This series, Zikr-e-Habib, explores the life of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, and his sayings, shedding light on his noble character and the impact of his teachings on his followers and the world at large.
M Adam Ahmad, Al Hakam
The chronicles and character of Allah’s prophets bear witness to their unflinching confidence in God Almighty. These messengers of Allah the Almighty also possess absolute faith in Divine revelation, and their hearts are thus filled with unwavering trust in His Supreme Being. Consequently, they convey God’s message word for word and guide mankind with profound conviction.
They endure hardships and face challenges throughout their lives, but all these things only increase their steadfastness and belief in Allah the Almighty. Prophets caution their foes that whether they use all kinds of methods to plot against messengers of God, they will never succeed, for they do not have absolute faith in Him, and without it, their schemes are of no avail, as it is mentioned in the Holy Quran:
اِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِہٖ يٰقَوۡمِ اِنۡ کَانَ کَبُرَ عَلَيۡکُمۡ مَّقَامِيۡ وَتَذۡکِيۡرِيۡ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰہِ فَعَلَي اللّٰہِ تَوَکَّلۡتُ فَاَجۡمِعُوۡۤا اَمۡرَکُمۡ وَشُرَکَآءَکُمۡ ثُمَّ لَا يَکُنۡ اَمۡرُکُمۡ عَلَيۡکُمۡ غُمَّةً ثُمَّ اقۡضُوۡۤا اِلَيَّ وَلَا تُنۡظِرُوۡنِ
“When he [Prophet Noah] said to his people, ‘O my people, if my station with God and my reminding you of your duty through the Signs of Allah offend you – and in Allah do I put my trust – muster then all your designs, you and your “partners”; then let not your course of action be obscure to you; then carry out your designs against me and give me no respite.’” (Surah Yunus, Ch.10: V.72)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is the most venerated of those prophets whose resolute faith in God serves as a profound illustration of perfect devotion and submission to Allah the Almighty. His mission was founded on absolute trust in God, which led him through all the trials, setting unprecedented examples of faith in Allah the Almighty and hence being honoured with the status of leader and Seal of all Prophets.
When the persecution and opposition of idolaters of Mecca grew stronger and Hazrat Abu Talibra requested his nephew to abandon his mission of Islam, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmadra MA narrates, “The Holy Prophetsa exhibited no discontent in the least. With great composure, he said:
‘[…] If I must die in this cause, I delightedly accept my fate. My life is devoted to this cause, and I shall not abstain from the expression of the truth out of fear of death. O Uncle! If you are worried on account of your weakness and distress, then by all means relinquish your protection of me. I shall never refrain from the conveyance of divine injunctions. By God! If these people put the sun on my one hand and the moon on the other, even then I shall not refrain from fulfilling my responsibility. I shall continue my work until God completes it or I die in this endeavour.’” (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. I, p. 192)
From his unparalleled example of showing perfect faith in God in the cave of Thawr during his migration to Medina (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab at-tafsir, Hadith 4663) to leading a hand full of Muslims to victories in defensive wars (Aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.124), the entire life of the Holy Prophetsa manifests absolute confidence and trust in the All-Powerful and Supreme Being of Allah the Almighty.
In the continuum of his legacy, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi also set profound examples of faith in Allah the Almighty.
Solely dependent on Allah
Providing some insight on the early days of the Promised Messiahas and his father’s concern for his employment, Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmadra, Khalifatul Masih IIra narrates:
“When the Promised Messiahas was born, his parents must have rejoiced at his birth. However, as he grew older and developed an aloofness to worldly matters, his father used to express great despondence at his state that their son was not capable of doing any work.
“A Sikh told me that he had a brother, and their father used to visit the elder Mirza Sahib (i.e., Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Murtaza Sahib). At times, the [two brothers] would accompany their father as well. Once Mirza [Ghulam Murtaza] Sahib said to their father, ‘Your sons frequently meet Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him), so tell them to go and counsel him.’ When the two brothers got ready to visit him, Mirza [Ghulam Murtaza] Sahib told them to say this to Ghulam Ahmad (peace be upon him) in person, ‘Your father is greatly distressed by the thought that his young boy is dependent on his elder brother for his provisions.’ [Mirza Sahib said], ‘Tell him to start working in my life. I am trying to help him secure a good job, but all these means will come to an end if I pass away.’
“This Sikh told me that they went to Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib (peace be upon him) and said, ‘Your father greatly cares for you. Seeing that you are not doing any work makes him sad. He is worried about what would happen to you if he died? Why don’t you listen to your father?’ His father was trying [for his employment] in Kapurthala at the time and they had decided to appoint him as the State Education Officer.
“The Sikh said that when they requested him to listen to his father and do some work, he said, ‘My father worries too much about me, why is he concerned about my future? I have already taken up employment with Whom I was supposed to work.’ They came back and told everything to Mirza Ghulam Murtaza Sahib. He expressed, ‘If he [Ahmadas] has said these words, then it must be the truth because he never lies.’
“This was the beginning of his [Prophet Ahmad’sas] time and it has not yet reached its culmination, but what appears to be a transient culminant is that at the time of his passing, there were thousands of people who were ready to sacrifice themselves for him. The Promised Messiahas himself said:
لُفاَظَاتُ الْمَوَائِدِ کَانَ اُکْلِيْ
وَ صِرْتُ الْيَوْمَ مِطْعَامَ الْاَھَالِيْ
‘There was a time when leftovers from other people’s dinner tables were my food, but today, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, countless families are eating at my table.’ (Aina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 5, p. 596) […]
“Thus, when Allah the Almighty starts a work, its beginning does not appear grand, but the world is astonished when it reaches its culmination.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir [2023], Vol. 9, p. 362-63)
Allah condoles and grants strength
After his father fell ill and was destined to breathe his last, the Promised Messiahas received a message of condolence from God Almighty in the words, وَالسَّمَآءِ وَالطَّارِقِ [i.e., “We call to witness the heaven where all decrees originate, and We call to witness the event that will happen after the setting of the sun.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 30)]
The Promised Messiahas said:
“When I was apprised of the news that my father would pass away after sunset, I, being human, was distressed upon hearing this news. Moreover, most of the means of our livelihood were contingent upon his life. He received a pension from the British Government as well as a large sum of gratuity, which was contingent upon his being alive. Therefore, the thought crossed my mind as to what would happen after his demise. The anxiety surfaced in my heart that perhaps we would face days of deprivation and hardship. All this concern flashed across my mind in a fraction of a second, quite like lightning.
“At that very moment, I felt drowsy and received the second revelation:
أَلَيْسَ اللّٰہُ بِکَافٍ عَبْدَہُ
“Meaning that, ‘Is not God sufficient for His servant?’
“My heart was strengthened by this revelation from Allah as a gravely painful wound is instantly healed with a balm. The fact is that it has been verified repeatedly that divine revelation has an intrinsic quality to grant comfort.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation [Haqiqatul Wahi], Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 22, pp. 266-267)
The above incident shows that if someone puts their complete trust in God, Allah the Almighty not only comes to strengthen their faith but also provides for them.
Profound trust in God
Hazrat Maulvi Abdul Karim Sahibra Sialkoti narrates:
“One day, His Holiness, [Prophet Ahmadas] said, ‘If the people possessed righteousness, they would set out of their homes like birds, with an empty stomach, and return with their bellies full.’
“In actuality, the people of this world seek fire, which has turned the sons of man into dogs that continuously go on panting. A burning from within consumes them. The root on which they stand is an utter lack of belief and trust in God’s promises, and to deem their own faculties to be the centre of their hopes and apprehensions.” (Life of the Promised Messiahas, p. 45)
Recalling an occasion manifesting complete trust of the Promised Messiahas in Allah the Almighty, Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IIra states:
“God Almighty raised the Promised Messiahas in our midst, and his existence became a manifest sign for us. Whoever sat before him witnessed the verities of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophetsa, and there remained nothing that would deter such a person from Islam.
“When a case about Karam Din Bheen was filed against the Promised Messiahas, the magistrate at the time was a Hindu. The Aryas persuaded him to sentence the Promised Messiahas, and he promised them to do so. Khawaja Kamaluddin Sahib became worried when he heard of this. He visited the Promised Messiahas in Gurdaspur, where he was staying during the trial, and stated, ‘Huzooras, I have news of great concern! The Aryas have swayed the magistrate, and he has taken an oath to sentence you.’
“At the time, the Promised Messiahas was lying down; he sat up straightaway and stated, ‘Khawaja Sahib! Who can place their hands on the Lion of God? I am the Lion of God; let him try to put his hands on me.’
“Hence, this is precisely what followed. This case was presented in the courts of two magistrates, one after the other, and both of them were severely punished. One of them, who wanted to take action against the Promised Messiahas, was suspended. The other magistrate lost his son, who drowned in a river, and this incident affected him so much that he became partially insane.” (Tafsir-e-Kabir [2004], Vol. 6, p. 359; Friday Sermon, Al Hakam, Vol. 2, Issue 57)
Allah safeguards His messengers
Witnessing the wrath of Allah the Almighty, Pandit Lekhram met his demise. Probing his death, the authorities came to the house of Prophet Ahmadas and “[…] On the day when the district superintendent came to Qadian to search the home of the Promised Messiahas, there was no prior news or knowledge of the impending search, nor could there have been. On that morning, our respected Mir [Nasir Nawab] Sahib heard from somewhere that today a warrant would be coming along with handcuffs as well. Mir Sahib was shocked and became extremely anxious. He hurried in to inform the Promised Messiahas and as he was overcome by emotion, he expressed the matter at hand with grave difficulty.
“His Holiness, [Prophet Ahmadas] was writing Nur-ul-Quran at the time and was engaged in a very subtle and delicate subject. The Promised Messiahas raised his head, smiled, and said, ‘Mir Sahib! People wear bangles of silver and gold on occasions of worldly joy. I shall deem that I have put on bangles of iron in the way of Allah Almighty.’
“Then, after a pause, the Promised Messiahas said, ‘But this will never happen, because the government of God Almighty has its own ways of wisdom. God does not allow His divinely commissioned vicegerents to be humiliated.’” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, pp. 25-26)
Plague and absolute faith in Allah
Long before the ferocity of the plague outbreak, the Promised Messiahas had predicted that it would be a sign of God Almighty. The people mocked him, as there was not the slightest indication that it would spread like wildfire.
At the time when the plague was ravaging the sub-continent and cities were being emptied all over India, the British government arranged vaccination to save people’s lives. Allah the Almighty revealed to the Promised Messiahas:
اِنِّي أُحَافِظُ کُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ
“I shall safeguard all those who dwell within the four walls of your house from plague.” (Tadhkirah [English], p. 546)
In light of the above revelation and countless other assurances of protection by God Almighty, the Promised Messiahas manifested unwavering faith in Divine promises and said:
“I consider it a sin to throw doubt on this sign by recourse to inoculation, for it is a sign which God, for our sake, wishes to demonstrate clearly in the world. I dare not demean His true sign and His true promise by resorting to inoculation. If I did, I would be accountable for the sin of not believing in the promise that God has given to me. If I were to benefit from inoculation, then I should be grateful to the doctor who invented the vaccine and not to God Who promised me that He would protect everyone dwelling in this house.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 5)
Prophet Ahmadas further said:
“It should also be kept in mind that, on account of this divine promise, it is necessary for me to eschew any human contingencies, lest our enemies attribute this divine sign to other agencies. However, in addition to this, should God Almighty Himself disclose any other means or remedy to me through His word, then such means or remedy would not contravene this sign, for they emanate from God who has manifested this sign.” (Noah’s Ark, p. 8)
Consequently, God Almighty not only safeguarded him from the plague but also protected those who dwelled in the spiritual house of the Promised Messiahas.
An incident of his firm belief in Allah the Almighty was also witnessed when one of his companions fell ill during the plague epidemic. Prophet Ahmadas states:
“Once during the days of rampant plague, when Qadian was also affected, Maulawi Muhammad Ali MA developed a severe fever. He believed that most probably it was a plague, and, like a dying person, he made a will and apprised Mufti Muhammad Sadiq of everything. He was living in a part of my house about which God had revealed:
اِنِّي أُحَافِظُ کُلَّ مَنْ فِي الدَّارِ
[I shall safeguard all those who dwell in this house.]
“At that time, I visited him to inquire about his health. Finding him anxious and worried, I said to him, ‘If you have contracted plague, then I am a liar and my claim to be the recipient of revelation is false.’ Having said this, I put my hand on his pulse. I witnessed this magnificent example of the providence of God that as soon as I touched him, I found his body to be cool without any trace of fever.” (The Philosophy of Divine Revelation, p. 323)
Conclusion
The examples of Prophets demonstrate how faith and trust in Allah the Almighty help one overcome trials in life, impart divine wisdom, and draw them closer to God. The believers should thus place their full confidence in Allah and also guide their generations to first solely put their trust in Him and then effectively make use of their capabilities. As Prophet Ahmadas says, “Those people who trust in their own power and strength and forsake God Almighty do not meet with a good end. This does not mean that to trust in God is to sit on one’s hands and do nothing. To make use of means and to employ the faculties that God Almighty has granted us is also a manner in which we show gratitude to God. Those people who do not make use of their abilities and only verbally claim that they trust in God speak falsehood. Such people do not appreciate God. In fact, they test God and essentially suggest that the faculties and powers granted by Him are futile.” (Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, p. 82)