English translation of Inqilab-e-Haqiqi
An address by Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih II, al-Musleh al-Mau‘ud
Delivered at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1937
In this address, delivered at Jalsa Salana Qadian on 28 December 1937, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra discusses material movements in world history and the secrets of their success, followed by an exploration of the grand epochs of religious movements. He declares that the revolution brought about by the Promised Messiahas was, in essence, a revival of the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa. He then speaks about the revolution initiated by the Promised Messiah, outlining the objectives of Tahrik-e-Jadid and associating this revolution with the demands of Tahrik-e-Jadid. Concluding his address, he sheds light on the means to establish an Islamic civilisation and directs the attention of Ahmadis towards their responsibilities.
The Meaning of the Term السَّاعَةُ (The Hour)
Hence, the Great Prophets epitomise resurrection; through them the previous order is wiped away and a new generation of people is raised. Because they established a new system, the age of their advent is referred to in religious terminology as Judgement Day, and it is distinguished by the two defining features of the actual Judgement Day. First, the people of the time (spiritually) perish and die. Secondly, they are raised back to life. With the advent of the Prophets, at first, the world seemed to be enveloped in a [spiritual] death, and all the doors that were open to communion with God were closed. Thereafter, new doors by which to attain closeness with God are opened by the Prophet of the time. Their actions are akin to the demolition of an old building and the construction of a new edifice. (Here, the old building signifies two things: an edifice based on an outdated law or teaching that was prevalent before the prophet’s advent, or a self-made explanatory structure of teachings that people might have erected by disregarding the original preserved law or teachings.) The Qur’an refers to this time as ‘The Hour’.”
With reference to the Holy Prophetsa the Holy Qur’an says:
زُيِّنَ لِلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا الْحَيٰوةُ الدُّنْيَا وَيَسْخَرُوْنَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَالَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوْا فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ وَاللهُ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ1
That is, the enticements of the world appear attractive to disbelievers who ridicule those who believe.
وَالَّذِيْنَ اتَّقَوْا فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ
That is, whereas on the Day of Judgement the believers will rank above them.
The scene described in the words فَوْقَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰمَةِ will also occur on that Day of Judgement which is to take place after death, when disbelievers will be cast into hell and believers sent to heaven. However, because this day, [wherein the truth of the Holy Prophetsa will be affirmed by the victory of the believers], will not be such that people can heed any warning from it as is implicit in the verse, here the term Day of Judgement refers to the time when the Holy Prophetsa would triumph over the disbelievers and when the world would come to witness the most extraordinary of events. That is, they would live to see a man who had once stood alone and persecuted by a whole nation, become the ruler of these people while the previous leaders would be made his subjects.
The Meaning of ‘The Hour has Drawn Close’
Yet another verse of the Holy Qur’an refers to the time of the Holy Prophetsa as The Hour. It says:
اِقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ2
That is, Judgement Day is close at hand as portended by the splitting of the moon. How was the moon ripped into two? For the moment, I will not discuss the exact nature of this event. Instead, I wish to focus on the opening part of the verse. Over 1300 years have passed since this reported incident [took place] including over half of the 14th century, but the Day of Judgement is still to arrive. However, Allah says that because the moon has been split, consider it is close at hand. This question is also worth considering, what, if any, relationship exists between the splitting of the moon and a Judgement Day that will be experienced after death? To attempt to create such a link is akin to fitting the proverbial square peg into a round hole.
Here in this verse the crux of the matter is, Judgement Day should not be understood as that day of reckoning which is to take place after death, but rather as the victory of the Holy Prophetsa. The verse alludes to the new spiritual life that was to be created through him. The splitting of the moon, in whatever manner it took place, was in reality a prophecy of the downfall of Arab power.
In [the book]The Knowledge of Interpreting Dreams, the moon is said to represent Arab rule. Therefore, the idea conveyed in this verse is that the splitting of the moon points to the end of the existing order in Arabia that would necessarily result in the victory of the Holy Prophetsa and the establishment of his rule. [Through this verse] God sought to warn people away from evil even before the arrival of this day of victory.
The Meaning of the Splitting of the Moon
Throughout the Arab world, the appearance of the moon in a dream or vision was widely recognised as a symbol of Arab governance, to the extent that even adherents of other faiths acknowledged and accepted this interpretation. History tells us that after the victory of the battle of Khaybar, a daughter of a Jewish leader, Hazrat Safiyyahra was married to the Holy Prophetsa. He noticed some running marks on one of her cheeks and asked her how she had received them. Hazrat Safiyyahra replied: ‘Messenger of Allah! I once had a dream in which the moon split and fell into my lap. The vision distressed me, and I related it to my husband, who later spoke of it with my father, a great Jewish clergyman. When he heard this, my father was overcome by rage and struck me and asked whether I wished to marry the king of the Arabs. The moon, he said, represented an Arab king, while seeing it fall into one’s lap represented marriage. He hit me so hard that a mark was left on my cheek, the slight impressions of which are still visible.’
In whatever form or manner the moon may have shown to be split, its import was to prophesy the end of Arab rule as is explained by the Holy Qur’an in this verse. The Holy Qur’an says that the moon had been split, meaning that [traditional] Arab rule [in the peninsula] was to be succeeded by the government of the Holy Prophetsa which would usher in a spiritual form of Judgement Day.
The Meaning of لَوْ لَا کَ لَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْاَفْلَاکَ
The revelation لَوْ لَا کَ لَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْاَفْلَاکَ has been revealed to more than one Prophet and it means:
O (Prophetsa) you are the foundation upon which the system of your age rests. If it were not for you, I would not have created this universe which relies on you [for its existence].
This does not mean that Allah the Exalted would not have created this universe were it not for the existence of certain Prophets. Every spiritual revolution is in accordance with the capacity of the Prophet of the age and is a projection of his spiritual capabilities. Prophets essentially father such revolutions. Just as the birth of a child requires the agency of a father; similarly, no religious revolution can take place without a prophet. Therefore, it would be more accurate and true to say that if not for the advent of the Prophet [of the age], the new spiritual heaven and earth, which he establishes, cannot otherwise be created.
The revelation of لَوْ لَا کَ لَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْاَفْلَاکَ was also revealed to the Promised Messiahas3 and before him, to the Holy Prophetsa.4 If the terms heaven and earth are understood to mean the physical solar system [or universe], it would seem incongruous for God Almighty to say to one of his Prophets — were it not for you, I would not have created the universe —and then repeat these exact words to another. Therefore, it should be clear that the words heaven and earth refer to the spiritual system which Prophets establish in the world. My own view is that all the Prophets who instigated such revolutions must have received this revelation. However, we can of course say, that because the Holy Prophetsa was sent for all ages and for all of humankind, every era [of history] ought to be included when applying this revelation to him, while for all other Prophets it should be understood in terms of a limited period of time and space.
The Meaning of افْلَاک and the Bible
My interpretation of the words heaven and earth is supported by the bible. In Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 18, it is written:
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.5
Here heaven and earth refer to the Mosaic dispensation, and it means that until the religion of Mosesas exists, the teachings of the Torah cannot come to an end. But when this religious system ceases to exist, it will not be necessary to follow the teachings of the Torah. The fact of the matter is that the Holy Qur’an has abrogated its teachings. Indeed, the Torah itself claims the law of Mosesas was to be succeeded by another. In Deuteronomy Chapter 18 Verse 18-19, it is written:
I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet[b] shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable.6
From these verses the following can be deduced: (1) That another Prophet was to be raised for the Jewish people, as is written that ‘I will raise up for them a prophet’. (2) He would be a law-bearing Prophet like Mosesas, as mentioned that ‘I will raise up for them a Prophet like you’. (3) He would be from among the children of Ishmael and not the children of Israel, for it is written that he would be from ‘their brethren’7 and not from among themselves. (4) Obedience to him would be obligatory for Jews as it is written that he would have been raised for them. (5) If the Jewish people would not obey him they would be destroyed and the hour of their obliteration would arrive, for it is written that whosever does not take heed of what he says, ‘I myself will hold accountable.’
In the presence of this prophecy, nobody can claim that Jesusas meant that the Law of Mosesas would continue for as long as the physical universe exists. Instead, it is clear that he meant that until a new spiritual order was established, the era of the Law of Mosesas would continue and no one could alter it.
Footnotes:
1. The life of this world is made to appear attractive to those who disbelieve; and they scoff at those who believe. But those who fear God shall be above them on the Day of Resurrection; and Allah bestows His gifts on whomsoever He pleases without reckoning. (Surah al-Baqarah, 2:213) [Publishers]
2. The hour has drawn nigh, and proof of this lies in the moon being rent asunder. (Surah al-Qamar, 54:2) [Publishers]
3. Tadhkirah, p. 817, 2009, UK [Publishers]
4. Muzu ‘at Mulla Ali Qari, p. 59, 1346 AH, Delhi [Publishers]
5. Matthew, New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition, 5:18 [Publishers]
6. Deuteronomy, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, 18:18-19 [Publishers]
7. The New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition, translates this as “among their own people.” However, The Holy Bible in Urdu, Revised Version, 2010, by The Pakistan Bible Society includes the phrase ان ہی کے بھائيوں ميں سے, which translates into “their brethren,” as mentioned by Hazrat Musleh Mau‘udra. [Publishers]
(Translation by Fazl-e-Umar Foundation, English Section)