What is Ahmadiyyat?

( 52 1 America, the Americans opposed themr but only: to tire e»teilt to· which Ameriqm9 woutd oppose ~u.Asiatics.As far· as the religions part of Ahmadiyya work: was concerned, the Anrericq.ns offered no resistanc~.They thought t.lrey Co\lld ignore it.The Dutch rulers in Indonesi~ treated Ahmadi missionaries in the same way.When they saw that Ahmadis did not interfere in the political affairs of the Dutch, they decided not to oppose them •..They may.have kept watch ov:er them.and shown studied indifference to them~ but no open hostility.In such an attitude they were quite right.We were apposed.to their religion and preached aga~nst it.We conld expect no sympathy from them.But we did not interfere in their politics.SO> they had no right and -no · Jleed to enter upon any visible conflict with us.The result of this has been tlmt Ahmadiyyat has its votar~es ·in afmnst ~very coul)try : in India,.Afghanistan~

( 53 l 'Iran.Iraq, Syriaf Palestine, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, England, United States, Indonesia, ·Malaya', East- and V!est Africa,.Abyssinia and Argentina: In every..one.of these countries Ahmadis are to be found in -large numbers or small.They are the original inhabi- tants of these countries, not IndiaJtS or I Punjabis living th~re who have become Ahmad1s.Some of them are so sincere that they have consecrated their ~ives to the service of Islam.An English lieutenant, having taken a vow t~ spend the rest· of his life in preaching Islam, is now worl~ing as a Muslim missionary.He is regular in his daily pray~rs.He shuns drink..He works.and earns and then spends on leaflets and meetingS.The allowance we are able to give him is less than -the income of the meanest labourer in England.Similarly, a German; an ex·army officer, who has become Ahmadi, has succeeded in escaping from.

( 54 ) Germany.We ?ave heard that he has reached Switzerland and is trying for a visa to Ahmadiyya Centre to receive instruc-.tion in lslam and then to devote himself to its service.This young German.is full of genuine zeal.Some day he will find himself working somewhere for Islam.Another German-- an author-and his.wife are considering whether they also should not devote themselves 'entirely to the work of· propagating I~lam.May·be, they also will come to P~kistan to recei:ve training.A.young man from Holla~d has made up his mind to serve Islam.He also will be one of our missionaries.There is no doubt that the Ahmadiyya Jamaat is still small, but the question is whether this small J amaat is not.the only existing nucleus of a world Muslim organisation? Are not Ahmadis laying the fpundations of a : mo~ement which draws its members from

( 55 ) many different countries and many different political parties.Ahrnadis are working so as to unite different elements in the service-of Islam.Such movements with su.ch universalistic aims are small in the beginning, 'but a time comes when th~y become strong and powerful.They then take little time to emerge into· a new fratl.!rnity, a: new unity.It is obvious that if only political powet is in view, there has to be a political movement; But if the ~nds in view are religious and ·ethical there has to be a religious and ethical movement.The Ahmadiyya Jamaat, therefore, steers dear of politics.If it did not do so, it would not be true to its goal.PROGRAMMES The ot~er question relates to pro- grammes.As regards this also, the Ahmadiyya Jamaat offers a united front.No other ]aii1aat has ~y programme· or world-wide plan.The A h ni ad i y y a

( 56 ) Jamaat is aware of the implications of the Christian attack on Islam and is offering resistance to it in almost every country of the world.At the present t~me Africa may be regarded in some respects ~he weakest# in other z.espeCts# the· strongest part of the world.It is weak to outward appearance# but strong in its possibilities.Little wonder, Christianity has staked its all on Africa.The intentions of the Christian West with regard to Africa are now an open..secret.At first only.missionaries seemed interested m this continent.Then British Conservatives started taking interest in it.But now even the Labour·.' Party.has declared that the salvation of Europe lies in the prosperity and union of Africa...With such visible interest in the 'D3:fk Continent', Europe is also ·aware of the fact that the pros-.perity of AfriCa can benefit Europe only if Africa becomes Christian.

( 57 ) Ahmadiyyat spotted this secret about 24 years ago and sent · her missionaries to Africa.As a result of.this timely action thousands of people abandoned Christianity and became Muslim.At present the_ best organisation of Muslims in Africa is the Ahma,diyya.Christian missioua:ries and workers now hesitate to ,confront Ahmadiyyat.In their reports they admit that the advent of the· Ahmadiyya Jamaat in Africa has put an end to Christian work in that continent.Ahmadiyya miss~onaries went first to West Africa, but now for some y~ars they have also been working in East.Africa.The work m ECJ.st Afrka has only just beguri~ ~o there is.not much to report about East Africa yet..·But even there, Islam has started filling its rank~· from erstwhile Christia.rl.ranks.It may re~onably be hoped that before long Ahmadiyya missionaries e v e n in East.Africa will have ~ood.results

( 58 ) to show.The same is true of Indonesia and Malaya..Ahmadi missions have· existed in these countries for quite a time.They have re·assemb1ed the scattered ranks of Muslims, organized them and inspi~ed them ~ith a new spir!t - and a.new consciou5'hess.The U.S.A.is now the strongest of all Christian powers.There also, Ahmadi missionaries have been working for 24 years.Thousands of American citizens have become Ahmadi and they now contribute thousands of rupees to the missionary work.of Islam.The figures are ·nothing compared with American standards ·and compared with what American missionaries spend in Asiatic and Muslim countries.But we can say that the battle has begun, and successes, however small; are on our side.It is Christia~s who become Muslim, not Muslims who become Christian.It is ; not meet, therefore, to ask why

( 59 ) Ahmadiyyat has established a new Jamaat.· The plain truth is that Ahmadiyyat has raised a Jamaat among Muslims when Muslims had no Jamaat at all.Who· would.deny that this is something to be admired ? SRPARATE ORGANISATION Yet again it is said that even for such ends· as Ahniadiyyat seeks, it was liot necessary to organize a separate.Jamaat.The same ideas and the same spirit could have been.infused in the general body of the Muslims of the world ·~rnd the same ends achieved.But tbis is a misconception.When a cam- paign is to be launched, the person res- ponsible.for the campaign cannot go about asking all and sundry · to help him -and do this or that for him.He can _ask only those who offer to join the campaign with him.Those who stand aside and hesitate to fall in cannot be

( a> ) asked to do.anything.Unless · an ·organisatif?n had · come into existence, Ahmadi.KhalH~s could· not have, proceeded with the Ahmadi y y a ·plan.and programme~..· Whoin · could they ·have asked to come.and..help in the work of Islam ? \vhom could they have invited to give time ·and money in'the interests of· the · Muslim programme ? Would such _appeals.have been proper_? Would it have helped if Ahmadi Khalifas.had gone to the market places and.squares and stopped :Muslims who ~sed- by and asked · them to.do this or that for· Islam ? Had they tried to..do so, they would not have gone ve.ry far with.their work.People busy with their· -affairs wouid have refused to spare themselves.At.the most, some might have agreed and some not.But great plans are not· executed in this way; When a great plan is afoot, those who are ~illing to carry it out have

( 61 ) to organize themselves into 1 a Jamaat, so that· Ahe leader of : the J amaat can depehd upon them for his day-to-day pla.iJ.s.A Jamaat, therefore, was essential..Without: 'it the · work ·of Islam could not have b'eeil done.If, however;.it is said that we might have had a Jamaat, but could still have mixed With other Muslims as ·thoug~ no differences existed.between.them arid us, the· reply is that this al~o was impossible.Work for Islam today e~tails great hardship, 11riselfisbness and · even danger to life..I It entails sacrifices of a high order.Where can we find the men whp would· undertake such sacrifices? Yet they have to be found and trained,.and they have to have a high morale.- It i~.therefore, necessary to· separate those who.would.undertake.the.necessary.sacrifices.from thQse who have not made up their minds to do so.Unless this is ~one, unless- the workers of Islam are separated

( 62 ) to some extent and· trained to a certain standard of simplicity, seriousness and.self-denial, the work of Islam cannot proceed.The danger of regression into · the ,old sloth and the old lack of serious· ness is ever present.Isolation of such Workers from others also promotes curiosity about the workers and..their work.People begin to ask why they believe, live a~d behave as they do? This curiosity takes others nearer to the workers.May-be, on being convinced 'of the truth and value of their principles, plarr and programe, they decide to join the workers.Old hostility or indifference becomes converted into love and alliance.In short, doubts and difficulties on this.subject come of , insufficient thought.If sufficient thought is given to the whole matter it should not be difficult to see that the Ahmadiyya stand is correct.Only by adopting this stand can Ahmadiyyat

( 63 ) promote a movement £or.Islam.afid eD:Iist self-sacrificing individuals in its support.If Ahmadiyyat continues in this policy, 'it will continue to enlarge its circle of supporter§, until the time cotnes when unbelief will realise that.Islam has beome strong again.Then will unbelief attack Islam again with all its might.But the time of attack will have passed aw~y.Islam will hold the field and unbelief ~11 suffer defeat...Those who work for the plitical prosperity of Islam have our good wi~hes.We do not -stand in their way.We only say to them 'You go your way, ·and we go ours.Let tis not obstruct one another.Let us give everybody the freedom to.choose his method of serving ·Islam.Let everybody feel free to join whichever side he chooses.Let · him join the political workers or let him jom us'.'No doubt.in the political field one can attain to much fame with

( 64 ) · little ~acrifice.In ou~ field of.work.Qlie can.attain only too.littl~" fame -in: spite of much sa~riftce.· But ·political workers will reap the reward of their labour and we will reap the raward of our labour.Those who value the renais- • sance of Islam ~ an ultimate sense, those who ·would wish to make thiS· renaissance a reality, will join our.ra.Dks..Those who value· politkal power will join the" political workers.But the ·two have no· cause for quarrel.Both desire the welfare of Islam.Both grieve over its present plight.Only, they are affected by it·in different ways.May-.be · it.is· mind in '.one case, and hearts in the Other, which feel the anguish.' SPIRITUAL APPROACH $o far I have discussed the raison.d' etr~ of Ahmadiyyat.from a common- sense...point.of view.Commonsense.sees.:.things_ large~y.on the surface.·But dhere -ds.~ another point -of view: the

( ()5 l :spiritual point of view which.goes d~eper and which, in my view, is the only real point of view.I propose; therefore, to look at the subject now from th~ spiritual point of view.And eternal law of God ordains that when· evil abounds in the world, when· spiritua~ ends become · forgotten and people generally come to attach more importance to worldly ends than to things of the spirit, God raises from amongst His servants those who guide His creatures back to the straight path.Through them, God seeks to reestablish the faith that is gone.Such divinely appointed guides bril).g different messages at different times.At times they promulgate laws about right and wrong.At other times they promulgate no law and teach nothing new.They only guide a · people back to an old law and an old tea<;hing.This eternal law i.s the central theme of the· Huly

( 66 ) Quran.God turns to it again and aga_in in the holy books and reminds.mankind of the mercy and grace which.th~ ~oming of divine teachers embodies and the recognition.of which.is · an cle~~ntary duty.of all human· beings.There is no doubt that God is High and Mighty and -man,_ in com- parison, is low and feeble.Yet it is true that man has been created for a high purpose.The heavens aild the earth and· whatever is in tl\em have a purpose.Says the Holy Quran : 'And we· have not made the heavens and the earth and what is between them -in sport' (44:39):- A purpose runs through all creation.That purpose is that man should become a true image.of God, that human beings should (reproduce on a human· scale the attributes and virtues.uf the Deity and :thal those among them who lear;n to live godly lives should.~how the way to others.

67 ) From the earliest times, this has been the law of God.The being and ath:i- butes of God have manifested them- selves in· the lives and characters of divine teachers.They manifested them- selves in Adam.- Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and last and best of, all ·in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace).The Holy Prophet reflected m his life and qharacter, severally as well as collectively, all the divine attributes.The refiexion of divine attributes in the life of the ·Holy Prophet was so perfect that if other prophets are like stars on 'the spiritual firmament, the Holy Prophet is like the sun.The Holy Prophet gave to the world the last divine law.He was the last law-giver sent by God.to man, and no ·law-giving prophet was to come after him.· It was not due , to divine favouritism.It was 'be c a u s e the law w.h i c h the H o I y Prophet

(.6R.} brought from God to man was so compre- hensive and complete that another version of the divine law was not required.In the revelation of ·the QuFan and in the ·life and example of the Prophet, God fulfilled His promise and His purpose.There' was, l10wever~ no guarantee that men would continue to do their duty, that, having learnt this perfect law once, they would remain steadfast in its observance and loyal to its memory for ever afterwards.The Holy 'Quran teaches that the contrary was to be expected.Says the Quran :- 'He it is who plans the Coinmand from the heaven to the earth ; and then it rises towards Him in a day ··the length of which is_ a thousand years according to your rockoning' (82~6).The verse first describes the com- ing of Islam..It then tells us how Islam was to become established and

( 69 ) what was due to h~ppen· iater on.It ~ays that Islam, the last law taught by God to man, would become establi- shed in the world under a divine design.The hostility of its enemies would be of no av.ail.But after a time it would begin, as it were, to ascend ba'Ck to heaven and in I ,000 years would have disappeared.from the world again.Three hundred years..is the Prophet's ·own round estimate of the time during which Islam was to become ec;tablished in the world.· I have cited above the Hadith.on.~his P?int.The Holy Quran, through the symbols Alif, Lam, )fini.!.{a· (Surah 13).puts it down as 271 years.If we add 271 to 1,000 ·we have the exact ·da.te.by which the spirit of Islam was to disappear from· the.world.It was to be the year 1271 according tp the Hijri calendar.roughly the end of the 13th century.The eternal law of God, however, is that

( 70 ) every time mankind regresses into doubt and disbelief, God sends down a messenger to save mankind from irretrie· vable degradation and to reassert His sovereignty over man and the world.It was inevitable, therefore, that a mes· senger of God should appear in our time and address us in His namf'.This messenger could have been any- body, but his coming was certain, for God lias ever guided His creatures: When the followers of Adam went astray He guided.them.When · the followers of Noah, Abraham, Moses or Jesus went wrong, He guided them.· It is inconceiv- a'ble that when the fqllowers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad lose the old faith and become corrupt in thought and deed, He should do nothing.The followers· of the Holy Prophet were pro· mised something more.They were to have guides from heaven in the b e g i n n i n g of every century ,-the

( 71~ ') Mujaddids or Restorers who were to restore the faith · of Islam at inter:vals of 100 years.They \\ere to rise from time to time· and meet the minor crises of Islam.The history· of Islam records the.names of these Mujaddids or Restorers.They appeared in ·accordance with.the Prophet's tradition which says: Verily, God will raise for this people, at the head of every 100 years, one who will restore for them, their faith' (Abu.Daud Vol.II, p.241}.It does not stand to reason that Islam..should have had guides from heaven to meet its.minor crises, but no one to meet its major crisis.of to-day.This major crisis of Islam was also foretold; Accord- ing to the Holy Prophet it had been.foretold by prophet aft€r prophet from times immemorial.It is incomprehensible that, to meet their major crisis, Muslim~

( 72 ) should have no messenger, no guide from heaven, no one to call them back to the old faith and· lead them out of the darkness and degradation into which they have falUm.Are we to say that the beneficence , of God which brought grace and guidance to the followers of earlier prophets was to be denied to the followers of the Holy Prophet ? No.The old beneficence, the old.grace and guidance should come manifold to the followers· of the Prophet.There is nothing more certain and u n e q u i v o c a I than that both the Quran and the Hadith promise ·thai whenever the followers of the Holy Prophet fall into evil, they will have Someone to guide them out of it.This promise relates especially to our time.Ours is the time of the Dajjal (the anti- Christ), of the at.Scendancy of Christianity and of the apparent defeat of Islam and the enslavement of :Muslims to the

( 73 ) canons and customs of other nations a·nd other peoples.In our time was to appear a Restorer and Guide in complete likeness to the Holy Prophet.This was the R~storer appointed to inspire our age and and resuscitate Islam in our time.Ours is the time desc1ibed by the Prophet as the time ~in which nothing will be left of Islam except its name and ?f the Quran, nothing except its 'text' (Mishkat, Kitab al-Ilm).Therefore, friends, the Ahmadiyya Movement only f~lfils an eternal la~.It fulfils prophecies.and promises made by the Holy Prophet himself and by prophets before him.If the Founder of the Movement has not proved worthy of his office, tlJ,e fault cannot be his..The office was not of his choosing.But if ·God is· the Knower of the Unseen, if there is nothing hidden fro1n His view, and if all His acts ·are fun of wisdom; then you may he sure that the choice of

( 74 ) Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.(on whom be.peace) was the only correct choice.Muslims and the world can be delivered only through him.He has brought no new message.It is the message of the Holy Prophet Muhammad which the world had all but forgotten.It is the message· of the Ouran from which the world had · - ,_, all but turned away.And what is this message ? That the universe and man owe themselves to a Creator, that the Creator created man, so.that mari should love Him, imitate His perfect attributes and reproduce them on a human scale.Says the Quran : And when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am certainly going to create a vicegerent in , this earth' (2: 31).The verse describes the creation of Adam, the progenitor of the human race.It lays down clearly that man is the Khalifa of God, His vicegerent

( 75 ) and bearer of His attributes.It sets forth the purpose of God.in the creation of man and the Islamic con- ception of man~s duty.Man's d~ty is to reproduce on a human scale the beautiful attributes of God.This is impossible.unless man turns to God again and again and ask for His help and guidance at every step ; unless.by devotion and sacrifice man makes himself worthy of the sacred trust which God has placed in his hands; unless man seeks the support and sustenance of God in h·erything he undertakes; and unless he learns to rely on God in everything.This is the ever-lasting message, to fulfil which, the Promised Messiah came into the world.He came to draw away man-:- kind from excessive worldliness and lead them back to their duty to ·God.He came to recreate faith in Islam ancl to re- instate the Holy Prophet in.the hearts of l\Iuslims.Had not satank pmi.rers with-

( 76 ) in and without nearly banished him? The first step whi::h the Promised Messiah took to fulfil this mission was to remind Muslims of the important distinction..between the shell and the kernel, between the externals of a faith and its substance and spirit.He insisted on the impQrtance of externals but· said· that the spirit was.even more important.\Vithout a genuine inward- ness, true human advance was.impossible.He founded a Jamaat every entrant into which, while declaring his faith, had to declare, 'I will hold my religion above all worldly considerations.' 'Faith above world,' therefore~ became the slogan of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat.The message came in time.The disease Muslims suffered from was just this lack of faith.\Vorldly greatness had slipped out of their hands;· still they craved only for things of the world.The advance of Islam meant in their eyes.~ the ad van c e of :Mu£.1im

( 77 ) education, Muslim industry, Muslim comJilerce, Muslim politics.These ideals are far from the ideal which the Holy Prophet had in view.The Prophet was not -interested in the promotion of a comrimnity which called itself - Muslim..He would not have been happy if more· and more persons called themselves Muslims.· He was interested in real Muslims.A real Muslim, according to the Quran, has 'his face ever- turned towards God' (2:113).Such a· Muslim lives for God.His own aims and ambi- tions and whatever he cares for in the \Vorld, are subordinated to the needs and requirements of religion.The subordi- nation of worldly needs to the needs of -religion seems a simple matter but it con- stitutes an important point of difference between Islam and other religionsr Islam does ·not · forbid us to strive for political prosperity.But Islam does- require us to be different from others~

I 78 \.Human efiort is of two kinds.One aims at the shelf through the ·kernel.The other aims at the kernel through the shell.Those who aim at the kernel through the shell may or may not suc- ceed.1.\tfore often than not, they fail.But those who aim at the shell through the kernel obtain the shell as well as tht>.kernel.The Holy Prophet and his earl~· followers were devoted entirely to religion, but they did not fail to achi~vc worldly greatness.It is but natural that those who.achieve religion should also achieve the.world.But those who achieve the world rna y not achieve re- ligion.Those who.seek the world often lose their religion.They plan to find religion after they have found · the world, but in the attempt lose whatever religion they have.Accordingly, the Promised Messiah (following the example of the Holy Prophet} invited people to faith and did so in the name of God.There were

( 79 ) two· movements in the promised Messiah's time.One said, 'We Muslims have become weak, let us ask for political power and make ourselves strong.' The other was the movement initiated by the Promised Messiah which said, 'Let us work for religion, God will take care of the world.' Some have wrongly taken the Ahmadiyya Movement for yet another Sufistic order.There are Sufis who lay great stress on prayers and fasting.They send their followers into cloisters and behind walls.Excessive worship makes them useless for anything else.The Pro- mised Messiah did nothing of the kind.Had he done so, he would have been one of those who promise a kernel but pre- sent a shell.He insisted on true •religion and on the true function of true religion.True religion sharpens our intellect and illumines our understanding.True religion, truly, cultivated, raises our moral

( 80 ) level, improves our capacity for action and creates in us a spirit of self-sacrifice.The promised Messiah invited people to true religion.He insisted on religious practices.But the prayers, _fasts, Zakat and l;Iaj to which he invited were those taught by the Quran.The religious practices taught by the Quran are not physical experiences.·Fasts laid down by the Quran are not feats of physical endurance.Zakat is not to lose money in sport.Haj is not an exercise in difficult travel.According to the Quran, 'prayer teaches you to abjure all indecencies and.prohibitions' (29 : 46).If our prayers do· not result in the banish- ment of indecencies and prohibitions, they are not prayers in the true sense..Similarly fasts (2 : 184} are meant to.purify us and to raise our moral standards.If we fast but the fasting does not pro~ duce the results which it should, we may be sure·that we have been fasting in the

( 81 ) wrong way or with \vrong motives.Per.:.haps we have only been learning to.endure hunger and thirst.God- does not care for this sort of fasting.The function of Haj, according to the Quran, is to cure disunion, to stop corruption and conflicts.The end of Zakat,·.,accor·· ding to the Quran [9 : 1 03], is the purification of individual and social life and the 'cleansing of.·em'otions and thoughts.Those who do not achieve these results do not practise the Zakat taught by the Qur.an.The Quran ·~iii not stamp our prayers, fasts, Zakat and Haj as correct unless they lea{! to the banishment of indecencies, make us God-fearing, cure us of disunion, and purify · our individual.and social life and our thoughts and feelings..The Promi~ed Mes,siah, accordingly, declared that if Ahmadis did not achieve the results which the teachings of the Quran were ·meant to achieve, he would not regard

( 82 ) them as....· true Ahmadis:.Such -Ahm.adis wiU ~ve· missed.the kernel for the· shell while God· values the kernel, not the shell.So in oth.er religions practices the _Promised Messiah urged the importance of the spirit rather than the form.The injunctions of Islam,.he said, were rooted ~n· wisdom, not.one, which was not p.regpant with ~eaning.God was to be ~n not with the physical eye, but with a pure heart.· Contact with Him was attained not through physical means but through love and devotion.Religion seeks no rule over the five senses or o"\,er the external actions of.man.If it propounds rules for the five senses oF for m:rternal.actions, it is in order 'to in- fluence the feelings thoughts and motives of man; to sharpen his- intellect and purify the recesses of his heart·.It is in order that man may see God, that he rna y come in dose contact with Him and hear His· voice.By

( 83 ) poi1Hing out these basic truths the Promised Messiah opened a new avenue for the advance of Islam..It was a small community which collected around.him, but it was a community which valued religion more than the life of this- wo:dd and prepared itself for all manner of sacrifice for the advance of Islam and for the establishment of the spiritual dominion of the.Holy Prophet.There is a moral in this.Ahmadis are outnumbered several thousand times by other Muslims.But the work which other Muslims ar.e doing for the propaga- tion and prQI!lotion of Islam is not even a quarter of wJ1a:t Ahmadis are doing.Why th.is.larg~ difference ? "Obviously hecause the P~omised Messiah (on whome be peace) taught Ahmadis to hold religion above everything ·else~ As soon as AhJ;Dadis learnt the· meaning and value of.this truth, their religious practice$ ,and tJ\eir ·daily lives beG.ame different.T.he

( 84 ) prayer of a true Ahmadi 1s very different from the prayer of an ordinary Muslim.The outward fonn is the same.The prayers and invocations used are the same, but the soul and substance are quite ·different.When an Ahmadi ep.gages in Namaz, he has his eye on its real purpose.His Namaz is a means of ·promoting his contact with God.If it is asked, Do not others, say their Namaz ·with the same intent?', my reply is 'Certainly.noe.If stock is taken of the beliefs which have been advocated.among Muslims for some time, it would be found that Muslims as a body have come to hold, that direct contact with God is no kmg~r possible.'They hold that tbe Voice of God can be heartl no more, nor can man beseech God and implore Him successfully for a change in the course of events.For over one rmndred years now Muslims have denied the _possibility of divitte reYelatiOn.:Befor~ this,.·Mns.Jiim..;;

{ ·ss ) ·believed -that revelation was possible.Some of them even claimed that they received such revelation.But now for over one hundred yean~ Muslims have become reconciled to a complete denial I of th.e continuity of revelation.Some Muslim authorities have condemned belief in the continuity of revel~tion as Kufr.The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace ) claimed that not only he himself but even those who followed him truly and ordered their ljves in accordance with hi~ advice and instructions would hear the voice of God.He published his revela- tions as often as he received them and encouraged his followers to seek this gift from God.Did not Muslims implore God five times a day saying.•God, show us the straight path, th6 path of those on ·whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings 'J \Vhat does this prayer-- repeated so often in the cour~ of a

( :86 ) sjngle day by every Muslim-mean? What after all does it seek? certainly the blessings which in the past God has.bestowed on those who sought; deserved artd found His favours.Among these blessings is the gift of prophecy.The blessed ones of God, therefore, include the prophets.Unless this prayer was meant to be wasted, ·it is impossible that not a -single Muslim should attain to that nearness to God which bas been t•njoyed hy innumerable prophets befor.e.Pointing this out, the Promised Messiah cured the depression and des- pondency which had overtaken -all Muslims.Not €'Very Ahmadi, howe.\ler, but certainly· every Ahmadi who.INs acquired insight into the meaning and purpose of the advent of the Promised Messiah, observes Namaz, not as a dead routine, but as an occasion to seek and receive the grace of God.Such an Ahmadi engages in N amaz to

( 8IJ ) ~ve· and' d~~penlhis relatiolilSbip with God..Namaz.obserN:ed..,in this ·w.ay ~~ With this: intent c~t- bu.t be vet:y different.from ordinany Namaz,.So tp.u~li.did.the· Promised M-essiah.siiress th(} possibility of dillect relationship with:.Gdd: tha,t.he iavited all inquirers to test his.own claim b¥ pnayellS addressed dir.ectly to God.He.beLieved that Goo had shown many signs in.support.oi' hi$ clajm, But he said, it was not necessary, to reply ·on those signs.If men had no.time to ponder over those signs ; or- if they · thought there was no need to do so, or if they thought they could' not rely on ~heir OW.Jl:judgement ; then the way was open.to them to address their solicitations direct ·to God and ask Him to lead ·them in the ·matter of the claims· of the Promised Messiah.If his claims were true,.they should..ask: God 'to· lead them: towards him.If they were· ~alse they should ask God -to· turn them:.away

{ 88 ) from him.The Promised Messiah proclaimed that this method:: of prayer for testing his claim was open to every- one.If one prayed continuously for some time for the direction of -God in this matter he was certain to reach the truth.Hundreds and thousands of Ahmadis have ~ntered the Ahmadiyya fold on receiving some light or direction from God in answer to their prayers It is an unfailing instrument.We can mak~ mistakes in argument or observation.But God can make no mistakes in His directions to human beings.And how great is the certainty of faith in the truth of his cl~ims which the Promise,d Messiah has shown in this invitation to all and sundry to test his claims by an appeal-to God.Can a pre- tender is5ue SUfh an invitation ? Can such a person ask -people to go and a.Sk God about him and·his claims? Can a pretender -expect God's decision to go in

his · favour ? people to such death warrant.·( 89 ) A pretender inviting a test issues his own The Promised Messiah issued this invitation again and again.He said he had thonsands of signs to show 'in his support, but if these were not enough he invited people to hear neither him nor his enemies; but to pray directly to God and hear what He bad to say on the question of his claims.Should God pronounce him a pre~eilder, he was nothing else.But should God pronounce hjm true, why hesitate to believe? • Eriends, how straight ana simple was ·this method of testing the claims of the Promised Messiah ! Thousands of persons benefited from it.The method can be adopted even now by tl;lose who waver over the question.The Promised Messiah's reliance on this method of prayer was evidence, again, of his general attitude towards religioi1.

( 90 ) He held religion above other things.We had the means, he said,· to settle disputes.and disagr~ements.about material things : the five senses, the capacity to judge and infer.We also had the sun and the stars to guide us in our knowledge of physical things.Was it possible there should be no means to know the truth in spiritual matters, no light to guide the..spirit when.it wa~ surrounded by darkness all around ? God's own teaching was unmistakable on the point.According to it, God was ever willing to show the way to those who toiled in search cf spiritual· truths.Says God in the Quran : 'Those who toil in their search for Us.We surely show them the way to Ourselves' (29: 70).In short 'Religion· First' was.the :Principle which the Promised :MeSsiah sought to inculcate in both his followers

( ~H and his opponents.For his· follG\vers,.it was to be a rule of life.For others., it ~.aS to serve as an instrument for testing the truth of his claims..Our God is a living God.The realm both of Xature and of Spirit are under 1-Jis sovereignty.A believer's duty is to cultivate as close a relation with God as he can and come as near to Him as is possible..He who is.without guidance must seek guidance from Him and reach the truth with His help.The message of ·the Promised 11essiah for this age is that mankind.has to find God again.and having found God, to re-forni itself to His liking.:T6 those who seem to despair, the ·Promised ~essiah brings the certain expectation of meeting God.FrieDds~ read the holy books.Read the history of your own fore-fat~rs.Were their lives consecrated.to material ('.nds.? Did t h e y rely.only · on

( 92 ) material means ? \Vere they not eng-rossed day and night in a search for God and for · the means to please Him ? And manv of them found the object of their search, And· when they did, they witnessed signs and miracles and other evidences of a living God.This was what distinguished ·early Muslims from· other peoples and other nations.But what is there to distinguish Muslims of today from Hindus, Christians and others ? If there is nothing very much to distinguish Muslims of today from other religious communities.then what use is Islam to Muslims ? The truth, however, is that such a distinction exists.But :\fuslims have lost sight of it.The di~tinrtion 1s that Islam alone holds up the gift of revelation as God's enduring ~ift t•, man.Islam alone teaches that man can ever have direct access to.God.The spiritual grace of the Holy Prophet has

{ 9~l ) just this meaning.It does not mean that Muslims should- keep advancing in educa- tion, industry or commerce.For, non- Muslims keep do~g so no less.The spiritual grace of ·the Holy Prophet of Islam means that Muslims who follow:.the Holy Prophet ~an have direct ac~ess to_ God; that through this access man can see God with hi~ mind, heart and soul and be at one with Him; that he can hear His sweet voice and show signS in evidence of his contact with Him.This is the gift.which only the followers of the.Prophet can- receive and this is the ·gift which distinguishes.Muslims from non-Muslims.This is tbe distinction of islam which Muslims had all but forgotten and to which the Promised Messiah drew their attention He ·received the gift of revelation as a follower of the Holy Prophet,.and.be confronted his detractors wit.h this simple fact..The gift.of revelation long

( 94 ) denied to the world had.been received by him, he said, through the grace of the Holy Prophet.There are many things which the Promised Messiah said or did, and they are all very important and.far-reaching; but, compared with this central contribution of his to· Islam, they must count as small and secondary His central contribution was that he initiated a movement to persuade· people to hold.religioa above all things, and to prefer spiritual ends and means to material ends and means..The future of Islam is bound up with this realiZation.We must leam to.regard· spiritual ends and means as very much more importan4.than physical ends and means..We must use guns in defence of the lands in which we- live.Some of our'ettemies will yield to nothing else.But the worid·wide renaissance of Islam for which we wait will not come except through the spiritual means inculcated by

( 95 ) -the Promised Messiah.When Muslims.are Musl4ns, when they learn to hold religion ·above eveything else, when spiritual ends begin to seem more precious to.them, then all the pleasureS' they seek in imitation of the w~st will disappear of themselves.They will need.no pressure or persuasion to give up these pleasures.They will have no taste left for them.They will seek, instead, only serious pursuits and purposes.Their words and deeds will acquire a new power, a new appeal.Non-:Muslims will imitate the ways of Muslims and not unlike the Meccan enemies of lsi~.Hindus, Christians and others will begin to say 'Would, that we had been Muslims'! Not unli~e the Meccans, again, their secret feelings will begin to translate · themselves into open profession and visible action.They will not take lorig to become Muslims.Men cannot keep long away from a good thing.A

( 96 ) liking for it develops into desire and desire into attqtction tili at last one.is with the object of G>ne's desire.The same th,ing will happen now.Islam will first take root in the hearts· of Muslims.It will.-~prout forth in their own con~uct and character and this non-Mu~lims will find difficult to resist.Then will the world become filled with Muslims..and Islam.Friends, l am constrained to be brief.I cannot argue in detail.I cannot describe the ·message of Ahmadiyyat in all.its bearings'.I have tried to.present only in outli.n,e the aims and motives of Ahmadiyya1;.I.request· you, therefore, to ponder over- ·the contents of this address and see for yourselves · whether religious movements in the· past.have.ever· prospered through earthly means.Religious movements have ever succeeded through religious means.Their weapons are inner· purity and Self-sacrifice·.-They

( 97 ) attract others through precept.ai).d example.This has been the law from the time of Adam.It cannot be different 1 now.Messages _ received from God have spread in the past through spiritual means..So \Vill the Message of hlam spread in 6uJZ time through spiritual.means.This· is.·· what the Promised :i.Vlessiah has taught on.divine authority·.Therefore_, for the sake of, your soul?, for the sake of coming generations, fqr the sake of your near and dear ones and for the sake of your country, heed the Message of God.Tum to it atten- tively and try to understand it, so that the gates of divine grace may open for you sooner than they Qtherwise might and the pace of Islam become acceler~ted and not retarded.There is hard work to ·be done.It is for this that we await Y

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