Friday Sermon
10 February 2023
The Promised Messiahas: Preeminent guidance, endless benefits and virtues of the Holy Quran
After reciting the tashahud, ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
In the previous sermon, I mentioned extracts of the Promised Messiahas regarding the importance and distinction of the Holy Quran. Continuing with this subject today, I shall mention some further extracts.
Whilst explaining the excellences and importance of the Holy Quran in his book, “A Gift for the Queen” which the Promised Messiahas wrote on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria wherein the Promised Messiahas conveyed to her the message of Islam, he wrote:
“The Quran is filled with similar deep wisdom and surpasses the Gospels in teaching true piety. In particular, the lamp that enables the vision of the true and unchanging God is borne only by the Quran. If it had not come in the world, then only God knows how much the number of people who worship other created beings would have sky-rocketed. Therefore, it is a matter of gratefulness that the Oneness of God, which had disappeared from the earth, has been established again.” (A Gift for the Queen, p. 30)
Who else was there in that era, who conveyed the message in such a manner to the Empress of India and spoke about the teachings of Islam with such courage? Today, those same people who did not even possess the courage to speak about the greatness of Islam and the Holy Quran, claim that God-forbid the Promised Messiahas and his Jamaat dishonour the Holy Quran. On the other hand, the non-Muslims, upon witnessing their conduct, have become so blinded in their opposition that, since they cannot deny the greatness of the Holy Quran, therefore, in order to attain some kind of satisfaction and to vent their anger, they burn copies of the Holy Quran. For example, these incidents have been taking place in Sweden and have taken place in the past in other Scandinavian countries as well. If the Muslims accept the Imam of the age and understand the teachings of the Holy Quran and act upon them, then the non-Muslims would never have the courage to dishonour the Holy Quran in this way. May Allah the Almighty guide such people!
Whilst elaborating on the fact that it is only the Holy Quran that can grant guidance, the Promised Messiahas says:
“Islam is such a blessed and God-revealing religion that if any person chooses to follow it truly and acts upon the teachings, guidance, and admonitions contained in the Holy Word of God Almighty—the Holy Quran—he would behold God in this very life. (People often ask how one would see God in the next life, the Promised Messiahas says that if one acts on the teachings of the Holy Quran they would be able to see God in this very life). For the recognition of that God, Who is hidden from the sight of the world behind thousands of veils, there is no other means except the teaching of the Quran. The Holy Quran guides towards God Almighty through reason and heavenly Signs in a very easy and simple manner.”
If one acts on these teachings then such signs would be manifested whereby one would learn of the existence of God. The Promised Messiahas further says:
“It possesses a blessing and magnetic power which perpetually attracts a seeker of God towards God, bestowing light, peacefulness, and satisfaction. And a true believer in the Holy Quran does not—like the philosophers— merely hold on to the conjecture that there ‘ought to be’ a Creator for this most ingenious universe; rather, acquiring a personal insight and being honoured with a holy vision, he sees with the eye of certainty that that Creator ‘actually exists.’ He who is bestowed the light of this Holy Word does not merely guess like those who rely upon dry reason alone that God is One without partner, but through hundreds of brilliant Signs which grasp him by the hand and pull him out of the darkness, such a person actually witnesses for himself that—in reality—God has no associate in His Being nor in His attributes. And not only this; such a one is able to practically demonstrate to the world that he believes God to actually be such, and the majesty of the Oneness of God so fills his heart that in his estimation—when placed in contrast to the will of Allah—the whole world amounts to no more than a dead insect and indeed to nothing at all.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, pp. 43-44, [English Translation])
With regards to the Holy Quran being perfect in terms of its knowledge and practical guidance, the Promised Messiahas writes:
“It ought to be remembered also that the Holy Quran gives guidance for the perfection of knowledge and practice. (It contains knowledge and also imparts guidance on one’s practical conduct). Accordingly, in the words, اِہۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ [Guide us to the path], the perfection of one’s knowledge is alluded to, (i.e. the Holy Quran is a perfect book, the teachings of which guide a person to the right path) while the perfection of one’s action is indicated in the words:
صِرَاطَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ
[The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings].”
“In order to progress in one’s actions, the prayer of those who have been bestowed with God’s blessings has been taught, and this blessed group of people was mentioned in last week’s Friday Sermon, i.e. the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous. Examples of such people are present even in this time who have attained guidance and on whom Allah the Almighty bestows His grace.
The Promised Messiahas further says:
“When a plant is put into the ground, it cannot flourish and bear fruits until it grows completely. Similarly, if a guidance is devoid of the finest and most superlative results, then such guidance is dead, and it possesses no strength or power to nourish and develop. For example, if after completely following the Vedas a person can never expect to attain everlasting deliverance and salvation, and if they cannot be freed from the process of becoming bugs and insects, to receive eternal pleasure, what use is such guidance? The Holy Quran, on the other hand, is such guidance which, if followed, enables a person to attain the highest levels of excellence. Such a one begins to develop a true relationship with God Almighty to the extent that their good deeds—performed in accordance with the guidance of the Quran—begin to flourish and bear fruits in the similitude of a pure tree, as described by the Holy Quran; and they develop a unique kind of sweetness and taste.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 1, pp. 196-197)
The Promised Messiahas says, “The Holy Quran is a pure book, which appeared in the world at a time when disorder was rife and many erroneous doctrines with regards to one’s beliefs and practices had become firmly rooted. Almost the entire world was engulfed in evil morals and practices. It is to this that Allah the Almighty refers in the verse:
ظَہَرَ الۡفَسَادُ فِي الۡبَرِّ وَالۡبَحۡرِ
“It means that everyone; whether people who followed a scripture or otherwise, had become immersed in their misdeeds and a complete corruption had swept across the earth. Thus, in such an era, God Almighty refuted all erroneous beliefs by sending down the Holy Quran, a complete and perfect book for our guidance, which contains rebuttals of all false religions…From the entire Quran, He singled out Surah al-Fatihah, which is read in every rak’ah [unit] of every prayer five times a day and by means of this, indicated towards all of their beliefs. He states:
اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ
“All praise is due to that God, Who has created all the worlds;
الرَّحۡمٰن
“It means that He is the one Who creates without antecedent deeds and Who bestows upon man without requiring any deeds. (This occurs through God’s attribute of Rahmaniyyah [The Gracious])
الرَّحِيۡم
“It means that God grants reward for one’s actions (God rewards for what one does, if one prays to Him, He will answer those prayers)
مٰلِکِ يَوۡمِ الدِّيۡنِ
“God is the ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’ (there is reward and punishment in this very life as well as in the Hereafter.) in these four attributes, all factions of the world have been referred to.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 10, pp. 31-32)
Deliberate over the fact that if one offers the five daily prayers, they will develop a deep understanding.
Elaborating on the idea that the Quran is also a miracle, the Promised Messiahas says:
“The true nature of a miracle is this: A miracle refers to an extraordinary phenomenon the like of which an opposing party is unable to produce, although superficially it may appear to be well within human capabilities, just like the miracle of the Holy Quran which was presented before all the inhabitants of the land of Arabia. Thus, although superficially it seemed entirely within human capacity, the entire population of Arabia was frustrated in their efforts to produce its like. Therefore, to understand the essence of a miracle, the text of the Holy Quran is a shining example. It may appear, at a cursory glance, to be a literary composition, just as human literature is. However, with respect to its eloquent expression; with respect to its exceptionally delectable, pure, and florid diction, everywhere meticulously adhering to truth and wisdom; moreover, with respect to its brilliant arguments, which triumph over the entire world’s opposing arguments; and, even further, with respect to its compelling prophecies—it is such a matchless miracle that despite the passage of thirteen hundred years, no adversary has been able to challenge it to this day, nor does anyone have the ability to do so. Of all the books in the world, the Holy Quran holds the distinction of expressing miraculous prophecies in passages that are themselves miraculous—being full of truth and wisdom—with the highest degree of fluency and eloquence.
“In short, the primary and principal purpose of a miracle is to demonstrate the difference between right and wrong or true and false. Such a distinguishing phenomenon is called a miracle or, in other words, a Sign. A Sign is such a vital matter that without it, it is not possible to fully believe even in the existence of God Almighty, nor is it possible to reap the fruit that can be attained with full certainty. It is therefore evident that the fundamental truth of a religion is linked to the knowledge of the existence of God Almighty. One of the necessary and important essentials of a true religion is that it should possess the Signs that conclusively and definitively prove the existence of God Almighty, and that it should possess such an overwhelming force that unites the hand of its follower with the hand of God Almighty … It is not sufficient for the perfect cognition of God to merely look upon creation and feel the need for a Creator without becoming informed of His actual existence. (It is not enough to merely think that there ought to be a creator). Those who are confined to this degree cannot develop a true bond with God Almighty, nor can they purify their selves from carnal passions. (If one simply learns that there is a God, that is not enough to purify their souls, nor can one form a connection with Him.) If anything can be understood from this, it is only to the extent that this impregnable structure and perfection ought to have some Creator; not that the Creator actually exists.”
I.e. there ought to be a creator of the universe and all that we see around us. One ought to have certainty of this. And once a person gains knowledge about the God Whom we worship, then one can form a true connection with Him. Subsequently, one will be drawn towards acting on His commands, after which one will turn toward purifying their soul.
The Promised Messiahas further states:
“It is evident that simply feeling the need is a conjecture which cannot merit the same rank as actually seeing, nor can it produce the holy effect of witnessing first-hand. (There is a big difference between estimation and actually seeing something.) Therefore, any religion which stops man’s cognition of God short at the incomplete destination of just ‘ought to be’ cannot be the remedy to his practical condition. In reality, such a religion is a dead religion; entertaining hope of any pure transformation from it is wishful thinking. It is evident that rational arguments alone cannot embody the complete evidence for the truth of a religion, and this is not the kind of seal that any counterfeiter is incapable of forging; rather, this can be understood as nothing more than the alms bestowed by the ordinary fountain of reason.” One can present rational arguments or one can make great statements based on their intellect, but this is not enough unless a person recognises the attributes of Allah and derives benefit from them.
The Promised Messiahas continues:
“Who then will decide whether the rational arguments written in a book have their origin in revelation or have been plagiarised from some other book? And even if, suppose, they have not been plagiarised, how can they serve as an indisputable proof of the existence of the Exalted Maker? And how can a seeker of truth be fully satisfied that the rational discourse alone will definitely lead towards God, and how can he be satisfied that it is absolutely free from error? (I.e. they are such signs that lead one to God, or are completely free from error.) Thus, if a religion simply presents some rational or philosophical arguments as a proof of its truth and is unable to show heavenly Signs and miraculous phenomena, the follower of such a religion is either self-deceived or a deceiver. He will die in darkness.
“In short, even the existence of God Almighty cannot be proven with certainty solely through rational arguments, let alone the truth of any religion. Further, until a religion takes upon itself the responsibility to address this issue—proving and demonstrating God’s existence with complete certainty—that religion amounts to nothing of value whatsoever, and unfortunate is the one who is seduced by such a faith. The mark of curse is branded upon the forehead by every religion which cannot advance human cognition to the level at which one can— so to speak—see God.” (Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 5, pp. 79-81, [English Translation])
Thus, this is the stage that we should try to reach. Recognise God through His signs and by forging a personal relationship with Him as opposed to simply relying on reasoning alone. As a result of this, the truth that becomes manifest for a person will be the real truth. By the grace of Allah the Almighty, there are examples within the Ahmadiyya Jamaat whereby even those people who previously did not follow any religion, in fact, were atheists, became convinced of the existence of God. They were presented with logical arguments, but when they were told about the signs and personal experiences, they accepted [the truthfulness of] religion and Islam. There are even people like this here in the West. For example, there was one such individual who was an atheist living in Belgium. He was originally from Indonesia but had settled in Belgium. He pledged allegiance and told me himself that he not only accepted the existence of God through logical arguments, but also because of personal experiences and through witnessing signs. He said that he was left with no option but to accept Ahmadiyyat, the true Islam. He said that since Ahmadiyyat had shown him the right way, he became an Ahmadi Muslim.
The Holy Quran makes the declaration that it is a guidance for the righteous. Regarding this, the Promised Messiahas states:
“The point of wisdom concealed in these verses is that God Almighty has said:
الٓـمّٓ ذٰلِکَ الۡکِتٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ ۚۖ فِيۡہِ ۚۛ ہُدًي لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ
“It means that this is the Book that has come into existence out of the knowledge of God Almighty. Since His knowledge is free from ignorance and forgetfulness, this Book is free from every doubt and confusion. And since the knowledge of God possesses the perfect power to make human beings perfect, therefore, this Book is perfect guidance for the righteous. It elevates them to the station that is the highest pinnacle for the progress of human potential.”
Then, whilst explaining who a righteous person is upon whom Allah the Almighty bestows guidance, the Promised Messiahas states:
“God says in these verses that the righteous are those who believe in the Unseen God, establish prayer, spend a portion of their possessions in the way of God, and believe in the Holy Qur’an and the earlier Scriptures. It is they who are guided and will attain salvation.” (Haqiqatul Wahi, pp. 160-161 [English Translation])
This is the definition of a righteous person.
With regards to the Quran containing the teachings of the perfect religion, the Promised Messiahas states:
“It is an established fact that the Holy Quran has done justice to establishing a most perfect religion, as Allah the Almighty states:
اَلۡيَوۡمَ اَکۡمَلۡتُ لَکُمۡ دِيۡنَکُمۡ وَاَتۡمَمۡتُ عَلَيۡکُمۡ نِعۡمَتِيۡ وَرَضِيۡتُ لَکُمُ الۡاِسۡلَامَ دِيۡنًا
“‘Today, I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion and am pleased with it.’ Hence, after the Quran, no other book has the right to take precedence over the Quran, because everything that man needs, can be found in the Quran. And now, only the door of divine communion is open, but one does not receive this of one’s own accord. Rather, one can only partake of this pure and Holy discourse, which contains divine succour as well as many hidden verities, when one purifies their soul and follows the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, p. 80)
It is regretful that our opponents do not wish to listen to these words of wisdom and they raise allegations against us that we alter the Holy Quran, God forbid.
In his book, Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, the Promised Messiahas writes regarding the fact that the Holy Quran is a spiritual remedy and states:
“The Holy Quran is a Book so full of wisdom that it has brought out the accord between the principles of spiritual medicine, that is to say, the principles of religion, which are truly spiritual medicine, and physical medicine, and this accord is so fine that it opens the doors of hundreds of insights and verities. It is only that person who can interpret the Holy Quran truly and perfectly, who ponders the principles laid down by the Holy Quran in the light of the system of physical medicine.
“On one occasion I was shown in a vision some books of expert physicians (Allah the Almighty guided the Promised Messiahas Himself. He was shown the books of some physicians which contained discourses on the principles of medicine, philosophy and the six core principles of health etc. Among these books, one was of the expert physician, Qarshi) and it was indicated to me that these Books contained a commentary on the Holy Quran. This shows that there is a deep relationship between the science of [physical] bodies and the science of religion and that they confirm each other. When I looked at the Holy Quran, keeping in mind the books that dealt with physical medicine, I discovered that the Holy Quran sets out principles of physical medicine in a most excellent and eloquent manner.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 102-103)
In other words, one can derive help from the Quran for both physical and spiritual ailments. In order to be able to deliberate over the Quran and to attain cognisance of God, one must listen to the directives of the Imam of the age and to read his literature.
Then, stating the fact that one can only form a true connection with Allah the Almighty by means of the Quran, the Promised Messiahas says:
“It should be borne in mind that human beings can never recognise God, who is Absolutely Hidden, merely through their own faculties, until He Himself reveals His Being through His Signs. A true relationship with God the Exalted can never develop unless that relationship is created exclusively through the instrumentation of God. Carnal temptations cannot be removed from the soul until a light from the Omnipotent God enters the heart. Behold! I present first-hand testimony that such a relationship can only be possible through following the Holy Quran. The other scriptures are now devoid of the spirit of life. There is now only one book under the canopy of the heavens that reveals the countenance of that True Beloved; that is, the Holy Quran.” (Haqiqatul Wahi, p. 2, [English Translation])
Thus, by acting on the directives of the Holy Quran, one can see the countenance of God Almighty, as it were. This is something that we, as Ahmadis, ought to ponder over. How many of us can say that we follow the commands of the Holy Quran and ponder over its meanings? For this, we ought to strive to our utmost. May Allah the Almighty enable us to do so.
Then, the Promised Messiahas states:
“It has been my personal observation and first-hand experience, as well as the testimony of the truthful ones who have passed before us, that every step taken with sincerity and truthfulness in accordance with the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa possesses such excellence that, through means of it, the love for the One True God gradually becomes embedded in one’s heart. The spiritual power of divine converse illuminates the human soul, due to which one’s eyes are opened, and one eventually witnesses the wonders of the world to come.
“Thus, from that day forward that individual knows with knowledge by certainty of reason that God exists. Then, their certainty evolves until they progress from knowledge by certainty of reason to knowledge by certainty of sight, and then from knowledge by certainty of sight to knowledge by certainty of experience.
“The one who believes in the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa, at first does not attain purification of the soul, and falls into different types of sin. Then, the mercy of God comes to their aid, and their faith is granted strength through miraculous means; just as the Holy Quran states:
لَہُمُ الۡبُشۡرٰي فِي الۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا
“It means that ‘the faithful are given glad tidings by Allah’; in the same way, they also attain different forms of glad tidings regarding their own person. And just as one’s faith gradually becomes stronger through these glad tidings, at the same time they gradually abstain from sin and advance towards good deeds.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 423-424)
The Promised Messiahas wrote a treatise on the superiority of Islam, which was read out at a convention of the Arya Samaj. Mentioning the distinctive qualities of the Holy Quran, he stated:
“The distinct hallmark which human reason has declared in order to distinguish a Divine scripture can only be found in the Holy Quran. In this era, all of the excellences which ought to be found in a Divine scripture as part of its unique characteristics, are not to be found in any other book. It is possible that these excellences may have existed in them at some point in time, however, now they are not to be found. Though we consider them to be revealed books, as explained earlier, despite their being revealed, they are now of no benefit owing to their current condition. They can be likened to a royal palace, which is empty and desolate and all its riches and military might have gone.”
Further expounding upon its unique excellences, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Now I shall mention the unique excellences of the Holy Quran which are beyond any human effort:
“Firstly, it contains extraordinary power, which takes its followers from a stage of mere conjecture to absolute conviction. (It is not just mere conjecture, rather one develops insight which leads to absolute conviction). When one completely adheres to it, then the power of God manifests in the form of miracles and God converses with such a person. And through the means of Divine revelation reveals to him matters of the unseen. I do not speak of these Quranic blessings as mere tales rather, I present those miracles which were shown to me. These miracles number almost 100,000. In fact, there are more than 100,000. God has stated in the Holy Quran that one who adheres to His Book, will not only have faith in the miracles mentioned in it but they will also be granted these miracles. Thus, I have personally experienced those miracles through the blessings of the Holy Quran which are beyond any human effort and purely an act of God. The earthquakes and the plague which have ravaged the world are among those very miracles which were granted to me.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 402-403)
The Promised Messiahas states that these are not his miracles, rather they are the miracles of the Holy Quran because everything he achieved was through the power and spirit granted to him through the Holy Quran.”
The Promised Messiahas states:
“Among the extraordinary powers of the Holy Quran is that those who adhere to it are granted miracles and great signs. These signs are granted in such abundance that the world cannot compete with them. Thus, I openly declare that if all the opponents, whether they be in the East or the West, were to all gather in one place and challenge me in demonstrating such signs and miracles, I shall be granted victory over them by the grace and help of God Almighty. This victory will not be because I have any superior power in my soul, rather it will be because God has desired that I give proof of the extraordinary power of the Holy Quran and the spiritual strength and lofty status of His Messenger, Hazrat Muhammadsa Mustafa. And it is not owing to any personal quality, rather it is purely due His grace that I follow this great Prophetsa and His powerful book and have love for it and believe in this revealed book, which is known as the Holy Quran and is a manifestation of God’s powers. The Holy Quran has promised that:
لَہُمُ الۡبُشۡرٰي فِي الۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا
“And also:
وَاَيَّدَہُمۡ بِرُوۡحٍ مِّنۡہُ
“And also:
يَجۡعَلۡ لَّکُمۡ فُرۡقَانًا
“In accordance to these promises, God has granted me all of this.
“The translation of these verses is as follows:
“Those who believe in the Holy Quran, will be granted dreams and revelations containing glad-tidings and they will be granted these abundantly. Otherwise, on the rare occasion, any [ordinary] person could also see a true dream. Nonetheless, a single drop is nothing in the face of an ocean; a single coin is nothing in comparison to a treasury. Then, God further states that a perfect follower will be aided by the Holy Spirit. In other words, their knowledge and insight will be illumined by a light from the unseen, their spiritual visions will become immaculately clear, their words and actions will be imbued with potency and their faith will be strengthened. It is further stated that God will clearly distinguish between them and others. That is to say, in comparison to the profound knowledge they will be granted and in the face of the miracles and extraordinary wonders they will be bestowed, other nations will be inferior.”
The Promised Messiahas further states, “Therefore, we can observe that this promise of God Almighty has always been fulfilled since time immemorial, and in this day and age, we are a witness to it.”
Muslims ought to understand this, and we also ought to truly realise that Allah the Almighty has sent the Promised Messiahas in this age with many signs. The manifestation of these signs continues even today. Those who truly follow the word of Allah the Almighty will experience the results in one way or another from Allah the Almighty Himself.
The Promised Messiahas continues, “Thus, I have elucidated the extraordinary power of the Holy Quran whose potency impacts those who follow it. However, the Quran is full of other miracles as well; it foretold the progress, grandeur and victory of Islam at a time when the Holy Prophetsa was wandering in the wilderness of Mecca alone. He was accompanied only by a handful of poor, weak Muslims. Furthermore, when the Roman Emperor was defeated by the Persians and Chosroes took hold of a large portion of his kingdom, even then, the Holy Quran put forward a prophecy that, within a period of nine years, the Roman Emperor would be victorious in defeating the Persians. This is precisely what transpired. A similar exalted miracle is that of the splitting of the moon [shaqq al-qamar], which clearly manifested Divine power. It has been mentioned in the Holy Quran that the moon split into two with the gesture of the Holy Prophet’ssa finger, and the disbelievers were witness to this miracle.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 409-411)
All these details are found in the book of the Promised Messiahas “Chashma-e-Ma’rifat” from which I have presented a few extracts. In the same book, “Chashma-e-Ma’rifat”, the Promised Messiahas explains that the stories mentioned within the Holy Quran are, in fact, prophecies.
He states:
“All the stories mentioned within the Holy Quran are not mere tales, but prophecies that have been written in the form of stories. Indeed, the Torah only contains stories, however, the Holy Quran has deemed every single story to be a prophecy in support of the Holy Prophetsa and Islam. Even these prophecies – written in the form of stories – have been unequivocally fulfilled. Thus, the Holy Quran is an ocean of knowledge and secrets and a sea of prophecies. It is impossible for anyone to come to certainty about God Almighty without the Holy Quran. This feature is unique only to the Holy Quran, which allows its true follower to remove the veil that exists between God and humankind. Followers of other faiths beckon to a fictional god, whereas the Holy Quran reveals the face of the True Beloved and fills the hearts of Man with the light of certainty. By virtue of the Holy Quran, God – Who is hidden from the entire universe – becomes manifest.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 271-272)
However, the condition is that one must truly adhere to the teachings of the Holy Quran.
Then, the Promised Messiahas states that the Holy Quran comprises of two aspects, the first being stories and the other being commandments. He states, “The Holy Quran comprises of two aspects; some things are presented in the form of stories, while others are presented in the form of commandments and guidance. … Those who are unable to distinguish between stories and guidance face great difficulty and become proponents of finding contradictions in the Holy Quran and thereby lose it in its practical form, because as God Almighty states regarding the Holy Quran:
وَلَوۡ کَانَ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ غَيۡرِ اللّٰہِ لَوَجَدُوۡا فِيۡہِ اخۡتِلَافًا کَثِيۡرًا
“‘Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much disagreement.’” The Promised Messiahas continues, “The fact that there are no discrepancies has been deemed a proof of [the Holy Quran] being from Allah (the fact that there are no inconsistencies means that it is from Allah). However, due to not distinguishing between the provident stories and guidance, they create incongruities and then deem it as being from someone other than Allah. Their understanding is pitiful.” (Malfuzat [1984], Vol. 2 p. 83)
As it was mentioned earlier, stories have been presented as prophecies and the commandments are separate from them. If people try to understand them by combining them, then they fall prey to misunderstandings. They do not possess the knowledge to understand, yet they allege that any commentary [of the Holy Quran] is a distortion.
Whilst mentioning the lofty excellences of the Holy Quran’s teachings, the Promised Messiahas states:
“Among the lofty excellences of the Holy Quran are its teachings, because they completely concord with the human nature and interests. For example, the Torah teaches a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye. The Gospels say that there should be no retaliation to harm, in fact, if someone strikes your right cheek then turn the other cheek. However, the Holy Quran says:
وَجَزٰٓؤُا سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌ مِّثۡلُہَا ۚ فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَاَصۡلَحَ فَاَجۡرُہٗ عَلَي اللّٰہِ
“‘The recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and thereby brings about an improvement, his reward is with Allah.’
It means the retaliation to an injury should be an equal injury, however, whoever forgives a person who wronged them, and this forgiveness results in the wrongdoer’s reformation and teaches them to abstain from committing the same crime again, then forgiveness is better than recompense, otherwise to punish would be more prudent. This is because people possess different natures; there are some who, upon being forgiven, never commit the same crime again and abstain from it. Then, there are others who commit the same crime even after being freed from imprisonment. Hence, because people have different natures, the best teaching is that which has been presented by the Holy Quran. The teachings of the Torah and the Gospels are not at all complete, in fact, those teachings only pertain to a peripheral branch of the human tree and both teachings can be likened to a law that is specific to a certain group of people or specific to a certain place. However, the Holy Quran considers all the different natures of people.”
I mentioned this example as well in the last Friday Sermon, however, that was in a different context. Here, this example is being presented in light of the qualities of the Holy Quran. Then, the Promised Messiahas states, “This is a commandment of the Gospel.” He presents a second example. This is not the only example, rather, he presents other examples as well.
The Promised Messiahas states:
“A commandment of the Gospel is that one should not cast a lustful glance towards women. However, the Holy Quran says categorically not to look at women; whether with a lustful eye, or not, as this might become the means for one to stumble.”
They say that we were looking at them with pure intentions. However, the Holy Quran says not to look at women even, with pure intentions, as this can become a means for one to stumble.
“As a matter of fact, if the need arises whereby one must interact with women, one can raise his eyes slightly, as opposed to leering at them with open eyes.” That is, if a need arises, one should only look at women with their eyes slightly opened so that one does not see them completely.
Following this, the Promised Messiahas said:
“The Gospel says not to divorce one’s wife, unless she has committed adultery. However, in the Holy Quran, divorce is not confined to adultery. Rather, if mutual enmity develops between husband and wife and there is no reconciliation, or if, for example, there is a danger to one’s life, or if one’s wife has not committed adultery, but takes steps towards it, such as meeting other men; in all such cases, the judgement of the husband will suffice if he wishes to leave her. Yet despite this, the Quran has strictly stated not to rush in the matters of divorce.”
The Promised Messiahas states that the Quran has emphatically stated that one should not be hasty in matters of divorce. We also find an answer here in relation to the misconception that men have an unrestrained right to divorce. Some men believe this to be true, misuse it and are unjust as well. The Promised Messiahas said that one is not permitted to divorce without justification and even then, one should try to avoid it. Following this, the Promised Messiahas said:
“It is now evident that the teaching of the Holy Quran is in accordance with human needs and moving away from this will certainly cause problems at some point or another. For this very reason, some European governments had to pass laws on justifications for divorce.” (Chashma-e-Ma’rifat, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 23, pp. 413-414)
Even in secular laws, the justification and reason for divorce are given. They ask this in various cases as to what the reason for divorce is and why they are separating; all the evidence needs to be provided. Nevertheless, the Promised Messiahas said that this is not an easy process and as such, they have had to create their own laws as well. Worldly laws are created and abandoned and people make continuous efforts to improve them further. Despite this, various flaws remain. However, the law of God Almighty is in absolute harmony with human nature. Here, I would once again like to clarify that not only men have the right to divorce, rather, even women can get a divorce owing to their like and dislike or for any other reason. Furthermore, [in the case of a woman seeking divorce] if it is proven that the man has acted unjustly and is at fault, then they will also have to pay the dowry and it is a misconception to think otherwise. In such cases, they will have to pay the dowry and also fulfil all their due rights. As such, men and women should not think that only men have been given the right [to divorce]. When the subject related to the rights of women will be mentioned, this will be discussed in further detail.
Nevertheless, this topic will continue. There are other statements of the Promised Messiahas in this regard, which I will mention from time to time. May Allah the Almighty enable us to act in accordance with the true teachings of the Holy Quran.
(Official Urdu transcript published in Al Fazl International, 3 March 2023, pp. 5-10. Translated by The Review of Religions.)
