(During a walk)
Maulawi Sayyed Muhammad Ahsan has safely returned from his journey to Amroha, which he had undertaken with the permission of the Promised Messiah (as) for some important business. He submitted to the Promised Messiah (as) that: ‘the One-Eyed Dajjal1 has created a great deal of deception and some ignorant and ill-informed people have fallen into his trap. He has documented within his book proof of twenty-five or twenty-six eclipses of the moon and sun during the month of Ramadan.’
Upon hearing this, the Promised Messiah (as) said:
I have never said that solar and lunar eclipses have never taken place in the month of Ramadan before. On the contrary, I believe that there is a solar system in operation and I believe that it is quite possible that such an event happened in the past as well. My claim is simply that it has never happened before this time with all the conditions and prerequisites as outlined in the hadith of Darqutni.2
For example, the exact date has been fixed in this hadith that the moon would eclipse on the first of the appointed dates of its eclipse and the sun would eclipse on the middle of the dates appointed for its eclipse; that is, the eclipse of the moon would be on the thirteenth [night of the lunar month] and the eclipse of the sun would be on the twenty-eighth [day of the lunar month], and that the claim of the claimant of Mahdi [the Guided One] would already be on record and it is not that he would make the claim after witnessing the solar and the lunar eclipses. His claim would already be there on record and the lunar and solar eclipses would occur in the sky in this fashion in his support and favour. Moreover, he would also substantiate his claim with other heavenly and earthly Signs, and proofs and arguments. And his claim would have already become well known far and wide having been thoroughly publicized.
So, has Abdul Hakeem also presented such proof that any of those earlier eclipses that occurred in Ramadan took place in accordance with these conditions and prerequisites, and restriction of dates? Also, was there anyone claiming to be the Messiah and Mahdi present at that time before this kind of prophesied solar and lunar eclipses occurred, who had already publicized his claim openly through books and his claim had already become well known in the world? Moreover, were there any heavenly or earthly Signs and Divine support accompanying him? Or, did he have proofs from the Quran and Hadith backing him? My demand is for anyone to prove the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses with these conditions and prerequisites.
Take note that this event was reported even by the English newspapers like the Civil and Military [Gazette] and The Pioneer, etc., that no event of this form has ever occurred before. What can be more deceiving and dishonest than to raise an objection by taking only one aspect into account while ignoring all the other necessary considerations? What he needed to do was to show that some claimant was also present before such a Sign became manifest on the specified dates, and that the claimant had already made the claim, publicized that claim, and also proven it with heavenly and earthly Signs and markers, and irrefutable arguments. Just moving the tongue in criticism amounts to nothing. Otherwise, prophethood in its entirety could be nullified in this way.
The Beliefs of Dr. Abdul Hakeem
Maulawi Abdullah Khan of Patiala submitted that the entire Jama’at of Patiala were very grateful when this person was expelled from the Jama’at. On many occasions, he had addressed him saying, ‘Maulawi Sahib! When quinine has the inherent quality to effect a cure, then from whence comes the necessity to believe Abdul Hakeem to be a physician for quinine to effect a cure? In the same way, when salvation is the consequence of belief in Tauhid [the Oneness of God], then why is it necessary for us to believe Muhammad (sas) to be a Prophet? Just as quinine delivers its benefit regardless of accepting X or Y as a physician, Tauhid does not stand in need of accepting someone as a Messenger and Prophet in order to deliver its benefit and in securing salvation.’
The Promised Messiah (as) said:
I considered it prudent that instead of hearing objections about the prophethood of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him—we seek refuge with Allah—and questions about the necessity of belief [in the Holy Prophet (sas)], why not expel Abdul Hakeem from the Jama’at?3
1 Here the reference is to Dr. Abdul Hakeem, the apostate. [Publisher]
2 Sunan ad-Dārqutnī, Vol. II, Bāb Sifati Salātil-Khusūf wal-Kusūf wa Hay’ti-himā [Publisher]
3 Al-Hakam, vol. 12, no. 22, p. 3, dated 26 March 1908