Hazrat Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfanira (1875-1957)
The following message was presented [to the people of London] at Putney Mosque, London, on 7 September 1924:
I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
We praise Him and send salutations upon His Noble Messengersa.
By the grace and mercy of God.
He is the Helper.
Thank you
Brothers and sisters! I [Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra] am grateful for the effort you have made in enduring the hardship of coming here to meet me.
Purpose of the journey
After this, I wish to briefly explain the purpose for which I have undertaken this long journey to England. My duties and responsibilities often prevent me from leaving the headquarters, and indeed, even a short absence from the Markaz [centre] causes significant difficulties in our work due to the delay in receiving immediate advice. However, despite these challenges, I have made this journey, not for leisure or tourism, but because of the compassion I feel for all of humanity.
As for my ‘recreation,’ I must clarify that when the people of England come to meet me and ask for my opinion about their country, I can only reply that I haven’t had the chance to see much of it to offer a detailed view. Most days, I haven’t even had the opportunity to go out for fresh air. The only sightseeing I have done is the work for which I have come here: to explore ways to deliver the divine message that God has sent for all of His creation to my Western brothers and sisters.
The circumstances are not in our favour, and I acknowledge that we face obstacles at every step. My very presence here is evidence that difficulties have become immense. However, despite these challenges, I am not discouraged. All my efforts are driven by the love that I have been blessed with from God Almighty.
Sincere efforts
I also hope that the missionaries who work on my behalf in these lands, or will do so in the future, will work with the same spirit. I am unwilling to accept the notion that efforts undertaken with love, sincerity, and perseverance will bear no fruit. Love begets love, and our deep affection for the people of this country, which compels us to leave our homeland, be separated from our families, and work here without any worldly gain – cutting off all material hopes – will one day surely influence the hearts of the people of this land. If it does not, then surely it would be due to a deficiency in our love or a lack of sincerity.
What change has occurred in the East?
You may be surprised to observe what transformation has occurred in the East – once uncivilised and a recipient of missionaries from the West – that now it is sending its own missionaries to the West.
To address your astonishment, I can only offer the same response that a Companion of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, gave in the court of Persia when asked a similar question. He said, “Indeed, the defects attributed to us were all present in us – indeed, even more than what has been mentioned – and certainly, we were as weak as you have described. But God Almighty sent a Messengersa among us, and through him, our condition was transformed, and our courage was elevated. We are no longer what we once were, and the things that used to satisfy us can no longer do so.”
Brothers and sisters! We are in the same state. 34 years ago, Islam was in such a state that even its staunchest defenders would offer apologies on its behalf with great humility. But after 34 years, God Almighty has raised among us a Messengeras – a Messengeras foretold by previous prophets, referred to by various names: some called him the Messiah, others the Mahdi, some named him Krishna, and others identified him as Mesio Darbahmi [i.e., the Saoshyant anticipated in Zoroastrianism]. By the command of Allah, this Messengeras sprinkled the water of life upon dead nations, and through the divine spirit sent by God, they were revived. The [spiritually] dead, untouched for centuries, have now come alive, spreading into cities and populated areas, standing as witnesses to God’s glory and testaments to His eternal power.
Every action under Divine command
Thus, everything we do is not from ourselves, but by the command of God Almighty. Every state we are in, every movement and effort we make, is under His special will. In this way, we are like a flute that only produces the sound of the one who plays it. We are instruments in God’s hands, delivering His voice to the world. For this reason, we never lose hope, because we know that the voice of God never diminishes. No affliction frightens us, and death does not intimidate us.
As you may have heard from Afghanistan, the government stones our people, the populace kills them, and their homes are burned. Yet, despite these hardships, which have continued for 24 years, we have not abandoned that land. By the grace of God, our progress in that country increases by the day.
Our mission
Our mission is one of love and goodwill. Our only purpose is that, just as we have found God, our brothers may also find Him and not live lives distant from Him. We have come to this country to proclaim the second advent of the Messiah, for we believe that without accepting him, there is no salvation. He is the saviour of the world, and until people come under his fold and align their lives with the teachings of Islam, which have been further clarified through him, i.e., that Promised Messiahas, the present-day conflicts will not cease, and strife and conflicts will continue to destroy the peace of the world. Above all, they will remain distant from the fountainhead of purity for which they were created, i.e., to draw near to Allah the Almighty.
Purpose of human creation
Brothers and sisters! If there is any purpose to human creation, it is to attain union with God Almighty. How can hearts find contentment until they achieve this union? I am perplexed when I see that those who read the Vedas, the Avesta, the Torah, the Bible, or the Quran – when they encounter the sweet echoes of the Creator of the heavens and the earth in those pages, as it was revealed to people thousands of years ago – do not feel a yearning in their hearts to also come close to God, to hear His captivating voice, and to attain His love as those people did. Nor do they question why, if the people of this age are also God’s creation, His dealings with them seem different from those of the past.
Everlasting Grace of God
I believe that the reason such desires do not arise is the misconception that God’s grace ceased with the [people of] past ages. But, my brothers and sisters, this is a misunderstanding of the loving God, who has no equal in His love. Based on my own experience, I assure you that through a connection with the Promised Messiahas, people today witness the same divine blessings that those before us experienced. The gates of God’s mercy are as open now as they were in the past.
Success of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
There is no reason for despair. It is true that our teachings may seem strange in the context of today’s world, and it is hard to believe that they will spread in this age. However, every time a call has been raised from God, it has emerged under similar circumstances. It was always considered impossible for it to rise. When Jesusas delivered God’s message to the Israelites, or when Muhammad, peace be upon him, called people to God, who could have imagined at that time that these individuals would succeed? Yet they did succeed, because their words were not their own but those of the Sovereign of the entire world. Similarly, it may seem difficult now for the mission of the Promised Messiahas to succeed, but as God has foretold, it is destined to triumph, and it certainly will.
Who is blessed?
Blessed are those who, putting aside their biases, earnestly listen to the voice of the one who claims that God has sent him. This claim is no ordinary one, especially when the signs verifying this claim have already manifested.
I hope that all the brothers and sisters gathered here today, regardless of their country or faith, will begin to seriously reflect on the truth of this message. And if the truth becomes clear to them, they will embrace it with courage and call others towards it, so their names may be counted among the ‘foremost’ (as-sabiqun). To be included among the sabiqun is no small matter. Such people attain eternal life even in this world, and their names are remembered. In the next life, they will also attain great [spiritual] progress.
Thanks again and prayers
Once again, I thank you all for listening to my words with love, and I conclude with the prayer that Allah spreads the light of truth throughout the world and tears apart the veil of falsehood’s darkness, so that His glorious countenance may become manifest to the world and the hearts of people may be filled with knowledge and insight.
And our final call is that all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad.
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu, published in the 8 October 1924 issue of Al Fazl)