In part one, we discussed how all prophets of Allah are mocked and labelled as “insane”. However, their arguments and subsequent triumph speak for themselves and dumbfound opponents, quickly dismantling these mockeries.
In the same vein, the intellectual prowess and spiritual awe of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas proved that he was sent from Allah.
The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas wrote more than two dozen books in Arabic and invited Arabs and non-Arabs alike to compose impressive and eloquent books in response to his arguments. However, no one was able to respond to even one book of his.
Pir Meher Ali Shah, a well-known pir (spiritual Muslim leader) in India, claimed to have a great command on the commentary of the Holy Quran and used to say that he had been blessed with the understanding of the Holy Quran. The Promised Messiahas held a jalsa in Lahore on 20 July 1900 to distinguish between fact and fiction. He invited all the scholars in general and Pir Meher Ali Shah Sahib of Golra in particular to draw a surah of the Holy Quran by lot and write an insightful commentary of 40 verses in eloquent Arabic within seven hours after dua [prayer]. Not a single person accepted the challenge, nor did Pir Sahib.
In order to deceive his followers and not finding the strength to enter into a scholarly contest, Pir Meher Ali Shah Sahib published the following announcement on 25 July 1900:
“I whole-heartedly accept the invitation to attend the meeting in Lahore with the conditions laid down by Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad], but first we will have a verbal debate on his claim to be the Messiah. Then, if Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi and both of his companions express the opinion that in this debate Mirza [Ghulam Ahmad] is not right in his claim, he will have to take Bai‘at [pledge of initiation] at my hand. The contest of writing commentary shall only be allowed to begin after that.” (Waqi‘ate-Sahihah by Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq, pp. 25-26 [A Critical Review of the Pamphlet – Fateh-e-Qadian, p. 12-13])
Pir Sahib expertly sought to escape from the challenge through the above announcement. Explaining this matter, the Promised Messiahas said:
“… It is obvious that if I am victorious [in the verbal debate], I would have no further need for a contest of manifesting divine support. On the other hand, if I am overpowered, I would be expected to take Bai‘at. Now the readers should decide whether there is any room for the contest of manifesting divine support which I had invited him to…
“Pir [Meher Ali] wants me to revert to the same position … regarding which I have made a written declaration in my book Anjam-e-Atham … that in future I will not enter into verbal debates … He has put forward the excuse of a verbal debate with the intention that if I [Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad] do not come for the debate, he will beat the drum of victory in public. And if I will debate, he will say that I have broken a solemn promise which I had made with God.” (Tohfah-e-Golarhviyyah, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, pp. 88-90 [A Critical Review of the Pamphlet – Fateh-e-Qadian, p. 13])
Furthermore, the Promised Messiahas issued an announcement on 15 December 1900:
“If Pir [Meher Ali] has a genuine command of composing eloquent commentary in Arabic, and has not used any deception, he will still possess this ability. Therefore, I ask him, in the name of Allah, that he should fulfil my request in the following way. He should write a learned commentary in Arabic, no less than four juzw [a juzw comprises 16 pages] of a book, on Surah al-Fatihah to refute my claims. I, in turn, will write a learned commentary in eloquent Arabic on the same chapter of the Holy Quran, with the grace and power granted by God, in support of my claims. He is permitted to get help from the scholars of the world, inviting the learned and eloquent men from Arabia, and seeking the help of the professors of Arabic in Lahore and other cities. Starting from 15 December 1900, we shall both be permitted 70 days to complete this task. This time will not be extended by a single day. Having completed this commentary in contest with me, if three well known writers from Arabia were to declare that the Pir’s commentary indeed contains all the essential elements of eloquence and learning, and is full of spiritual wisdom, I will give him a prize of 500 rupees in cash. I will also set fire to all my books and will take the Bai‘at [pledge of initiation] at his hands. However, if the result is contrary, or if Pir [Meher Ali] fails to write anything in the allocated time, then I have no need to take Bai‘at from such people, nor do I need their money. I only want to demonstrate that despite being known as a pir, he has uttered such a despicable lie.” (Arba‘in, No. 4, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, pp. 449-450 [A Critical Review of the Pamphlet – Fateh-e-Qadian, pp. 28-29])
Moreover, the Promised Messiahas stated:
“I allow him, by all means, to call Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, Maulvi Abdul Jabbar Ghaznavi, Muhammad Hasan Bheen or other similar people. He even has the discretion to get the services of some writers from Arabia. The commentary of both parties should not be less than four juzw. If in the allocated period of 70 days, i.e. 15 December 1900 to 25 February 1901, one of the two parties does not publish the commentary and the time has passed, then he will be considered a liar and no other proof will be needed to prove him to be in the wrong.” (Arba‘in, No. 4, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 17, p. 484 [Ibid, p. 29])
Regarding this contest, God the Almighty revealed the following to the Promised Messiahas:
منعہ مانع من السماء
The Promised Messiahas explained:
“This means that in this competition of writing a commentary, no one will be able to compete with you. God has deprived the opponents of the capacity and the knowledge.
“Although the revelation refers only to a single masculine person, namely, Meher Shah [Pir Meher Ali Shah], but God made me understand that all opponents are included in it so that a truly highest and greatest sign might be shown; that is, if all opponents were to join together like one person to write a commentary in competition with me, they would certainly not be able to do it.” (Al Hakam, 24 January 1901, [Tadhkirah, p. 517])
Through the blessings and succour of God Almighty, in accordance with the above announcement, the Promised Messiahas published an insightful and profound commentary of Surah al-Fatihah entitled, Ijaz-ul-Masih, on 23 February 1901 within the given time period. The Promised Messiahas made it clear that the reason for writing the commentary was to prove the falseness and deceptiveness of Pir Mehr Ali Shah’s claim that he had the knowledge of the Holy Quran.
According to the great prophecy, neither Pir Meher Ali Shah Sahib of Golra, nor any other great writer of Arab or non-Arab dared to write even a similar commentary. Therefore, the Promised Messiahas wrote on the title page of the book in clear words:
فانہ کتاب لیس لہ جواب۔ ومن قام للجواب و تنمّر۔ فسوف یری انہ تندّم و تذمّر
“Surely it is a book that cannot be refuted. He who, being incensed, sets out to write a reply, will soon realise he is in a remorseful state and has come to a sorry end.”
Similarly, the Promised Messiahas invited Maulvi Muhammad Hussain Batalvi to write an eloquent commentary of the Holy Quran in Arabic but he did not accept the challenge. Discussing the criterion of this contest, the Promised Messiahas states:
“[Heading] A spiritual sign that will prove whether this humble [Messiah] is truthful and assisted by God Almighty or not and whether Sheikh Muhammad Hussain Batalvi is right in calling this humble a liar and antichrist or he himself is a liar and antichrist
“The wise people can understand that among various kinds of signs, exist the signs related to insight, knowledge and wisdom. They are specially granted to those who are spiritually pure and recipient of great blessings. As the verse:
لَّا یَمَسُّہٗۤ اِلَّا الۡمُطَہَّرُوۡنَ
[“Which none shall touch except those who are purified.” (Surah al-Waqiah, Ch.56: V.80)] and the verse:
وَ مَنۡ یُّؤۡتَ الۡحِکۡمَۃَ فَقَدۡ اُوۡتِیَ خَیۡرًا کَثِیۡرًا ؕ وَ مَا یَذَّکَّرُ اِلَّاۤ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ
[“Whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant good; and none would be reminded except those endowed with understanding.” (Surah al-Baqarah, Ch.2: V.270)], clearly testify to this fact. Hence, this sign will be a clear criterion to test my truth and falsehood against Mian Muhammad Hussain. And the best arrangement for this decision can be a short Jalsa in which the recommended judges select and present a few surahs of the Holy Quran which are no less than 80 verses for interpretation. And then by a lot, a surah should be drawn in them and its interpretation should be considered as a standard test.
“And for this particular commentary, it should be made mandatory that it should be written in eloquent Arabic language and carry a rhyme scheme and should not be less than ten juzw. As far as points of knowledge and wisdom are composed in it, they should not be copied, rather it should possess new meanings and diverse pearls of wisdom, which are not found in any other book. However, they should not be against the original teachings of the Quran, but should manifest their power and glory. And at the end of the book, a poem of a hundred couplets should be written in sublime and eloquent Arabic as naat and praise of the Holy Prophetsa as an ode. And the rhythm in which it should be composed should also be suggested in the same Jalsa by drawing lot.
“Both the parties should be given a period of 40 days for this work and after 40 days in a public jalsa, the parties should narrate their own commentary and their own poems, which will be in Arabic. Then, if this humble [Messiah] relative to Sheikh Muhammad Hussain Batalvi, is unable to present insightful points and eloquent composition in Arabic, and not able to write grand couplets of praise and fall inferior to him, or even if Sheikh Muhammad Hussain remains equal to this humble one, then instantly, I will admit my mistake and burn my books.” (Aina Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 602-603)
The Promised Messiahas then writes:
“A few months ago I read an article in which Mian Muhammad Hussain had written that I was a liar, the antichrist, faithless, completely ignorant, stupid and altogether unaware of knowledge of faith. I then supplicated the Divine for help. After the supplication I was favoured with the revelation:
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
That is ‘Call on Me, I shall respond to you.’ But I was naturally loath to pray for the punishment of anyone.” (Aina Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 604 [Tadhkirah, p. 281])
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“Today, 29 Sha‘ban 1310 AH, at the time of writing this essay, God Almighty made my heart incline towards supplication and I immediately supplicated in a very moving manner for success in this competition. My heart was reassured and I realised that my prayer had been accepted. I am sure that the revelation which I had received concerning Mian [Muhammad Hussain] Batalvi in the words:
اِنِّيْ مُهِيْنٌ مَّنْ اَرَادَ اِهَانَتَكَ
[I shall humiliate him who seeks to humiliate you], had reference to this occasion. I have appointed a period of 40 days for this competition in my supplication, and the same time-period was caused to be uttered by my tongue.” (Aina Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, pp. 604 [Tadhkirah, p. 298])
Hence, through the fulfilment of grand prophecies and divine help enjoyed by the Promised Messiahas, God the Almighty proved that it was not Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas who was delusional or insane, but in fact, the likes of Pir Meher Ali Shah of Golra and Sheikh Muhammad Hussain of Batala etc. were indecisive and confused because they lacked the courage and strength to produce any piece of writing even equal in grandeur and wisdom to the Promised Messiahas.
