Al Fazl, 27 October 1921
14 October 1921
Characteristics of man’s nature
Maulana Syed Sarwar Shah Sahib mentioned a person who used to scratch his body and get blisters when he would hear the name of a particular tree. This [tree] causes itching and blisters when someone comes into contact with its milk-like fluid or leaves. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih [IIra] said:
“Two things are also found in me. One is that hearing the name of spinach makes my muscles twitch and my body starts shivering. There was saag curry in the food today and when I asked about it, I was told that it was saag, so I suffered from the aforesaid condition. I requested to have it removed and then, after 15-20 minutes, my condition was restored.
“The second thing is that when I go to attend a sick person, I get sick myself and develop a fever.”
15 October 1921
Recovery of lost items
One Hamail Sharif [a small copy of the Holy Quran] and two or three small bottles, which were lost on the return from Kashmir, were presented. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih[ra] said:
“My bistar [mattress and blanket] has been found as well. Generally, if you write to the railway staff, you will not get a quick reply. However, I was about to write to them when they informed me that my bistar had been found. It was found in such a way that when it was opened, there were some letters addressed to my name.”
Become a missionary yourself
A friend requested for a missionary to be sent [to his area]. Huzoor[ra] said:
“You should preach yourself and reform yourselves. The number of Jamaat members has increased not through scholars, but by merchants, landlords, shopkeepers, lawyers and doctors.”
17 October 1921
Writings of the Promised Messiah for Europe
Addressing Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Sahib, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“As you teach the books of the Promised Messiahas, choose such writings of the Promised Messiahas in which he had explained the purpose of his arrival and shed light on what he wanted to teach the world or in which he emphasised spiritual teachings.”
Huzoor[ra] said:
“The translation of Khutba Ilhamiyah [the Revealed Sermon] is needed. It is good for the situation of the people of America.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“The people of Europe are no longer influenced by research; in fact, explain to them what it is that we call them to.”
An unparalleled commentary of the Promised Mahdi
Maulvi Ghulam Rasul Rajeki submitted that the Promised Messiahas had given a very fine and enlightening commentary on Surah al-Tariq in Al-Tabligh, a part of Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, and he claimed about it that nobody else had done such a commentary in the past 1,300 years.
Take advantage of what is available
Chaudhry Nasrullah Khan (lawyer) presented the letter of his son, Abdullah Khan Sahib, who is pursuing an FA degree, that doctors advised him to drop out of education because he was in danger of risking his health. Chaudhry Sahib sought the advice of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih in this regard.
Huzoor[ra] said:
“Send him to Dharampur immediately as experts of the said diseases are present there. Why not take advantage of the things that are available in the country.”
Huzoor[ra] expressed about his own ailment that many doctors examined and said that they could not identify the illness, but it seemed that there was some effect on the muscles.
Meeting with Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib
Hazrat Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan Sahib and his son, Khan Muhammad Abdullah Khan Sahib met Huzoor[ra]. Immediately after taking a seat, Hazrat Nawab Sahib enquired about Huzoor’s health.
Huzoor[ra] said:
“When I was in Kashmir, my health was initially good, but in the end it worsened. It got better once I returned, but then I developed a fever the day before yesterday. Yesterday, the fever had subsided and it did not come back until two o’clock today.”
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih enquired about the status of tabligh in Malerkotla. Nawab Sahib submitted that a series of tabligh was somewhat going on and that too began after a debate.
Acquaintance with a Shiite
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“In Dalhousie, we talked to a Shiite, who was not a scholar though. People used to call him ‘Maulvi Sahib’, ‘Maulvi Sahib’, because he was very talkative. He enquired if I believed in the hadith of الأَئِمَّةُ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ [Imams are to be from the Quraish]. I replied in the affirmative. I thought that as they do not believe in the Khulafa, by presenting this hadith, he intended to object against the Promised Messiahas, or perhaps he wanted to discuss khilafat and imamate. However, I was very surprised when he said, ‘Well, when you believe in it, then tell me how Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, became the Khulafa of the Holy Prophetsa because they were not from the Quraish.’
“Then he said, ‘What is the credibility of Bukhari?’ 10,000 ahadith in it are false. I said that excluding the repetition, there were around 5,000 ahadith in it, so where did 10,000 false ahadith come from?”
Hazrat Nawab Sahib said that once, a great Shiite scholar came to him. He asked him, “Maulana, how many sciences have you studied?” He said that he had studied 14 sciences. Hazrat Nawab Sahib said, “Have you seen such and such commentary.” He said that as it was in Arabic, he would look into it whenever he wanted. Regarding all the theology, i.e. hadith and the Holy Quran, etc., he said that as they were all in Arabic, there was no difficulty for him to understand them because he already knew Arabic.
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said, “Shiites and Maulvis of other sects generally consider it a great sin to study the translation of the Holy Quran.”
Bai‘at
The following two friends then took bai‘at:
1. Maulvi Abdul Qadir Sahib, Qadirpur, District Muzaffargarh
2. Mistri Nawabuddin Sahib, Qadian
Non-Ahmadis’ knowledge of the Holy Quran
After the bai‘at, the previous discussion continued. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“I read an article in an Urdu magazine in which the following verse was repeatedly quoted by the writer:
كُلَّ يَوۡمٍ هُوَ فِيۡ شَاۡنٍ
“[‘Every day He (reveals Himself) in a different state.’]
“He interpreted it to mean that the effects of each day are different and he repeated the said verse over and over again.”
Likewise, regarding an article of Maulvi Abul Kalam Sahib published in Al-Balagh [newspaper], Huzoor[ra] said:
“He had interpreted the following verse:
اِنَّهٗ لَا يُفۡلِحُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ
to mean that, ‘Surely, Allah does not allow the oppressors to succeed.’ However, this meaning is absolutely wrong.”
The Holy Quran and the death of Jesus
During the mention as to how the maulvis avoid the Holy Quran, Huzoor[ra] said:
“Mian Nizamuddin Sahib Ludhianvi had performed Hajj many times and we used to call him ‘Haji ji’. It so happened that when he first came to the Promised Messiahas and said, ‘Why have you [the Promised Messiahas] caused this strife?”, the Promised Messiahas replied, ‘I did not cause any strife. However, I have some disagreements.’ He said, ‘Have you turned your face away from the Holy Quran?’ The Promised Messiahas saidm ‘No.’
“Mian Nizamuddin Sahib said, ‘Alright, so you only say that Prophet Jesus has passed away. If you are shown 100 verses of the Holy Quran as proof that Prophet Jesus is alive, will you agree then?’ The Promised Messiahas replied, ‘Why 100 [verses of the Holy Quran]? If even one verse proves Prophet Jesus is alive, I will accept it.’ He said, ‘No, there may be room for denial in one [verse]. However, after witnessing 100 [verses], you will have no excuse.’ The Promised Messiahas said, ‘I say again that even if one verse proves Prophet Jesus is alive, I will give up my belief.’ He said, ‘I had also told the maulvis about you that you were not a man who did not believe in the Holy Quran, so I will bring them [100 verses of the Holy Quran] shortly.’
“He thus happily went to Maulvi Muhammad Hussain and said, ‘I have just caused Mirza Sahib to repent. Please do me a little favour. I had told him that I will bring 100 verses as a proof Prophet Jesus is alive, but he asked me to only bring one and he will accept it. So, please point out at least 10 verses, so he will accept.’ Maulvi Muhammad Hussain became very angry on hearing this and said, ‘You have ruined my work. I have been trying to divert his attention to hadith for so long and he is calling me towards the Holy Quran.’ He said, ‘Is there no evidence in the Holy Quran [that Prophet Jesus is alive]?’ Maulvi Muhammad Hussain did not give any answer and kept on saying again and again, ‘You are a fool! The said arguments are related to hadith. You have made a huge mistake by promising Mirza that you would bring a verse from the Holy Quran [on the said subject].’
“Disappointed by this, he came to the Promised Messiahas and took bai‘at at his hand.”
19 October 1921
People who did not take bai‘at of the first Khalifa
The mail was presented to Huzoor[ra], a person had request for bai‘at of the Khalifa. On this, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih said:
“There are some people who did not take bai‘at of the first Khalifa after the demise of the Promised Messiahas. Those friends have written to me that they were not convinced of the Khilafat at first, but now their hearts felt that they must take bai‘at.”
Wearing of khaddar
Addressing the Deputy Editor [of Al Fazl], Huzoor[ra] said:
“People are asking questions that some municipalities are forcing their employees to wear khaddar. In this regard, it should be announced that since there is no law of the government which prohibits wearing khaddar, therefore if an employee is ordered to wear khaddar by their employer, then they should wear it because neither the shariah [divine law] prohibits to wear khaddar, nor is it haram [unlawful] or forbidden. [The employees should] wear khaddar during their duty and then, later, they may wear whatever they want.”
Custom of requesting for names
After a few letters that required detailed answers, those letters were presented in which members of the Jamaat had requested to suggest names for their children. After suggesting a few names, whilst there were many more similar letters, Huzoor[ra] said:
“It becomes very burdensome for me to go through so many letters requesting for names. It is rather unpleasant. Is our only work to suggest names? It is merely a custom.”
Kashmiris’ devotions to marvels and fake relics
During the discussion as to where Nimatullah Sahib Wali appearred, Kashmir was also mentioned. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih II[ra] smiled and said:
“Is there any prophet, saint or righteous elder who did not appear in Kashmir!
“At one place in Kashmir, our Hafiz Roshan Ali Sahib saw that flag-spear which is said to be in the possession of the Holy Prophetsa during a battle. Mentioning that flag-spear, Hafiz Sahib said, ‘The story of its transfer to Kashmir goes like this:
“‘An African had believed in Prophet Jesus. When Prophet Jesus foretold the arrival of the Holy Prophetsa, the African requested Prophet Jesus to pray for him so that he may witness the time of the Holy Prophetsa. Prophet Jesus’ prayed and it was accepted, so the said African saw the time of the Holy Prophetsa. Then, the Holy Prophetsa prophesied about Ali Hamdan. The African requested the Holy Prophetsa that Prophet Jesus helped him witness his time, so he may help him see the era of Ali Hamdan. The Holy Prophetsa prayed and the said African happened to witness the era of Ali Hamdan. In this way, the flag-spear got here [to Kashmir].’ Hafiz Sahib said, ‘When I went there, the logs were covered with a cloth. When I started approaching them, the keepers of the shrine stopped me but I asked them to let me see them. I took off a little bit of cloth and saw that there were two logs of cedarwood. I asked a person as to why there were two of them. He said that [the flag-spear] was broken. Then another person came and said that one was the flag-spear and the other was a post of the Holy Prophet’ssa tent. These logs are very thick.’”
Bai‘at
Thereafter, a person named Ali Khan took bai‘at.
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 27 October 1921 issue of Al Fazl)