Remembering Hadhrat Massih Maoud (as)- II

Prophets and other Messengers are raised by Allah, the Most High. He bestows His favour on whomsoever He wills among His servants and such persons declare a Divine Mission when the Divine Grace descends on them. And Allah knows best when and where to place His Message (6: 125). The Holy Qur’an declares: ‘He cannot be questioned as to what He does’, but those who reject the Messengers will be questioned as to what they did (21:21).

About the Divine Messengers, Allah states in the Holy Qur’an: “We sent none as Messengers before you but men to whom We sent revelations. So ask those who are well versed in scriptures, if you know not. And We did not give them bodies that ate no food, nor where they to live forever” (21:8-9).

No wonder, Divine Messengers invariably affirm their humanity. The Holy Qur’an repeatedly mentions this fact: “We are indeed only men like yourselves, but Allah bestows His favour on whomsoever He wills from among His servants” (14:12). About his status and mission, a Messenger declares: “I am only a man like yourselves; but I have received the revelation that your God is only One God. So let him who hopes to meet his Lord do good deeds, and let him join no one in the worship of his Lord” (18:111).

Hence, the profound duty and responsibility of a Messenger of Allah is to make people understand the real purpose of life and to guide them in leading a life of meaning and enduring value, both in this world and the world to come. Their life as lived in this very earth is the message for their fellow beings. In this way, the Messengers essentially seek to purify people and to guide them to their Lord through their noble precepts and credible practices.

To know the prophets and the Divine messengers is to know the ways of Allah. The life of Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian is a recent testimonial to the enduring principles of Divine Mercy and continuity of revelations confirmed by the Holy Qur’an. Understanding the physical and material circumstances of his times, family background, early education, traits of character and spiritual inclination from early life are important in a way for the believers to marvel at the contingent circumstances against which Divine Messages emerge and thrive.

In a world that refuses to recognize the spiritual reality of a Living and Ever- Subsisting Lord who speaks to His servants and answers the prayers of His supplicants, what better way to affirm those principles than to remember the lived history of such Divine Messengers? In his Friday Sermon of March 16, 2012, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius sketched a fascinating glimpse into the early life and times of Hadhrat Massih Maoud (as). The first part of the Sermon was published here at the Sahih Al Islam Blog on March 17, 2012.

Read the second and final part of the Sermon:

Promised Massih (as): Portrait as a Young Man- I

In his Friday Sermon of March 16, 2012 Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius spoke about the Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). The speech graphically portrayed a picture of Hadhrat Ahmad as a young man and also that of Qadian, birthplace of the Promised Massih (as).  The growing up years of the man who would eventually be raised with a Divine Mission, as emerging from this Biographical note, makes one really appreciate the Divine Plan behind it all.  

Read the Extracts from the Speech:

"When Massih Ma’ud (upon him be peace) was born in India there was no schools or colleges. Education in Muslim households consisted of learning the Holy Quran and, at the best, learning to read Urdu and Persian.

The first tutor of Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (upon him be peace) was engaged when he was about six or seven, around 1841. He taught Massih Ma’ud (upon him be peace) verses of the Quran and started on a few elementary Persian books. When he was about 10 years old, another tutor was engaged. He worked hard with Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (upon him be peace) and taught him the elements of Arabic. A few other boys came to his house to share the services of the tutors. One tutor was often teased. It is not known whether Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (upon him be peace) joined in, but it is unlikely. He was a serious, studious boy and when the day’s lessons were done, they were held in what was a living room, he normally climbed the stairs to his room, which was immediately above and continued reading.

SAFAR Zikrullah: March 2003

Islam swears by a Living Allah. He is Merciful and Compassionate and hears and answers the prayers of His servants. Divine Mercy encompasses the whole world. So much so that there has never been any nation that has not received its share of divine guidance. The Holy Qur’an testifies that all communities have witnessed the appearance of Divine Messengers among them. It is an enduring Divine practice that Allah raises His Messengers and servants whenever He finds the community of people in disarray due to lack of unity and real spirituality in society.

There is little doubt among thoughtful people that the Islamic world is witnessing such an era. The signs are unmistakably apparent- obvious to every one except the ones who have veils over their eyes. The fortunes of the Muslim Ummah have touched the lowest ebb. The ravaging of Arab lands- American occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan and the prolonged suffering of Palestine under Israeli colonial domination and the ongoing encircling of Iran, all points to this state of decline and crises. 

Allah raised Musa (as) to take on the Pharaohs of his times. Prayer was his ultimate armament. In an age when everything is upside down, a Man of Allah appears to show the way, to teach the people the real path of sublime spirituality. Such a Servant of Allah seeks the protection against the worst enemies of people through reciting fervent prayers. 

In March 2003, Allah, the Most High guided His Chosen Messenger of the era Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of Mauritius (atba) to organize a special spiritual retreat- an event that has since come to be known as “Safar Zikrullah”. For a few days, the close disciples of Hadhrat Sahib and some other truth seekers joined him to spend time in Divine remembrance and to offer fervent prayers for the destruction of modern Pharaohs like Ariel Sharon who has since then been reduced by Allah the Almighty to a miserable state in this very life!  Safar Zikrullah is thus one of the most important spiritual events of the last decade.

Beyond the external impact of the prayers of a Man of God manifesting in the world at large, it is remarkable to note that this extraordinary event has had an internal dimension as well. The disciples of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba), each one of them who attended the Safar Zikrullah Programme, witnessed at their own levels one Divine sign or the other that testified to the veracity of the chosen Messenger of Allah. All Praise belongs to the Almighty Alone!    

The biographical essay on the life and message of Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) contains a narrative on Safar Zikrullah.

Read the relevant extracts:

Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam: Basic Beliefs

In October 2010, an Ahmadi seeker of truth from Kerala, India wrote a letter to Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (aba) of Mauritius. While seeking information about the exact nature of the claim of Hadhrat Sahib, he expressed his conviction: "[i]t is incumbent upon me as a Muslim to accept the divinely appointed Khalifatullah of the Age". Hadhrat Sahib’s considered response to the letter throws profound light on the concept of Tawheed and the continuity of Divine revelations in Islam and a brief account about the divine bounties bestowed on him in recent times by Allah the Most High.

As the letter provides a glimpse into the nature of foundational beliefs held by Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam, we are reproducing the letter below (omitting personal details), for the benefit of our readers:

“….By the immense grace of Allah, He has recently officially (10 September 2010) raised me in addition to being an Amir'ul Momeneen, Muhyi-ud-Din and Khalifatullah to the honourable position of Mujaddid and Massih Maoud of this age. I have come to revive the teachings of Islam, the teachings of the Holy Quran and to guide the whole humanity towards the worship of one God, Allah (Tabaarak Wa Ta'ala).

Khalifa Sani and the Miracle of Survival

On the occasion of Musleh Maoud Day, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius delivered a special sermon on February 20, 2012. The speech contains illuminating insights on the life and personality of the Musleh Maoud Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, the  Son and Promised Reformer from the family of the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). The first instalment of this important speech was published on February 23, 2012 and is available here. The speech is also significant for the powerful and unassailable spiritual arguments the Khalifatullah brings forward in defence of Hadhrat Musleh Maoud (ra), especially in the backdrop of the objections being raised against his divinely-granted status by Abdul Ghaffar Janbah Sahib of Germany who claims to be the Mujaddid of the era].

Read the second and final instalment of the Speech:

Remembering Hadhrat Musleh Maoud

On the occasion of Musleh Maoud Day, Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius delivered a special sermon on February 20, 2012. The speech contains illuminating insights on the life and personality of the Musleh Maoud Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, the Promised Son and Reformer of the Promised Messiah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). The speech is also significant for the powerful and unassailable arguments the Khalifatullah brings forward in defence of this Man of God, especially in the backdrop of the objections being raised against his status as Musleh Maoud by Abdul Ghaffar Janbah Sahib of Germany who claims to be the Divinely-appointed Mujaddid of the era.

This part contains the first instalment of this important speech and deals with the major milestones in the life of Hadhrat Khalifa Sani (ra). The second instalment dealing with the accusations that he met with an accursed death of a false claimant of Divine office is examined against the backdrop of true Islamic teachings on the Divine shadow of help over the missions of Divine Elects, historic record of martyrdom of the Jewish Prophets and the experiences of the Holy Prophet (sa) himself. For the second and final part of the Speech, click here].  

Musleh Maoud Day marks the announcement of the revelation of the prophecy by the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), about the birth of a son to him who would be the Musleh Maoud or Promised Reformer. The advent of Musleh Maoud was not only prophesised by the Promised Messiah but also by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and the saints of Islam who lived before the advent of the Promised Messiah and in the scriptures and traditions of the past.

Born on 12 January 1889, Hazrat Musleh Maoud started his education in early 1895 with the simple reading of the Holy Quran. He attained fluency in reciting the Holy Quran within the short period of two years and an Ameen function was held to mark the happy occasion on 07 June 1897. For this memorable achievement the Promised Messiah (as) composed a poem in the form of a moving prayer, in acknowledgement of the grace and favour of Allah. (Thereafter Huzur (atba) sang the said poem).

He was then enrolled in the District Lower Primary School and then later joined the Talimul Islam School. Due to his constant ill-health and weak eyesight he did not achieve any degree of success in his secular studies. The Promised Messiah was very much concerned about his son’s illness to the degree, that in the last days of his life, he called one of his attending physicians and told him to take greater care of Mahmood’s health and should be more attentive to his treatment. His teachers were not altogether satisfied with the educational progress he was making in his studies, so they complained to the Promised Messiah who had him undergo a hand-writing test and found that his handwriting corresponded almost to his own. In his matriculation examination he could only secure passes in Arabic and Urdu.

Subsequently, Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin (ra) took over the duties of his religious education. At the early age of fourteen, he composed his first poem in which he addressed Allah in the following words: “I seek Thy pleasure all the time. If I am favoured with it, I shall feel that I got all that there is to get.” This was the state of the heart that was to revolutionise the world and we find that was his guiding theme throughout his life which led him from success to success.

In 1903, he married Sayyeda Mahmooda Begum who later became known as Hazrat Sayyeda Umme Nasir. In May 1914 he married Hazrat Sayyeda Amatul Hayy, the daughter of Hazrat Khalifatul Massih I. Then in 1925, he married Hazrat Sayyeda Sarah Begum. He subsequently married Hazrat Sayyeda Umme Tahir. The first mentioned wife bore him Hazrat Mirza Nasir Ahmad who then became Khalifatul Massih III, while the last mentioned wife bore him Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (may Allah forgive him) who then afterwards became the Khalifatul Massih IV.

Among his other renowned sons are Mirza Mubarak Ahmad. In March 1906 he started the publication of a magazine known as Tashhizul Azhan of which he was the editor. His first editorial covered fourteen pages. In the Jalsa Salana (Annual Gathering) of the same year, he delivered his first important lecture which was highly appreciated by the audience and which was later published as a book.

At the age of nineteen, he started giving lessons on the Holy Quran after Maghrib (evening) prayer. In 1913, with the permission of Hazrat Khalifatul-Massih I, he started Al-Fazl newspaper from Qadian on a bi-weekly basis but it has since been converted into a daily newspaper. In the meantime, he also organised an association called ‘The Anjuman Ansarullah’ with the objective of raising the Community to greater activity in pursuing its objectives. Also when he was nineteen his illustrious father, the Promised Messiah, died and standing by him, he made the following historic statement: “Even if everybody deserted you and I were left alone to battle against the whole world, yet will I stand against the whole world and shall not heed any opposition or hostility.”

During the years from 1909 to 1911, he took lessons in English from Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali and on the very first page in his notebook he wrote a very remarkable prayer which runs as follows: “O Lord God, help me in learning this language and bless every word that I learn from my teacher and help us in breaking the power of the cross and in slaying the swine, for man has no power without Thy aid.”

In March 1914, Hazrat Khalifatul Massih I became seriously ill, so he appointed Hazrat Musleh Maoud to lead the prayers. It may here be noted that Hazrat Musleh Maoud was only 25 years old at that time and to be appointed Imaam for prayers by the Khalifatul-Massih I showed what qualities must have been observed in him.

In this context it may be pointed out that an old and very respected companion of the Promised Messiah whose name was Pir Manzur Muhammad, after studying the works of the Promised Messiah on the subject of Musleh Maoud concluded that Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad combined in himself all the qualities which mark him out very clearly as the Musleh Maoud of the prophecy. He wrote a paper on it deducing fourteen points and applied the prophecy to Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra). He presented the paper to Hazrat Khalifatul Massih I and having written a gist of the discussion between himself and the Khalifatul Massih, he presented it to him, requesting his signature for confirmation.

Hazrat Maulvi Nuruddin (ra) wrote the following on the paper and signed it: “We have known this for a long time. Haven’t you noticed that in our personal attitude towards him there is a deep inner shade of deference? I confirm that I said this in the course of a talk with Brother Pir Manzur Muhammad.”

On Friday 13 March 1914, Hazrat Khalifatul-Massih I passed away and the following day Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad (ra) was acclaimed as Khalifatul Massih II at that young age of 25. According to the prophecy announced by the Promised Messiah about the Musleh Maoud, two of the qualities mentioned are that he would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. During more than half a century of his Khilafat, Hazrat Musleh Maoud (ra) demonstrated these qualities in an exceptional manner. 

In 1924, he travelled to England to present a paper at the Conference of Living Religions of the Empire. The natural outcome of the paper is his book Ahmadiyyat or The True Islam. On 19 October 1924, he laid the foundation stone of the London Mosque. During the early thirties, he played an important role in the Kashmir situation and was unanimously acclaimed as the first President of the All India Kashmir Committee, a duty which he performed meritoriously. The result of the All India Kashmir Committee were nothing but miraculous.

He initiated Jalsa Seerat-un-Nabi (pbuh) and some years later, he launched All Prophet’s Day. With the combined efforts of the Ahrar and the Mullahs to undo the Community, Hazrat Musleh Maoud (ra) initiated the scheme of Tahrik-i-Jadid which roused the members of the Jamaat to respond admirably with great sacrifices. In 1944, he announced publicly that it was revealed to him that he was the Musleh Maoud (Promised Reformer) mentioned in the prophecy of the Promised Messiah who was the recipient of Divine revelation from his very youth.

He wrote by the grace of Allah more than two hundred books and pamphlets and his most famous work was the Tafseer-i-Kabeer which is a veritable storehouse of knowledge. All his writings and speeches display a very high scholarship in both the religious and secular fields and they stand second to none in his time. In every aspect of his life and action was fulfilled in every detail the prophecy about him being the Musleh Maoud. It was on Monday, 08 November 1965 that he breathed his last.

Islam and Slavery

Slavery as a social institution existed in different parts of the world for a very long period of time.  It is a stark reminder of the dark episodes in world history when men- including in Muslim lands- had had no qualms about treating his fellow beings as mere chattel. [Illustration: "Slave-dealers and slaves—a Street Scene in Zanzibar" ]. In this post-modern age, ideas of basic human dignity and fundamental rights have gained widespread acceptance all over the world. And, the very notion of slavery militates against the concepts of decency, propriety and equality in human relations.

The teachings of Islam are designed to gradually eliminate evil practices such as slavery. While all Muslims cannot absolve themselves of not indulging in slave trade in the past,  Islam as practiced by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) certainly envisions a social order designed to reflect the sublime spiritual values it espouses: live in this world with a wider consciousness about your duties towards the Creator and the fellow beings. Learn to recognize the essential unity and common brotherhood of all mankind. Discharge your responsibilities towards fellow human beings. Empathy and understanding, compassion and consideration for people who are in need of assistance is a Qur’anic obligation on believers, reminds the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) in a recent article on the subject in “Le Socialiste” Newspaper of Mauritius on February 15, 2012.

Read the Article: 

The advent of Islam was to be known as the absolute way of life of a human being. Islam verily means complete submission to the Creator of the Universe, the Supreme God, our Master and Guide.

As a Creator, Almighty God does not differentiate between His servants and thus, so as to guide us all to His path, He sends from time to time His elects to make people understand His Divine Message. Muhammad (saw) was such an Elect, who through his perseverance and absolute obedience to Almighty God received the distinction of Seal of Prophethood, the Best of Mankind and the best example and role model to follow. He indeed was the personification of the divine laws as established in the Holy Quran.

To know Islam, one must analyse deeply the life of Muhammad (saw). In fact, his life reflect many aspects of life as lived by both the poor and the rich, and among the poor there was of course the slaves who were devoid of rights in the pre-Islamic times. Muhammad’s (saw) compassion to the poor and the slaves knew no bound.