Al Hakam, 28 August 1918
Hazrat Maulvi Abdur Rahim Nayyarra
That person who loves the streets of their beloved [i.e. Muhammad Mustafasa]; that lover who smells the fragrance of their beloved; in the sweltering air of Najad [Arabian region], even when momentarily separated from the residence of their beloved and cherished, they have little option but to be overwhelmed by various kinds of thoughts.
Departing Qadian mostly reminds me of those days when the heavenly Messiah, may the blessings of God be upon him in untold measures, was alive; the elegant scenes of the temporary stays in Qadian, the evening sessions and morning walks [with the Promised Messiahas] would fill the hearts and souls of the visitors to the brim with spirituality, to the extent that upon departure, running tears used to translate the state of their hearts. Then, I recall the time when my departure from Qadian was akin to being tempted to leave paradise [in a metaphorical sense] owing to my weaknesses, and thus I had been travelling between Qadian and Batala for two long years.
Finally, through Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad [may Allah be pleased with him], God created the means for my happy end, and I escaped the hopelessness and misfortune which some of our friends suffered. Thus, I departed Qadian, and throughout the whole journey, these thoughts surged in the endless expanse of my mind and proved to feature throughout the journey. The deep pits of the road [throughout the journey] are a blatant and jolting reminder to travellers of:
ياتيك من كل فج عميق
[Divinely revealed to the Promised Messiahas: “They will come to you by every distant track”, i.e. so many people will come that the track will become deep due to excessive travel.] We bear witness to the glory with which this has been fulfilled. The land on which this road is paved is a constant reminder that the Promised Messiahas had, on many occasions, undertaken walks on this road.
I traversed the road and Batala station arrived. The train appeared to be stationary, but before I boarded, the train which had arrived at the station whistled and set off. Readers can assess for themselves the hopelessness which one faces at such occasions and the sense of loss which the human nature endures.
The repulsive deity of despair and the troublesome image of loss were almost upon me when I supplicated to the God of the Promised Messiah – the Giver of signs in this age. As soon as my heartfelt supplications were completed, God created such a situation at the station that the train was compelled to return to the platform to collect me. I boarded, with a heart filled with the praise of God and recited:
الحمد للہ الّذی سخّرلنا هذا و ما كنّا له مقرنين
[All praise belongs to Allah who has subjected this to us and we were not capable of subduing it ourselves.]
This incident will apparently appear to be an ordinary coincidence, but there is a lesson in it for one with spiritual insight. It motivates a believer, understanding their God to be alive, to believe in their Lord and to spiritually advance. Surely such instances are signs.
The city of Amritsar has special relevance with the advent of the Promised Messiahas. In this city, that mubahilla [prayer duel] occurred, the effect of whose prayers resulted in the progress of the community. In this city, that person is present, to serve as a lesson and reminder to those with understanding, who fled from the mubahilla and happily desired to establish a resemblance with Musaylimah, the Great Liar. This is the very city where the debate with Abdullah Atham took place and Christianity was defeated.
I would like to draw an important conclusion from this duel. As there is an important incident in the life of Prophet Krishnaas, known as the Battle of Kurukshetra Thanesar, similarly there is a significant incident in the life of the Promised Messiahas: the holy war in Amritsar. In both, the following matters hold a sort of similarity: Firstly, on both occasions, the place of battle was a pool. The word “sar”, which means pool, is in both – Thanesar and Amritsar. Secondly, Kuru (meaning blind) was in opposition to Krishnaas, who was named as such due to not possessing spiritual sight. To confront the Promised Messiahas, a “blind one” had come i.e. an opponent who was devoid of spiritual vision. Thirdly, the timespan of the Battle of Thanesar and the battle in Amritsar are almost the same. Fourthly, in the manner that opponents fled after the Battle of Thanesar and were thereafter destroyed, Abdullah Atham, too, fled after defeat and virtually fell into the hellfire. Thus, Amritsar has a relation with Ahmadiyyat and an Ahmadi travelling in Amritsar can gain a great deal of benefit there.
I departed Amritsar that very same day, and after two days, when the sun of 10 June rose to light the Earth, Nayyar of Qadian descended into Bareilly – the city influenced by the sway of Ahmad Raza Khan [founder of the Barelvi movement.]
(Translated by Al Hakam)
