Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, Musleh-e-Maudra was requested by a newspaper, Azad Nau Jawan (which started publication in 1929) to write an article on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. This short piece was published by the newspaper on 9 July 1957 and later published by Badr on 1 August of the same year. The English rendering of the article is presented below:
I have been requested by the Azad Nau Jawan newspaper to write an article.
When I was well, I could write around 200 columns. My book, Ahmadiyyat Yani Haqiqi Islam [Ahmadiyyat, or the True Islam], which is an immensely beneficial book and has been widely acclaimed in Europe and America, spans 500 pages. This book was written in only three days.
Now, due to old age and various health issues, it is impossible for me to do even one-hundredth of what I was once able to do.
Nevertheless, out of respect for a dear friend’s request, I write these words.
It becomes clear from the Holy Quran, that Allah the Exalted created man with pure nature. Thus, Allah says:
فِطۡرَتَ اللّٰهِ الَّتِيۡ فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيۡهَا
“[And follow] the nature of Allah after which He fashioned all mankind”. This means that to attain guidance in all his endeavours, man should, in most cases, follow his heart and see whether his heart declares him to be a criminal or it declares him innocent.
The Holy Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, says:
استفت قلبك ولو أفتاك المفتون
“Seek the verdict from your heart and follow it, even if thousands of muftis declare verdicts against it.”
Following this principle, man should make it a habit of following his heart’s verdict and should not blindly follow the verdicts of maulvis.
If one’s heart says to them, “If my neighbour did the very same thing and it would please me and I would not consider it bad”, then in such a case, doing that act would not be bad. However, if one’s heart says, “If my neighbour was to do this, I would find it abhorrent”, then one should know that that act is in fact bad.
Thus can man perfect his life. One should always bear this principle in mind, for this is God’s command and it is also the guidance of the Holy Prophetsa.
Mirza Mahmud Ahmad (Khalifatul Masih II)
(Translated by Al Hakam from the original Urdu in the 1 August 1957 issue of Badr)