Al Fazl, 23 January 1922
Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra (1894-1955)
اى كہ پنجاه رفت و در خوابى
مگر این پنج روز دریابى
[“O you, for whom 50 years have passed and are still asleep – do you expect to unravel the truth in these five days?”] (Saadi)
It seems that Hazrat Hakim-ul-Ummat Musleh-ud-Din Saadi Shirazi, may Allah have mercy on him, said this couplet on our condition. Nearly 50 years have passed since the establishment of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. The work we have done during this period is manifest. We know it, and so do our enemies. However, can we put our hands on our hearts with satisfaction and say that we have accomplished the task for which Allah the Almighty had created a new earth and a new heaven?
There is no doubt that the name of the city of Qadian and the fame of the Prophetas of Qadian emerged from a small part of Punjab and reached the corners of the world as promised by God Almighty. In every order of the world, there are people who believe in Ahmadas Nabiyullah [Prophet of Allah].
However, the question is whether our work is over because enough people have believed in Ahmadas, the Prophet of Allah, and there is no one else remaining to believe in him. Is it not our duty to convey our message to the rest of them and invite them to the truth?
It is certainly true that just as a prophet is the father of an ummah, so too is an ummah the spiritual father, brother or elder of the people to whom the message [of true Islam] is to be delivered. Faith and Islam have the status of clothing, as God Almighty has said:
وَ لِبَاسُ التَّقۡوٰى ۙ ذٰلِكَ خَیْرٌ
[“But the raiment of righteousness – that is the best”]. Thus, owing to being the first ones to believe in the prophet of this age, God Almighty has given you the duty to spiritually clothe the apparently unclothed world with the raiment of righteousness.
If, in reply, you say, “The world is too vast and we have too little means, so what can we do?”, then the answer would be that no father, no matter how low his means of income, would throw his children out of the house because he could not provide them with clothes or food. Ponder over the state of the heart of a mother who has more or less a dozen or so children and has a very little income, but you will see with a little observation that the mother gives her children a similar proportion from the minimum provisions she possesses. You will not see her feeding one of her children to their fill or fill her own belly and leave the rest of her children crying.
Thus, O brothers! Although you have done a great job in spreading Islam Ahmadiyyat, there is still a lot of work to be done which is your responsibility. When you placed your hand in the hand of the Prophet of Allah, Ahmadas, or one of his Khulafa, you said, “O our leader, we are behind you. We will move at your beck and call. We will sacrifice each and everything that is dear to us on your call and according to your desire at any time and for any purpose”.
Now, see for yourself that the dear Josephas of God’s beloved Ahmadas, i.e. the religion of Islam is still in a state of helplessness. Remember your promises and oaths. Give up the sloth of the past and don’t let your high and glorious ambitions disappear.
The world is watching you. It will be shocking if you show negligence. It will be a sheer embarrassment if we do not extend a helping hand. We will be answerable before God as to what we did when the time came for the fulfilment of our pledge. If we remain in this state and continue to move at this pace, then how will we reach our destination and when will we attain shahid-e-maqsud [state of being destined to witness the truth]? If we move at this slow pace towards our destination, then these 50 years that have passed on our journey, not just another similar 50 years, but in fact, 5,000 years will pass by quietly and the destination will still be as far away from us as it is now. We do not know what answer we will give to God and His Messenger at that time.
I have mentioned that there is no part of the world where your voice has not reached, but the fact is that your voice is like a faint sound coming from afar. Its significance and meanings are not being understood even by those with sound and healthy ears. The east is empty and the west is deserted. The north is desolate and the south is completely silent. Every town and every village in the world is a big thing; when we observe, big cities and even many countries will come up where not a single one of the original inhabitants is an Ahmadi Muslim.
Thus, move forward and increase your speed. There is a need for monetary assistance, so make sacrifices. Wealth, life, honour and dignity should not be dearer to us than the promulgation of God’s religion.
When we move forward with this determination and intention to serve the religion, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, we believe that we will succeed. No attempt by an opponent will cause a hindrance for us and no scheme of the enemy will frighten us.
As the Messiahas of God once said, there are valleys full of thorns ahead of us; we must pass through them as one passes through a field of flowers. Moreover, it is our duty to shake the world with the slogan of جَاءَ الْمَسِىْحُ [“The Messiah has come”] and awaken those who are asleep and convey the message of truth to every town, for the Prophetas of God had addressed you thirty years ago and said:
بكوشید اے جواناں تابدیں قوت شود پیدا
بہار و رونقِ اندر روضئہ ملت شود پیدا
[“O youth! Make every effort to strengthen the Faith and to bring blossom and prosperity into the garden of the nation of Islam.”]
From, Rahim Bakhsh [also known as Hazrat Maulana Abdur Rahim Dardra], Nazir Talif-o-Ishaat, Qadian.
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 23 January 1922 issue of Al Fazl)