sixteen or seventeen, I have been reading books by Christian authors and have reflected over the allegations that they tend to raise. On my own accord, I have collected the objections which they level against the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and thus far, they have reached a total of approximately 3,000 in number. However, when I read the allegations that people have levelled against my own person, I always say that these allegations have not yet reached their final extent. For if the holy personage of the Seal of the Prophets has been the target of so many allegations, how could I possibly stop people from raising objections against my own person? Moreover, I also say that not a single allegation has been levelled against me which has not been raised against the great Prophets of past, peace be upon them. If anyone has doubts in this regard, let them come forth with an objection against my person which has not been raised against a Prophet that has appeared before me. I can make a firm challenge that whatever sort of allegation one will raise against me, or whatever has already been hurled at me, similar sorts of allegations have been raised against previous Prophets as well. The truth is that this community has been established on the precepts of prophethood, and so the touchstone to determine the truthfulness of this community is the same as the criterion that determines the truthfulness of the Prophets, peace be upon them.
Allah the Exalted is a witness—and what greater witness can I present—that as I have said, ever since I was sixteen or seventeen, I have been reading Christian literature, but the allegations that they contain have never influenced me or thrown me in doubt for even a moment as little as the blink of an eye. This is purely due to the grace of God. As I continued to read their allegations, the more it was ingrained in my heart just how contemptible these objections really were, and the more my heart was filled with love for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, owing to his greatness, as though it were a bottle of perfume. I have also reflected and found that whenever any pure action of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, or a verse of the Holy Quran, have been made a target for objection by our opponents, it is precisely in that action or in that verse—which the ill-natured and evil have found fault in their own fancy—that I have discovered a treasure of truth and wisdom lying buried.
Take heed! A person does not become a true believer until they develop a disposition that is no longer affected by the statements of the disbelievers. Now, a disposition of this nature cannot be developed until one remains in the company of a man who has come from God to give the people their lost property. As such, until the people accept this spiritual wealth, and until they come to a level where the statements of our opponents have no effect on them, it is unlawful for them to leave the company of God’s appointee. For such a one is like an infant child who is separated from its mother’s lap, while its nourishment depends solely on milk. If a child of this nature is torn from its mother, there is a fear that it will die in no time. In the same manner, one who isolates oneself from the company of a divinely appointed man of God, begins to drown in a state of peril. Far from being able to strive for the reformation of others, such people become influenced themselves, and turn into a stumbling block for others as well. It is for this reason that day and night I feel agony and pain so that people will come here again and again, and remain in my company for extended periods of time. When a person reaches a state of spiritual excellence and they experience that despite meeting me less frequently they have become strong, it is then that it is permissible for them to visit me less often. For such people, despite being far away, are close to me. However, until a person is weak, they are in a state of danger. A large party of people, equalling two million in number, have converted to Christianity. I read the summary of a lecture delivered by a bishop and in it, he stated that we have converted two million people to the Christian faith. So these people were influenced by the allegations of others and became weak in faith; as a result, they abandoned their own religion and accepted Christianity. Siraj-ud-Din, now a Christian, is also from among such people. Individuals such as these do not benefit fully from the company of a truthful man of God, and after becoming enslaved and ensnared by a myriad of desires, they will barter something as invaluable as their own religion and faith for Christianity.
In short, the number of my adversaries and opponents have not grown as dangerous as those enemies who have emerged from the religion of Islam itself, against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. Safdar Ali and Imad-ud-Din, among others, have left no stone unturned in their opposition. I can say in all honesty, and Allah the Exalted is my witness, that I have never been worried about animosity harboured against me, or of personal insult, or respect and honour. What I have always found truly unbearable and heartbreaking is that a man as perfect and pure as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is dishonoured. This Chief of the Truthful—the epitome of truth—is referred to as a liar. This is what has always caused me grief. And so for this reason, I am forever engrossed in exposing the deceit of this nation that worships the dead, so that the world can clearly see the truth for themselves. Yesterday, I thought to myself that it is clear why the words یَکْسِرُ الصَّلِیْبَ (he will break the cross) have appeared in the Hadith as one of the tasks of the Promised Messiah, but why have the words یَقْتُلُ الْخِنْزِیْرَ (he will kill the swine) been used? What became clear to me was that these words have appeared to eloquently complete the sense of this sentence. Since the natures of those who had forsaken Islam were corrupted, they were faced with such ill-fates as well, so much so that ultimately they renounced Islam, and began to lead a life enthralled by their baser self.
When an individual who remains in the company of those who possesses the quality of an antidote—in the manner one ought to—Allah the Exalted, by His mercy and grace, safeguards such a one from the sorts of poison mentioned earlier. One may question the need of Prophets, peace be upon them, or heavenly scriptures. However, the need is quite clear. You see, there is a kind of light in one’s eyes, but without the light of the sun, one cannot see. God has bestowed us with eyes, but along with this, He has created another form of light as well, because the light in one’s eyes depends on an external source of light. Similarly, until one’s intellect is supported with heavenly light and insight, it is of no use whatsoever. Foolish is the one who asserts that he can attain anything with reason alone. Do not view with contempt the system established by God. There are many secrets and other matters which have been disclosed to me. If I were to expound these things, except for those specific people who remain in my company, all others would be perplexed.
When I see such people who have never remained in the holy company of a truthful man of God, I am astonished and cannot help but weep. I can confidently challenge those who make personal attacks against me to put forth even one allegation which has not been levelled against a Prophet of the past. Are the allegations levelled against Moses, peace be upon him, by the Aryas not graver than those raised against me? Look at the number of objections hurled upon the Messiah (as) by the Jews or Aryas. Just begin to count the number of allegations that have been raised against the holy personage of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Invariably, any dispensation established on the precepts of prophethood is bound to be the target of such allegations. However, ultimately, God Almighty clears His divinely appointed, beloved and pure servants from the charges of those who disbelieve, and demonstrates that they are absolutely innocent of the accusations levelled against them. In turn, it is established that the eye and heart of those who objected were deceived. Since a chosen one of God possesses superiority in terms of argumentation and proof, everything that he states is sound and firm, and such signs are manifested in his support which render critics powerless. It is for this reason that opponents will ignore the actual objective at hand and make personal attacks. And so, when the opponents find no way of escape, they begin to launch shallow attacks, and begin to put forth absurd forms of criticism, the better part of which comprise blatant forgery, while others are based on their own lack of understanding. Ultimately, our opponents observed that whatever I present is not only logical, but also supported with sound evidence and argumentation; they saw that the Holy Quran stood by my side; they saw that the Hadith was with me; they saw that reason and the law of nature also supported me; and more than anything else, they could see that thousands of heavenly signs were manifested in my support. They observed that even those signs which were prophesied by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, were fulfilled in my support, and in addition to this, hundreds of other signs were manifested on my hand.
Now, these people have been surrounded from all sides. This era bears testimony to the fact that we are, at present, in need of a man appointed by God. The need of our present age and the circumstances that confront us today proclaim that this era is the age of the Promised Messiah. This is also supported by the visions, dreams and revelations of the Muslim saints. It has been established that the Holy Quran supports me and my community continues to grow day by day. When all this became evident, my opponents altered their strategy. Since they realised that there was nothing for them to grasp onto by way of objection, they began to engage in personal attacks against me, perhaps in view of the fact that people are more quickly influenced in this manner. However, do these fools not know that the Christians raise similar sorts of objections? I once came across a small book written by the Aryas on Moses, peace be upon him. In it, they have raised many allegations. For example, they alleged that Moses (as) had a large number of children murdered, that he stripped the Egyptians of their wealth, that he broke his promise and lied, God-forbid. In short, there is no sin—as grave as one can imagine—which has not been attributed to him. This is because they wish to disgrace him.
I have already stated that when these people are unsuccessful in view of the criterion of prophethood—and never will they succeed on this front—they begin to raise objections of the nature that I have just mentioned. The book about the Messiah, peace be upon him, which was read out here some time ago, has gone to the greatest of extremes. Similarly, the newspaper of freethinkers, which is delivered here as well, also leaves no stone unturned in mockery. It is a matter of principle that when the flames of truth and rectitude do not let an opponent rest in peace, they begin to deceive the unintelligent in the manner I have just described and in their own fancy, they succeed to an extent as well. This is why people are converting to Christianity in such large numbers. Until one possesses such knowledge as grants one comfort and tranquillity, and elevates one to the station of certainty, one remains in constant threat of falling into such dangers and delusions.
Worldly relationships are of two categories. Firstly, there are physical relations, as in the case of a mother, father, brother, sister, etc. Secondly, there are spiritual and religious relations. If this second category of relations is nurtured to a level of excellence, they supersede all other relationships. And spiritual relations attain to a level of excellence when a person remains in the company of one who is divinely appointed. One can observe that the relationship which the community known as the companions held with the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was of the highest degree, and that is why they had no care whatsoever for their homeland, or their wealth and property; that is why they were able to leave behind relatives and those whom they held dear; this was to such extent that they lay down their heads to be butchered in the way of God, as if they were goats and sheep. How did the companions find the strength and fortitude to bear the trials and tribulations which were being inflicted upon them? The secret is that they had developed a very deep relationship with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. They understood the truth brought by the Holy Prophet (sas); and as a result, the world and everything in it meant nothing to them whatsoever in comparison to their desire to meet God Almighty.
Remember that when the truth influences one fully, it becomes a light which in every darkness guides the one who adopts it and safeguards one in difficult times.
Personal attacks that stem from malice and jealousy are made only by the ignoble and ignorant when they find themselves unable to contest the truth. Such allegations only influence those who fail to grasp the deeper essence of truth, and whose hearts have not been enlightened by the truth.
It is definitely true that a person languishes in a withering state, as it were, until they come to grasp the truth. As a person goes on to understand the truth more clearly, they become more and more invigorated and refreshed, and they are drawn into the light. Finally, when one grasps the truth completely, darkness can come nowhere near such a one. Darkness spawns darkness, and inner light attracts more light. It is for this reason that darkness has been likened to Satan, whereas light has an affinity with the Holy Spirit. As such, when the light of divine insight and certainty of faith fills a place, it drives out darkness.
It is for this reason that I tell you to put aside your worldly business for some time and visit me here. The state of our country grows perilous. The plague is spreading with great force. Sometimes a single round of this epidemic will last for sixty or even seventy years at a time, and destroy entire cities. Maulvi Sahib has just received a letter which indicates that certain villages have been emptied completely. Do not surmise that you will be relieved in a mere year or two. This epidemic departs only after it has left its mark; and it is not far from us, there are five surrounding districts that have already been engulfed by this illness.
Do not be fearless. Engage yourselves in seeking forgiveness from God and engross yourselves in prayers; bring about a pure and positive change in your life. This is no time for heedlessness. The inner self will deceive one into thinking that one has a long life to live yet. But consider death to be near. The being of God exists. One who misplaces the rights that are owed to God, and gives them to others by way of transgression, will die in disgrace. Three classes of people have been mentioned in Surah Fatihah and God will manifest all three of them. Those who were mentioned last in Surah Fatihah are now mostly predominant, i.e. those who went astray (dalleen). There was a time in Islam that if even one person reneged from one’s faith, it would seem as though this was the end of the world. Yet today, two million Muslims have converted to Christianity; despite being impure themselves, they abuse a man as pure as the Holy Prophet (sas). Then, the wrath of God—as alluded to in the word maghdub—is also being manifested at present through the plague. After this, the world will see the class of those alluded to in the words اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ (those upon whom God has bestowed His blessings).
It is a matter of principle, and so has been the way of God since time immemorial, that when He addresses a nation instructing them to refrain from a certain action, there is always a segment from within it which will assuredly disobey Him in that directive. Show me just one nation which was told to abstain from a certain action, and then no one from among its people committed the deed which was forbidden to them. God instructed the Jews to not distort the words of God, but that is exactly what they did. This has not been stated in relation to the Holy Quran. In fact, Allah the Exalted states:
اِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَ اِنَّا لَهٗ لَحٰـفِظُوْنَ1
Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian.
Therefore, remain absorbed in supplications so that you may be included among those referred to in اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْھِمْ (upon whom God has bestowed His blessings).”2
1 al-Hijr, 15:10
2 Al-Hakam, vol. 5, no. 16, dated 30 April 1901, pp. 1-5