O readers! May Allah protect you in both material and spiritual ways! Today, after quite a long time, this humble servant calls your attention to an important matter concerning the Divine mission for the support of Islam, entrusted to me by God the Most High. In this writing I wish to impress upon you respected persons, with all the power of speech God has conferred upon me, the greatness of this mission and the need to assist it, so that I may be absolved of the duty of propagation which is incumbent upon me. I am, therefore, not concerned in this statement with what effect this writing will have upon the hearts. My object is only to convey, as best as it ought to be done, that which is my duty and the message which is a burden like debt, irrespective of whether people listen to it willingly, or look upon it with revulsion and disgust, whether they entertain favourable thoughts about me or harbour suspicion in their hearts. I leave my affair to Allah, Who is ever watchful over His servants. Now I write as follows the discourse indicated above.

Present dark age

O you seekers of truth and true lovers of Islam! It is clear to you that this age in which we are living is a time of such darkness that great deterioration has taken place in all matters, whether relating to belief or action, and a severe storm of misguidance and evil is raging from every direction. What is termed faith has been replaced by a few words merely professed by the tongue; and what are called good deeds are considered to be some rituals or works of extravagance and show, while there is utter ignorance of true righteousness. The philosophy and science of this age too is strongly opposed to spiritual welfare. Its teachings cast a very harmful influence upon its followers, and have proved to lead them towards darkness. They quicken the poisonous matter within man, and awaken the satan from slumber. People involved with these branches of knowledge often create such an aversion to religious matters in their hearts that they begin to look with scorn and ridicule at the Divine teachings and the devotional practices such as prayer and fasting. In their hearts there is no value or honour for the existence of God; on the contrary, most of them are imbued with godlessness and filled with atheism, being opponents of the faith while being known as the offspring of the Muslims. In the case of those studying in colleges, it frequently happens that even before they have finished the acquisition of the necessary knowledge they are finished in, and divested of, all interest in the faith and its service.

Honesty and integrity vanished

I have mentioned just one branch laden with the fruits of misguidance in the present age. But there are hundreds of other branches besides, no less dangerous. It is generally observed that honesty and integrity has so departed from the world as to have completely disappeared. Deceit and fraud, for the purpose of material gain, have increased beyond all limits, and the most wicked is considered to be the most worthy. All sorts of crookedness, dishonesty, corruption, deception, falsehood, the most devilish cunning, greedy designs, and evil habits are becoming rampant. Malice and disputes, combined with the most utter ruthlessness, are on the increase. A storm of bestial and animal passions is raging all around. And the more the people become accomplished and adept in these sciences and the established laws, the greater is their decline in the natural qualities of goodness and virtuous behaviour, and in the innate traits of modesty, shame, godliness and honesty.

Christian defamation of Islam

The teachings of the Christians too are digging all sorts of tunnels to blow up the edifice of truth and faith. In order to extirpate Islam, the Christian people have worked very hard to create all manner of subtle falsehood and fabrications which they employ at every place and opportunity to rob the faith. Ever newer methods and modern techniques to mislead and misguide are invented. They are abusing and reviling that Perfect Man [the Holy Prophet Muhammad] who is the pride of all the holy ones, the crown of all the chosen ones, and the chief of all the prophets. So much so, that plays are staged in theatres which, with extreme wickedness, depict images of, and mimic Islam and its Holy Founder in an extremely adverse sense. Fabricated calumnies are spread by the medium of the theatre, sparing no degree of villainy in dishonouring Islam and the Holy Prophet.

Divine plan for defence of Islam

O Muslims! listen, and listen attentively! All the intricate fabrications and the devious methods employed by the Christians to hinder the purifying influence of Islam, and the efforts made to spread them by the utmost exertion and by the spending of money like water, so much so that the most disreputable means, the details of which are best omitted to avoid tainting this book, have been fully used to this end — these are the crafty activities of the Christians and the believers in the trinity. And to combat their enchantment, until God the Most High shows His powerful hand which possesses the might of a miracle, and smashes this talisman of magic by means of this miracle, it is impossible to imagine that the simple hearts can ever be freed from the spell of this Western wizardry. Therefore, to destroy this magical influence, God the Most High has shown the true Muslims of this age the miracle of raising this servant of His to fight the opponents, having bestowed upon him His revelation, word and special blessings, and endowed him fully with the subtle knowledge of His way. And He gave him many heavenly gifts, signs from above, and the knowledge of spiritual truths and fine matters, so that with this Divine stone the waxen idol made by the Western enchantment may be smashed.

So, O Muslims! the advent of this humble servant is indeed a miracle of God the Most High to dispel the darkness of this spell. Was it not essential that to combat magic a miracle should come into the world? Do you consider it strange and impossible that, to defeat these schemes of extreme cunning which truly are magical, God the Most High should shine the flare of truth which has the strength of a miracle?

God's promises fulfilled

O people of wisdom! Be not astonished that God the Most High has sent down a light from heaven at this time of dire need and in these days of deep darkness, and sent a servant into the world specially for the purpose of the propagation of Islam, dissemination of the light of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, support of the Muslims and the reform of their internal condition. Surprise there would have been if God, the Defender of the faith of Islam, Who had promised that He would ever be the Guardian of the teaching of the Quran, and would never let it become lifeless, desolate and lacklustre, had done nothing seeing these internal and external troubles, and failed to recall His promise which He had clearly given in His Holy Word. I say again, what would be a matter of surprise would be if the clear and plain prophecy of His Holy Messenger had gone wrong, which stated that at the head of every century God the Most High shall raise a man who will revive His religion. {Note 1}

So it is not an occasion for astonishment, but for offering thousands upon thousands of thanks, and the time for the strengthening of one's belief and faith, that out of His grace and kindness God the Most High has made true His promise without even a moment's delay in the fulfilment of His Messenger's prophecy. And He not only brought to pass this prophecy, but also opened the door to thousands of prophecies and signs for the future. If you really possess faith, you should express thanks, bowing before God with gratitude, because the time for whose coming your forefathers were waiting and passed away, and countless souls departed yearning for it, that time has been found by you. Now to value it or not, to take advantage from it or not, lies in your hands. I will say it again and again, and I cannot refrain from declaring it, that I am that man who has been sent exactly at the right time for the reformation of the people so that the faith may be established afresh in the hearts.

Mujaddid raised like unto Messiah

I have been sent like that man [Jesus] who was sent after the Kalim-ullah [Prophet Moses], whose soul was taken up to heaven after suffering many afflictions in the reign of Herod. So when, for the chastisement of the latter Pharaohs, there came the second Kalim-ullah [Prophet Muhammad], who is in reality the foremost and the chief of the Prophets, of whom it is said: "Surely We have sent to you a Messenger, a witness against you, as We sent to Pharaoh a Messenger" [Holy Quran 73:15], and who was in his works the like of the first Kalim-ullah [Moses], but superior to him in rank, he too was promised a like of the Messiah. And that like-of-the-Messiah, bearing the power, spirit and qualities of Jesus, son of Mary, has descended from heaven in a similar age and after the lapse of a similar period of time to that which passed from Moses to Jesus, i.e. in the fourteenth century. And his descent was in a spiritual sense, as is the descent of the perfect men, after their ascension, for the reformation of mankind. Moreover, he has come in an age which, in all respects, resembles the age in which Jesus son of Mary came, so that it may be a sign for those who understand. {Note 2}

Triumph of Islam by spiritual means

No one should be hasty in denial, lest he be adjudged to dispute with God the Most High. The worldly people whose minds are in darkness and who are clinging to their old notions will not accept him. But that time will shortly come which will make their error manifest to them. A warner came into the world, but the world accepted him not. God, however, will accept him, and establish his truth with very powerful onslaughts. This is not the saying of a mortal, but the revelation of God the Most High and the word of the Glorious Lord. I believe that the days of these onslaughts are near, but they shall not be with the sword and spear, nor will there be any need for bayonets and guns. On the contrary, the help of God the Most High will come with spiritual armaments, and there will be a tremendous battle with the Jews. Who are they? They are today's worshippers of the outward forms, about whom it is agreed that they are following in the exact footsteps of the Jews. The heavenly sword of God will cut them into two, and obliterate the Jewish trait. Every worshipper of the world, the one-eyed Dajjal who hides the truth, being blind to faith, shall be slain by the sword of cutting arguments.

Truth will be triumphant, and that day of freshness and brightness will dawn again for Islam as prevailed in earlier times, and the sun of Islam shall rise again in its glory as it rose before. But it is not so yet. It is essential that heaven must keep it from rising until our hearts bleed with toil and sacrifice, and we forsake all comforts for its manifestation, and accept all manner of humiliation for the honour of Islam. The revival of Islam demands of us a sacrifice. What is that? That we lay down our lives for this end. This is the death upon which depends the life of Islam and the Muslims, and the manifestation of the Living God — and this is what is known in other words as Islam. It is the revival of this Islam which God the Most High now wishes to bring about. For the implementation of this grand plan it was essential that He should create a great Movement which is effective in every way.

So the Wise and Powerful God did just that by sending this humble servant for the reformation of the people, and in order to draw the world towards truth and righteousness He divided the work of the support of truth and the propagation of Islam into several parts.

One part, from among these branches, is the work of writing and producing books which has been entrusted to this humble servant. And I have been taught the profound knowledge and the fine, subtle truths which can only be learnt through Divine power, and cannot be attained by human effort. Difficult and intricate points have been solved, not by human reasoning, but by the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

The second part of this work is the publication of notices which is carried on by Divine command for the purpose of fully conveying the arguments and proofs. Till now, more than 20,000 copies of notices have been published to present the arguments of Islam to the non-Muslim people, and this will continue in future according to the needs of the times.

The third part of this work is in connection with the visitors, callers, those journeying in search of the truth, and those arriving here for various purposes, who, having received news of this heavenly Movement, constantly come to meet us, being prompted by their inner intentions. This aspect, too, is under development. Although some days there are fewer visitors, but on others this activity becomes more vigorous. As a result, in the last seven years more than 60,000 guests have been received here. As to how much spiritual benefit was conferred upon the responsive people among them by my talks, how far their problems were solved, and their weaknesses removed, God the Most High knows. But there is no doubt that the giving of answers orally in reply to the questioners, or explaining something according to the time and the circumstances, has been proved in many cases to be more beneficial, effective and easier to absorb than by means of writings. This was the reason why all prophets employed this method, and except for the Word of God which was published under special arrangements and was in fact written down, all the other utterances of the prophets spread as speeches made on various occasions.

The usual practice of the prophets was that, at times of need, quite like a lecturer who recognises the demands of the occasion, they, with the power of the Holy Spirit, delivered discourses in various assemblies and gatherings to suit the level and condition of the audience. This was not like the speakers of this age who merely wish to make a display of their knowledge through their speech, or to entrap the simple-minded by their deceptive logic and false arguments, making their victims even more deserving of hell than themselves. The prophets, on the contrary, spoke in very simple words, and what flowed out from their own hearts they poured into the hearts of others. Their sacred utterances exactly suited the occasion and the needs of the time. They did not speak as a pastime or relate tales to the audience, but rather, finding them spiritually ill and stricken with moral ailments of all kinds, they gave them good counsel as a healing and dispelled their doubts with incontrovertible arguments.

They spoke in few words, but with much meaning. The same principle is also followed by this humble servant, so that the speech is always in accordance with the capacity of understanding and the needs of the visitors and guests, and bears in mind their spiritual ailments. {Note 3} Having identified evil as a target, to shoot arrows of corrective advice at it for its destruction, and considering bad morals to be like a distorted and dislocated limb, to restore it to its true form and position, is a treatment which can only be applied in the physical presence of the afflicted person, and is not properly possible otherwise.

Need for company of the righteous

This is the reason why God the Most High sent thousands of prophets and messengers, and commanded that the privilege of their company should be sought so that people in every age, seeing the perfect models before their own eyes and finding them to be the embodiment of the Divine word, try to follow them. If it had not been an essential of the faith to attain the company of the righteous, God the Most High could have revealed His word without sending messengers and prophets by some other means, or He could have restricted messengership to the very beginning of history, and henceforth terminated the institution of prophethood and messengership and revelation forever. But the profound wisdom and knowledge of God did not accept this at all, and at times of need, when love of God, Divine worship, righteousness, purity and other essential qualities has gone into decline, holy men receiving revelation from God the Most High have been coming into the world as models. Each of these two propositions implies the other. If God the Most High is always to be turning towards the reformation of His creatures, then it is absolutely essential that such men always continue to appear whom God the Most High has specially granted spiritual light and established firmly on the path of following His will.

It is undoubtedly certain and recognised that the great task of the reformation of mankind cannot be done merely by paper-work. For this purpose it is essential to tread that path along which the holy ones of God have been walking since the beginning. And Islam, at its very outset, has established this effective method so firmly and strongly that its parallel cannot at all be found in other religions. Who can show another example of the large community, exceeding ten thousand in number, which, with perfect faith, humility, devotion and utter engrossment, lay day and night at the Prophet's threshold in order to find the truth and learn the ways of righteousness? No doubt, Moses also had a community of followers. But how rebellious, wayward, and far and forsaken from spiritual grace and the right path they were, is well-known to readers of the Bible and students of Jewish history. The followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, however, had created such unity and spiritual concord among themselves, for the sake of their Chosen Messenger, that in terms of Islamic brotherhood they really had become one single body, and the light of prophethood had become such an integral part of their daily lives and dealings, inwardly and outwardly, that it was as if they were all living images of the Holy Prophet. This mighty miracle of inner transformation, a transformation by which those who practised gross idolatry were raised to the stage of the perfect worship of God, and those who were every moment sunk in worldly matters attained such a relation with the True Beloved God that they poured their blood like water in His way, this was in reality the result of living their lives in the company of a true and perfect Prophet with sincerity.

So it is on the same basis that this humble servant has been raised in order to continue this institution. And I wish that the coming of people to stay in my company be expanded even further, and that such persons spend day and night here who yearn to increase in faith, love and certainty, and they receive the light which has been made manifest to this humble servant, and are granted the zeal and ardour which this humble servant has been granted, so that the light of Islam may spread all over the world and the dark stain of disgrace and humiliation may be cleansed from the brow of the Muslims. With this glad tiding did the Lord God send me, saying:

"Rejoice that you shall see that time very soon, when the Muslims have been firmly established on a lofty tower."

The fourth part of this work is the writing of letters to the seekers after truth and the opponents. Up to now, in the period mentioned above, over 90,000 letters have been received, which have been replied to, except those which were considered to be junk or unnecessary. This work continues regularly, and the number of letters exchanged every month probably varies from 300 to 700 or even a thousand.

Forming a Movement

The fifth part of this work, which God the Most High has specially established with His revelation, is the formation of disciples and those who take the bai'at (Pledge). At the time of founding this Movement, God informed me, saying:

"There is a storm of misguidance raging on the earth, so build this ark at the time of this deluge. Whoever enters this ark will be saved from drowning, but he who denies will perish."

and:

"He who gives his hand into your hand, he has given it not into your hand but into the hand of God."

And the Lord God has given me the following glad tidings:

"I will cause you to die and exalt you towards Myself, but your true followers and devotees will remain till the Day of Judgment, and will always be dominant over those who oppose."

This is the five-fold Movement which God the Most High has set up with His own hand. Although a person looking superficially will consider only the work of producing writings to be essential, and regard the other parts as unnecessary and superfluous, but in the sight of God all of these are essential. And the reformation which He has willed cannot be accomplished without the use of all these five methods.

Appeal for help in this work

Although all this work has been left to the special assistance and grace of God the Most High, as He is sufficient to accomplish it and His promises of good news set the mind at rest, yet it is at His command and prompting that I call the attention of the Muslims to provide help, as all the prophets of God in the past called attention at times of difficulty. Therefore, for the same purpose of drawing attention, I say that it is obvious how much collective help of the Muslims is required to carry out all these five parts in the best way and on a wide scale.

Consider, for instance, just the writing of books. If we undertake the work of propagation in the fullest sense, how much financial resources shall we stand in need of? For, if our purpose is the full accomplishment of propagation, then it must be our object that our religious literature, which is full of jewels of knowledge and matters profound, and draws seekers of the truth to the right path, should rapidly and in large quantity reach people who are afflicted with fatal spiritual diseases, even almost to the point of death, by the influence of unwholesome teachings. We must always have it in view that whenever a country is in a dangerous spiritual condition, due to the murderous poison of misguidance, our books should be disseminated there without delay, and reach the hands of every seeker after truth.

But it is obvious that it is impossible to attain this object to its fullest if we always have in our minds the consideration that our books should be distributed by sale. To publish books merely for the purpose of sale, and to force worldliness into a religious cause for selfish motives, is a mean and objectionable method, and its ill-effect will be that we would neither be able to distribute our books speedily in the world nor make large numbers of them reach the people. It is undoubtedly and absolutely true that if, for instance, we were distributing free a hundred thousand copies of a book, we would be able to take them to the most distant countries in only twenty days, and disseminate them generally among every community and in every place, giving them to all those who seek the truth and the right path. But if a price were to be charged, we would not be able to accomplish the same kind of work on such a grand scale perhaps even in twenty years. If the books were to be sold, we would keep them locked up in boxes and wait for customers or for their orders by mail. And it is possible that during this long wait we may ourselves pass away from the world, and the books remain locked in boxes. Therefore, as the scope of selling books is very restricted and damaging to the real object, and prolongs the work of a few years to centuries, and as no generous and enterprising wealthy man from among the Muslims has so far come forward to buy a large number of our recent books to distribute them free in the way of Allah, nor is there any Society for Islam, like the Christian missions, to assist in this work, {Note 4} nor can any reliance be placed on one's life so that we could wait for long in expectation of reaching a great age, I have, therefore, from the very beginning adopted the rule regarding all my books that, so far as possible, a large proportion of them should be distributed free in order that, being full of the light of truth as they are, they spread rapidly and extensively in the world.

Funds needed for work of Movement

But as my personal financial resources did not permit me to bear this weighty burden by myself, and there was also the heavy expenditure on the other branches of the work in addition to this part, so the publication of books after progressing to a certain point came to a standstill, and that is where it rests today. God the Most High looks upon all the branches of work of this Movement as equally important, and wishes all of them to continue and be completed alike. But the expenditure on these five branches is so high that it requires the special attention and support of sincere people.

If I gave full details of the expenditure on this religious cause, it would reach an enormous length. But brethren, by way of example, just consider the number of visitors and realise that in the last seven years about 60,000 or more guests came here. Now you can imagine how much was spent on their service, look after and hospitality, and what necessary requirements had to be provided for their comfort in winter and summer. A thoughtful man will indeed wonder as to how all the essentials of hospitality for such a large number of people were fulfilled from time to time, and how this great service can continue in the future.

Similarly, consider those twenty thousand leaflets printed in English and Urdu, more than twelve thousand of which were sent to the leaders of the opponents of Islam by registered mail, leaving not even a single Christian preacher in India to whom they were not sent registered. In fact, these leaflets were also sent to the countries of Europe and America, by registered mail, to complete the work of conveying the arguments. Considering these expenses, is it not a matter of wonder how they are being met with such limited means? These are only the chief items of expenditure. If we just examine those expenses which are incurred every month in despatching letters, they too will amount to a large sum, for the continuance of which there is as yet no financial help. Then as to the maintenance of those who, having taken the bai'at, wish to stay with me for the seeking of truth, like the Companions of Suffa, I have to look to heaven. I know that the Powerful God, Whose special purpose forms the basis of this Movement, will Himself devise ways for the continuance of these five branches of work, but it is necessary to inform the people about it to fulfil the duty of propagation.

Postponement of writing

I have heard that some rather ill-informed people are circulating the allegation against me that a sum of about Rs. 3000 was collected from the public, as the price of the book Barahin Ahmadiyya and as funds towards it, but this book has not yet been published completely and in its entirety. In reply, I make it clear to them that the amount received from the public was not merely Rs. 3000, but in addition to it a further sum of about Rs. 10,000 was also received, which was neither a contribution towards the book nor payment for it. Rather, it was given as donation from some who had requested for prayers on their behalf and from other friends who helped just out of love. All of it was gradually spent on the essential works that arose for this Movement. And as Divine wisdom had delayed the work of the writing of books, no savings could be made for it from the other important branches of work established by Divine command. The Divine purpose behind the postponement of the publication of books was precisely that during this interruption certain subtle and fine truths be fully disclosed to the author, and also that the opponents may give full vent to all their vehemence.

Now that the Divine purpose has again turned towards bringing the remaining writings to completion, God has drawn me to pen this treatise of invitation. At this moment, it is a most pressing need for me to complete the writings. Much of the Barahin is yet to be printed. If it is prepared, it will be sent to buyers as well as those who have been given the previous parts free of charge and were promised more in future. And the same with other books, such as Ash'at al-Qur'an, Siraj Munir, Tajdid Din, Arba'in fi 'alamat al-muqarrabin. It is also intended to write a commentary of the Holy Quran, and fervently desired to bring out a monthly journal to refute false creeds, such as Christianity and others, and to counter their periodicals. And there is no obstacle to the continuance of all this work except for the lack of financial arrangements and monetary assistance. If we were to have the facility of our own printing press and a calligraphist always at our disposal, and have the means of meeting all necessary expenditure, i.e. funds to pay for all that is spent on paper, printing and salaries of printers should reach us from time to time, then there would be adequate arrangements for the full development and progress of this branch out of the five.

Heart-felt appeal to Muslims

O you land of India! Is there no enterprising man of means within you who, if not more, can at least bear the expenses of this branch of work? If five Muslims possessing the means recognise the need of the time, they can take upon themselves the financial support of these five branches. O Lord God! rouse these hearts with Thy power, for Islam is not yet so poverty-stricken. It is the hearts that are closed, not that the hands are empty. And those people who do not possess such extensive means can also render help by making contributions every month, according to what they can afford, with a determined resolve, and donate some funds to this Movement. Indifference, apathy and mistrust can never help the cause of faith. Suspicion destroys any construction and produces disunity between the hearts. Consider the great sacrifices made by those who lived in the times of the prophets for the propagation of the faith. If the wealthy one brought forth his cherished riches for the sake of the faith, the beggar too presented his valued bowl of crumbs collected from door to door. And so they continued doing until the time came for the victory bestowed by God the Most High. It is not easy to be a Muslim, nor painless to be called a believer. Therefore, O people, if there is in you that spirit of righteousness which is given to believers, then take not my appeal lightly. Be anxious about earning goodness, for God the Most High is watching you from heaven as to what response you give on hearing this plea.

O Muslims! who are the remaining signs of the great believers, and the offspring of the virtuous, hasten not to denial and mistrust, and fear the terrifying pestilence spreading all about you, which has entrapped a countless number of people. You are seeing what vigorous efforts are being undertaken to obliterate the religion of Islam. Is it not your duty to make efforts in reply? Although Islam is not made by man so that the exertions of man could destroy it, but alas for those who are bent upon its annihilation, and alas again for those who have everything to spend on their wives, their children and their own pleasures, but have nothing for Islam in their pockets! Woe to you, O indolent ones, while yourselves lacking the strength for the propagation of Islam or showing its light, you do not even accept with gratitude the Mission established by God to manifest the brilliance of Islam. Today Islam is like a lamp shut up in a box or a sweet spring of water covered over with dust and filth. This is the reason why Islam is in a state of decline, and its lovely face cannot be seen nor its handsome figure known. It was the duty of the Muslims to exert themselves, to their breaking point, to show its beloved face, and not only their wealth but they should have poured forth even their own blood like water. But they did not do so. On account of their excessive ignorance, they adhere to the erroneous view that the earlier literature on Islam is adequate. They do not know that in order to repel the modern evils, which are appearing in ever newer ways, a modern mode of defence is also required. Moreover, at the time of the spread of darkness in every age when prophets, messengers and reformers made their appearance, were not previous books already in existence?

Meaning of Lailat al-Qadr

Therefore, O brethren, it is essential that at the time when darkness prevails, there descend light from heaven. I have already explained in this treatise that God the Most High says in Surah al-Qadr, in fact He gives the glad tidings to the believers, that His Word and His Prophet were sent down from heaven in the Lailat al-Qadr. And every reformer and Mujaddid who comes from God descends during the Lailat al-Qadr. Do you know what Lailat al-Qadr is? It is the name of that dark age whose blackness is total and complete. That period, by its very nature, demands the descent of a heavenly light to dispel the darkness. It has been figuratively called Lailat al-Qadr, but it is not in fact a night. It is an age which resembles the night because of its darkness. After the death of a prophet or his spiritual successor, when a period of a thousand months has passed, which nearly brings to a close the span of human life and announces the departure of human faculties, then this night becomes established. Then, by means of Divine action, are secretly sown the seeds of one or more reformers who are nurtured out of view to make their appearance at the head of the new century. This is what Allah the Glorious points to by saying: "Lailat al-Qadr is better than a thousand months" [the Holy Quran, 97:3], the meaning being that the one who sees the light of this Lailat al-Qadr, and has the privilege of attaining the company of the reformer of the time, is better than the old man of eighty years who did not find that luminous period. Finding even an hour of it is better than the thousand months which passed before. Why? Because in this Lailat al-Qadr descend the angels of God the Most High and the Holy Spirit from heaven accompanying that reformer, by the permission of the Lord, not without purpose but in order to reach the responsive hearts and to open up the ways of peace. So they remain engaged in opening all the pathways and lifting all the veils until the darkness of indifference disappears and the dawn of guidance breaks.

Now, O Muslims, read these verses carefully, and see how much God the Most High acclaims the age in which a reformer is sent into the world at the time of need. Will you not value such an age? Will you look down upon the words of God with contempt?

Appeal continued

O men of means of Islam, look, I deliver to you the message that you must assist this Reform Mission which has come from God Himself, with all your heart, full attention, and absolute devotion. You should have regard for all its various aspects, and fulfil your duty of service very soon. He who wishes to make monthly donations, in accordance with his means, he must make the payment every month by his own motivation and concern, considering it an essential religious obligation incumbent on him, and allow no neglect or laxity in making the payment, as a duty purely for God. And he who wishes to make a lump sum donation may render his assistance in this manner. But it must be remembered that the real manner by which this Movement is expected to function without fail is that the true well-wishers of the faith should make a binding compact with themselves to give such affordable sums monthly, according to their resources and means, which they can conveniently pay unless prevented by some unforeseen occurrence. But the one who has been granted a generous heart and the opportunity by Allah the Glorious can also render help, in addition to the monthly contribution, by a lump sum in accordance with his motivation and his means.

And O my dear friends and my beloved ones, the flourishing branches of my tree, who have entered into my Movement by the mercy of God which is upon you, and are sacrificing your lives, comfort and wealth in this path, I know that you will accept what I say, considering it your good fortune to do so, and will not hesitate to do as much as is within your power. But I do not lay upon you any duties for this service in explicit words, so that your work should be of your own accord and not under compulsion from me. Who is my friend, and who is dear to me? It is the one who recognises me. And who recognises me? Only he who believes that I have been sent, and accepts me as are accepted those who are sent by God. The world cannot accept me, for I am not of the world. But those whose nature has a share of the other world accept me and will do so in the future. He who forsakes me, forsakes Him Who has sent me, and he who forms a bond with me, forms a bond with Him from Whom I have come.

I have a light in my hand. He who comes to me shall definitely get a share of that light. But he who runs away from me with suspicion and mistrust shall be cast into darkness. I am the impregnable fort of this age. He who enters within my gates shall save himself from thieves, robbers and beasts, but he who wishes to live outside my walls confronts death from every side, and even his dead body will not be safe. Who enters into my gates? He who shuns evil and adopts good, forsakes perversity and walks on the path of righteousness, frees himself from the servitude of the devil and becomes an obedient servant of God the Most High. Everyone who does this is within me, and I am within him. But only he is able to do this whom God has placed under the shadow of a purifying soul, so that when the latter takes a step into the hell of the inner self of that man, it cools down as if fire had never been in it. Then he progresses higher and higher, until the spirit of God the Most High comes to dwell in him. The Lord of the worlds becomes established in his heart with a special manifestation. Then, his former self having been consumed by fire, he is granted a new and pure human nature. And God the Most High too forms a new and special relation with him, as if He had become a new God, and he receives all the pure provisions of heavenly life in this very world.

Some leading followers: Maulvi Nur-ud-Din

I cannot here refrain from mentioning, and expressing gratitude for it, that God the Most High by His grace and kindness has not left me alone. Those who have formed a bond of fraternity with me, and have entered into the Movement which has been created by the hand of God Himself, are imbued with love and sincerity of a most remarkable kind. It is not as a result of my efforts, but due to the special favour of God the Most High that He has given me souls which are overflowing with the quality of truthfulness.

I feel the urge in my heart to mention, first of all, a spiritual brother of mine whose name, like his shining sincerity, is Nur-i Din. I have always looked with a sense of longing at some of his services for the propagation of Islam, which he has been rendering by spending his lawfully-acquired wealth, wishing that I too could do likewise. When I think of the zeal for the cause of the faith which entirely fills his heart, I can picture the power of God as to how He draws His servants towards Himself. He stands ever ready to obey Allah and His Messenger with all his wealth, all his strength, and all his resources. And I do know it for an actual fact, based on experience and not simply on my high opinion of him, that, let alone wealth, he would not even hesitate to sacrifice his life and honour in my way. Had I permitted, he would have sacrificed all he had for this cause and would have fulfilled the requirement of living in my company, acquiring physical fellowship like his spiritual nearness to me. I reproduce below for the readers, by way of example, a few lines from some of his letters, to show them that my dear brother Maulvi Hakim Nur-ud-Din of Bhera, physician to the State of Jammu, has attained to perfection in the grades of love and sincerity. These words are as follows:

"My master, leader and imam. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmat-ullah wa barakatu-hu.
Esteemed sir, it is my prayer that I should always stay in your presence, and derive those benefits from the Imam of the age, to bestow which he has been made Mujaddid. If you allow me, I shall resign from my employment and remain in your exalted service day and night. Or if you command me, I shall leave my post and journey in the world, calling people to the true religion, and give my life in this cause. I have sacrificed myself in your cause. Whatever I have is not mine, but yours. Honoured mentor and guide! I say most truly that if all my wealth and property be spent for the propagation of the faith, I would attain my ultimate desire. If the buyers of Barahin Ahmadiyya are worried at the delay in its publication, allow me to undertake the minor service of returning back the price they had paid, from my own resources. Honoured mentor and guide! It is a request from this humble servant, and if you approve, it will be my good fortune. It is my wish to bear all the costs of the printing of the Barahin. Then whatever money is received as its price can be spent on your other needs. My relation with you is like that of Farooq, and I am prepared to spend everything in this cause. Please pray that my end be like that of the truthful ones."

Just as these words of the Maulvi Sahib show his truthfulness, perseverance, sympathy and devotion, these qualities are even more evident from his actual deeds in the form of earnest services. He is moved by the strongest feelings of love and sincerity to wish to sacrifice everything in this cause, even the necessities of his family. His spirit, empowered and intoxicated by love and utter engrossment, is urging him to go beyond his capacity. He is engaged in this service every instant, and with every breath.{Note 5} However, it would be the height of injustice to overwhelm such a devoted one with a burden beyond his power which can only be borne by a community. There is no doubt that the Maulvi Sahib will agree to give up all his property in order to perform this service, and say like the Prophet Job, "I came with nothing, and shall depart with nothing". But this is an obligation to be shared by the entire community, and it is incumbent upon all, in this age of dangers and tribulations which is violently and vigorously shaking the delicate link which ought to exist between God and His creatures, to give thought to a good end for their lives and to carry out good works, upon which depends salvation, by devoting their beloved wealth and time to this service. And they should fear the immutable and established law of God which He has laid down in His mighty Word, saying: Lan tanalu-l-birra hatta tunfiqu mim-ma tuhibbuna [Holy Quran, 3:92], i.e., you cannot, by any means, attain to true righteousness, which takes you to salvation, until you spend in the way of God your wealth and the things you love.

I consider it appropriate to mention here a few more of my true friends who have joined this Divine Movement, and have a fervent love for me in their hearts. One of them is Shaikh Muhammad Husain of Muradabad, who these days has come from there to Qadian, and is transcribing a copy of this treatise merely in the way of Allah. The Shaikh Sahib's crystal-clear heart appears to me like a mirror. He entertains the highest degree of love and sincerity for me, merely for the sake of God. His heart is replete with the love of Allah, and he is a man of the most wonderous nature. I believe him to be a shining light for Muradabad, and hope that the light of love and sincerity which is within him shall one day penetrate others also. Although the Shaikh Sahib is a man of limited means, he has a big, generous heart. He is constantly engaged in helping me, and a conviction full of love permeates his soul.

Another one of our friends is Hakim Fazal Din of Bhera. I have no words to describe the depth of love, sincerity, goodly devotion, and spiritual connection which the Hakim Sahib bears towards me. He is a true well-wisher and sincere sympathiser of mine, and has the power of discerning the truth. After God the Most High had directed my attention to writing this pamphlet, and gave me good hope by His special revelations, I mentioned the idea to several people, but none agreed with me. This dear brother of mine, however, even without my mentioning it to him, urged me of his own accord to write this pamphlet, and contributed Rs.100 from his own pocket towards its expenses. I marvel at his spiritual foresight, as to how his exhortation concurred with the will of God the Most High. He is always rendering service without show, and has contributed many hundreds of rupees to this cause confidentially, merely to attain the pleasure of Allah. May God the Most High grant him a goodly reward!

Another very dear brother, who has left a gap in my heart by his demise, is Mirza Azeem Beg, may God forgive him and have mercy on him, a Chief of Samana in Patiala, who departed from this mortal world on 2 Rabi' as-Sani, 1308 Hijra. "We belong to Allah and to Him do we return; the eyes shed tears, the heart grieves, and we are sorrowful at his departure!" I cannot find the words to describe his state of devotion, the high degree of his love for me, purely for the sake of God, and the extent of his self-effacement in me. As to the grief and sorrow I have felt at his untimely departure, I find very few parallels of it in my past life. He has led the way to our destination and guided us, departing from us as we looked on. As long as we live, we shall not forget the grief of his departure.

"My heart is so overwhelmed with pain that if I removed the sleeve before my eyes, the tears would deluge the whole garment."

The memory of his death makes one feel sad, while the heart is aggrieved and restless because of overwhelming anguish, and tears start flowing from one's eyes. His whole being was saturated with love, and he was valiant in showing passionate feeling. He had dedicated his entire life for this cause, so much so that I do not expect that he even dreamt of anything else. Although he was a man of limited means, but when it came to the service of the faith, which he was always carrying out, wealth carried no more value for him than dust. In comprehending the subtle secrets of Divine knowledge, his understanding was most sound. His belief in my humble self, which overflowed with love, was itself a miracle of perfect Divine influence. Seeing him brought as much joy to the mind as the sight of a garden full of flowers and fruit. As it appears, he has left behind him survivors and a small child in a state of utter helplessness, poverty and destitution. O Mighty God! Be their Guardian and Protector, and inspire my followers to fulfil their duty of sympathy towards the bereaved family of their sincere brother who have been left helpless and deprived.

"O God! Consoler and Comforter of the aggrieved soul, Refuge and Shelter of the helpless and afflicted, the Forgiver of sins: be gracious out of Thy mercy to this servant of Thine, and shower Thy blessings on the departed ones."

Here I have mentioned only a few friends by way of example. I have other friends of this kind and of this eminence, a detailed account of whom I shall give in a separate pamphlet, if Allah wills. As this subject is getting protracted, I leave it here.

I consider it appropriate here also to let it be known that of those people who have taken the bai'at of my movement, not all of them deserve as yet that I express some fine opinion about them. Instead, some of them are like dry branches which my Lord, Who is my Protector, will sever from me and cast into the wood which is to be burnt. There are some others who were tender of heart and sincere in the beginning but now they are afflicted with narrowness, and the zeal of sincerity and the glow of a disciple's love is no longer there, leaving only the cunning as that of Ba'laam [of the Bible, Book of Numbers 31:16]. Like decayed teeth they have no use but that they should be pulled out and thrown under foot. They became weary and exhausted, and the vile world has entrapped them in the meshes of deception. I say truly that they shall soon be cut off from me, save him whom the grace of God the Most High takes by the hand afresh. And there are also many whom God the Most High has given to me forever. They are the flourishing branches of my tree, and, Allah willing, I shall write an account of them elsewhere.

Some criticisms answered

I wish here to dispel the misconception of those who are wealthy, and consider themselves to be very generous and entirely devoted to the service of religion. However, at the time of need they have utterly refused to give of their wealth, saying: if we had lived in the time of a true man, sent by God, who had been raised by God for the support of religion, we would even have sacrificed our-selves entirely to help his cause, but as there is fraud and deception raging all around, what can we do? So, O people, let it be known to you that a man has been sent to the aid of the faith but you have failed to recognize him. He is in your midst, and it is he who is addressing you, but your eyes are covered with thick veils. If your hearts earnestly seek the truth, then it is quite easy to test the man who claims to receive revelation from God the Most High. Come to him and stay in his company for two or three weeks; then if God the Most High wills, you shall see with your own eyes the heavenly blessings that are being showered upon him and the lights of Divine revelation that are descending upon him. It is the one who seeks that finds, and it is for one who knocks that the door is opened. If you close your eyes and hide in a dark den, and say that you cannot see the sun, your complaint will be absurd. O you fool, open the doors of your den, and lift the veil from over your eyes so that the sun may not only be visible, but it may also illuminate you with its light.

Some people assert that all that is required for the aid of the faith is to establish organizations and open religious schools. But they do not know what is the real significance of religion nor do they know what is the ultimate aim of our existence, and how and by what means can that object be attained. They should realize that the ultimate aim of this life is to attain that true and definite bond with God the Most High which, freeing us from base connections, takes us to the fountain-head of salvation. And the paths to that perfect faith can never be discovered by human devising and planning, nor can man-made philosophy be of any use for this end. In fact, this light is only sent by God from on high, at the time of darkness, through His chosen servants. Only he who has come down from heaven can lead the way to heaven.

So, O you people, who are sunk in the pit of darkness, and are trapped in the clutches of doubt and scepticism, and are slaves to the lower desires of the self, be not proud of following Islam only in name and ritual, and think not that your true benefit, actual progress, and ultimate success lies in the plans made and carried out by the organizations and schools which exist today. These activities are no doubt beneficial, in principle, and may be considered as the first rung of the ladder of progress, but are very far from the real purpose. These ways may perhaps sharpen the mental faculties, create intellectual skills, produce quickness of mind, and give practice in the use of formal reasoning, leading to the attainment of titles of scholarship and learning. And perhaps, after acquiring knowledge for a long time, they may even be helpful in attaining the real object. But, as the adage runs, By the time the antidote arrives from Iraq, the one bitten by the snake will have died.

Arouse yourselves, therefore, and be watchful so that you may not stumble and set out on the journey to the hereafter in a state which is really one of unbelief and faithlessness. Know it for certain that hopes for salvation in the next life cannot at all be made to rest entirely on the acquisition of this formal knowledge. Rather, that heavenly light is needed which removes the dirt of doubt and uncertainty, extinguishes the fires of greed and low desires, and draws towards the true love, true devotion and true obedience of God the Most High. If you question your own conscience, you will receive just the same reply, that true satisfaction and contentment of mind which instantly bring about a spiritual transformation have not yet been achieved by you. It is a matter of the utmost regret that while you display so much zeal for propagating the ritual aspects of the teachings and the formal aspects of knowledge, you do not possess the tiniest fraction of that feeling towards the heavenly movement. Your life is mostly being devoted to works which, in the first place, have no connection whatsoever with religion, and even if there is any, it is very insignificant and far less than the real object. If you possessed the sort of sense and understanding which shows you the true goal, you would not rest until you achieved that real object. O people, you have been created to gain knowledge of, to love and to obey, your true Lord God, your real Creator, and the One Who actually ought to be worshipped. So until this chief purpose of your creation is manifestly displayed in you, you will remain very far from true salvation of your soul.

If you are fair, you can yourself bear witness to your internal condition, and see that in place of Divine worship it is the gigantic idol of the worship of this world which is before your hearts every moment, in front of which you bow down thousands of times in every second. All your precious time is so taken up with the idle talk and prattle of the world that you have no time to raise your sight to the other side. Do you ever even remember what the ultimate end of this existence is? Where is the justice in you, where is the integrity in you, where is the righteousness, fear of God, honesty and humility in you, towards which the Quran calls you? For years you do not recall, even accidentally, that you have a God. It never occurs to you what duties you have in respect of Him. The fact is that you have maintained no concern, no relation, no bond whatsoever with the true, eternal God and you are even reluctant to utter His name. You will now argue, quite cleverly, that this is most definitely not the case. But the law of God the Most High puts you to shame when it makes plain to you that the signs of the faithful are not to be found in you. Although in matters of the cares and concerns of the world, you forcefully claim for yourselves wisdom and soundness of opinion, but all your ability, ingenuity and foresight extends only as far as the worldly domain. And by means of your intellect you cannot see even the smallest corner of that other realm although your souls have been created to live there for eternity. You are so perfectly content with the life of this world as is a man content with something which is to remain forever. But you never think, not even once in your whole life, of that other world, the pleasures of which provide true contentment and last forever.

What a great misfortune it is, that you are absolutely indifferent to a matter of paramount importance. You have closed your eyes to it and are running day and night headlong in pursuit of your desire for transitory things that are worth neglect. You know quite well that the hour will undoubtedly come upon you which will extinguish your life and all your ambitions in a single blow. Yet it is a curious misfortune that, despite knowing this, you are squandering all your time in just running after the world. And it is not as if this yearning for the world is confined to legitimate means; no, you have allowed all manner of unlawful means, from falsehood and fraud to murder of the innocent. Yet with all these disgraceful misdeeds which are widespread among you, you still assert that you have no need for heavenly light and the heavenly movement; in fact, you bear bitter hostility towards it. You hold the heavenly movement established by God the Most High in very low estimation, so much so that when you even mention it your tongues utter scornful, hateful words in a most arrogant and haughty manner, to ridicule it. You ask over and over again how you can be sure that this movement is from God. I have already given the reply to it, that you shall know this tree by its fruit and this star by its light. I have delivered this message to you once. Now it is up to you to accept it or reject it, to remember what I have said or to remove it from your memory.

"When alive a man is not valued, dear ones,
You will remember my words after I am gone."

At the end, a poem lamenting the sorry state of Islam

Every believer must shed tears of anguish, at the grave crisis Islam faces and the dearth of true Muslims.

The religion of God is passing through a dangerous and terrifying phase. Unbelief and hard-heartedness have filled the world with turmoil.

Even people who are devoid of any form of goodness take the liberty of criticizing the person of the 'Best of Prophets' (may peace and the blessings of Allah be on him).

He who is himself trapped in the dungeon of impurity hurls objections at the Chief of the Pure.

Evil-natured and wicked people attack that Sinless one. Heaven should rain stones on the earth.

Islam is crumbling to dust before your very eyes, O men of wealth! What excuse do you have before God [for not spending in His way]?

The forces of unbelief are surging with power on all sides like the army of Yazid. And the true religion is sick and helpless like Zain-ul-Abideen.

The wealthy are lying in the lap of luxury, enjoying themselves in the company of beautiful women.

The Ulama are fighting day and night for selfish ends, while the holy men are totally oblivious to the needs of the faith.

People are following their own ends for their low desires. Religion has no helper, so every enemy has savagely attacked it.

O Muslims! are these the signs of you being Muslims, that the religion is in such a state and you are clinging like a vulture to the world.

Think you that the world is a very safe and strong abode, or maybe you have forgotten the death of those who lived before you.

O heedless people! death is approaching you — worry about it. For how much longer will you be enjoying wine with your beautiful lovers?

O wise one! make not yourself to be a slave of the world. Else you will face much hardship at the time of death.

Love not anyone but the One whose Beauty is everlasting, so that you can attain eternal happiness from your Lord, the Benefactor.

The wise man is one who follows His path madly. The clever man is one who is intoxicated by the face of his Beautiful Beloved.

The brew of His love is like an eternal water of life. Whosoever drinks it, shall then never ever die.

O brother! be not engrossed in the luxuries of this world. Every drop of this honey is saturated with sweet poison.

Exert yourself with your soul and wealth, as far as you can, for the service of Islam, so that the Lord of the Throne bestows His pleasure upon you.

Prove by your actions that you have the light of faith within you. If you give your heart to Joseph, then you must also journey to Canaan.

Do you remember the days when this religion was the centre of attention? And it had freed the world from the path of the accursed Devil.

The knowledge it spread bestowed the world with virtuous training. The esteem and honour in which it was held made its position as high as the sky.

And now the time has come when every ignorant one stupidly opposes this wise religion.

Millions of foolish ones have left their religion and millions of the ignorant have fallen prey to the cunning enemy.

All this disgrace Muslims suffered, because their energy failed to equal their feeling for their religion.

Even if a whole world abandon the religion of the Mustafa, Muslims are not roused into the least action, even as little as the movement a foetus could make.

Every moment they spend in concern about this despicable material world, and spend their wealth on their women and sons.

They preside over every gathering where evil and wickedness are committed, and shine like a diamond in every group of sinners.

Lovers of alcohol but ignorant of guidance. Hateful of religious luminaries, they keep company with drunkards.

The true Beloved has turned away from them, Who used to love them when they had an earnest and faithful yearning for Him.

The days of their prosperity and glory are over. Now the evil consequences of their actions have brought bad times.

The progress in the beginning was achieved by following religion. In future too, it shall be by the same way.

O God! when will the time of Your help come? When shall we witness that blessed day and year again?

Two worries for the religion of Ahmad have consumed me from within: the abundant numbers of its enemies and the paucity of its supporters.

O God! come soon and shower us with Your help. Else, my Lord, remove me from this burning place.

O God! cause the sun of guidance to dawn from its rising-place of mercy. Show bright signs to illuminate the eyes of the ignorant.

As You have granted me to be sincere in grief and longing, I think not that You will let me die in failure.

The mission of the truthful never remains incomplete. For them, there lies hidden in their sleeves the hand of God.

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Victory of Islam

English translation of Fath-i Islam

Contents

Victory of Islam