Friday Khutba
by Maulana Muhammad Ali, 4 February 1944, Lahore
Vain desires are the opposite of practical action
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad’s dream
does not provide any basis for his claim
Every member of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at can be
called Muslih Mau‘ud!
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad should show some practical
achievement before making his claim
“It will not be in accordance with your vain desires
nor the vain desires of the People of the Book. Whoever does evil,
will be requited for it and will not find for himself besides Allah
a friend or a helper. And whoever does good deeds, whether male
or female, and is a believer, these will enter the Garden, and they
will not be dealt with a whit unjustly.” The Holy Quran, 4:123–124
Law of God the Most High
In these two verses Allah the Most High has set out a general law of His, which
applies to Muslims and unbelievers equally. “It will not be in accordance with
your vain desires (amániy)”, there cannot be any outcome based on your
mere desires; “nor the vain desires of the People of the Book” who deny this
Quran, nothing will be earned according to their desires. The Divine law is
that “whoever does evil” will meet its bad consequence and “whoever does good
deeds, whether male or female” will receive the reward. This really is a deep
point that was fully understood by the Muslims of the early times.
What are desires?
What are amániy or desires? These are the desires that keep on arising
in a person’s heart. This is why false claims are also known as amániy,
as the Holy Quran says in another place [in 2:111, regarding the respective
claims of the Jews and the Christians to exclusive salvation]: “And they say:
None shall enter the Garden except he who is a Jew or the Christians. These
are their vain desires (amániy)” or false claims. This is why it then
says: “Bring your proof if you are right”. As opposed to amániy there
is practical action or ‘amal.
Early Muslims understood this
The early Muslims understood this point. Shunning vain desires, they showed
an unparalleled example of the power of action, the like of which cannot
be found anywhere else even though you search for it. Such was their power of
action that whichever way they turned they were victorious and triumphant. If
they went to the field of battle, then powerful, highly organised empires crumbled
before them. If they turned to the field of knowledge, they expanded learning
so widely that they spread it in the entire world, the light of their knowledge
even illuminating Europe. In the field of righteousness and devotion to God,
their falling in prayer before the Almighty and shedding tears at the Divine
threshold will probably remain unequalled in human history forever. The like
of it cannot be found among monks, ascetics or recluses.
Vain desires and practical action are the complete opposites of
each other. Those who become involved in practical works do not indulge in vain
desires, and those who go after vain desires lose their strength for action.
Lack of action by Muslims and the Imam of the present age
The condition of the Muslims today is that they utterly lack the faculty of
strength of action. Vain desires and wishful thinking are running rampant. All
these conferences that are held and the resolutions that are passed are nothing
but amániy. In this age the Imam who was sent by Allah the Most High
for the guidance of the Muslims came for the very purpose of creating the power
of action. He created enormous power of action among his followers. His personal
power of action was tremendous too. The whole world opposed him but he moved
not from his position one inch; facing the most bitter opposition he did his
work and left behind a strong community.
Qadiani Jama‘at in the grip of vain desires
It must be said with regret that today his followers in Qadian have bid farewell
to action and fallen prey to the disease of vain desires. These days an out
of season eid has come to Qadian. Telegrams of congratulation are being
showered, schools and offices are closed for celebration, and public meetings
are being held, all for a festival. And what is that festival? It too is a desire,
which appeared as a dream. But what is being celebrated with joy is not in that
dream. The celebration is that the Mian sahib (Mirza Mahmud Ahmad) has become
the Muslih Mau‘ud (Promised Reformer). He was already the Muslih
Mau‘ud in the eyes of his followers even before, but now he has said that
God has informed him that he is the Muslih Mau‘ud.
The dream
I have said that this is a desire, so let me first make this point clear. The
dream is very long. In these times dreams have become lengthy, just as the means
of writing and propaganda have become extensive. This dream of the Mian sahib
consists of three to four thousand words.
The basis of the dream is that the Mian sahib saw some people riding upon idols
of stone that were floating in a lake. The Mian sahib too got on one of these
floating idols in this lake and started to preach to the idol-worshippers.
Who is greater of the two?
The Mian sahib says that during this speech when he was preaching the messengership
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad to the people:
“it seemed as if Allah had granted the Holy Prophet himself the
privilege (taufiq) to speak from my tongue [original urdu:
Rasulullah ko meri zobaan se bolne ki taufiq di hai],
and he said: I am Muhammad, the servant and messenger of Allah.”
So the Holy Prophet Muhammad was granted taufiq to speak from the tongue
of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad. Which of the two of them is the greater then?
The Promised Messiah speaks
After this the Promised Messiah came, and he too spoke from the mouth of the
Mian sahib saying: I am the Promised Messiah.
Basis of claim of Mirza Mahmud Ahmad
After this, the third turn is that of the Mian sahib himself, perhaps because
it is futile to believe in the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the Promised
Messiah unless you also believe in the Mian sahib. The Mian sahib
said [in the dream]: Ana al-Masih al-Mau‘ud, mathili-hi wa khalifa,
meaning: “I too am the Promised Messiah, that is to say, his
like and his khalifa”. This is the meaning he has himself
given, that these words denote that he is the like of the Promised
Messiah and his khalifa. It is on this basis that he has
laid the foundation that God has told him that he is the Muslih
Mau‘ud.
This is only his desire
In fact, this is only his desire. The word Mau‘ud (promised) is not
found here, nor are the words Muslih Mau‘ud (Promised Reformer)
or Pisr Mau‘ud (promised son) found here. As to khalifa,
there can be hundreds of these. The Holy Prophet Muhammad had many
khalifas. As to the ‘like of’, there can also be hundreds.
Hazrat Mirza sahib has himself written that there can be thousands
of ‘likes’ of the Messiah. But the promised one is only one. How
can it be concluded from the above words that the Mian sahib is
the promised one? It is asserted that in this dream he has been
declared as Muslih Mau‘ud. But there is no mention of Muslih
Mau‘ud in the dream. This is merely a desire in his heart. Why
did it arise and how did it arise? The dream was only seen recently
on the night between January 5th and 6th, 1944. There are earlier
events which are its cause.
Three phases of this issue
There have been three phases that have passed over the Mian sahib. As soon
as he ascended to the seat of headship [in 1914], an article by Pir Manzur Muhammad
appeared in Mian sahib’s magazine Tashhiz-ul-Azhan to prove that he was
the Muslih Mau‘ud. At that time when people asked him about it, the Mian
sahib replied, and kept on saying for a long time, that he could not say whether
he was Muslih Mau‘ud or not. This was one phase.
The second phase
Then came the second phase when he started saying that he was the Muslih
Mau‘ud but that he was not making the claim. He said that he fulfilled the
prophecy of being Muslih Mau‘ud even without directly claiming to be
so.
The third phase
Now the third stage has arrived. He now says that God has informed him that
he is the Muslih Mau‘ud. At this announcement Qadian has burst into celebration
and telegrams of congratulations have started arriving from other places despite
the fact that the entire Jama‘at already believed him to be Muslih Mau‘ud
and he too had been saying that he was the Muslih Mau‘ud. What is new,
then? He has made a claim which was not necessary to make.
What is the cause of rejoicing?
A man sees a dream and he makes himself the Muslih Mau‘ud. But the Qadiani
Jama‘at already believed him to hold this position. What are they
rejoicing about? It does not make me laugh, it makes me cry. Is
there any previous instance that when God appointed someone to a
position, celebrations of this kind were held? Hazrat Mirza sahib
was made Promised Messiah in our time. Did his followers hold festivities
that day? Even if someone became Muslih Mau‘ud, is this an
occasion for celebration and messages of congratulations?
An element of trial
I believe that this prophecy has an element of a trial in it. Muslih Mau‘ud
means one who brings about reform. A reformer is required at a time when there
is some mischief or evil to be rectified.
Calling Muslims as kafir is a major evil
I believe that after the death of Hazrat Mirza sahib a major mischief arose,
namely, that from Qadian the call was raised declaring Muslims as
kafir and the kalima as being abrogated. If the Muslih
Mau‘ud is to come to repel this mischief, then this can only
light up our eyes and make our hearts happy. If, however, the Muslih
Mau‘ud is to come to counter some other mischief then that mischief
must have existed since before the Promised Messiah’s time, and
the Qadianis will have to admit that the Promised Messiah failed
to correct that msichief! The mischief of calling Muslims as kafir
is indeed a very major evil created by Mirza Mahmud Ahmad.
Every member of Lahore Jama‘at is a Muslih Mau‘ud
If this evil requires to be corrected then I consider that each and every member
of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Jama‘at is a Muslih Mau‘ud, and would be right
in making that claim. God the Most High has Himself testified to this in the
revelation of the Promised Messiah: “Our purified members are in Lahore”.
However, those who have created the evil of calling Muslims as
kafir cannot claim to be Muslih Mau‘ud. When we call them to debate
on their beliefs of declaring Muslims as kafir or abrogating the kalima,
they reply that we are trying to humiliate them in front of the Muslims. But
why have they adopted a belief which they are too embarrassed to mention in
public? As to when the Muslih Mau‘ud will come, Allah knows best, but
if a promised mischief-maker had to come then certainly the Mian sahib can make
this claim.
Two arguments out of four are wrong
Apart from this dream, if you look at his proofs they are even more bewildering.
It is a long story and I cannot discuss the prophecy of the Promised Messiah
in detail within a Friday khutba, but this prophecy contains the sign
that he will “turn three into four”. The Mian sahib has laid much stress on
this sign and given some proofs of it, but he has himself declared one of the
proofs to be wrong.
Look at another proof. He says that the prophecy was made in 1886,
and after the passage of the three years 1886, 1887 and 1888, he was born in
1889. So he says he turned three into four. I need not say how ridiculous is
this proof. But the strange thing is that in their own original article in Tashhiz-ul-Azhan
they wrote that Hazrat Mirza sahib made this prophecy two years before 1886,
that is in 1884. So five years passed and the Mian sahib was born in the sixth
year. Hazrat Mirza sahib has himself also written that this prophecy really
belongs to 1884. So this argument is also wrong. Will the Mian sahib admit that
two out of his four proofs are clearly in error?
If the Mian sahib asked for my advice, I would tell him to put
forward the argument that there are already three claimants to the title of
Muslih Mau‘ud and he is the one who makes these three into four.
Mockery of religion
I assure you that this is a mockery being made of religion. There are many
signs of the Muslih Mau‘ud: many nations will find guidance through him,
a large number of people will embrace Islam, and Hazrat Mirza sahib writes in
Al-Wasiyya that God will distinguish him with His revelation and nearness.
If nations are to find guidance in the way in which the Mian sahib saw in his
dream that idol-worshippers became Muslims, then this is simply a vain desire.
Show something practical
If you are going to do something then show it by doing it. If you say that
whatever will be achieved after the time of the Mian sahib will
also be ascribed to him, then I say that whatever will be achieved
in the future it will be regarded as the doing of the Promised Messiah,
not of Mahmud or Nur-ud-Din, or of Muhammad Ali.
People will laugh
Besides this, the Mian sahib also says in this dream: “I am the one for whom
virgins have been waiting for 19 centuries on the shore of this sea”. Then he
says: “Virgins came running and greeted me, and ran their hands over my garments”.
To put forward such things is to make people laugh. I regret that this will
make people laugh at the Promised Messiah.
Refuting an absurd claim
I have told you all this because there are many people who are easily impressed
by hearing the word ‘claim’. I have seen quite well-educated people who say
that if such and such a man has made a claim, we must not oppose him in the
slightest. But it is an act of courage to contradict those who make absurd claims.
If the Muslih Mau‘ud was to be the kind of person that he has claimed
to be, then religion would be a game.
Status of the Promised Messiah
How far above these people was the rank of the Promised Messiah! In his time
the Muslims were thoroughly despondent. Their political power had become decrepit
and their civilisation was facing its worst decline. Even their greatest leaders
could not imagine that the Western rulers could become Muslims. It was only
the Mirza to whom the idea occurred that these nations shall accept Islam.
His claim and basis of work
As soon as he claimed to be the Promised Messiah he laid the foundations of
the propagation of Islam in the West. He wrote that the Western countries which
had, since antiquity, been engrossed in the darkness of unbelief and error shall
be illuminated with the sun of truth, and will receive their share of Islam.
Then he also wrote in Izala Auham that translations and commentaries
of the Holy Quran and other Islamic literature should be taken to these nations.
Don’t rely on dreams
Those who make claims should show practical work. Dreams can be true, sometimes
desires take the form of dreams, and sometimes dreams are also from the devil.
Do not take dreams as your basis but rest your foundations on the Holy Quran.
Religion and the power of action
Religion comes to create in humans a strong power of action. If you cannot
display an example of this power of action then it is futile to
make claims. Remember it well, that a true religion creates within
you the power to act; remember that each one of you has that power.
Put that power to work and see how a great transformation takes
place in the world.
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