Friday Sermon
22 February 2019
Musleh-e-Maud: The Prophecy and its Fulfillment
After reciting the Tashahud, Ta‘awuz, and Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa stated:
These days Yaum-e-Musleh-e-Maud [Musleh-e-Maud Day] is being commemorated in the Jamaat, i.e. regarding the fulfilment of the prophecy in which God Almighty gave glad tidings to the Promised Messiahas of a promised son. God Almighty said regarding this son that He would be one who possessed special qualities, a true servant to his faith, would attain a long life and would continue the mission of the Promised Messiahas.
This prophecy was made on 20 February 1886 and is an extraordinary sign for the truthfulness of the Promised Messiahas and that God Almighty’s support was with him. Thus, within the time period stated in the prophecy, this son was born on 12 January 1889 and was named Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad, to whom God Almighty bestowed the mantle of Khilafat after the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira.
I shall present some accounts from the life of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra and how this prophecy was truly fulfilled in his person. However, before doing so I shall present the words of the Promised Messiahas with regard to the significance and truthfulness of this prophecy. This prophecy was not just the birth of a son, rather it was to foretell the birth of an extraordinary son who would lay the foundations to a spiritual revolution in the world.
As I have mentioned, I shall present the Promised Messiah’sas response to his critics and this can truly be understood if one reads it in his own words. The Promised Messiahas states:
“One should carefully deliberate that this is not simply a prophecy, but a magnificent heavenly sign which the Benevolent God manifested to prove the truthfulness and grandeur of our compassionate and merciful Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Chosen One, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. And the truth is that this sign is a hundred times more grand, lofty, complete, superior and perfect than the sign of bringing the dead back to life, because reviving one from the dead is that one prays and asks for the soul to be brought back; such reviving of the dead has been attributed to the Messiah and some other prophets in the Bible, regarding which the critics greatly object to.
“Aside from these rational and textual arguments, the fact is that the corpse would only be revived and stay alive for a few minutes, and would once again depart from this world, and leaving its loved ones to mourn once again – a soul whose return to the world profited neither the world, nor granted the soul itself any peace, nor any delight to its loved ones. Thus, if a soul did in fact return to this world through the prayer of the Messiah, then in reality, its returning and staying in the world are one and the same. And if, for the sake of argument, the soul returned and remained in the body even for some years, even then, what benefit could the imperfect soul of a morally corrupt or materialistic person grant the world, who is no different to fellow men?”
Regarding the prophecy of Musleh-e-Maud, the Promised Messiahas explains that if it were true that prophets of the past revived the dead; it was only temporary, and furthermore, the ones being brought back were ordinary people.
However, the Promised Messiahas further says:
“Through the grace and beneficence of God Almighty, and by virtue of the blessings of the Seal of the Prophetssa, the Benevolent God accepted this humble one’s prayer and promised to send such a holy spirit, whose outer and inner blessings would be manifested throughout the world.
“Hence, even though this sign is seemingly equal to granting life to the dead, however, upon further reflection, it is evident that this sign is in fact hundreds of times greater than bringing the dead back to life. Through prayer, the soul of the dead is brought back, and in the case of this prophecy, a new soul has been acquired through the supplication of prayer.”
The Promised Messiahas states that the prayer made for a son was in fact a prayer for the birth of a new soul.
“However, there is an enormous difference between those souls and this one. Those who merely pose as Muslims, but in fact have abandoned the faith, do not rejoice at witnessing the miracles of the Holy Prophetsa being fulfilled. Rather, they are deeply grieved as to why such an event transpired.” (Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat, Vol. 1, pp. 114-115)
The Promised Messiahas mentioned this in Tabligh-e-Risalat. The Promised Messiahas stated that he did not supplicate to be granted an ordinary soul. Rather he prayed for a sign, as a result of which God Almighty gave glad tidings of a son who possessed numerous qualities. The tidings of such a glorious son were given, “who would attain a long life, be extremely intelligent and bright and possess grandeur, majesty and wealth. Nations would obtain blessings from him. He would be filled with secular and spiritual knowledge. He would be endowed with an extremely profound understanding of the Word of God, i.e. the Holy Quran. Furthermore, he would utilise this God-given understanding and would serve the Holy Quran in such a magnificent manner that he would enlighten the world about the true status of the Word of God. He will be the means of procuring the release of those held in bondage; He will be Aalam-e-Kabab, meaning such universal catastrophes would occur during his lifetime that it will torment the entire world. His fame will spread to the ends of the earth.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol 1, pp. 53-54)
We are a witness to the universal catastrophes, such as the ones mentioned in the prophecy which occurred during the era of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra in the form of the two world wars as well as other calamities. Then, as far as the spreading of his fame is concerned, his fame spread to the corners of the earth by establishing new missions, doing tabligh [preaching the true message of Islam] and by spreading the message of Islam to various other countries of the world during his lifetime. As a matter of fact, in relation to this prophecy, we see that this is continuing even today. As I mentioned, I will now briefly speak about the life and character of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra.
As far as his education is concerned, after completing his first reading of the Holy Quran, he enrolled in an official school and had the opportunity to acquire secular education, but despite this he still required extra help and for this tutors would teach him Urdu and English at home.
Hazrat Pir Manzur Muhammad Sahibra taught him Urdu for some time. The tutors that were appointed to teach him at home included Pir Manzur Muhammad Sahibra, who taught him Urdu for some time. Following this, Maulvi Sher Ali Sahibra taught him English. In the biography Swaneh Fazle Umar, Hazrat Khalifat-ul-Masih IVrh has penned an interesting account in relation to the condition and nature of this education, which is befitting to hear in the words of Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahib himself.
In his own words, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes about the condition of his education:
“In relation to my education, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira conferred the greatest favour upon me. Since he was a physician and also aware of the fact that owing to my poor health, I was unable to look at a textbook for too long, therefore, his method of teaching was that he would seat me beside him and say, ‘Mian! I will read and you continue to listen.’ The reason for this was that in my childhood, a severe form of trachoma formed in my eyes (which is an ailment of the eye) and I suffered from pain in my eyes for a consecutive period of three to four years. Due to the effects of trachomatous concretions, I had such severe pain in my eyes, the doctor said that I would eventually lose my eyesight. Upon this, the Promised Messiahas started to particularly pray for my health and also began to observe fasts.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states:
“At this moment, I do not recall how many fasts he observed. In any case, he observed three or seven fasts. When he was about to break his last fast and placed something in his mouth in order to open the fast, I suddenly opened my eyes and exclaimed that I am able to see.
“However, the result of this illness and its repeated outbreaks was that the sight in one of my eyes weakened significantly. Hence, I am unable to see properly through my left eye. I am able to see ahead of me, but I am unable to read a book. If a person who I know is sitting two or four feet away, I am able to recognise him. However, if an unacquainted person is sat there, I am unable to see his face. Only my right eye is fully functional. However, trachomatous concretions formed in this eye as well and its severity was such that I would spend many nights awake due to it.
“The Promised Messiahas told my teachers that I was to be educated according to my wishes. I should study as much as I can and that I should not be forced to study because my health did not permit me to bear the burden of education.
“The Promised Messiahas would constantly advise me to simply study the translation of the Holy Quran and Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahib (that is, from Hazrat Maulana Nuruddin, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira). In addition to this, the Promised Messiahas also said that I should study medicine, as this was an ancestral practise.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further states:
“Master Faqeerullah Sahib … was our mathematics teacher in school. He used to solve questions on the board in order to explain them to the students. However, I was unable to see it due to my weak eyesight. The reason for this was that my eyesight did not function well enough to see the board. Aside from this, I was unable to look at the board for too long as my eyes became tired. Due to this, I used to consider it useless to sit in the class. If I ever wished to leave, I did so and at times I did not.
“Once, Master Faqeerullah Sahib made a complaint about me to the Promised Messiahas, saying, ‘He remains absent from school and only comes occasionally.’”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra writes, “I recall when Master Sahib made this complaint to the Promised Messiahas, I became scared and hid myself, not knowing how upset the Promised Messiahas would be. However, when the Promised Messiahas heard this, he said to Master Sahib, ‘It is very kind of you that you show concern for him, however I am very pleased to learn that he occasionally attends because according to me, his health is not good enough for him to study at all.’ Following this, the Promised Messiahas smiled and said, ‘We are not teaching him mathematics in the hope of him opening a local shop. It makes no difference whether he learns mathematics or not.’ He then said ‘What level of mathematics did the Holy Prophetsa and his Companions study? It is good if he attends school, but if he does not, he should not be forced.’
“When Master Sahib heard this, he returned. I started to take even more advantage of this leniency and stopped attending school altogether. I would go to school once or twice a month. Hence, I was educated in this manner, but at the same time I had some constraints. Apart from suffering from the ailments of the eyes, I also had complications with my liver and for this I had to drink water extracted from mung beans [a form of lentils] or saag [green leafy vegetable] for six months at a time. On top of this, I had an enlarged spleen and red iodide of mercury was used to massage it. This was used for massaging my neck also as I suffered from tonsillitis. Hence, I had trachomatous concretions, problems with my liver and an enlarged spleen. In addition to this, I used to get a fever which would last for six months. My elders would advise against putting too much pressure on me to study and allowed me to study as much as I wanted. One can ascertain my educational competence based on all of these factors.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says:
“Once my maternal grandfather, Hazrat Mir Nasir Nawab Sahibra tested my level of Urdu. My handwriting is untidy even now, but in those days, it was so bad that one could not even read what I had written. Mir Sahib attempted to decipher what I had written, but he was not able to do so.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says:
“The majority of my children have better handwriting. Similarities of my handwriting can be found in my daughter, Amatul Rashid’s handwriting. I had set a reward of one rupee if anyone, including Amatul Rashid herself, could read out what she had written. The condition of my handwriting was exactly the same and I was at times unable to read my own handwriting. When Mir Sahib examined my paper, he became irritated and said: ‘This writing is all scrambled and illegible.’ (Mir Sahib was quick-tempered). He became furious and took his complaint to the Promised Messiahas and incidentally I was also at home. We were already scared of Mir Sahib’s temperament (Mir Sahib was quick-tempered), and so, when Mir Sahib went to the Promised Messiahas and I became even more worried as to what would happen next. Mir Sahib came and said: ‘You do not pay any attention towards Mahmud’s education. I tested him on his Urdu. Please have a look at his paper. His handwriting is so bad that no one can read it.’ He continued in this impassioned state and said to the Promised Messiahas: ‘You do not address this matter at all and this boy is wasting his time.’ Observing Mir Sahib’s fervency on the matter, the Promised Messiahas stated: ‘Call Hazrat Maulvi Sahib.’”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further writes:
“Whenever facing a difficult situation, the Promised Messiahas would summon for Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira had immense love for me. He came and, as was his habit, he stood to one side with his head lowered in respect. The Promised Messiahas stated: ‘Maulvi Sahib, I have called you here because Mir Sahib says that it is impossible to read Mahmud’s handwriting. I would like a test to be prepared for him.’ After saying this, the Promised Messiahas picked up his pen and wrote a few sentences. He gave me the sheet of paper and instructed me to copy it. This was the simple test conducted by the Promised Messiahas. I copied this writing very carefully with full concentration. First of all, the sentences were not long, and secondly, I only had to copy it, which was very straightforward because the original was in front of me. I copied it slowly and very meticulously wrote down the Urdu alphabets ‘Alif’ and ‘Baa’. When the Promised Messiahas saw this, he stated: ‘I was perturbed by Mir Sahib’s comments, but his handwriting resembles mine.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira was already in my favour and stated: ‘Huzoor! Mir Sahib became impassioned for no reason. His handwriting is very neat.’ Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira would always tell me: ‘Mian! Your health is not well enough that you can study yourself. Visit me and I will teach you in a way that you only need to listen.’ Hence, he laid great stress on this and taught me the Holy Qur’an first and then Sahih Bukhari. He did not teach me the Quran at a slow pace; rather, he used to recite the Holy Quran followed by its translation and would elaborate on anything that he felt was necessary to further explain. Otherwise, he would teach at a quick pace. He taught me the entire Quran in three months after which there was a gap in the lessons. After the demise of the Promised Messiahas, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira said to me: ‘Mian! Let me finish teaching Bukhari to you.’ This is because I had previously informed him what the Promised Messiahas had stated during his lifetime which was to learn the Holy Quran and Bukhari from Maulvi Sahib. Therefore, I had started learning the Quran and Bukhari from Hazrat Maulvi Sahibra during the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas, although there were some gaps in between. Similarly, under the instructions of the Promised Messiahas, I began learning medicine from him. Mir Ishaq Sahib and I started learning medicine on the same day.”
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra further says:
“There was a joke about Mir Sahib which became well known in our house that on the second day (when both of us had only completed one lesson), Mir Ishaq Sahib said to his mother: ‘Mother! Please wake me up early tomorrow morning so I can go to the clinic early. Maulvi Sahib arrives a little later in the day, therefore I can go there before his arrival and write prescriptions for the patients.’ This was despite the fact that he had only been studying medicine for one day.
“In short, I learned medicine and commentary of the Holy Quran from Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira. He finished teaching me the commentary of the Holy Qur’an in two months. He would make me sit with him and would sometimes teach me half a part or one full part of the Quran. He would explain the commentary of certain verses as well. Similarly, he finished teaching me Sahih Bukhari in two or three months. During one Ramadan, he delivered lectures covering the entire Holy Quran throughout the month, which I was able to attend as well. I also had the opportunity to study a few Arabic magazines from him. This was the condition of my education. During those days when I was finishing this course, Allah the Almighty showed me a dream” – which was about his intellectual progress. (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1, pp. 104-105)
Thus, from this we can understand the manner in which he was educated. However, his speeches, addresses, writings and exegesis of the Holy Quran are testimony to the fact that he was undoubtedly taught by God Almighty Himself.
Indeed, this is a great sign and proof of the truthfulness of this prophecy. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra delivered his first public speech during the lifetime of the Promised Messiahas at the Jalsa Salana [Annual Convention] of 1906. One can begin to understand the effect and impression this academic and scholarly speech had on the listeners through the words of a prominent companion of the Promised Messiahas – Hazrat Qazi Muhammad Zahuruddin Akmal Sahib – who was a poet and had great command over language; he stated:
“Mahmud, the brightest star and crown jewel of prophethood – may God the Benevolent protect him – stood up to deliver an address on the topic of shirk [associating partners with God]. I paid particular attention to his speech. How am I to express it in words? It was an ocean of eloquence, flowing with great force. Undoubtedly, to have such sound thoughts at such a young age is no less than a miracle. In my opinion, this also is a sign of the Promised Messiah’sas truthfulness. This makes evident the grand status and beauty of the moral training he received under the guidance of the Promised Messiahas. (He spoke on matters of spiritual excellences in an extraordinary manner.” (Al Hakam, 10 January 1907) (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol 1, pp. 121-122)
The religious activities [in which Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra participated], his passion, intellectual and spiritual development proved that he indeed is the fulfilment of the prophetic words ‘He would quickly grow’. Furthermore, the Promised Messiahas himself perceived this passion in him for religion. In one instance, he stated,
“Mian Mahmud has so much passion to serve his faith that at times I offer special supplications for him”. (Tarikh-e-Ahmadiyyat, Vol. 4, p. 26)
These are the words of the Promised Messiahas. He certainly made this prayer for God Almighty to make him the very son whose glad tidings were given for God Almighty to shower His blessings so that all the glad tidings be fulfilled in his favour.
With regard to the time after the demise of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra, in the biography written by Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahibrh, he writes in one place by stating:
“During the beginning of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih I’sra Khilafat, Hazrat Sahibzada [Mirza Mahmud Ahmadra] was 19 years of age, and when Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira passed away, he was entering his 26th year. I shall present some examples of the manner in which he would deliver discourses and pen his writings in his youth.
“He had developed the maturity of an experienced thinker in his thoughts and ideas. His words were entwined with profound effect, allurement and sincerity. His speech was completely free from artificiality and his writings were untainted by any kind of pretention. He had a natural fluency in his speech and his writings were like a flowing river of simplicity. He was filled with the knowledge of the Holy Quran and its cognizance to such an extent, that they would irrigate his heart and mind simultaneously. He was 19 years of age at the demise of the Promised Messiahas and regarding the first ever speech he delivered, Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali Sahibra, a scholarly intellectual, states, ‘Another incident I wish to relate on this subject is the first speech of Huzoorra. The first address of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra was during the first Jalsa Salana after the demise of the Promised Messiahas. This Jalsa was hosted in the courtyard of Madrasa Ahmadiyya and Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira sat to the right side of Huzoorra on the stage. The stage was positioned facing north.’
“Maulvi Sher Ali Sahib writes:
“There are two noteworthy points regarding this speech – the first point of note is that Huzoor’sra voice, delivery, tone and style of oration were very similar to that of the Promised Messiahas in that it reminded the audience of the Promised Messiahas, who had only passed away a short while earlier. There were many amongst the audience who were brought to tears as a result of the voice of the Promised Messiahas that they were hearing from the lips of his promised son, just as one can hear the voice of an unseen person through a gramophone. Owing to this, people could be seen crying and I too was amongst those who wept.
“If it is appropriate to say that one’s spirit can pass on to another, then I would say that in that moment, the spirit of the Promised Messiahas descended upon Huzoorra and was proclaiming, ‘This is my beloved son who has been bestowed to me as a sign of mercy – regarding whom it was said that he would resemble me in beauty and benevolence.’
“The second point worth mentioning with regard to this speech is that when it concluded, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira – who had spent his entire life studying the Holy Quran and for whom it was a nourishment of the soul – said, ‘Mian has explained many verses in a manner which are very much new to me.’”
Maulvi Sher Ali Sahibra then writes that this was the first speech of Huzurra which he delivered before the Jamaat. In this speech, he discussed the intricacies of the Holy Quran, i.e. after the demise of the Promised Messiahas, he explained such points of wisdom, regarding which, even those well-versed in the Holy Quran such as Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira acknowledged that these meanings were new to him. Who could have imparted all this knowledge to this young man? Who could have taught him this wisdom and understanding at such a young age? It is the One Who stated with regard to Prophet Josephas:
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ اَشُدَّهٗۤ اٰتَيۡنٰهُ حُكْمًا وَّعِلْمًا ؕ وَكَذٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِيۡنَ
“And when he reached his age of full strength and attained maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge; and thus do We reward those who do good.”
Maulvi Sahibra says, “Huzoorra did not merely discuss ordinary matters of wisdom, rather he highlighted unique and novel insights into the Holy Quran. God Almighty states regarding the Holy Quran:
لَّا يَمَسُّهٗۤ اِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُوۡنَ
“The translation of this is, ‘None shall touch this [Quran] except those who are purified.’ Hence, to emerge from the solitude of childhood and convey such unique and subtle points of the Holy Quran before an audience is clear evidence to the fact that he spent his childhood under the special upbringing of God Almighty and became part of ‘those who are purified’ even in his childhood.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1, pp. 217-219)
A non-Ahmadi journalist has also presented his impressions with regard to his character. It is written that in March 1913, a non-Ahmadi journalist, Muhammad Aslam Sahib, travelled from Amritsar to Qadian and stayed for a few days before departing. After studying the Jamaat closely, he gave a detailed report regarding Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad Sahibra saying:
“I was extremely delighted to have met Sahibzada Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad Sahib. Sahibzada Sahib was an extremely courteous and simple person. Alongside his politeness, he is extremely knowledgeable and possesses great understanding.
“Apart from other subjects, a conversation took place between Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud and I about the future of India. In this conversation, the view he set forth based on the history of international relations was laden with vision and reflection.”
This incident is from before his Khilafat in 1913, during the era of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira.
He further writes:
“Out of love, Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud expressed his sincere desire that I should stay in Qadian for at least one week, but owing to one reason or another, I was unable to fulfil his request. However, I am extremely grateful to him for his benevolence and kindness. His purity, righteousness, profound thinking and modesty shall forever remain entrenched in my memory.”
Regarding the standard of his prayers even as a child, one of his childhood teachers, Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Sadiq Sahibra, expressed the following:
“Because this humble one had pledged allegiance to the Promised Messiahas at the end of 1890, I was constantly in and out of Qadian. I have been watching Hazrat Ulul ‘Azm [The Determined One] Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad since his childhood. His aptitude and disposition was always inclined towards modesty, nobility, truth and religion. Even in younger years, he had a fascination with the religious activities of the Promised Messiahas. He would often go to the Jaami‘ [Central] Mosque with the Promised Messiahas and listen to the sermon.”
He further says:
“I recall that once, when Mian Mahmud was approximately 10 years old, he was standing for prayer in the Aqsa Mosque next to the Promised Messiahas. When he went into prostration, he began weeping profusely. From an early age he possessed an exceptional bond of love for God and His Messengers.”
Then, there is another incident which illustrates the fervent state of his prayers and his habit of remaining in prostration for long periods. When elders would see this, it would evoke great wonder in them. In particular, as there was no apparent difficulty or worry that could cause it, when the people would witness the fervent and tearful state of his supplications, they would be astonished. They would wonder, after all, what could have befallen this child that causes him to secretly wake up in the night, weep profusely and saturate his prayer mat with his innocent tears?
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Sahibrh writes in his biography of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud that the same wonder and amazement arose in the heart of Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Sahib as well, a new convert who had accepted Islam at the hand of the Promised Messiahas. He increased in his sincerity and faith so rapidly that he is counted amongst those pure and saintly individuals blessed with divine visions and revelation.
He used to recall: “Once I resolved that I would spend the entire night alone in the mosque, and in seclusion I would ask of my Lord all that I desired. When I arrived in the mosque, I saw that someone was already busy in prostration, and was weeping with such anguish that I was unable to focus on my own prayer. The prayer of that individual had such a powerful effect on me that I began praying, ‘O my Lord, whatever this person is imploring of you, do Thou grant it to him.’
“I stood for so long that I became tired from standing, waiting for the person to arise from his prostration. I do not know how long he had been there before my arrival, but when he lifted his head, I saw that it was Mian Mahmud Ahmad Sahib. I greeted him with Salam, shook his hand and asked him, ‘Mian, whatever did you ask from God today?’
“He replied, ‘I have only asked of God that He should revive Islam before my very eyes.’ After saying this, he proceeded back inside.
“At such a young age, the deep desire he possessed to see the day of Islam’s victory did indeed bear fruit, as God adorned him with the mantle of Khilafat in his youth.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1, pp. 151)
Hazrat Sahibzada Mirza Mahmud Ahmad Sahib has mentioned a prayer of his which is published in Tasheezul Azhaan in the year 1909. He wrote an article wherein he mentions the blessings of Ramadan. After this he writes:
“I was looking for an article of Tasheezul Azhaan. In the process of searching my desk, I came across a paper containing a prayer that I had offered in the previous Ramadan.”
Mian Mahmud goes on to say:
“Upon reading this prayer, my heart was suddenly moved to encourage the members of the Jamaat to also supplicate using these words. After all, no one knows whose prayer may be accepted or when God’s grace may descend with a special majesty upon our Jamaat. I publish herein the words of that prayer to express the anguish of my own heart, so that perhaps the heart of some pure natured individual might move towards supplicating to his Lord for his own self and for the Ahmadiyya Jamaat. This indeed is my true purpose for stating this. The words of that prayer are as follows:
“O my Master, my Powerful God, my Beloved Friend, my Guide! O Creator and Originator of the Heavens and the Earth! O Controller and Regulator of water and air! O You Who – from the time of Adam to the time of Jesus – sent hundreds of thousands of spiritual guides and countless callers to faith for the guidance of the world! I supplicate You, O Exalted and Great God, Who raised a Messenger as magnificent and majestic as the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa; I implore that Gracious God Who raised a spiritual guide like the Promised Messiahas from among the servants of the Holy Prophetsa!
“O Creator of all Light and Expeller of all darkness!
“At Your threshold – Indeed! Only at Your threshold does this unworthy servant express total humility, so do Thou hear my plea and accept my prayer, because it is Your promises, after all, which have granted me strength to even have the courage to submit something before You!
“I was nothing and You created me. I did not exist and You brought me into existence. You created the four elements for my development, and created mankind for my wellbeing. When I could not even give expression to my needs, you appointed such people who were naturally concerned for my well-being. Then you allowed me to progress and increased my provisions.
“O my Beloved! My most Beloved! You appointed Adam as my father and Eve as my mother, and from among Your servants chose one whom You looked upon with honour, so that he would seek intercession and mercy for the unaware, those of little understanding and ignorant persons like me.
“I was a sinner and You concealed my sins; I was a wrongdoer and You forgave me. In each and every instance of pain and sorrow You stood by me. Whenever a tribulation befell me, You came to my aide, and wherever I could have gone astray, You held onto me and did not let me go.
“You overlooked my errors and despite my becoming distant, You only drew nearer to me. Even when I became neglectful of You, You never once forgot me. On occasions where even parents and relatives and family and friends and sympathisers prove utterly helpless, You manifested the hand of Your Divine power for me.
“When I feel sad, You lift my spirits; when I become disheartened You grant me joy. When I cry, You make me smile. There may be some who weep in the agony of being separated from You, but You Yourself revealed Your countenance to me. You vouchsafed promises to me and then fulfilled them. You have never failed to discharge Your promise. I also made promises to You, but broke them, yet You overlooked them. I do not find another soul more sinful than myself, yet I do not find another sinful person, whom You have bestowed more of Your Grace upon. I cannot even imagine any other being more benevolent than You.”
He further says whilst addressing God Almighty, “I cannot even imagine a person more benevolent than You. Whenever I fall at Your threshold and lament and cry, You always hear my call and accept it. I have never witnessed that You have rejected any prayer that I supplicated in a state of helplessness. O my Lord! With the utmost fervency and heartfelt anguish, I fall at Your threshold and I supplicate to You, begging of You to hear my prayer. My Lord! Holy art Thou! My people are heading towards ruin, save them from this destruction. If they call themselves Ahmadis, how can they ever forge a connection with me until their hearts and inner selves become pure? Until they become immersed in Your love, what connection do I have with them? Thus, O my Lord! Manifest Your attributes of Rahmaniyyah [graciousness] and Rahimiyyah [mercy] and purify them. Instil within them the passion and spirit of the Companionsra so they become anxious to serve the faith, and their words and actions become refined and pure. [O Lord] May they sacrifice themselves for Your sake and remain devoted to the Holy Prophetsa. May the prayers of Your Promised Messiah be accepted in their favour and may his pure and true teachings become embedded in their hearts. O my Lord! Save my people from all trials and grief; safeguard them from all kinds of calamities that may befall them and ensure that great, noble people are born among them. May they become a nation that You are pleased with and become a community that You have chosen for Yourself. May they be free from the clutches of Satan and may the angels continuously descend upon them. Bless this community, both in their worldly endeavours and in their faith. Amin, O Lord of all the worlds. Amin.” (Swaneh Fazle Umar, Vol. 1; pp. 309-312)
As I mentioned earlier, this prayer was from 1909. At that time – during the Khilafat of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Ira – he was only 20 years of age. Even then, his heart possessed a profound sympathy and anguish to serve his faith and his people.
May God Almighty shower His endless Mercy on his soul for he spent day and night in spreading the religion of the Holy Prophetsa and the mission of his Ardent Devotee – the Promised Messiah and Mahdias – and having fulfilled his pledge, he returned to his Lord. May God Almighty enable us to understand and recite this heartfelt prayer of his, and may we fulfil the rights of being an Ahmadi. May God Almighty enable us to do so.
(Originally published in Al Fazl International, 15-21 March 2019, pp. 5-9. Translated by The Review of Religions)